Play the harp (John Mayall) (LP 4679 - 4680)

John Mayall  Lots of People (Vinyl, ABC Records, 1977) ***  

John Mayall  No More Interviews (Vinyl, DJM Records, 1979) ****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: The Little Red Bookshop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Room to Move (Lots of People)

Gear costume: Play the Harp (Lots of People)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: These two albums come from a recent visit to The Little Red Bookshop in Hastings.

Lots of People is a live album, recorded at the Roxy in Los Angeles in 1977. Mayall employs a big horn contingent for this one. The highlight is still Room to Move with a new arrangement to accommodate those horns.

No More Interviews is a studio album from 1979 (in between the underwhelming Bottom Line and Road Show Blues - also on DJM Records). It's a spirited affair with Mayall trying out some new sounds that come with a commercial bent. It's a fine album to end the seventies - pity that it's not on Spotify.

Where do they all belong? I'm sure these won't be my last John Mayall albums - the man was certainly prolific.

Wolf party (Old Man Pine) (LP 4210 - 4214)

Jackie DeShannon  For You (Vinyl, IR Imperial Records, 1967) *** 

John Mayall  Primal Solos (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1977) ***  

Old Man Pine  Swamp Stomps (Vinyl, Swampton Sounds Records, 2024) *** 

James Taylor  Flag (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1979) *** 

Dinah Lee  Introducing Dinah Lee (Vinyl, Viking Records, 1964) **** 

Genres: Pop, blues, NZ music, rock 

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown, A Records (Flag) - both in Nu Plimf.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Happy Blue Beat (Dinah Lee)

Gear costume: Hallelujah, I Love Him So (Dinah Lee)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6

Active compensatory factors: These acquisitions came from a recent Christmas holidays' trip to New Plymouth. A Records is a relatively new shop in the Fitzroy area. It's got a great ambience and a variety of genres, but doesn't yet have enough quantity. I took about 15 minutes to check through all the vinyl, whereas at VC it took me an hour just to go through the sale bins.

That's where I got most of these records for $2 to $5, aside from Old Man's Pine which was $30 in the NZ section. A few needed a clean, but all of the above are in very good to excellent condition. Amazing, given that the oldest one (Dinah Lee) is 61 years old.

Jackie DeShannon's For You is from 1967. It has her performing orchestrated adult contemporary pop songs. This copy is in mint condition, ex of Radio NZ's National Programme - their stamp is on the back cover. Someone has loved this album for almost 60 years and it wound up in the sale bin at Vinyl Countdown. Lucky me!

It's not her typical pop style and the lush orchestration took a while to adjust to, but when I did, I heard a quality artist challenging herself in a positive way.

Primal Solos is an archive compilation of historic interest - so the quality varies. Side 1 of the John Mayall album has Clapton, Bruce (pre-Cream) and Hughie Flint on drums, live in London 1966. Side two are live recordings from 1968 with Mick Taylor (pre-Rolling Stones) playing some superb guitar. Well worth $5.

Old Man Pine are a band from Palmerston North. I have their impressive debut album, Swamp Stomps is their second effort. It has a great opening track (Bad Self Proud) and an excellent surf rock instrumental (Serf Tango) and while the rest doesn't quite reach those high standards on first listen, it's still local good-time boogie rock like the debut.

Flag is an album I had glossed over in my James Taylor collection until seeing it for $15 at A Records. Side one is the electric side where JT attempts to update his image and sound. It kinda works too, but then side 2 is back to his usual warm acoustic approach, although he is pretty damning of his relationship with Carly during B.S.U.R. (S.U.C.S.I.M.I.M.). Bad form JT!

It's a pretty good JT album and does contain his version of Up on the Roof, a redo of Rainy Day Man, an interesting version of Daytripper, and Millworker. So, plenty to feel positive about. It didn't sell especially well, and critics were unimpressed - probably why it's taken me until now to own a copy.

Dinah Lee's Do the Bluebeat from 1964 (her third single, and on Introducing) was the first song and single that I can remember seeing and listening to. I was 7, but I distinctly remember seeing the single playing on our radiogram. It was love at first listen!

It's a lively record (and the best of this bunch) - thanks to backing from fellow New Zealanders, Max Merritt & His Meteors. It's 1964 so The Beatles get a mention on You Don't Talk About Love and in the liner notes she is referred to as a 'beatle chick' (sic). At the time Dinah was 19! 

