Search - John Mayall & Bluesbreakers, John Mayall :: Stories

A Colossal Achievement

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 11/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, allow me to put forth the proposition that despite the name of Mayall's band, that John Mayall has never been exclusively a blues musician. Therefore, it stands to reason that Mayall's albums will not contain blues songs exclusively. That Mayall is a blues master, there is no doubt, but he is so much more than that.
I am the owner of more than 40 Mayall recordings and buy each new CD before I hear a note. Rarely am I disappointed. The release of Stories is a testament to Mayall's prolific and enduring talent. Indeed, it is a colossal achievement.
Recently I had Stories in continuous rotation with a few other blues CDs while on a long road trip. My love for the CD grew with each listen. It is true that there is little straight blues here, but there is a lot of hard driving rock and blues rock and even a couple of the "message" songs that Mayall is fond of writing. Every song is good, but the real treat comes on the final cut which showcases another Mayall blues masterpiece. That song, The Mists of Time, is one I could listen to repeatedly for hours on end.
Other favorites are The Witching Hour, the magnificent Kokomo, and Demons In The Night.
Every John Mayall album has been different than its predecessor, sometimes radically so, and Stories is no exception. So its a mistake for the listener to come to the table with a preconceived notion of what the CD should sound like. I think Stories is Mayall's finest effort since Chicago Line and it deserves to be listened to enough times so that the listener can truly judge it on its considerable merits alone rather than by all that Mayall has done before."

Great CD!

Jan Mikkelsen | Denmark | 01/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In some ways, this is a typical Mayall album. You have some straigth blues, a few rockers, a bit of jazz influence, a touch of "voodoo" blues, etc. On "Spinning Coin" (1995), Blues For The Lost Days (1997), "Padlock On The Blues" (1999) and "Along for the ride" (2001) we have seen a similar mix. These are all very good albums, but "Stories" is better in terms of song material and energy. The band sounds stronger than ever, and I think that compared to "Along for the ride", a more "raw" sound was applied here, which is great. The guitar playing of Buddy Whittington is a pleasure - this guy is one of the greatest! John Mayall's singing and playing is also still very strong.
I agree with the previous reviewers, except of course Bob Davies who is way off target, IMHO.
I went to see John Mayall & the Blues Breakers last year in Århus, Denmark where they mostly played songs from "Along for the ride". That was a great experience. They are playing again in march 2003 and I expect an even better show this time. Go see them!!!"

From a technical point of view.....

Myles S. Rose | Los Angeles | 01/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Guitar tone, chops, style, and playing just do not get any better than Buddy Whittington shows on this CD. All the great blues styles are there, from SRV to the classic electric blues.This CD is a MUST for any guitar player that wants to hear what a great player with a great guitar amp (Dr. Z MAZ Sr) can do.Amazing .... simply amazing.If you know anything at all about me, you know that I am not easily impressed."