Blues

John Mayall - Talk About That (2017)

2017-01-29T12:37:51Z

John Mayall - Talk About That (2017)


01. Talk About That
02. It's Hard Going Up
03. The Devil Must Be Laughing
04. Gimme Some of That Gumbo
05. Goin' Away Baby
06. Cards on the Table
07. I Didn't Mean to Hurt You
08. Don't Deny Me
09. Blue Midnight
10. Across the County Line
11. You Never Know

John Mayall (vocals, keyboards, harmonica and guitar)
Rocky Athas (guitar)
Greg Rzab (bass)
Jay Davenport (drums)
+
John Walsh on tracks 3 and 6

There are an awful lot of ‘Grandfather of the Blues/Rock/Jazz/Funk’ figures around but none are more the true progenitor of our modern Blues/Rock scene than John Mayall and this album, including the Bluesbreakers and live sets will be around release number 60 – the first being in 1965.

The amazing thing is that he doesn’t sound like a man whose first album was over 50 years ago and who has been, as they say, ‘through the mill’.

The songs on this album are powerful, evocative and steeped in the many forms of Blues that Mayall has been a part of. His vocals are gruff but clear and his piano and keyboards and harmonica are as good as they ever were.

The link up with another legend in Joe Walsh on The Devil Must Be Laughing and Cards On The Table reminds you of just how many great guitarists he has led over the years – Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, Buddy Whittington – and what great music he made with them.

The ‘house band’ for this album includes Rocky Athas, a guitar band leader of repute from Texas, Greg Rzab, ex-Buddy Guy, on bass and percussion as well as Jay Davenport on drums whose CV includes Sugar Blue, Junior Wells, Valerie Wellington, Pinetop Perkins, John Littlejohn, Jimmie Johnson and a stack of Chicago stalwarts.

So you might think that this is a band of superstars and you’d be right. You might also think that they are just ‘earning a buck’ playing with a wizened old has-been and you couldn’t be further from the truth.

The whole album has a sense of completeness about it. The songs are great, some of Mayall’s best work in ages, and the playing is respectful and loaded with passion. Even on a track such as Jimmy Rogers' Goin’ Away Baby which is pretty well stock Chicago Blues the song has a groove and swing that lesser artists couldn’t get close to.

There are so many high spots on the album, including Mayall’s piano on It’s Hard Going Up against some divine horns or The Devil Must Be Laughing where his Hammond underpins Walsh’s guitar to create some real depth – it is very close to one of Walter Trout’s darker moments and chilling as a description of the world today – but the funk of the title track or Blue Midnight make the album worth buying for those alone and add in the New Orleans strut of Gimme Some Of That Gumbo and I found myself dancing with sheer joy.

Mayall has never really been away but this came out of the blue and as a starter for 2017 it is brilliant. --- Andy Snipper, Music-News.com, vintagevinylnews.com

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John Mayall - A Banquet In Blues (1978)

2014-10-20T15:57:29Z

John Mayall - A Banquet In Blues (1978)


1	Sunshine	      	5:33
2	You Can't Put Me Down	      	3:25
3	I Got Somebody	      	4:04
4	Turn Me Loose	      	2:43
5	Seven Days Too Long	      	5:17
6	Table Top Girl	      	3:59
7	Lady	      	3:39
8	Fantasyland	14:14

John Mayall - Guitar, Harmonica, Harp, Keyboards, Melodica, Piano, Producer, Vocals
John Almond - Flute, Sax (Tenor), Saxophone
Doug Bare - Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer, Organ, Piano
Ronnie Barron - Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Buck Clarke - Percussion
Mike Coolly - Guitar
Phil Despommier - Drums
Alex Dmochowski - Bass
Larry Gales - Bass
Don "Sugarcane" Harris - Violin, Violin (Electric)
Red Holloway - 	Saxophone
Jon Mark - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
Roy McCurdy - Drums
Lenny McDaniel - Bass
Dee McKinnie - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
John McVie - Bass
Blue Mitchell - Trumpet
Novi Novag - Viola
Benny Powell - Trombone
Soko Richardson - Drums
Jay Spell - Clavinet, Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer, Piano, Piano (Electric)
Larry Taylor - Bass
Rick Vito - Guitar, Vocals

Hailed as "the Godfather of British Blues," Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall continues to keep the blues alive and will be performing live at the Rockhal on 17 April 2014 as part of his 80th anniversary tour. Long known for his ability to pick great guitar players for his indomitable Bluesbreakers, John has done more to spread the story of the blues in the UK than any other musician. Now, he continues to tour with a brand new band, reinforcing his on going mastery!

