Fleetwood Mac - Stop Messin' Round ( S1.4 )

 The album version of the song usually appears on early compilations of Fleetwood Mac songs, such as The Pious Bird of Good Omen (1969), Black Magic Woman (1971), Greatest Hits (1971), and Vintage Years (1975). The anniversary band retrospective boxed set 25 Years – The Chain (1992) includes it, along with eight other Green compositions. The Mike Vernon produced The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967–1969 (1999) has all five takes of the song. A live recording by the BBC from 1 September 1968, shortly after Danny Kirwan joined the group, appears on Live at the BBC (1995).

Critical reception

"Stop Messin' Round" has received positive comments from music writers, with Green's guitar playing being singled out. In a song review for AllMusic, critic Matthew Greenwald noted:

The opening track from Fleetwood Mac's second album finds the band at once staying true to their authentic blues roots while expanding arrangements. Essentially a Jimmy Reed-styled

blues-rocker, "Stop Messin' Around" is buttressed by an excellent, funky horn section. Some excellent solo sections from Peter Green highlight the song and show the band digging in to a more hard rock groove than the songs from their debut.

In a review of English Rose, critic Bruce Eder describes it as one of the songs "representing the stronger tracks" from Mr. Wonderful. Richie Unterberger calls it "Mr. Wonderful's one gem" among the album's more derivative tunes. In Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists, "Stop Messin' Round" is identified as one of six "guitar high points" in Peter Green's career

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