Record Reviews

JOHN MAYALL ~ WAKE UP CALL MUSUC ON CD 13149 (Barcode: 8718627221495) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1992 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of an album by the Godfather of British Blues, vocalist / guitarist / keyboardist / harmonica player / bandleader John MayallFind albums by this artist. “Wake Up CallFind albums with this title” was the first of the three albums released in the 1990s by the American SilvertoneFind albums on this label label and it finds Mayall accompanied by guitarist Coco MontoyaFind albums by this artist, bassist Rick CortesFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. Several additional musicians, like saxophonist Joe SublettFind albums by this artist, organist Tom CanningFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Darrell LeonardFind albums by this artist and others play on most tracks, as well as special guests: guitarist / vocalist Buddy GuyFind albums by this artist, guitarist Mick TaylorFind albums by this artist and vocalist Mavis StaplesFind albums by this artist, who participate on selected tracks. The album presents twelve tracks, four of which are Mayall’s originals and the rest are Blues standards. Mayall used the BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist moniker for the second time between 1982 and 2008 and this album was also released as such. This is one of the strongest albums by Mayall in a while and includes some superb guitar soloing and overall excellent instrumental work by the entire crew. Time made absolutely no dent on this music whatsoever and it sounds every bit as fresh and inviting as it did at the time of its release. One of the amazing qualities of Mayall is his remarkable consistency and level of artistry, which he managed to preserve throughout his career, in spite of his constant metamorphosis and migration into diverse stylistic niches. His recording legacy presents an impressive collection of over fifty albums, without not even one of them being an artistic compromise. Same goes for his songwriting, which against all odds, manages to ignore the limitations of the Blues idiom and create wonderful new material without being derivative. Overall this is a most welcome initiative to bring this album back in circulation, as it was getting a bit tough to find on the market. For Blues / Blues-Rock fans this is of course as indispensable as any other Mayall album.

Updated: 29/08/2021Posted: 17/07/2021

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

VAN MORRISON ~ SOMEBODY TRIED TO SELL ME A BRIDGE ORANGEFIELD 5061030862216 (Barcode: 5061030862216) ~ IRELAND ~ Blues Recorded: 2026 Released: 2026 This is the 48th studio album by the legendary Northern Irish singer / songwriter Van MorrisonFind albums by this artist. The album presents twenty tracks, which are primarily Blues standards, and only four are new songs by Morrison. He is accompanied by a core group including organist John AllairFind albums by this artist, drummer Larry VannFind albums by this artist, bassist David HayesFind albums by this artist, pianist Mitch WoodsFind albums by this artist and guitarist Anthony PauleFind albums by this artist. Two veteran American guitarists: Elvin BishopFind albums by this artist and Buddy GuyFind albums by this artist and harmonica player Taj MahalFind albums by this artist, guest on selected tracks. The album it almost completely dedicated to the Blues tradition, which of course is hardly surprising in Morrison’s case, as his affinity to Blues is almost omnipresent in his music since the very beginning of his career, and sounds completely naturally. The material offers the usual level of excellence, which he never ceases to deliver. Despite his advanced age, Morrison is still in great shape and hopefully will still continue to record new material in years to come. Overall, this is a collection of Blues songs, performed with the usual level of excellence, which is absolutely still here and it is a great pleasure to be able to listen to this music. Although the album was received relatively coldly by “music critics”, for me it as good as anything Morrison released before. Keep it coming!

Updated: 05/09/2026Posted: 05/09/2026

CD 1 Digisleeve Recommend To A Friend

PAUL RODGERS ~ MUDDY WATER BLUES EAGLE 222 (Barcode: 5034504122222) ~ UK ~ Blues Recorded: 1993 Released: 2002 British vocalist Paul RodgersFind albums by this artist is without a doubt the greatest white Blues singer of all times. Since his days as the front man of the legendary FreeFind albums by this artist and in the five decades that followed no other vocalist managed to demonstrate the same level of sensitivity, virtuosity and feeling even remotely close to those of Rodgers. This stunning album, which as the title suggests is a tribute to the great Blues singer / songwriter Muddy WatersFind albums by this artist, finds Rodgers performing the classic material with flare and his usual brilliance. He is accompanied by a horde of great guitarists, all paying tribute to the great Godfather of Blues: Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist, David GilmourFind albums by this artist, Buddy GuyFind albums by this artist, Brian MayFind albums by this artist, Steve MillerFind albums by this artist, Gary MooreFind albums by this artist, Trevor RabinFind albums by this artist, Neal SchonFind albums by this artist, SlashFind albums by this artist and a few others. Anything else said about this music is completely redundant – just grab it when you can as this is one of the greatest Blues albums ever recorded!

CD 1 Essential Recommend To A Friend