As the elder statesman of British blues, John Mayall is renowned as a bandleader and performer, and mentored some of the biggest names in rock n roll, including Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor. Few musicians have enjoyed the critical acclaim and longevity as the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. --- rockhal.lu

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John Mayall - A Special Life (2014)

2014-05-23T16:08:25Z

John Mayall - A Special Life (2014)


01 – Why Did You Go Last Night
02 – Speak Of The Devil
03 – That’s All Right
04 – World Gone Crazy
05 – Floodin’ In California
06 – Big Town Playboy
07 – A Special Life
08 – I Just Got To Know
09 – Heartache
10 – Like A Fool
11 – Just A Memory

John Mayall - Clavinet, Guitar, Harmonica, Organ, Piano, Vocals
Rocky Athas - Guitars
C.J. Chenier - Accordion, Vocals
Jay Davenport - Drums
Greg Rzab - Guitar (Bass), Percussion

John Mayall has been doing this blues thing now for over five decades (he released his first single in 1964), exploring the form in all of its incarnations, from gutbucket country blues to the more urbane jazz side of things, and amazingly, he's always sounded pretty much like John Mayall, a blues everyman who has always surrounded himself with the best bands and players, a big part of the reason he is still a successful touring act in his eighties. Mayall's put out 60 some albums since 1964, and while he's slowed down a bit in recent years, he's still good for a new album or live set every couple of years or so. A Special Life, recorded in November 2013 at Entourage Studios in North Hollywood, features Mayall's current band -- guitarist Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab and drummer Jay Davenport -- with singer and accordion player C.J. Chenier sitting in on a couple of tracks. It's a typical Mayall album, featuring a couple of classic blues covers (including Albert King's "Floodin' in California" here) and several Mayall originals (most of which unfortunately fall lyrically into the generic), all punctuated by piercing harmonica runs and solid ensemble playing. The opener, a cover of Clifton Chenier's "Why Did You Go Last Night," is one of the highlights, a Jimmy Reed-like shuffle given warmth, poignancy, and depth by Clifton's son C.J.'s accordion swells. Although it is built on a fairly generic blues progression in D, Mayall's own "World Gone Crazy" stands out because of its subject matter, which pretty much puts the responsibility for war at the feet of religions, most of which are rigidly intolerant of other religions. It's certainly not one's run of the mill blues theme. This is what Mayall does. He plays blues right down the middle of the road, never straying too far from the classic Chicago blues model, but he adds embellishments now and then, and when they work, he gently bumps the blues into an interesting side alley. ---Steve Leggett, allmusic.com

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John Mayall - Lost & Gone (1964)

2014-03-23T16:51:46Z

John Mayall - Lost & Gone (1964)


1	Why Worry		
2	Roadshow			
3	Mama Talk to Your Daughter		
4	Big Man		
5	Lost and Gone			
6	Mexico City		
7	John Lee Boogie			
8	Reaching For A Mountain		
9	Baby What You Want Me to Do

John Mayall - Guitar, Harmonica, Organ, Piano, Slide Guitar, Vocals
James Quill Smith - Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Christiaan Mostert – Flute
Kevin McCormick - Bass
Soko Richardson – Drums
Maggie Parker - Percussion, Vocals, Vocals (Background)

The compilation Lost and Gone is a retitled reissue of John Mayall's 1981 album Road Show Blues, originally released by DJM Records in the U.K. At this time, Mayall's backup band included guitarist/singer James Quill Smith, bassist Kevin McCormick, drummer Soko Richardson, and singer Maggie Parker. Two cuts, Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" and Mayall's "Mexico City," were recorded live. The band is a tight unit in support of the leader, who sings and plays fiercely. By the time that this album, the third and last in Mayall's DJM contract, was recorded, his career was in decline, and the disc was not released in the U.S. at the time. It would be another five years before he made another. Through some corporate legerdemain, the record has bounced around from one company to another and been reissued several times. In addition to this one, there are Road Show and The Adventures of John Mayall. Of course, the Mayall fan needs only one, but it does make a worthy addition to the catalog. --- William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com

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John Mayall - Blues From Laurel Canyon (1968)

2014-03-19T16:52:57Z

John Mayall - Blues From Laurel Canyon (1968)