She has a very mature voice - just have a listen to Don't You Know Yockomo - her first single and also included on this debut album. Extraordinary. She's now 82 and still around - my first crush!

Where do they all belong? Apart from those albums I also picked up some compilations of Steppenwolf (The Best of Steppenwolf: Reborn To Be Wild), Barclay James Harvest (Early Morning Onwards); an original version of Donovan's What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid); and a southern rock jam album we'll eventually get too (Volunteer Jam)

Force of nature (John Mayall) (LP 3113 - 3129)

John Mayall  Back To The Roots (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1971) ***  

John Mayall  Memories (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1971) ***

John Mayall  Jazz Blues Fusion (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1972) ***** 

John Mayall  Moving On (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1972) *** 

John Mayall  The Latest Edition (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1974) ** 

John Mayall  New Year New Band New Company (Vinyl, ABC Records, 1975) ***

John Mayall  Notice To Appear (Vinyl, ABC Records, 1975) ***

John Mayall  A Banquet In Blues (Vinyl, ABC Records, 1976) ***

John Mayall  A Hard Core Package (Vinyl, ABC Records - test pressing/white label, 1977) ***

John Mayall  Return of The Bluesbreakers (Vinyl, Aim Records, 1985) **** 

John Mayall  Wake Up Call (Vinyl, Silvertone Records on blue vinyl, 1993) ****

John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers  Blues For The Lost Days (Vinyl, Silvertone Records, 1997) ***

John Mayall  Nobody Told Me (Vinyl, Forty Below Records, 2019) ****

John Mayall  Looking Back (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1970) *** 

John Mayall  The World of John Mayall (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1970?) ***

John Mayall  The Giant of The Blues (Vinyl, Karussell Records, 1970) *** 

John Mayall  Stormy Monday (CD, Karussell Records, 1994) ***

Genre: Blues 

Places I remember: Passionate About Vinyl, Real Groovy Records, The Vinyl Soulution (San Mateo), music shop in Melbourne, JB Hi Fi. Record Fairs.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Blue Fox (Back To The Roots)

Gear costume: Exercise in C (Jazz Blues Fusion)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: This is a roundup of all the John Mayall albums that I haven't mentioned so far on this blog and there have already been a number of those - just check on the search function.

In between times, the great man has passed away in July of last year, aged 90, so this post is a further tribute to his life and music.

In various ways, he looked back a few times during his career, and that's the great thing about the blues - there are plenty of great moments in the genre to look back on. Back To The Roots is one such example, a double album that has Mayall teamed up with alumni such as Mick Taylor, Keef Hartley and Eric Clapton.

It's a lavish package of a double album with a large colour booklet (no doubt designed by Mayall) which has a page each for the musicians who appear. It's impressive, and fitting.

The songs are all Mayall originals, played expertly, with feeling, by this collection of past members of his bands over the previous seven years (up to 1971). Highlights: Blue Fox (some great harmonica by Mayall and violin by Sugarcane Harris); Television Eye has beautiful separation between instruments and a great tenor sax solo by Johnny Almond.

Memories is also well named. Mayall uses his autobiography as a source for the lyrics on the album as he fashions a blues album. It's genuine and heartfelt (i.e. Grandad is about the influence his grandad had on him when he was young), but not an album I return to much.

Jazz Blues Fusion is a live album from 1971. Blue Mitchell (trumpet) and Clifford Solomon (alto and tenor sax) augment the basic blues group of bass, drums, guitar and all the various instruments Mayall plays.

This is an awesome album - jazz fusion at its finest. Apart from the horns, Larry Taylor is the star of the show on bass (those bass runs are thrilling throughout) and the jazzy guitar textures on guitar are by Freddy Robinson. The whole band is cooking and all should take a bow.

John Mayall takes a back seat for the most part and even mildly rebukes an audience member for requesting Room To Move, saying they'd moved on from that, even though Exercise In C has a bit of chikka chikka in it.

Moving On is a second live album with the core of the Jazz Blues Fusion band intact (Keef Hartley in on drums this time), plus an additional horn section.

The increase in musicians tends to over-egg proceedings a tad and the material isn't as strong as Jazz Blues Fusion. A bridge too far I think.

