Typical collection that misses some essentials ()

I've been a Fleetwood Mac fan for longer than I'd care to admit and have been frustrated by the unrelenting focus on the Buckingham/Nicks era on all these collections. When I first saw this one was going to be a double disc, I had high hopes that they'd finally do it right. Nope. Now I'm not going to pretend that every great track from the pre B/N days belongs on here, but come on! With two CD's there certainly was room for at LEAST Black Magic Woman, Sentimental Lady and Hypnotized. The first one put the band on the map and the other two got substantial airplay throughout the early/mid 70's, keeping the band in the public's eye. Besides, the Welch era music is in dire need of remastering. Doing those two songs is the least they could do to make up for ignoring such a crucial era in the band's career.

UK/Éire edition ()

I have the mainland EU import. This represents the classic lineup better than the 1988 collection, though nothing new was ready this time (as with this current tour). I'm going to have the band sign it when I see them in Rochester.

Spectacular ()

Fleetwood Mac is my favorite band. I saw them in San Antonio, 08/17/80 & again on Halloween night 1982 in Austin, Texas. "Rumours" is my all-time favorite album, Grammy Award Winner! The Very best is absolutely fantastic! Thank you

SWEET DAWG ()

THIS IS AWESOME. I LISTEN TO IT EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY THAT I POSSIBLY CAN!!!

Classic Rock ()

Epitomises late 60's Rock, as it moves into Prog. Rock. The Live version with Acoustic section in the middle is second to none. Pity Peter Green was spiked...

Fantastic CD!! ()

I've been listening to this all weekend. I have "the Dance album,greatest hits.etc-but This is their best,I think. Silver Springs,Songbird(beautiful song) and of course Landslide. I love Fleetwood Mac and it's a great collection.

This IS the best, if there could ever be a VERY best.. ()

I've been a Mac fan since I've been 11 years old, born in the year of their greatest album ever - Rumors, 1977. From a huge Mac fan, it would be virtually impossible to capture "the VERY best" of Fleetwood Mac - to those that expect it, I'd suggest buying the entire discography. Personally, this IS the best....it represents the brillant, heartfelt music that poured from the Mac albums of my era, times when growing up was tough and roads were rocky for Fleetwood Mac, but yet still The Mac prevails......It's so much more than the greatest hits correlation done in the late 80's, it's the best yet. The only testimony to this would be simply to press play. "Rock on, Gold Dust Woman", "The Skies The Limit!"

Made me a Fan ()

Before my friend brought over "The Very Best" I had never heard a Fleetwood Mac song.(Well until i Realized "Dont Stop" I have heard that song frequently and never knew it was from them) Any ways I just wanted to say thanks for making me a fan. Oh yeah i hope to go and buy the collection of there legacy!

Not the very best...not even close ()

Yet again...pre-1975 Fleetwood Mac has been thrown out for another "best of" collection. The late 80's Greatest Hits album, didn't have anything, and The Chain box set had only 1/4 of the material dedicated to the early stuff. Danny Kirwin, Bob Welch, Peter Green, Linsey Buckingham, and Christine Mcvie....they are the very best of Fleetwood Mac. Unfortunately, only two of those members are represented on this collection. It does feature a lot of good material from ONLY the Buckingham/Nicks era, like "What Makes You Think You're the One", and "World Turning" They are both stand-out classic Mac tracks. I'm not dissing this collection as a whole, but the title has got to go. At least they could have put 1975-Present on it. I think the early members of Fleetwood Mac got dissed more than anyone. If you want to get the very best of Fleetwood Mac you would have to go back to 1967 to include songs written then as well. Plus, you could buy all of their records from 1969-1981...in the end, that's the very very best.

An outstanding disc but not without fault ! ()

Well the 2 disc is infinitely better than the uk 1 disc version and offers a much more in depth listen to their music. Thankfully avoids the blues era so ensures mass market appeal,great great songs but i cannot play the multimedia despite having quicktime etc on my pentium 4 pc !

The best I've ever heard ()

I have never really been into Fleetwood Mac, only being 22 I was a little young to appreciate Fleetwood Mac's lyrics but now that I'm older I think they are absolutely brilliant. This really is an excellent CD. To fleetwood mac I hope you are really proud of this if not you should be. I wish that I had started listening to Fleetwood Mac ages ago, they really are a remarkable band. I can't believe that people are slating this album surely if it can get someone born in the 1980's to buy it, it must be good

Interesting selections ()

Who selects the tracks for these "best of" albums? The artist or the record company? I often wonder why some of Lindsey's best tracks are underrated. "Tango in the Night" and "Book of Love" should have been included. Other than that, this is a good starter cd set for those new to Fleetwood Mac or for those wanting good remastered tracks. To comment on "anonymous from Canada"'s comment, wasn't Sisters of the Moon on Tusk faded? I think you are right, faded is better.