01. Vacation
02. Walking on Sunset
03. Laurel Canyon Home
04. 2401
05. Ready to Ride
06. Medicine Man
07. Somebody's Acting Like a Child
08. The Bear
09. Miss James
10. First Time Alone
11. Long Gone Midnight
12. Fly Tomorrow

John Mayall (guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vocals)
Mick Taylor (guitar, hawaiian guitar)
Steve Thompson (bass)
Colin Allen (drums)

Mayall's first post-Bluesbreakers album saw the man returning to his roots after the jazz/blues fusion that was Bare Wires. Blues from Laurel Canyon is a blues album, through and through. Testimony to this is the fact that there's a guitar solo only 50 seconds into the opening track. Indeed, Mayall dispersed the entire brass section for Blues from Laurel Canyon, and instead chose the solid but relatively limited backing of Mick Taylor (guitar), Colin Allen (drums), and Stephen Thompson (bass). Instantly, it is apparent that John Mayall hasn't lost his touch with the blues. "Vacation," the album's opener, reminds one exactly why this artist is so celebrated for his songwriting ability. The staggering Mick Taylor (here still in his teens) truly proves his worth as a blues guitarist, while Steve Thompson (also in his late teens) works superbly with one of the genre's most interesting drummers, Colin Allen. Blues from Laurel Canyon is as unerring as Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, and equally as musically interesting. Not only is this one of the finest John Mayall albums, it is also a highlight in the blues genus. ---Ben Davies, allmusic.com

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John Mayall - Big Man Blues (2012)

2012-04-28T15:47:32Z

John Mayall - Big Man Blues (2012)


01. Why Worry		play
02. Road Show
03. Mama Talk to Your Daughter
04. A Big Man
05. Lost and Gone		play
06. John Lee Boogie
07. Reaching for a Mountain
08. Baby, What You Want Me to Do (live)
09. Mexico City (live)

John Mayall (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, piano, organ, keyboards); 
Maggie Parker (vocals, percussion, background vocals); 
James Quill Smith (guitar, background vocals); 
Christiaan Mostert (flute, saxophone); 
Soko Richardson (drums).

As the elder statesman of British blues, it is John Mayall's lot to be more renowned as a bandleader and mentor than as a performer in his own right. Throughout the '60s, his band, the Bluesbreakers, acted as a finishing school for the leading British blues-rock musicians of the era. Guitarists Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor joined his band in a remarkable succession in the mid-'60s, honing their chops with Mayall before going on to join Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and the Rolling Stones, respectively. John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser (of Free), John Almond, and Jon Mark also played and recorded with Mayall for varying lengths of times in the '60s.

Mayall's personnel has tended to overshadow his own considerable abilities. Only an adequate singer, the multi-instrumentalist was adept in bringing out the best in his younger charges (Mayall himself was in his thirties by the time the Bluesbreakers began to make a name for themselves). Doing his best to provide a context in which they could play Chicago-style electric blues, Mayall was never complacent, writing most of his own material (which ranged from good to humdrum), revamping his lineup with unnerving regularity, and constantly experimenting within his basic blues format. Some of these experiments (with jazz-rock and an album on which he played all the instruments except drums) were forgettable; others, like his foray into acoustic music in the late '60s, were quite successful. Mayall's output has caught some flak from critics for paling next to the real African-American deal, but much of his vintage work -- if weeded out selectively -- is quite strong; especially his legendary 1966 LP with Eric Clapton, which both launched Clapton into stardom and kick-started the blues boom into full gear in England.

When Clapton joined the Bluesbreakers in 1965, Mayall had already been recording for a year, and been performing professionally long before that. Originally based in Manchester, Mayall moved to London in 1963 on the advice of British blues godfather Alexis Korner, who thought a living could be made playing the blues in the bigger city. Tracing a path through his various lineups of the '60s is a daunting task. At least 15 different editions of the Bluesbreakers were in existence from January 1963 through mid-1970. Some notable musicians (like guitarist Davy Graham, Mick Fleetwood, and Jack Bruce) passed through for little more than a cup of coffee; Mayall's longest-running employee, bassist John McVie, lasted about four years. The Bluesbreakers, like Fairport Convention or the Fall, was more a concept than an ongoing core. Mayall, too, had the reputation of being a difficult and demanding employer, willing to give musicians their walking papers as his music evolved, although he also imparted invaluable schooling to them while the associations lasted.

