The six pack series continues. This time though the focus is not an artist or a genre; this time it’s a single song. We had to dig deeper into the vault to pull out six versions of one song. For the initial entry in the “six pack and a cover song” series, the pick is “Oh Well” by Fleetwood Mac from the album Then Play On. The original is divided into two parts, the first a compact blues-rock song with an unforgettable guitar riff and then part two which is an instrumental haunting psychedelic number.
Now for those of you who only equate Fleetwood Mac with the soft rock of “Go Your Own Way,” “Rhianon,” and “Landslide,” you may be interested to know that it started out as a British blues band. “Oh Well” is a track from this era Fleetwood Mac. Instead of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, this version of the band features Peter Green on vocals and lead guitar. This track has been a big influence on later hard rock groups as can be seen by the number of cover versions of this track.
Each of the six takes of “Oh Well” stick to a bluesy formula but are from a variety of artists. Some are part of live collections (Tom Petty and The Black Crowes with Jimmy Page), one is a tribute (Billy Gibbons), two are studio tracks (Joe Jackson and Kenny Wayne Shepherd) and of course, there is the original. Each of these tracks is paired with an equally rocking craft beer.
Fleetwood Mac “Oh Well Part 1” and Tree House Brewing’s Haze
For the original, the classic version of the song, we’re going with a classic beer, Tree House Brewing’s Haze. Peter Green’s distinct guitar riff and spoken-sung vocals hit on all the right notes. It’s a rollicking track that is perfect with Haze. The purple can of Haze brings to mind the psychedelia of the song. The original version, with an OG Tree House, can’t beat it. Haze is a sublime Double IPA, a citrusy, hazy treat.
Joe Jackson’s “Oh Well” and Great Lakes Brewing IPA
Jackson’s “Oh Well” is complemented by a sped-up keyboard before the signature guitar riff comes through. The track is very percussive, with some 90s key sound elements that still work well today. Jackson’s talk-sung vocals are reminiscent of Green’s. Knowing Jackson’s body of work, I was surprised how heavy this version is. This IPA stands out too. First of all, it’s the only beer in the six-pack that is not from New England (Ohio in this case). It’s their take on a traditional IPA, crisp and easy to drink.
Tom Petty’s “Oh Well” and The Alchemist’s Heady Topper
This version starts off as an all-out guitar assault. Petty’s vocals come in and then give way to layers of percussion and a guitar attack. The video above is worth watching just to see Petty dance around the stage shaking maracas. With the over-the-top, electrifying guitar madness on this version, what better to pair this track with than my favorite, a Heady Topper. The hop goodness is easy to go to your head just like the guitar riffs in this track. As a beer that is bursting with flavor and bitterness, this is a perfect pairing. Check out this other pairing with Heady Topper too.
The Black Crowes with Jimmy Page’s “Oh Well” and Trillium’s DDH Fort Point Pale Ale
Talk about a guitar onslaught–this is an all-out guitar jam! Interestingly enough, Page (yes, that Jimmy Page) doesn’t play the signature riff of the song, but just wait, he blares out a solo that hasn’t surfaced in any of the earlier versions. Robinson’s vocals are similar to the original. The last minute of the song is pure electric guitar mayhem. Fort Point Pale Ale from Trillium Brewing Company is one of their flagship brews. They are constantly altering it by using signature hops, or in this case double dry-hopping it. Just like taking the original track and blasting out a guitar jam session, the double dry-hopping of this Fort Point cranks it up even more with hoppy goodness.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Oh Well” and Vitamin Sea’s Seas are Tight (Collab with Humble Sea)
First of all, check out this cool can art! This is Vitamin Sea’s collaboration with Humble Sea out of Santa Cruz. The can art is a cool take on the Santa Cruz skateboard logo. (I’ll never forget Santa Cruz from the skateboarding part of the Nintendo game, California Games.) Shepherd is a virtuoso guitarist and definitely showcases his chops on this track. It’s also a collaboration of sorts. Even though the albums have Shepherd’s name, the singer here is actually Noah Hunt. His vocals are strong, some of the strongest heard so far on any take of “Oh Well.” The IPA is signature Vitamin Sea, hazy, juicy, and delicious. This track devolves into a complete guitar jam.
Billy Gibbons and Co’s “Oh Well” and von Trapp Brewing’s Radler
I would have thought that Joe Jackson’s version would have been the most different from the rest. I wouldn’t have guessed it would have been ZZ Topp’s frontman Billy Gibbons’s version. It’s slower than most of the other versions and very percussive with interesting sound elements. It still has the signature riff and bluesy vocals. I find it highly enjoyable. Not only is this track the most unique, the whole album it comes off of is. It’s from a Fleetwood Mac tribute from mostly indie groups including MGMT, Antony, and Lee Ranaldo with J. Mascis. This is where the beer ties in. The most adventurous of the beers is this Radler from von Trapp. Part grapefruit juice and part lager, this is the hit of the summer, utterly refreshing, similar to many of these artists’ takes on classic Fleetwood Mac tracks.
With all of these cover versions of “Oh Well,” no one tackles the slowed down, psychedelic second part. Oh well, I guess that one doesn’t have the screeching guitars that would be more fun to play. It’s interesting to hear all the different takes on one track. They all are certainly similar, but with stylistic differences. What’s your favorite?
A big thanks to Dave for the article idea!
