Cost of Livingis a collection of 13 newly recorded tracks, all of which McClinton had a hand in writing with the exception of "Ill Change My Style," which comes from the classic repertoire of the legendary Jimmy Reed. Noteworthy songs include "The Part I Like The Best," written with Glen Clark, his former partner in 70s Texas duo Delbert & Glen; "One of The Fortunate Few," written with co-producer Nicholson, Al Anderson formerly of NRBQ and Tom Hambridge, best known for his work with Susan Tedeschi. Also included is "Hammerhead Stew," a rollicking song co-written with John Barlow Jarvis and the poignant "Your Memory, Me, and the Blues," written with Jim Weatherly, writer of many classics including "Midnight Train to Georgia.

Countless blues-rock guitar greats emerged during the late '60s -- the most recognizable names being Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. But one who usually gets overlooked is the great Peter Green, who led Fleetwood Mac early in their career. To coincide with the mammoth six-disc box set The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions, a single-disc compilation was issued, The Best of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (with both releases sharing the same front cover artwork). Although the latter version of Fleetwood Mac is more renowned, it was this early version that influenced a legion of subsequent rock acts, including Aerosmith (who covered Mac's "Rattlesnake Shake"), Judas Priest (who covered "Green Manalishi"), and Gary Moore (who went so far as to purchase Green's favorite Les Paul...from Green himself). And upon investigating this extensive 20-track set, you'll understand why, as the aforementioned tracks, as well as "Albatross," "Stop Messin' Round," and "Shake Your Moneymaker" are all bluesy gems. The Best of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac is an exceptional document of Fleetwood Mac's early years. ~ Greg Prato