Mayall recorded his debut single in early 1964; he made his first album, a live affair, near the end of the year. At this point the Bluesbreakers had a more pronounced R&B influence than would be exhibited on their most famous recordings, somewhat in the mold of younger combos like the Animals and Rolling Stones, but the Bluesbreakers would take a turn for the purer with the recruitment of Eric Clapton in the spring of 1965. Clapton had left the Yardbirds in order to play straight blues, and the Bluesbreakers allowed him that freedom (or stuck to well-defined restrictions, depending upon your viewpoint). Clapton began to inspire reverent acclaim as one of Britain's top virtuosos, as reflected in the famous "Clapton is God" graffiti that appeared in London in the mid-'60s.

In professional terms, though, 1965 wasn't the best of times for the group, which had been dropped by Decca. Clapton even left the group for a few months for an odd trip to Greece, leaving Mayall to straggle on with various fill-ins, including Peter Green. Clapton did return in late 1965, around the time an excellent blues-rock single, "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (with searing sustain-laden guitar riffs), was issued on Immediate. By early 1966, the band was back on Decca, and recorded its landmark Bluesbreakers LP. This was the album that, with its clean, loud, authoritative licks, firmly established Clapton as a guitar hero, on both reverent covers of tunes by the likes of Otis Rush and Freddie King and decent originals by Mayall himself. The record was also an unexpected commercial success, making the Top Ten in Britain. From that point on, in fact, Mayall became one of the first rock musicians to depend primarily upon the LP market; he recorded plenty of singles throughout the '60s, but none of them came close to becoming a hit.

Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in mid-1966 to form Cream with Jack Bruce, who had played with Mayall briefly in late 1965. Mayall turned quickly to Peter Green, who managed the difficult feat of stepping into Clapton's shoes and gaining respect as a player of roughly equal imagination and virtuosity, although his style was quite distinctly his own. Green recorded one LP with Mayall, A Hard Road, and several singles, sometimes writing material and taking some respectable lead vocals. Green's talents, like those of Clapton, were too large to be confined by sideman status, and in mid-1967 he left to form a successful band of his own, Fleetwood Mac.

Mayall then enlisted 19-year-old Mick Taylor; remarkably, despite the consecutive departures of two star guitarists, Mayall maintained a high level of popularity. The late '60s were also a time of considerable experimentation for the Bluesbreakers, which moved into a form of blues-jazz-rock fusion with the addition of a horn section, and then a retreat into mellower, acoustic-oriented music. Mick Taylor, the last of the famous triumvirate of Mayall-bred guitar heroes, left in mid-1969 to join the Rolling Stones. Yet in a way Mayall was thriving more than ever, as the U.S. market, which had been barely aware of him in the Clapton era, was beginning to open up for his music. In fact, at the end of the 1960s, Mayall moved to Los Angeles. Released in 1969, The Turning Point, a live, all-acoustic affair, was a commercial and artistic high point.

In America at least, Mayall continued to be pretty popular in the early '70s. His band was no more stable than ever; at various points some American musicians flitted in and out of the Bluesbreakers, including Harvey Mandel, Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor, and Don "Sugarcane" Harris. Although he's released numerous albums since and remained a prodigiously busy and reasonably popular live act, his post-1970 output generally hasn't matched the quality of his '60s work. Following collaborations with an unholy number of guest celebrities, in the early '80s he re-teamed with a couple of his more renowned vets, John McVie and Mick Taylor, for a tour, which was chronicled by Great American Music's Blues Express, released in 2010. It's the '60s albums that you want, though there's little doubt that Mayall has over the past decades done a great deal to popularize the blues all over the globe, whether or not the music has meant much on record. --- Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com

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John Mayall - Howlin' At The Moon (2011)

2011-05-10T08:53:25Z

John Mayall - Howlin' At The Moon (2011)


01. Mexico City 
02. Gone From The Canyon 	play
03. Caught In The Middle 
04. John Lee Boogie 
05. Emergency Boogie 		play
06. Rolling With The Blues 
07. Howlin' Moon 
08. Room To Move 
09. Sitting Here Alone 
10. The Stumble

John Mayall - vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards
Jon Mark - guitar
Mick Taylor - guitar
Johnny Almond - sax, flutes
Steve Thompson - bass
Larry Taylor - bass
John McVie - bass
Colin Allen - drums
Soko Richardson – drums

Like most British blues fanatics in the early '60s, John Mayall took his cues primarily from the stars of Chicago's electric blues scene. Both with the Bluesbreakers and later on his own, Mayall played a large role in introducing white audiences to electric blues. He was a leader in the emerging blues-rock movement, and his bands were an early proving ground for a number of future stars: Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce of Cream, Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, and Peter Green, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. This compilation of live tracks was recorded in the USA and Italy in the early 1980's, and features performances by John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) and Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones) from the reformed Bluesbreakers tour of 1982. Over 70 minutes of the finest blues including a storming workout of The Stumble.