Outstanding! ()

I have been reading some of the other reviews here and I can't believe some of the things I am seeing...I wanted this song on there, I wanted that song on there, Why didn't they put this song on there??? If they were going to try and make each and every one of you happy, then they would have come out with a 10 disk set with all of their songs on it! LOL Every Fleetwood Mac fan has different favorite songs, not everyone enjoys EVERY fleetwood mac song...
I think this album is outstanding! I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan for about 5 or 6 years now and I whenever anything comes out regarding them, I am right there to buy it! This album has most of my favorite fm songs on it...such as Dreams, Gypsy, Sisters of the Moon, Seven Wonders, Go your own way, I'm so afraid, Silver springs, Landslide, storms....etc....I cannot wait for the new album and tour...Hopefully I'll be able to get great seats! It is my dream to someday be front row for a FM concert!

Disappointing UK release ()

The USA version of 'The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac' is excellent compared to the watered down release we got here in the UK. Unfortunately, the UK release is just a 21 track single CD that unsuccessfully attempts to mix the Peter Green Fleetwood Mac and Rumours line-up on just the one CD.
There are just three Peter Green tracks 'Albatross', 'Man of the World' and 'Black magic Woman', and the remaining 18 are from the 1975 to 1987 era of the band. The CD is also oddly sequenced, making it an uncomfortable listen at times, jumping from era of the band to another.

Being a Brit, I enjoy the Bluesy Peter Green line-up of Fleetwood Mac just as much as the Rumours era and what I'd have liked to have seen here in the UK was a double CD featuring much, much more!

CD One could have featured much earlier material from Peter Green, including the excellent 'Oh Well', the truly demonic 'Green Manalishi', and the chilled-out 'Need Your Love So Bad'. Some of Christine McVie's earlier material like 'Why' could also have been included.

CD Two could then have showcased the 1975-1987 tracks and more room could have been created to feature the wonderful 'Silver Springs' as well as 'Hold Me' and even 'Oh Diane' which has been omitted from the UK release even though it reached Number 9 in 1983! And also, if you're going to include 5 Tango In The Night tracks, why not replace 'Family Man' with 'Isn't It Midnight'? I never quite understood why 'Family Man' was ever released as a single as it was never one of Lindsey Buckingham's strongest tracks.

I would like to give the CD 5 stars because Fleetwood Mac are my favourite band of all time, but I can only give it 3 because the CD simply isn't a true reflection of the band in the UK.

Still, the sound quality is superb and I'm thoroughly enjoying hearing the digitally remastered tracks full blast on my car stereo and I'm really looking forward to hearing the new material that's planned in the near future.

slightly misses the boat ()

First, let me say that the sound quality is superb. The re-mastering of the tracks is like hearing these songs for the first time. Where the 2CD package misses the mark is the exclusion of three essential single releases as per the billboard U.S. and UK charts. They being Fireflies, Save Me and Oh Diane. Running time permitting, would also include Farmer's Daughter and After Midnight.

Nice touch to include the rarities such as the remixes of Sisters Of The Moon, Think About Me and Rhiannon; however, the single version of Say You Love Me should have been used.

One question I have concerns Sisters Of The Moon. The cold, abrupt ending is disconcerting. Is that the way the single version was actually released ?? A faded ending would have made this version superior to the album version. Can anybody comment ????

Good but not great ()

Like a lot of folks, I have mixed feelings. Lots of great stuff included, some that shouldn't have been -- and where is 'Fireflies,' dangit!?!?!
But I need to ask how to use the enhanced features on the disk. I was given a promo copy, with no instructions. I didn't even know the thing is enhanced. What's on it? How do you access the special features? Thanks.

This one needed a little more care! ()

I very eagerly awaited the arrival of this 2-CD set in stores. I admit I was surprised that the set included "What Makes You Think You're The One", "Storms" and "Go Insane (Live)" rather than masterpieces such as "Over & Over", "Fireflies" and "Isn't It Midnight". I figured maybe the interactive segment of CD 1 would make up for the lack of care that went into the track selection. Not so. As a Macntosh user, I'm finding it difficult to access the videos. Also, I find the lyrics section to be rather inaccurate. On "Gold Dust Woman" the lyrics read "Rock on ancient woman", rather than the correct lyrics "Rock on ancient queen". Far worse, when I checked the lyrics for "Love In Store", the songwriting credits are incorrectly given to Lindsey Buckingham. Hello?!? Anyone who owns "Mirage", "The Chain - 25 Years", or the single itself knows that this is a Christine McVie song. Let's face it... this set is not inexpensive. If whoever assembled this package is only capable of a so-so job of song selection, at least get everything else right. People who take their Fleetwood Mac seriously deserve no less than a flawless product.