The Latest Edition is from 1974 and incorporates jazz, funk, and pop elements. It's not that memorable, unfortunately, as Mayall seems a little lacking in inspiration during the mid to late seventies.

You can almost hear the sigh in the next album title - New Year New Band New Company (I think that's referring to a new record company, but it could also be John's latest lady - singer Dee McKinnie). This set veers more to the centre of the rock road (there's even prominent female vocals) and it's a competent set.

Notice To Appear is a second album from 1975 and Mayall is as restless as ever. This time he's teamed up with Allen Toussaint who writes the lion's share of the songs and plays on all of the album. John Mayall does the singing and playing along with the New Year band. 

Consequently, it has a max reading on the funk-o-meter. I think it's a valiant attempt, but it doesn't seem like a good fit. Weirdest moment is a cover of The Beatles' Hard Day's Night. John sings it unconvincingly (I think that's the kindest description).

A Banquet In Blues is way better! He's back in more familiar settings with the same players from his early seventies albums. People like Johnny Almond, Sugarcane Harris, Red Holloway, Jon Mark, Blue Mitchell, Larry Taylor and Soko Richardson. Even John McVie attends on one song. 

Favourite song: Sunshine (the one with John McVie on bass) gets the album off to a roaring start. The 14-minute Fantasyland ends this high-quality album in some prog fusion style. 

While in Monterey a few years ago I picked up a test pressing of A Hard Core Package from The Vinyl Soulution (sic) in San Mateo. It cost me $US14.89 (I've left all the stickers on the cover). It's a more mellow sound than A Bouquet In Blues, without the highs. Still a pretty good funky rock sound though. 

Sadly, I don't have information on who the musicians were who appeared on it, but special kudos to the lead guitarist for some stunning/stinging runs.

We jump forward a few years now to the dreaded eighties - 1985 to be precise, for The Return of The Bluesbreakers (featuring Mick Taylor). I went with friends to watch this band at Auckland Town Hall, and it was baaad (not in a good way). The sound was too loud and too thin so Mick Taylor and Mayall's strengths were buried as a consequence.

Return Of The Bluesbreakers points to what we missed. Side one is a studio set from the early eighties with Don Nix producing (more on him when we get to the Ns). It's great, with not one synth in sight.

Side 2 is a live set with Mick Taylor featured on guitar (he's not part of the studio set). He's in brilliant form and shows what we missed in the dodgy sound/ performance at the Town Hall. He provides some blistering guitar to Ridin On The Sante Fe.

A jump in time now to 1993 and Wake Up Call (I've previously included his 1990 album A Sense Of Place). Mick Taylor, Buddy Guy and Mavis Staples guest and provide some terrific sharpness to proceedings. The material is uniformly terrific with Mailorder Mystics, Maydell and Light The Fuse being favourites.

Blues For The Lost Days is an okay album but the material isn't that inspired, although the playing is fine. The 'limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on green marbled vinyl' gimmick is a bit of a giveaway. Mine is #001241.

Nobody Told Me is the most recent album I have of his (his final release during his lifetime was The Sun Is Shining Down - released when he was in his eighties). 

I always think he rises to the occasion when he has legendary guests. On board this time are Joe Bonamassa, Todd Rundgren, Alex Lifeson and Little Stevie Van Zandt among others. It's a strong album in every way: Mayall's voice is strong, so is the material and the band. Remarkably, this album could have come from the eighties, nineties, and so on. He still had it, right to the end!

That just leaves some compilations to discuss. I've got five and they all stand up. I'll start with Looking Back which came out in 1969.

This compilation looked back at 9 different groups. Settled lineups were never his thing. The photomontage on the inner sleeve is worth the price of admission on its own. It's made up of non-LP singles from 1964 to 1968, featuring almost all of the notable musicians that passed through the Bluesbreakers throughout the decade. Sitting in the Rain is with Peter Green, and Stormy Monday is one of the few songs from 1966 that briefly featured both Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce.

The World of John Mayall is next. This turned out to be Volume 1, The World of John Mayall Vol. 2 I've mentioned previously here. This and Stormy Monday (CD) and The Giant of The Blues (vinyl) cover similar territory - non-album tracks mixed with album tracks from the sixties. 

The more budget the better is my philosophy with these things. So, I'm especially fond of the two volumes of The World of John Mayall and The Giant of The Blues.