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John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Road Dogs (2005)

2010-12-12T19:40:23Z

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Road Dogs (2005)


01. Road Dogs (6:03)
02. Short Wave Radio (5:06)
03. So Glad (4:05)
04. Forty Days (4:07)          play
05. To Heal The Pain (5:17)
06. Burned Bridges (4:34)
07. Snake Eye (4:02)
08. Kona Village (4:53)
09. Beyond Control (6:35)
10. Chaos In The Neighborhood (5:10)
11. You'll Survive (4:41)
12. Awestruck & Spellbound (3:58)
13. With You (4:38)
14. Brumwell's Beat (3:58)
15. Scrambling (3:40)          play

John Mayall (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, electric piano, synthesizer)
Buddy Whittington (guitar)
Eric Steckel (guitar)
Dale Morris Jr. (violin)
Tom Canning (piano, organ)
Hank Van Sickle (bass guitar)
Joe Yuele (drums)

During the course of his forty-year career, John Mayall has endured some fallow periods, but the British-born bluesman put himself into a creative stride when he renamed his band the Bluesbreakers back in 1984. Using the name which had gained such fame when including Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, and John McVie, among others, this seemingly cosmetic change brought Mayall to an elevated level of creativity that continues to this day, in the form of a brand new, self-produced studio album with his current lineup.

Mayall and his band excel on Road Dogs through a range of styles. With keyboardist Tom Canning having exited the group following the early 2005 recording of this disc—sessions and mixing, all within a month!?—Mayall's prompted to think outside the box of the standard quintet: as in the past, when Mayall has had to find his way through personnel shifts (many of his own making; see The Turning Point), the result is new inspiration in various forms of composition as well as arrangement. Accordingly, the standard blues progression of "Short Wave Radio gives way to the jazz inflections of "So Glad. A terrific sound production by Mayall himself with the band reveals the contrast between Mayall's piano (he remains en elementary but effective player) and drummer Joe Yeule's brushes on "forty Days. The mournful violin supplied by Dale Morris Jr. on "To Heal the Pain and "You'll Survive plays off against Hank Van Sickle's upright bass, with electric piano highlighted in the mix as well. Mayall plays synthesizers on the title song and "Chaos in the Neighborhood with judicious restraint. Songs such as that topical tune haven't always been Mayall's strong suit as a composer, but, as with "To Heal the Pain, his avoidance of generalities keep the songs free of truisms. John is much more effective writing from a personal emotional standpoint, as he does on "With You, because its simple, straightforward approach sounds most natural. "Scrambling might be purely mundane in the hands of a performer less forthright than Mayall: the bittersweet wail of his harmonica undercuts the proselytizing, emphasizing instead his humility. His obvious affection for his current Bluesbreakers lineup doesn't always evince itself effectively, however. Buddy Whittington's guitar work is never so intense as when he's also lead vocalist, as he is on his self-composed "Awestruck and Spellbound. But that track, as well as the band-composed instrumental "Brumwell's Beat, might well be left to live showcases from the stage, since neither adds much to the momentum of Road Dogs as a whole. This new John Mayall doesn't contain a truly superlative piece like "Mists of Time from its predecessor, Stories, nor is it innovative enough to qualify as an absolute essential in the man's lengthy discography, Still, the CD is a worthwhile addition to the legacy of the Godfather of British blues because of the consistently high level of performance in such a variety of blues-based styles.