I only wish there was room for a few more ()

An excellent collection of the most popular FM lineup. It was much more representative of their hits and classics than the "Greatest Hits" released in '88. It was, however, missing minor hits, like "Save Me," "Fireflies," "Oh Diane," "Not that Funny," and "Love Shines." In their place was "Go Insane"(which I'm not sure why it was included), "What Makes You Think...("Not that Funny" would have been much better here), "Storms"(which is a beautiful song, but so is "Fireflies" and god knows "Beautiful Child" for that matter), "No Questions Asked," and "As Long As You Follow" (which should have remained on the G.H. album to retain its own identity, instead now there's no reason to buy that collection, if you own the new one.) I know everything can't be included, and still you have a superb anthology of 3 decades of a 5 decade-old Supergroup. Perfect for hardcore fans and "window-shopper" sampling fans alike.

"The Very Best" is the enhanced portion of the CD ()

The music selection on TVBOFM is nothing new to the average Fleetwood Mac collector, but the enhanced portion of the CD is well worth the purchase. At first glance, "The Vault" is nothing special. Almost every fan on The Ledge has these five videos. What impressed me was the trailor from the making of the new album. The promise of more trailors and updates was an even bigger surprise. This feature alone motivates me to check the Fleetwood Mac site on a continuous basis. I know there are a lot of fans out there who are disappointed with the music selection. I would have liked to see some selections from the FM Live album, such as "Fireflies" and "Farmer's Daughter". I wasn't very happy in the beginning (when the announcement came out), but now I can see why they chose to release this before the new album. It serves it's purpose. The booklet and the enhanced part of the CD says it all.

Not the very best, but it ain't bad! ()

Due to the remastering, the appearance of unexpected songs, and the inclusion of edited versions, this double best-of CD sounds fresh. Songs that were never released as singles ("World Turning" and "Storms", for example) are present, and live material from 1997's "The Dance" (such as "I'm So Afraid" and "Big Love") are included. "Silver Springs", which appeared as the B-side to "Go Your Own Way" but did not make it to the final cut of 1977's "Rumours", is a welcome addition. "Go Insane (Live)", taken from but not included on "The Dance", allows Lindsay Buckingham a shining moment.

Missing from this collection are great songs that were released as singles ("Warm Ways", "Not That Funny") and incredible tunes that were not released as singles ("Crystal", "Beautiful Child"). Absent with glaring omission are tracks from 1980's "Live" album, which features Stevie Nicks' best renditions of such classic songs as "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" and which also contains the highly underrated "Fireflies".

Also overlooked, in the liner notes, is mention of certain albums. David Wild does not once refer to "Live" or to 1995's "Time" (the latter of which allows Christine McVie to shine like never before). And album cover photos do not include all the albums from which the songs on this 2-CD collection originate.

Nonetheless, any Fleetwood Mac collection that starts with "Monday Morning" and ends with "Paper Doll" indicates a pretty thorough compilation. One that sounds remarkably fresh, despite the fact that this is the fifth greatest hits-type release from the "classic" Fleetwood Mac lineup (alongside "Live", 1988's "Greatest Hits", 1992's "25 Years - The Chain" and "The Dance").

This album also marks the greatest distance in several recordings between the tracks "Don't Stop" and "Go Your Own Way", and the interesting order of songs that compose this collection adds yet another dynamic aspect to this latest offering from the five fireflies.

Overall, an impressive & worthwhile collection... ()

It has to be said that this new retrospective is an impressive collection, catering for both FM devotees and the uninitiated. In an earlier review, reference was made to some fans' comments that this release offers nothing new when in fact it actually does, both in terms of 24 bit remastering and the inclusion of some extremely rare versions of popular songs. In addition to the 7" remix edit of Rhiannon (which indeed does include an extra "Dreams unwind, love's a state of mind"), there are the following gems

Say You Love Me 7" remix (with banjo)
Over My Head 7" remix edit (more percussive instrumentation)
Think About Me remix (from "Tusk Remixes" promo)
Sisters Of The Moon remix (from "Tusk Remixes" promo)

