Jeff’s Playlist: Mystery to Me

Mystery to Me — Fleetwood Mac

After the release of Bare Trees in 1972, I didn’t buy anoth­er Fleetwood Mac record until the release of Mystery To Me in late 1973. They had released Penguin between these two albums, but I didn’t pur­chase it, and I’m not sure I have ever even heard that recording.

This is the only oth­er Fleetwood Mac album from my col­lec­tion. After Danny Kirwan’s depar­ture from the group, Bob Welch steps up to play a more vital role as a song­writer, along with Christine McVie and new­com­er Bob Weston.

I par­tic­u­lar­ly like Welch’s con­tri­bu­tions “Emerald Eyes” and “Hypnotized,” but the whole album is a great col­lec­tion of song­writ­ing and musicianship.

This selec­tion will fin­ish off my January playlist pieces, but Bob Welch will return in February with French Kiss, his first solo album and a real hoot.

Mystery To Me is a very fine album. Give it a lis­ten; I think you’ll agree.

Album Information

Side 1

No.      Title Writer(s) Lead vocals Length
1.         “Emerald Eyes”        Welch        Welch        3:37
2.         “Believe Me”            C. McVie   C. McVie               4:12
3.         “Just Crazy Love”    C. McVie   C. McVie    3:22
4.         “Hypnotized”            Welch        Welch        4:48
5.         “Forever”                  Bob Weston John McVie Welch Welch 4:04
6.         “Keep On Going”     Welch        C. McVie   4:05

Side 2

1.         “The City”                 Welch             Welch           3:35
2.         “Miles Away”            Welch             Welch           3:47
3.         “Somebody”             Welch             Welch           5:00
4.         “The Way I Feel”      C. McVie        C. McVie       2:43
5.         “For Your Love”        Graham Gouldman  Welch 3:44
6.         “Why”                       C. McVie       C. McVie        4:55

Bob Welch – elec­tric gui­tar, acoustic gui­tar, bass gui­tar on “Keep on Going”, lead and back­ing vocals
Bob Weston – elec­tric gui­tar, slide gui­tar, acoustic gui­tar, back­ing vocals
Christine McVie – key­boards, lead and back­ing vocals
John McVie – bass gui­tar
Mick Fleetwood – drums, per­cus­sion
Richard Hewson – string arrange­ments
Fleetwood Mac – pro­duc­tion
Martin Birch – pro­duc­tion, engi­neer
Desmond Majekodunmi – assis­tant engi­neer
Paul Hardiman – assis­tant engi­neer
Clive Arrowsmith – pho­tog­ra­phy
Liverpool Art Student – cov­er design, unpaid
Mixed at Advision Studios, London
Released   October 15, 1973
Recorded   Spring-Summer 1973
Studio         Rolling Stones Mobile Studio at Benifold, Hampshire; mixed at Advision Studios,  London
Length.       47:49
Label          Reprise
Producer    Fleetwood Mac & Martin Birch