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.

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.

Rock and roll circus, it's the best I've ever seen (Mick Taylor) #398

Mick Taylor Leather Jacket/ Slow Blues (CBS, BA 222569, 1979)

Mick has many claims to fame - surviving life with Keef in The Rolling Stones is definitely one.

His previous roles, as a Bluesbreaker for John Mayall and as the brilliant guitar replacement for Brian Jones in The Rolling Stones, didn't really translate into a brilliant solo career. Pretty sure there have been only two studio solo albums since leaving the Stones. Mainly he seems to enjoy the sideman role.

This is a pretty cool solo single though. Leather Jacket is catchy and he sings well, as well as playing some tasteful guitar, keyboards and bass guitar!

Hidden gem: I suspect this is where his heart really lies: great slow blues guitar. This is also off that first 1979 solo album called Mick Taylor: an under rated joy!