These are worth having alone, but the audio quality throughout is quite extraordinary - it's almost as if you're hearing these classics for the first time. It is immediately apparent that a lot of care and attention to detail has gone into compiling this collection - from the track selection to the remastering to the sequencing, which incidentally, is truly inspired.
That said, I too have concerns about certain inclusions (World Turning; Second Hand News; Never Going Back Again; Everywhere (dire in the extreme); Skies The Limit (embarrassingly awful); I'm So Afraid live (at least it's been edited); Go Insane (not a FM composition); Big Love live) and omissions (Warm Ways; Crystal; Oh Daddy; Not That Funny; Fireflies 7" remix; The Farmer's Daughter 7" remix; Oh Diane; Big Love studio version; Isn't It Midnight) but we need to remember that the "best of" genre, unless a strict singles compilation, is a highly subjective one. What I might consider to be an inappropriate choice of song someone else may deem absolutely necessary and so on, but the primary reason for issuing this 2cd set is to raise the profile of the band and reintroduce the "hits" to the general public, in turn ensuring sufficient hype for the upcoming studio album.
Another point worth considering in relation to the track selection is the unusually even distribution of songs between the three songwriters - never underestimate the importance of publishing and associated royalties! Given the fact that Christine often penned the more accessible, lightweight material; she had the lion's share of singles during this incarnation of the group. Stevie also had a knack of connecting with the public sales-wise despite her more unorthodox approach to songwriting (Dreams was their only US no.1 single) so it would seem a reasonable expectation that their contributions dominate proceedings here. However, from a commercial perspective, this might be construed as inequitable hence the inclusion of such Lindsey oddities as Monday Morning, I'm So Afraid and Family Man.
I did also notice that there is capacity for more audio content on disc one (approximately 14 minutes) which would have allowed for perhaps another 4 tracks but I suspect the enhanced component may have precluded this. Speaking of which, the brilliant Rosebud performance of Rhiannon is present as well as the promo video for Seven Wonders. There is also footage of the band recording the new album and some brief interviews with the remaining four members but little is revealed (no song titles or even an album title at this stage but I hear that Stevie's "Thrown Down" will make the final cut).
Anyway, all things considered, this is a more than respectable "best of" package and is definitely an improvement on the Greatest Hits and The Chain (2 cd) compilations. Now all we need is a companion DVD to tide us over until Spring 2003!

For the collector or for the new comer... ()

I agree with most of the other reviews in that the versions of the songs chosen should have come from a deeper source. However, the remastering of these songs is exquisite. Silver Springs will blow your mind. You can really hear the emotion in Stevie's voice. Mick's drums, Lindsey's guitar, all of the sounds are really crisp. The vocals seem to stand apart from the music, it's an orgy for the ears. The title "The very best of..." suggests that the 36 songs chosen were the best the band had to offer. I feel this is an unfair representation because not all of the incarnations of Fleetwood Mac were included, although these five fireflies are my favorite. Maybe the title should have reflected that for the fans of the "blusier" Peter Green-Bob Welch eras. My only complaint is with the extra multimedia included on disc 1, I can't get it to play properly on my computer. The powers that be should have included a separate disc that could be viewed from a dvd player or dvd-rom. I bought this cd because I wanted to hear the music, even if only one note had changed it would have been worth it. I got so much more than one note. It was as though I was hearing these songs for the first time.

Very good but not excellent ()

On the whole, I think this is a really nice collection, but there are omissions and inclusions that bother me. For one thing, why is "Skies The Limit" a part of this collections? Aside from it being a mediocre song, this was from the Vito/Burnette line-up, so it makes no sense to include it. It also seems strange to include a live version of "Go Insane" since it is technically a Lindsey solo piece. Why not include the live "Landslide" from "The Dance"? As good as the studio version is, it cannot compare to the amazing 1997 voice of Stevie Nicks. Also, where are "Oh Daddy," "Fireflies," "Angel," "That's All For Everyone," "I Know I'm Not Wrong"? The sequencing is somewhat scattershot, especially in the second half of Disk Two. I hate to complain since I love FM and the music on the collection, but it's frustrating to know that it could have been a better and more cohesive set. Also wondering why Reprise wanted to release it this year. Seems like it would have made more sense to wait until after the new album comes out, plus it would give it additional distance from "The Dance'" which contains several of the same tracks. Anyway, just my opinion.