If, like me, you find his album output a tad bewildering, a how-to-buy guide can be found on the interweb. 

The following are my recommendations.

First a list of essentials, IMHO.

Five-star classics:

• Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton 
• A Hard Road 
• The Turning Point  
• Jazz Blues Fusion

Four-star not quite essential but near as dammit:

• Bare Wires
• Blues From Laurel Canyon
• Empty Rooms
• USA Union
• A Sense Of Place
• Return Of The Bluesbreakers
• Wake Up Call
• Nobody Told Me

Where do they all belong? He was prolific and he never stopped, so there are plenty of other albums to collect from his catalogue.

Where did I belong? (John Mayall) (LP 1084-1087)

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers  Bare Wires (Vinyl, London Records, 1968) ****  

John Mayall  Blues From Laurel Canyon (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1968) ****  

John Mayall  Empty Rooms (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1970) ****  

John Mayall  USA Union (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1970) ****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Thinking Of My Woman (Empty Rooms) 

Gear costume: Took The Car (USA Union)

Active compensatory factors: Four more from John. All wonderfully of a high standard!

The first two are both albums from 1968. John retired the Bluesbreakers tag after Bare Wires in July and headed to America and smaller ensembles.

Bare Wires is a fine, more jazz infused than normal, sign off from the bigger band. Jon Hiseman on drums, Dick Heckstall-Smith on his trademark questing saxes, Mick Taylor on guitar, are joined by more sax from Chris Mercer, bassist Tony Reeves, Henry Lowther on cornet and violin, plus of course Mayall adds his vocals, assorted guitars, keyboards and harmonica. All adds up to a great sound. It's quite experimental and progressive sounding at times.

A visit to California prompted the title for his second album of '68, although Blues From Laurel Canyon was recorded in England with guest cameos from Mick Taylor and others, including Peter Green on First Time Alone.

The material is again quite autobiographical. John loves documenting his life via his songs. It's another excellent set from Mayall.

After The Turning Point, Mayall unusually retained the same players for Empty Rooms. So, still no drummer, and that helps produce a lighter, more fluid sound that sounds fresh 53 years later! 

USA Union is a second album documenting his romance with photographer Nancy Throckmorton (she took the cover portraits of both albums). In the early days he seems to have swapped romantic partners as much as he did band mates! Just sayin'. 

Anyway, USA Union retains the no drummer format after the Empty Rooms band broke up. The production on this one, by JM, is excellent - plenty of space around the different instruments. Larry Taylor continues on bass, with Don Harris on violin, and Harvey Mandel on guitar (another in the long line of superb guitarists who joined the Mayall bandwagon).

Where do they all belong? He's prolific (these four plus the live The Turning Point were all done in two years!) Much more to come the blues rock titan. Back To The Roots is next up.

You'll survive (John Mayall) (LP 1069-1070)

John Mayall A Sense Of Place (CD, Island Records, 1990) ****  

John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers  Road Dogs (CD, Eagle Records, 2005) *** 

Genre: Blues rock

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown (New Plymouth

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Black Cat Moan

Gear costume: Road Dogs

Active compensatory factors: The nineties version of Mayall on A Sense Of Place is still remarkably full of passion and commitment. 

It features some spirited songs and in Black Cat Moan - one of his all time best. Only slight blemish is an okay version of Let's Work Together (best left to Canned Heat that one, John).

By 2005's Road Dogs the Mayall vocal chops are showing some signs of wear and tear and the songs aren't as memorable. Mayall has always taken an autobiographical position in a lot of his songs. They sometimes work and sometimes they don't. An even split in this set.

It all sounds like good late period Mayall blues which is still better than most white boy blues albums, but he's sounded more inspired elsewhere (before and since).

Where do they all belong? Yes, there's more to come when we return to the vinyl.

My time after a while (John Mayall) (LP 1037 - 1040)

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers  Crusade (CD, London Records, 1967) ****  

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers  Diary Of A Band Vol 1 (CD, Decca Records, 1967) **

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers  Diary Of A Band Vol 2 (CD, Decca Records, 1967) **

John Mayall  The Blues Alone (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1967) ***  

Genre: Blues rock

Places I remember: Amoeba Music (Los Angeles); Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Man Of Stone (Crusade)

Gear costume: Sonny Boy Blow (The Blues Alone)

Active compensatory factors: He was pretty busy in 1967. These three albums plus A Hard Road come from that year - hence my grouping them together.

