Former Fleetwood Mac and Bluesbreakers guitar legend Peter Green returned to the music scene some years ago with backing band Splinter Group, signalling the re-emergence of one of rock & blues' most iconic figures over the last 40 years. Time Traders is the 2001 release from the Peter Green Splinter Group, a 13 song collection of laid back blues and rock tunes, now being reissued by the folks at Eagle Rock.
Splinter Group is comprised of Green on guitar, vocals, and harmonica, Nigel Watson on vocals & guitar, Roger Cotton on keyboards, Pete Stroud on bass, and drummer Larry Tolfree. Despite the fact that Green's name is on the marquee here, this is pretty much a band effort, and not an excuse for endless guitar solos from the legend. That might disappoint some fans, as the album is very song oriented and lacks a dominant guitar presence. "Running After You" has some stinging lead & slide tradeoffs between Green and Watson, plus some great guest horns, and the dark blues of "Shadow on My Door" digs deep with some cool wah-wah licks. On average, many of the tracks are very pop oriented, with soothing female backing vocals and horns accentuating the catchy melodies, which you can hear to great effect on "Real World", "Lies", and "Home". If you gravitate towards the harder blues material, you'll certainly dig "Wild Dogs", and the haunting instrumental "Underway" instantly brings back memories of Green's Fleetwood Mac days with their classic "Albatross".
Overall, Time Traders is a decent listen, but tends to meander on the bland side of the blues/rock genre. Plenty of pleasant melodies and solid instrumentation, but unfortunately not enough Peter Green guitar artistry to really hold your attention for long.
Track Listing
1. Until The Well Runs Dry
2. Real World
3. Running After You
4. Shadow on My Door
5. Lies
6. (Down the Road of) Temptation
7. Downsize Blues (Repossess My Body)
8. Feeling Good
9. Time Keeps Slipping Away
10. Wild Dogs
11. Home
12. Underway
13. Uganda Woman
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