almost.... but not good enough ()

fleetwood mac "best of" is an accurate reflection of the buckingham/nicks/mcvie era. its got the hits...its got some misses. i'm not planning on purchasing the album because i have everything by them. if i could of placed the track listings it would of looked like this (would have 75 tracks)

from "future games" ---show me a smile, sands of time
from "bare trees" ---bare trees, dust, sentimental lady, child of mine, and spare me a little love
from "penguin" --- remember me, caught in the rain, and did you ever love me?
from "mystery to me" ---hypnotized, forever, why, believe me, for your love, and emerald eyes
from "heroes are hard to find" --- heroes are hard to find
from "fleetwood mac" ---monday morning, warm ways, rhiannon, over my head, crystal, say you love me, landslide, world turning, sugar daddy, and i'm so afraid
from "rumours"---second hand news, dreams, never going back again ,dont stop, songbird, the chain, you make loving fun, gold dust woman, and silver springs
from "tusk" ---over and over, think about me, sara, what makes you think.., storms, thats all for everyone, brown eyes, never make me cry, i know i'm not wrong, honey hi, beautiful child, walk a thin line, tusk , and never forget
from "mirage" --can't go back, i'm alright, book of love, gypsy, hold me, and eyes of the world
from "tango" --big love, seven wonders, everywhere, mystified, little lies, isn't midnight, and you and i (part 1)
from "behind the mask"---love is dangerous, do you know, affairs of the heart, when the sun goes down, and the second time
misc inclusions trouble, holiday road(b), violet and blue, fireflies(n), the challenge, love will show us how, ask anybody(mc).

Why this is important ()

I've noticed a lot of people have said that while this collection is all excellent music, there is not real reason to buy. I have to disagree, there is one reason to buy this collection, it is because the songs are all remastered. The cd versions of there music are just taken from the original tapes, which is fine but it lacks the volume and crispness of current recording. This is a fact that the packaging of some of the cd versions points out, the cd does bring out the limits of the original tape. But here all the songs have been remastered which I don't believe is available on any other package. Besides that I've noticed some other differences on this package as well. Most notably, Rhiannon has a guitar part that I think is new, and its extended a couple seconds at the end so you can here Stevie singing "Dreams unwind, loves a state of mind" several times at the end, which was only heard for a second during the fade out at the end of the original. Anyway, I bought it hoping it was remastered, and it was, so I'm happy)

TRULY THE VERY BEST? ()

This release basically covers a great deal of the band. But can we have something that stretches back to Peter Green's era and have songs like The Green Manalishi, Need Your Love So Bad, Black Magic Woman and that beautifully-haunting Albatross? I am also certain that the early Fleetwood Mac covered the classic I'd Rather Go Blind. In all, a great disc but could be better.

More of a "collection" than a "best of" ()

Whoever selected the tracks performed the task well, but not well enough. I suppose everyone has their own ideas of what tracks should have been chosen, and how they should have been sequenced. Too bad nothing from "Time" appears on the new set. At least "I Do" could have made it here. A great live version of "Everywhere", from the 1987 tour appeared on an import CD of "Save Me". Not including that version of "Everywhere" is a huge oversight.

Thirty-eight, rather than 36, songs could have fit here. If it was my responsibility to select and sequence the tracks for this collection, it would have gone like this

DISC ONE
Everywhere
Rhiannon
Don't Stop
Oh Diane
Save Me
Dreams
Say You Love Me
No Questions Asked
The Chain
Think About Me
Landslide
Go Your Own Way
Love Shines
Sara
World Turning
I Don't Want To Know
Big Love
Over & Over
Stand Back (Live from '87 tour)

DISC TWO
You Make Loving Fun
Gypsy
Over My Head
Second Hand News
Little Lies
Sisters Of The Moon
Love In Store
Fireflies
As Long As You Follow
Tusk
Isn't It Midnight
Paper Doll
I Do
Silver Springs
Hold Me
Seven Wonders
Skies The Limit
Gold Dust Woman
Everywhere (Live from '87 tour)

"The Chain" 4-CD box set, while an enjoyable listen, is totally uneven, and quite sloppily assembled. This new collection, it seems, was hastily thrown together as well. I'll buy it, but will always regret that it could have been done much more thoughtfully.

Perhaps a much needed updated Greatest Hits ()

I saw this collection listed on a "coming soon" chart in a music store, but it didn't list a title. It only said "Fleetwood Mac." So I asked about it, excitedly, of course. Nobody working there knew a thing about it, and they all acted like they had no idea who Fleetwood Mac even is! Maybe it's time for a repackaged greatest hits release. With all the great Mac songs over the years, their last Greatest Hits record was way too short to make it worthwhile anyway.

Looking closer at these tracks, I realize that I do have all of these songs, including the studio version of "Silver Springs" which is much better than the live version on "The Dance." It is a good list of songs. I hope the people working in that music store put these discs in and give them a listen. They have a lot to learn.