Crusade is the third Bluesbreakers album in two years. Given that it's Mick Taylor's debut and he was only 18 at the time I guess it's natural there wasn't much fanfare at his arrival, given that both Clapton and Green had jumped ship after an album each.

It's a third brilliant album in a row for Mayall and band (Taylor and Mayall are joined by John McVie and drummer Keef Hartley plus horns). All three Bluesbreakers' albums have different approaches and remain fresh and essential listening for blues rock fans in 2023.

The Diary Of A Band Volumes one and two (they were released separately at the time but my CD copy compiles both sets) are pretty rough live documents from 1967 (featuring basically the Crusade version of the band), as opposed to the studio recordings of Crusade and The Blues Alone, so approach these with some caution.

The Blues Alone is the result of one day's work (1st of May 1967) with Mayall doing everything except playing drums on some tracks - that's Keef Hartley's area of expertise. He even wrote all of the songs and designed (as usual) the cover art. Given all that it's another remarkably confident set by Mayall, with some inspired harmonica from him featuring in particular.

Phew - 1967! Quite a momentous year!

Where do they all belong? The sixties versions of John Mayall will continue to gather steam.

Knockin' on your door (Old And In The Way) (LP 932 - 938)

Various Old & In The Way (Vinyl, Grateful Dead Records, 1975) ****  

Genre: San Francisco, country rock 

John Mayall The World Of John Mayall Vol. 2 (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1968) ****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Claude Bolling, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Alexandre Lagoya Picnic Suite (Vinyl, CBS, 1980) ****  

Genre: Piano jazz

Sonny Terry Whoopin' (Vinyl, Alligator Records, 1984) ****  

Genre: Blues

Deep Purple/ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto For Group and Orchestra (Vinyl, Harvest Records, 1970) ** 

Genre: Pop/rock

Keith Jarrett Solo - Concerts (Vinyl, ECM Records, 1973) ****  

Genre: Piano jazz

Canned Heat Historical Figures And Ancient Heads (Vinyl, United Artists Records, 1971) ***  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: Record fair in Waipukarau (Oct 15, 2022)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: She's Too Young (John Mayall)

Gear costume: Sonny's Whoopin' the Doop (Sonny Terry)

Active compensatory factors: An eclectic bunch, right, but that's me - wide ranging taste has been a feature of my music collecting from the very beginning.

All of these albums are bunched together because it kind of made sense. For this very recent record fair, I allowed myself a budget of $150.  I did pretty well. All of those albums came to $152.

Most expensive was the Keith Jarrett triple album boxed set at $40 and the cheapest was the Claude Bolling at $12. Both of them, and the rest actually, I consider bargains. All are in excellent condition, too.

I've been after Old And In The Way (the Jerry Garcia led bunch of friends) since I admired it in Marbecks nearly 40 years ago. It's a fantastic country/bluegrass album played by musicians who love the genre.

I lost the Claude Bolling along my collecting journey so it was great to be reunited with that one, especially at that price.

I didn't realise the World of John Mayall even had a Vol. 2 sequel until I saw it at the fair. I needed to complete the set and this is an original Decca NZ pressing, just like my copy of The World of John Mayall, so a no-brainer at $15. Nor had I a clue that Sonny Terry did this album with Johnny Winter and Willie Dixon. It's as good as that combination sounds.

The Canned Heat album is an oddity in their catalogue with even Little Richard singing/playing on one track. Overall I love the familiar Canned Heat boogie tracks (bonus fab and gear track - Cherokee Dance).

That leaves a Deep Purple album which I've shied away from in the past - a rock band and a philharmonic orchestra seem too many poles apart. And you know what? I was right to avoid it for all these years - it has its moments but it's a Jon Lord album more than it is a Deep Purple one. Just sayin'.

And finally, the triple Keith Jarrett. I was hoping for something as great as The Koln Concert. Solo - Concerts takes in two dates in 1973 - Bremen and Lausanne. It's not quite as epic as the Koln Concert double peak, but over six sides Jarrett extemporizes superbly. I get a gospelly R'n'B vibe from time to time during these two shows which is intriguing and rewarding.

Where do they all belong? Until the next Record Fair comes to town, it's back to the regular run of posts for the next one.