danny kirwan and bob welch

I guess you could say that the Bob Welch years were Fleetwood Mac’s lost period.  But they were more than this, too. You might remember Welch as the maker of several coke-fueled radio hits that garnered fairly heavy air play in the late 70s. One of those hits, Sentimental Lady, received earlier (and more understated) treatment during Welch’s time in Fleetwood Mac. But here’s the thing: Although the Mac failed to gain much of a commercial foothold over Welch’s tenure in the group, his influence was decisive in that he was a native Angeleno and his entry into the band shifted the center of gravity from England to California.  Never again afterward could you think of Fleetwood Mac as a British blues rock band. Their first record with Welch, Future Games, is a lovely dawn-of-the-70s affair, oozing with gentle, laid-back vibes, the kind of thing that can only come from folks who’ve spent a fair bit of time baking in the California sunshine.  But from what I can tell, Future Games is neither a much-discussed album, nor is it highly regarded to the extent that it’s been noticed at all. Robert Christgau gave it a middling grade of ‘B’ in his review. But while Future Games is by no means an outstanding achievement, it’s one of those pleasingly relaxed records you can play while you’re folding laundry or doing dishes. Welch and Danny Kirwan have a good feel for one another. Even as the makers of glorified background music, their guitars chime and jangle with a sparkly goodness that’ll make you feel like your toes are buried in the warm ‘n golden sands of time…