Peter Green - Splinter Group in Concert (DVD & CD) (2003)

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Peter Green - Splinter Group in Concert (DVD & CD) (2003)

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Since Nigel Watson coaxed 60s legend Peter Green out of retirement in the late 1990s, and formed the Splinter Group, there's been controversy about how much Green the marquee player of the band really contributes. Watson reportedly does most of the heavy lifting on guitar, adopting a style based on Green's brilliant work of 30+ years ago. This concert video gives you the chance to see for yourself.
There are two sets, an acoustic set made up of blues standards, including the Robert Johnson covers for which the band is noted. Then there's an electric set in which the Splinter Group performs original compositions, concluding with two of Peter Green's old songs. This has been the formula since the band's inception: new arrangements of the Green classics; blues covers, and new material by the other members of the band.
Those other members play well, and this is an enjoyable concert. Sadly, however, Peter Green does not do very much. His voice, never strong since his return from retirement, is very shaky. (Significantly, Nigel now sings "Need Your Love So Bad", since Peter is no longer able to hit the higher notes at all.) And while Green plays some harp, and some guitar, it's really Nigel who's doing the work here. There are one or two spots where Green seriously gets to work, but for the most part he picks indifferently at his guitar, backing Nigel's fiery solos with a few notes here and there.

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Peter Green - Splinter Group in Concert (DVD & CD) (2003)

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The disc also includes an interview segment, and here Peter looks and sounds even worse. I could barely understand a word he said. Tragically, he comes across almost as a caricature of a fallen rock star, although those familiar with his life story are aware that serious health problems are responsible for his deterioration, and that he's still in much better shape now than he was before Nigel dragged him back into the spotlight.
Another DVD feature is an MTV-style video of "Real World", a Splinter Group original from their latest CD, "Reaching the Cold 100". Amazingly, in this video Peter smiles, seems awake, actually PLAYS his guitar and seems fully engaged. Did the concert just catch him on a bad night, has his health gone downhill, or does he just feel more comfortable without a live audience?
I'd recommend this disc for die-hard Green fans like myself, but anyone who hasn't heard his seminal work with John Mayall and the original Fleetwood Mac will probably be shaking their heads, asking "What's the big deal about this guy, anyway?" It's a shame, because those of us who love Peter's work know that, after Jimi Hendrix, he was the greatest rock or blues guitar player of his generation. While I'm glad he's enjoying himself (finally), I can't help wishing he still had his songwriting ability. Watching him do other people's songs and warmed-over versions of 35-year-old hits is, finally, getting a bit old.
The disc is in anamorphic widescreen with a fine Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.

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Peter Green - Splinter Group in Concert (DVD & CD) (2003)

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