Watcha Gonna Do? [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]

Performer: Peter Green
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Peter Green (vocals, guitar); Jeff Daly (saxophone); Roy Shipston (keyboards); Paul Westwood (bass guitar); Dave Mattacks (drums). Liner Note Author: Jet Martin Celmins. The third album that Peter Green made after he launched a comeback in the late '70s, Whatcha Gonna Do? was a disappointment on several levels. It was a sluggish record, often with something of a going-through-the-motions feel. While Green's blues-rock guitar chops remained intact, they were executed with less fire, force, and imagination than they had been in his best work. Most disturbingly, there often seemed to be a conscious effort to move Green's sound toward mainstream soul-funk, as well as to add some uncomfortably incorporated reggae rhythms. It's an unmemorable album, but for all that, not a terrible one. You can hear Green's natural affinity for R&B in both his fluid guitar and earthy vocals on some of the better songs, like "Trying to Hit My Head Against the Wall," "Like a Hot Tomato," and "Lost My Love" (the last of which, like early Fleetwood Mac's cover of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad," makes clear Green's overlooked love of sentimental '50s American R&B/proto-soul). These would be quite acceptable from a blues-rock journeyman, but Green was cursed, perhaps, by the shadow of his greater achievements and by listeners' knowledge that he had been capable of delivering more inspirational goods. ~ Richie Unterberger The third album that Peter Green made after he launched a comeback in the late '70s, Whatcha Gonna Do? was a disappointment on several levels. It was a sluggish record, often with something of a going-through-the-motions feel. While Green's blues-rock guitar chops remained intact, they were executed with less fire, force, and imagination than they had been in his best work. Most disturbingly, there often seemed to be a conscious effort to move Green's sound toward mainstream soul-funk, as well as to add some uncomfortably incorporated reggae rhythms. It's an unmemorable album, but for all that, not a terrible one. You can hear Green's natural affinity for R&B in both his fluid guitar and earthy vocals on some of the better songs, like "Trying to Hit My Head Against the Wall," "Like a Hot Tomato," and "Lost My Love" (the last of which, like early Fleetwood Mac's cover of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad," makes clear Green's overlooked love of sentimental '50s American R&B/proto-soul). These would be quite acceptable from a blues-rock journeyman, but Green was cursed, perhaps, by the shadow of his greater achievements and by listeners' knowledge that he had been capable of delivering more inspirational goods. [The 2005 CD reissue on Sanctuary adds two bonus tracks, the 1980 B-side "Woman Don't" and "Whatcha Gonna Do?" (which, though ostensibly the title cut of the record, was oddly unused on the original album itself).] ~ Richie Unterberger

Although Fleetwood Mac is best known for the mellow rock of RUMORS and TUSK, the quintessential '70s L.A. band started out as a British blues-rock powerhouse led by guitar genius Peter Green. After a stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Green formed Fleetwood Mac with the sidemen of the title, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. After a mere three albums of quintessential Brit blues, Green left to explore the darker regions of LSD culture. Though he returned to music in the '70s, and continued to record and tour sporadically into the '90s, it's been said by many that Green never really came back from those trips. Nonetheless, Peter Green is known to this day for having perhaps the most sweet and supple tone of any blues guitarist, British or otherwise.

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