Some people commented that the advertised rare live performances were just songs taken from "The Dance." I got the impression that they would be part of the enhanced CD features and not songs that were named in the track listing. I hope this is the case, and we are in for some unexpected surprises hidden away along with the video footage. CDs can't hold an great deal of info, but with two discs in the set, maybe they can fit more in than we suspect.

Everyone can come up with tracks they wish would be included, but just looking at the actual list, I see no other rating possible but 5 stars. Most of these songs are timeless classics, and the ones that aren't quite at that high level are also really great songs. There is not a single track that should be skipped over on either of these discs. Release date tomorrow? I'm there...

Okay... but could have been much better ()

I'm a huge fan of the Fleetwood Mac of the era from which this material is taken. I'll be glad to have "Hold Me" and "Seven Wonders", two songs inexcusably omitted from the 4-CD "The Chain", on the same disc. I can't say that I wholly agree with the track selection of this new package. While I enjoy "What Makes You Think You're The One" and "Storms", I would have preferred to see Christine McVie's "Over & Over" (in my opinion, the best song ever recorded by Fleetwood Mac) pulled from "Tusk" to appear on this collection. Too bad whomever selected these tracks didn't give enough consideration to including Stevie Nicks' "I Don't Want To Know" or "Fireflies". Instead we get live versions of Lindsey Buckingham's "Go Insane" and "I'm So Afraid". Additionally, McVie's "Love Shines" and Nicks' "Stand Back (Live)" were standout tracks from "The Chain", and would have been great additions here. It also seems that the studio version, rather than the live version, of Buckingham's "Big Love" would be a nice way to close out the second disc.

Still, I'll enjoy this new collection, as it is the last Fleetwood Mac purchase I will make. Now that it appears Christine McVie will no longer be recording or performing with Fleetwood Mac, I have no intention of buying any future albums by the band.

Is Fleetwood Mac's Latest Really The Greatest? ()

The tracklist sounds good.....but any true FM fan has all these songs....even the studio version of 'Silver Springs.' The best part about it is that it contains music videos b/c they are never on televison. The only problem is "rare live performances?" Rare? They are off 'The Dance' CD which is not a rare find at all. A greater LIVE tracklist would include

Rhiannon (Midnight Special 1976) or (Rosebud 1976) Stevie Nicks
Im So Afraid (Rosebud 1976) Lindsey Buckingham
Over My Head (Live Midnight Special 1976) Christine McVie

It's not fair that the new CD only put Lindsey's live recordings on the album but failed to showcase Stevie and Christine's vocal talents. It may be same material, but I will still buy it the day it comes out........I hope it has some good pics in the booklet.

Another greatest hits compilation with some extras ()

I am familiar with all these tracks because I am an avid collector of fleetwood mac albums. All these songs are great. No doubt about it! I give this album a 5 star rating because any fleetwood mac purchase is worth it especially this one. But most fleetwood mac fans would have all these tracks from previous album releases. This release may be intended to be for new fleetwood mac fans who may not be familiar with all the fleetwood mac material. Also this compilation is good because it contains fleetwood mac hits that were not available on the green covered 1988 greatest hits package. Hits such as Love in store, Sisters of the moon, Think about me, Family man, and Over my head. These tracks were released as singles and had high placings on the chart. Some of these songs did not appear on the The Chain double cd set unless you purchased the 4 cd set version you may be have been lucky to have all these songs. This compilation contains virtually every single hit they had on both sides of the atlantic except for Oh Diane and Isn't it midnight which is a shame because these songs are great and they deserve recognition. Since this release is a double cd there is room for extra tracks such as underrated side b's, which could have been singles, such as Monday Morning, Silver Springs, Gold dust woman, Never going back again and Songbird. It also features favourite tracks from albums that were live concert favourites such as Landslide, Songbird and I'm so afraid(which is an actual live version of the song and not the studio recording). Actually three songs from The Dance live album feature on this compilation.This compilation manages to fit recordings from the vito/burnette era. Recordings such as As long as you follow, No questions asked(both from the 1988 greatest hits compilation), Skies the limit and Paper doll which are great choices for any compilation.

Unfortunately there are some tracks I would have dispensed with and not because they're not good but because there would be better choices. Tracks such as What makes you think you're the one, Storms, Gold dust woman and World turning. I would have preferred tracks such as Beautiful child(love this song), Only over you(love this song too), Come a little bit closer (from Heroes are hard to find) and One more night from the 1980 live album would have been good.Also some rare side b's from the Tango in the night era such as Ricky, Book of miracles, Down endless street, You and I part one and even Cool clean water from mirage era. I'm sure a lot of the mac fans wouldn't have these tracks on cd. And it would be good if they could appear on a compilation of some sort. Maybe Fleetwood Mac could release a compilation package with all single releases with the corresponding coupled side b's. There are some great live tracks from the Tango in the night tour in 1987/88 with Vito and Burnette I would like to have on cd. Live versions of Seven Wonders, Little lies, Everywhere, Isn't it midnight, Has anyone ever written anything for you and Stand back.

