Ever since Robert Plant listened to his first record, he has been adamant to continue expanding his knowledge of music, throwing himself into various genres and cultures to find sounds that excite him. In doing so, he’s gone around the world, so there is no one better to take music recommendations from.
The Led Zeppelin singer recently compiled a list of some of the best music he has heard over the decades. In doing so, he drew from various styles and genres, going all over the world in his choices, but one from his home country of Britain that he insists the country should be proud of is Peter Green.
Peter Green is most notably responsible for founding Fleetwood Mac, but he also had an excellent solo career, and it is one of the songs from this time in his life that Robert Plant draws attention to. Arguably, his album In The Skies is one of the best blues rock recordings of the 1970s. He put it together after the initial split of Fleetwood Mac as drugs took their toll on the band’s dynamic. One of the pieces on the album that stands out is ‘A Fool No More’, which Robert Plant takes a particular shine to.
He describes Green as “probably one of the most superlative, soulful singer/guitarists that Britain has been proud to call our own.” Moving onto the song, he says, “This is from Peter Green, from his In The Skies record, which was released in 1979. So this came out after Peter spent nearly a decade out there away from the music scene.”
Green is recognised extensively for his contribution to music, as his guitar-playing ability led to the development of works such as ‘Albatross’, and ‘Black Magic Woman’. His solo career often falls under the radar, though, which is a shame because some excellent songs have been produced as a result.
Snowy White helps with guitar on the track, playing a Les Paul that he bought off Green for £100. He recalled making the song together, “I looked at Pete, and I thought about it, and I decided even if I paid him for it, it would always be his guitar, not really mine. And I figured he’d want to play it again in the future so I told him not to sell it, that he should put it away because he might want it one day. Or that I would put it in my attic and look after it for him for as long as he wanted me to, but in the end, he sold it to Gary Moore.”
You can always bet on Robert Plant to provide good music recommendations, as his commitment to the craft means his taste travels far and wide, both in region and time. He shines a light on Peter Green that isn’t shone enough, as his solo career never took off as much as his time with Fleetwood Mac did.
