Search - John Mayall :: London Blues (1964-69)

British R&B at its best!

nicjaytee | London | 04/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Along with more rudimentary Alexis Korner and Graham Bond "Organisation", John Mayall's "Bluesbreakers" provided the catalyst and musical training ground for the UK R&B boom of the mid 60's. Want to know where Eric Clapton's work with Cream and Peter Green's work with early Fleetwood Mac came from?... then look no further, because they're all here... Eric Clapton, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Aynsley Dunbar, Keef Hartley, Mick Taylor, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Tony Reeves, Henry Lowther... the power-houses behind much of the UK R&B scene serving their time and establishing their reputations within the constantly changing "Bluesbreakers" line-up.



But these tracks are not just interesting "what did they do in the early days" add-ons... they're superb examples of precisely what this music was all about. John Mayall - a gifted, often under-rated singer and musician in his own right - provides the framework for his peers to explore and extend their musical ideas and, this album captures them all in great form. Eric Clapton's ground-breaking guitar work on tracks such as "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (one of seven tracks with Clapton as lead guitarist) set the scene for his work with Cream and stimulated the "Clapton is God" graffiti that adorned walls and railway bridges in 1966. Peter Green's beautiful finger picking on "Sitting In The Rain" and bridge-bending guitarwork on "The Supernatural" (along with eleven other tracks featuring him as lead guitarist) represent blues guitar at its very best.



And... throughout it all, John Mayall weaves his special magic. "No Reply" co-written with Mick Taylor, who was picked out by the Stones to replace Brian Jones on the basis of his work with John Mayall as represented on this album, is quite stunning and there's more... so much more.



Along with "The Turning Point", an absolutely essential John Mayall album. If you're into this type of music then this is a "must have"."

The Best Mayall Compilation Available

C. S. Junker | Burien, WA USA | 10/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Mayall is still performing and recording in his late sixties, but he is not very well known in the US. His greatest claim to fame is perhaps his featuring Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor as lead guitarists before each of them went on to greater fame. However, Mayall has his strengths as a songwriter and arranger, and the sincerity of his crusade to bring the blues to a wider audience is undeniable.If you are at all curious about Mayall, or are simply interested in hearing examples of Eric Clapton's best early work, this two disc set is the place to begin. Mayall's major achievements were recorded in the 60s, and his most enjoyable songs are included here, with the exception of the tracks on "The Turning Point".Stones fans, those who like Clapton's blues work, and anyone familiar with the original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green, will likely enjoy this set. First rate blues guitar, strong melodies, creative blues arrangments with extensive use of horns as well as guitar, keyboards, and harmonica --- you'll find them all here. A throughly satisfying disc from beginning to end."

Useful overview

Laurence Upton | Wilts, UK | 09/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers pretty much led the British rhythm and blues boom of the sixties and was a regular feature at the venues that were springing up to cater for fans of the music.

He had the knack of discovering talented musicians, especially guitarists, at one time hiring in succession relative unknowns Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor. Other notable musicians employed here in an ever rotating line-up include John McVie, Aynsley Dunbar, Keef Hartley, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Tony Reeves and Henry Lowther. These were not merely hired hands, but integral members of the band, shaping and colouring the music within an expanding blues framework, under the guiding light and vision of John Mayall, himself no mean performer.

This 2CD retrospective picks liberally from this period in the latter half of the sixties including tracks from the key albums Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton, A Hard Road (featuring some of Peter Green's bluesiest work), Crusade, Bare Wires and Blues From Laurel Canyon, the latter three all featuring Mick Taylor, as well as the Mayall solo album The Blues Alone.

It is most valuable, however, for including some hard to find A-sides, B-sides and EP tracks, such as three of four recorded for the 1967 EP John Mayall's Bluesbreakers With Paul Butterfield. Although primarily taken from Decca recordings, space has been found to include 3 sides with Eric Clapton recorded for the Immediate and Purdah labels (I'm Your Witch Doctor, Telephone Blues, Bernard Jenkins). Since the original albums are all in print, I would have preferred to see more of the non-album tracks here, such as Lonely Years (for Purdah) and Little By Little (from the Paul Butterfield EP), but this is a well-chosen and representative selection"