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John Mayall & Friends - Along For The Ride (2001)

2010-12-09T19:56:48Z

John Mayall & Friends - Along For The Ride (2001)


01. A World Of Hurt [feat. Jeff Healey] (4:31)
02. Along For The Ride [feat. Billy Preston] (4:50)
03. Put It Right Back [feat. Billy F. Gibbons] (4:31)
04. That's Why I Love You So [feat. Johnny Lang] (4:15)     play
05. Yo Yo Man [feat. Peter Green] (2:59)                    play
06. If I Don't Get Home [feat. Gary Moore] (5:21)
07. Testify [feat. Shannon Curfman] (4:27)
08. Early In The Morning [feat. Chris Rea] (4:06)
09. Something About My Baby [feat. Andy Fairweather] (4:18)
10. So Many Roads [feat. Otis Rush] (6:11)
11. World War Blues [feat. Billy Preston] (4:27)
12. California [feat. Red Holloway] (5:56)
13. She Don't Play By The Rules [feat. Mick Taylor] (5:13)

John Mayall - Clavinet, Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Slide Guitar, Vocals, Wurlitzer
Jack Bruce - Bass
Tom Canning - Organ (Hammond), Wurlitzer
Lenny Castro – Percussion
Bob Delgado - Guitar (Bass),
Joe Delgado - Guitar
Shannon Curfman – Guitar, Vocals
Hughie Flint - Drums
David Z. - Guitar (Rhythm)
Dick Heckstall-Smith - Sax (Alto)
Steve Cropper 	- Guitar (Rhythm)
Mick Fleetwood - Drums
Jeff Kribbit - Guitar
Jonny Lang - Guitar
Andy Fairweather Low - Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
John McVie - Guitar (Bass)
Wendy Moten 	- Vocals
Billy Preston - Clavinet, Melodica, Vocals, Wurlitzer
Chris Rea - Vocals
Greg Rzab - Guitar (Bass)
Crystal Taliefero - Vocals
Mick Taylor - Guitar
Buddy Whittington - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Rhythm)
Reese Wynans - Organ (Hammond)
Joe Yuele - Drums

British bluesman John Mayall is primarily known as the guy whose band massive guitarists like Eric Clapton and Peter Green got their start in. Mayall's always been a better bandleader than musician; it's not that he's bad at the latter, but rather that he's so good at the former. So it is perhaps appropriate that Along for the Ride is essentially a showcase of other artists, many of them young up-and-comers, including Shannon Curfman and Jonny Lang.

As you have no doubt guessed, there is some serious guitar playing here, but what's most special about this CD is that these gifted ax men really get a chance to shine. Lang's lead guitar on "That's Why I Love You So," for instance, sure doesn't sound much like Mick Taylor's on "She Don't Play by the Rules," and neither of those resembles Gary Moore's work on "If I Don't Get Home" or Buddy Whittington's lead on "So Many Roads." Along for the Ride's cast also includes a few Mayall emeriti, such as Green, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie, as well as Jeff Healey, Steve Miller, Otis Rush, and plenty of others. Lots of musicians do the all-star-album thing, but you know Mayall's going to integrate his guest stars smoothly, and that's exactly what he does. --Genevieve Williams, allmusic.com

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John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Blues For The Lost Days (1997)

2010-12-08T19:29:28Z

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Blues For The Lost Days (1997)


01. Dead City (3:47)                  play
02. Stone Cold Deal (4:17)
03. All Those Heroes (3:57)
04. Blues For The Lost Days (6:14)    play
05. Trenches (3:35)
06. One In A Million (5:33)
07. How Can You Live Like That? (5:19)
08. Some Other Day (3:39)
09. I Don't Mind (3:16)
10. It Ain't Safe (4:12)
11. Sen-Say-Shun [Instrumental] (3:17)
12. You Are For Real (3:45)


John Mayall (Harmonica, piano, organ Hammond, piano electric, vocals, finger drum)
Red Holloway (Sax (Tenor)), 
George Bohannon (Trombone), 
Tony Braunagel (Percussion), 
Debra Dobkin (Percussion), 
Tommy Eyre (Organ (Hammond)), 
Tommy Eyre (Piano (Electric)), 
Darrell Leonard (Trumpet), 
John Paulus (Guitar (Bass)), 
John Paulus (Guitar (Rhythm)), 
Clifford Solomon (Sax (Tenor)), 
Joe Yuele (Drums), 
Mike Martsolf (Banjo), 
Mike Martsolf (Guitar), 
Buddy Whittington (Guitar)

Blues for the Lost boasts an intriguing concept, as it captures John Mayall reminiscing about all the friends, family, heroes, lovers and places he has loved and lost over the years. The album is startling in its unvarnished autobiographical approach, but the concept doesn't work nearly as well as it should. Most of Mayall's songs meander into mawkish nostalgia, and the laidback, cool blues never makes such sentiments compelling. Lead guitarist Buddy Whittington contributes a few good solos, but most of the record is sadly unengaging. ---Thom Owens, AllMusic Review

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