More importantly this compilation maybe being released just before the new studio for one very crucial reason. It marks the end of an era for Fleetwood Mac. It is a way to say goodbye to Christine Mcvie or goodbye to the era which Christine Mcvie contributed so much for the band. Essentially, Christine Mcvie has been with the Mac since the beginning and now she has retired from the music business and so therefore it would have been very abrupt or very weird to just release the next fleetwood mac album without acknowledging her departure or absence from the band. Maybe this is to be expected. We were all told about the new fleetwood mac album and how Chris would not be a part of it but we must acknowledge the end of a era because the majority of mac hits were Christine Mcvie tunes and how this will affect Fleetwood Mac remains to be seen.

We'll have to just wait and see but until then enjoy a trip down memory lane!

My top twenty-two Christine Mcvie tracks
1. Come a little bit closer
2. Warm ways
3. Only over you
4. Skies the limit
5. Say you love me
6. Spare me a little of your love
7. Got a hold on me
8. Love will show us how
9. The Challenge
10.Songbird
11.As long as you follow
12.Love in store
13.Hollywood(some other kind of town)
14.Heart of stone
15.Everywhere
16.Little lies
17.Over and over
18.Believe me
19.Why
20.Oh Daddy
21.Never make me cry
22.Never forget

It was supposed to be my favourite ten Christine Mcvie
tunes but I have so many favourites!

Good bye Christine Mcvie
I love you!

Second hand news, but will it be the Christmas no.1? ()

Why shell out for this when you could pick up a second hand vinyl copy of 1988's green "Greatest Hits" album for six quid? Despite the promise of 'rare' live tracks, the listing suggests it's an all hits and well known songs crowd pleaser with a few relative rarities such as Silver Springs thrown in for the collectors.

The main purpose seems to be a warm up for the long awaited new studio album; everyone born before 1997 would have had no trouble obtaining this material. What I find slightly disappointing is that, in a similar way to the only too recent two and four-CD box sets, the quality control could have been a touch sharper. A little more thought would have seen some more of Christine McVie's strongest material included. 'Only Over You', easily the best song on "Mirage", 'Love Shines' from "The Chain", and the amazing 'Oh Daddy' from "Rumours" are all absent. Perhaps Mick Fleetwood felt this last one was a little too personal. 'Go Insane' seems a slightly odd choice of Lindsey solo material when 'Trouble' sounds much more like a Fleetwood Mac song, and several better known Nicks solo efforts don't get a look in. Also, I agree that a track or two from "Time" would be the least that Billy Burnette, Dave Mason and Bekka Bramlett deserved for keeping the band going in the mid-nineties, as well as showcasing a perfectly decent album. Final rant - if this is supposed to be a 'very best of' then why are we treated to the recycled Peter Green jam 'World Turning' when we could have had 'Crystal', the ultimate song from the white "Fleetwood Mac" album? One important purpose of this repackaging of second hand material should be to blow the minds of twenty and early thirty somethings who heard Nicks warble through 'Seven Wonders' with the depth and quality of the material this Mac lineup are actually capable of producing.

That said, it is nice to see 'As Long As You Follow' - surely the best thing the Vito/Burnette lineup ever recorded - and 'No questions asked' getting welcome recognition absent from the "25 years" box sets, even if the equally worthy 'One More Night' and 'Fireflies' from the "Live" double miss out. And at least they chose 'Skies the Limit' instead of 'Save Me', which makes the entire "Behind the Mask" album and tour seem worthwhile (despite the naff 'hit on the nail' rhyme).

Of course, any selection of songs from such a large and well loved collection will be a disappointment because there are too many good ones to choose from even for a double-CD. The tracks here are fantastic - the trademark singalong melodies, melt-in-your-mouth harmonies and guitar, keyboard and rythmn section masterclasses should be enough to keep us going for a few more years and maybe even appeal to a new generation of fans. And the cover looks very stylish too, so I suppose I'll be pushing and shoving my way to the checkout on the morning it's released, as will several million Macophiles the world over.

They may have seen their Christmas bonuses fly out of the window when they first heard "Tusk", but I'll predict the suits at Burbank will be enjoying plenty of festive cheer this winter. More importantly, this package will give Fleetwood Mac fans plenty of enjoyment, even though they know they've heard it all before.

