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.

There's always work (John Mayall) (LP 407-408)

John Mayall with Eric Clapton Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Vinyl, Lillith Records 1966, this version 2008) *****
John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers A Hard Road (Vinyl, Lillith Records 1967, this version 2011) *****

Genre: Blues 

Places I remember: The Warehouse (Hastings NZ)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Steppin' Out, It Ain't Right (Beano album)




Gear costume:  Dust My Blues (A Hard Road)



Active compensatory factors: The Bluesbreakers albums are legendary artifacts - the first one, also known as the Beano album, was the only one to feature a young guitar slinger named Eric Clapton, and the second one was the first to feature Peter Green.

Phew - some heavy dudes! What I love about them is that they are so different stylistically but both so brilliant. 

After Beano, Clapton bailed out to join Baker and Bruce in Cream. It was definitely a logical progression for him.

The Beano album is a fine one and the pinnacle of his pre Cream days, but the Bluesbreakers didn't suffer at all from his departure. A Hard Road is a completely new sound thanks to Peter Green's exceptional guitar playing, and great in its own way.

Where do they all belong? Basically, this was the start of Mayall's long and extremely distinguished career. And he's still going strong - his latest album came out last year!

I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin (Fleetwood Mac) #115

Fleetwood Mac Oh Well Pt. 1/ Oh Well Pt. 2 (Reprise, RO 27000, 1969)

An unusual single this one for Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. It was deliberately written by Green as a two part song/single - the album version came later (for their Then Play On album) and simply edited the two parts together.

Part one is the knock out wailing electric blues guitar/ cowbell part and the flip side is the meditative instrumental coda (Eric Clapton was certainly paying attention - Layla uses the same conceit).

I couldn't believe how insanely good this song was when I finally caught up with it in the late seventies. 

The guitar work by Peter Green and the weird structure of the song are entirely original. It's inspired playing from everyone concerned and a real peak for the band.

Hidden gem: The second part is continued from the A side and is like music from another planet. As wildly abandoned as the guitar is on part 1, part 2 is controlled and contemplative. It's deeply evocative of Peter Green's feel for the music that comes from a softer world. Again - it's utterly original. 

I believe I'll dust my broom (Fleetwood Mac)

The Greatest Hits run through continues apace. I'm up to the F's in the rock/pop genre and R in Jazz (Sonny Rollins in case you were wondering).

I have two Fleetwood Mac Compilations - The Essential Blues Collection compiles the Peter Green/ Jeremy Spencer/ Danny Kirwin era and Greatest Hits is exclusively the cocaine years with Christine McVie/ Lindsay Buckingham/ Stevie Nicks.

They are two distinctly different bands. One was mega commercially successful and the other played the best blues licks in the UK. I much prefer the comparatively raw latter version.

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about this before but I usually prefer the initial formats of bands that have two distinct eras with different personnel. Bon Scott AC/DC, Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne Black Sabbath are three, but there are obvious exceptions too - David Gilmour Pink Floyd, Steve Hogarth Marillion are two that spring to mind.

One listen to Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well (part 1) will be enough to convince you. T'other FM is nice in an airbrushed way but if you want the real deal you need to Shake Your Money Maker with the original band.