5 stars for the music ()

I think the best of will serve it's purpose expand on the Greatest Hits CD and offer people who don't own these CD's the opportunity to get their favourite songs in one place. That said, the omission of the LP version of "Big Love" is criminal.

I think a better idea would have been to comprise a CHRONOLOGICAL (none of their collections have ever started at the beginning and then progressed...they always jump around.) and include key solo hits by the '75-'87 lineup. They are all inked to sister labels so this would have been no problem.

A better tracklist? A tad pointless probably, but it would have served both casual AND completist fans were it more along the lines of this

CD1
Rhiannon
Over My Head
Say You Love Me (Single Version)
Monday Morning
Landslide
Go Your Own Way
Dreams (Alternate Mix)
Don't Stop
You Make Loving Fun
Gold Dust Woman (Alternate Mix)
Tusk (Single Version)
Sara (Edit)
Think About Me (Remix from Tusk promo)
What Makes You Think You're The One
Sisters Of The Moon (Remix from Tusk promo)
That's All For Everyone (Remix from Tusk promo)
Edge Of Seventeen (Edit)
Trouble
Hold Me

CD2
Gypsy (Edit)
Love In Store (Alternate Mix)
Stand Back (Edit)
Go Insane
Got A Hold On Me
I Can't Wait (Single Mix)
Big Love
Little Lies
Seven Wonders
Everywhere
As Long As You Follow
Rooms On Fire (7" Remix)
Heart Of Stone
Paper Doll
Love Shines
Twisted
Steal Your Heart Away
Silver Springs (Live from The Dance) (Edit)
(new song here as preview of upcoming album)

Now, I'm off to burn my copy. ;)

It's not their new album but it's their greatest hits ()

The title states exactly what it is, and that's a greatest hits album. So no one should be disappointed that's it's not a new album because a new album is on it's way. This album is to familerise the public with their material. It is true die hard fans already have this material, but it is also the die hard fans who should buy this album to keep encouraging "The Mac" to produce more music. So let's make the next Fleetwood Mac albums go to number 1 in Australia, America and the U.K.

Who is this for ()

I am a little disappointed that FM decided to go in this direction.Let's get real,any real fan of FM already have this material.I find that these "oldies" are a great thing at a live concert,but new listening material is what the fans should want.

Like "The Chain," a few strange tracks... ()

One sterling track that is sadly missing is "Heart Of Stone" by Christine McVie, a song that WB did not promote off of the four disc "The Chain" set from 1992. Of course, The Chain included a live version of Stand Back, which didn't belong on that set...should only be on a Stevie Nicks set. I'm looking forward to the new Very Best set, however, it doesn't offer anything new to me...I'm happy keeping the first three discs of The Chain in my car at all times.

For collectors only-Nothing new here ()

This is the ultimate Fleetwood Mac Collection of the Lindsay Buckingham-Stevie Nicks era. There is nothing here from the Peter Green era or any other era for that matter. This is intended for the listener who has no Fleetwood Mac CD's and wants their best recordings. They have the studio version of Silver Springs for the hard core collectors. As usual all CD's have a hook to get the collectors to buy the album so they put on one song that has not been released. I have not heard the version of Silver Springs but would be willing to bet it is very similar to the one on the Dance. For those who are new to Fleetwood Mac or have only a few or none of their CD's enjoy. The rest of us will have to wait for the new CD that will come out sometime soon.

GREAT FOR NEW MAC FANS BUT NOTHING NEW HERE... ()

WHILE ALL THE 70s CLASSICS ARE HERE,THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FROM THE 80s & 90s. THE TIME ALBUM IS COMPLETELY IGNORED WHICH IS A SHAME AS IT HAD SOME GREAT CHRISTINE SONGS,BEHIND THE MASK,TANGO & MIRAGE MOSTLY GOIGNORED AS WELL. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A 3 CD COLLECTION...PS WHAT HAPPENED TO OH DIANE?

Seems to me it is the same. No what we were expecting ()

I can write a review of this new material because I know all the songs. And with my collection and a CD burner I can make a duplicate of this so called NEW ALBUM, so it is nothing that excite me. We were waiting for new material for this fall, but now we have to wait 'till 2003. I think they should have put in this new material, live versions of all the hits or different ones from the ones we already know. I myself have The Chain and all the prior discography from Fleetwood Mac (75) to date and honestly after the great release of The Dance (97), that was a great experiment in my opionion. We fans, I think, needed new material. It is Ok, but not what we expected.