Record Reviews

JOHN MAYALL ~ BLUES FOR THE LOST DAYS MUSIC ON CD 13458 (Barcode: 8718627225424) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1996 Released: 2017 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. “Blues For The Lost DaysFind albums with this title” was the third of the three albums released in the 1990s by the American SilvertoneFind albums on this label label and it finds Mayall accompanied by guitarist Buddy WhittingtonFind albums by this artist, bassist John PaulusFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Tommy EyreFind albums by this artist plays on five tracks and a brass section on two tracks. The album presents twelve tracks, eight of which are Mayall’s originals and the rest are by other songwriters. Mayall used the BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist moniker for the second time between 1982 and 2008 and this album was also released under that moniker. All the three albums released on Silvertone find Mayall at his very best. Mayall sings splendidly and plays some great harmonica parts as well as other instruments. Whittington is a brilliant guitarist and his works is simply exemplary. The keyboards work by Eyre is absolutely superb as well, as is all his work over time and he remains as one of the greatest secret heroes of British music. 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 into 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: 29/08/2021

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MAYALL ~ PADLOCK ON THE BLUES EAR MUSIC 4029759138174 (Barcode: 4029759138174) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 This is an album by the Godfather of British Blues vocalist / guitarist / pianist / songwriter / bandleader John MayallFind albums by this artist. He is supported by a basic trio of guitarist Buddy WhittingtonFind albums by this artist, bassist John PaulusFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist, all seasoned American Blues veterans who played with Mayall for many years. Additionally many guests appear on the album on selected tracks: Blues Legend John Lee HookerFind albums by this artist, guitarists Coco MontoyaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Ernie WattsFind albums by this artist, organist Tommy EyreFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Darrell LeonardFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Joe SublettFind albums by this artist, percussionist Steve LeshnerFind albums by this artist and banjo / dobro player Mike MartsolfFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen original songs, eleven of which were written by Mayall, one was co-written by him and Maggie MayallFind albums by this artist and one was co-written by Whittington and Yuele. There is no doubt that Mayall´s music was a major influence on my personal musical identity and the bands he led over the years and the musicians that played in his bands were the branches of an enormous "family tree" that created over the years some of the best music on this planet. His figure of a musical "guru" influenced so many great musicians, that to understand his impact on music since 1960s on, one has to be familiar with thousands of albums representing all Rock sub-genres, but also Jazz-Rock Fusion and other, seemingly unrelated areas. 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. This album, recorder towards the end of the 20th Century, sounds absolutely as fresh and inspired as his classics recorded in the mid to late 1960s, i.e. thirty years earlier. Not surprisingly the same applies to his albums recorded in the 2010s, another twenty years in the future, maintaining a career lasing over six decades. Overall this is a wonderful album, absolutely perfect as far as Blues is concerned, with great instrumental performances by all the musicians and superb vocals by Mayall, who refuses to stay behind and let his imitators to take over. This is an absolute must have in any serious Blues collection!

Updated: 07/07/2020Posted: 07/07/2020

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MAYALL ~ ROAD DOGS EAR MUSIC 4029759147961 (Barcode: 4029759147961) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005 This is a studio album by British Blues Guru John MayallFind albums by this artist and his band The BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist, which at the time included guitarist Buddy WhittingtonFind albums by this artist, bassist Hank Van SickleFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Tom CanningFind albums by this artist guest on all but three tracks and a couple of other guests are featured on two additional tracks. The album presents fifteen original songs composed and written by Mayall except for two co-created by Whittington and Yuele. The music is all classic Blues-Rock, every bit as original and typical of Mayall´s charismatic presence as all his other albums. Taking a look back at Mayall´s recording legacy he is probably the most consistent recording artist in the last sixty years, and although the Blues seems often as a very limited idiom with strictly defined boundaries, Mayall manages to stay creative and time and again also innovative, completely ignoring the tides of time. Mayall, as usual, sings and plays the piano, guitar and harmonica, exactly as he did forty years earlier when he started his impressive career. His lyrics remain biting as always, with social issues always clearly on the agenda, emphasizing his ideology of anti-war and justice, he expresses consistently over the years. I have somehow missed this album when it was originally released fifteen years ago, but listening to it now confirms my complete confidence in his musicality and endless energy, which luckily for us continues to this very day. For Blues / Blues-Rock connoisseurs this is a no brainer and a must in the extensive but wholly excellent discography of a truly remarkable musician. If you miss it in your collection, now is the time to fill the gap!

Updated: 28/10/2020Posted: 28/10/2020

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MAYALL ~ SPINNING COIN MUSIC ON CD 13834 (Barcode: 8718627230305) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1994 Released: 2019 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. “Spinning CoinFind albums with this title” was the second of the three albums released in the 1990s by the American SilvertoneFind albums on this label label and it finds Mayall accompanied by guitarist Buddy WhittingtonFind albums by this artist, bassist Rick CortesFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Joe SublettFind albums by this artist plays on six tracks. The album presents eleven tracks, five 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 most melodic albums by Mayall and Whittington plays some superb acoustic guitar here, including several bloodcurdling solos. Mayall sings splendidly and plays some nasty Hammond organ and his original material is as strong as ever. 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: 12/07/2021

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MAYALL ~ STORIES EAR MUSIC 4029759148647 (Barcode: 4029759148647) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2002 Released: 2020 This is a reissue of an album recorded by the Godfather of British Blues guitarist / keyboardist / vocalist / songwriter / bandleader John MayallFind albums by this artist, which was his second album in the new Millennium. The lineup of the BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist on this album includes seasoned American Blues musicians: guitarist Buddy WhittingtonFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Tom CanningFind albums by this artist, bassist Hank Van SickleFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. Percussionist Lenny CastroFind albums by this artist guests on several tracks. The album presents fourteen songs, six of which are originals by Mayall and the rest are written by the members of the band or Blues classics. Mayall stepped boldly into the new Millennium as if time has absolutely no meaning for him and the first two decades saw him releasing nine new studio albums (and a plethora of live albums, mostly archival), which for a person in their seventies, eighties and nineties is quite astounding. No less amazing is the fact that his music stays as young, vigorous and kicking as it was in the early days of his career. Despite the limitations of the Blues idiom, Mayall seems to be able to reinvent himself on every new album and his superb sense of melody and the Blues of course are simply unparalleled. On this album the tunes flow smoothly one after another, featuring Mayall´s wonderfully idiosyncratic vocals and superb playing by his band, which are undisputed Blues / Blues-Rock heaven. God bless you John for the sixty years of great music you shared with all of us!

Updated: 30/04/2021Posted: 14/01/2021

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MAYALL ~ THE POWER OF THE BLUES ENTENTE 57270683 ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1987 Released: 1987 This is a live album by the Godfather of British Blues, the iconic John MayallFind albums by this artist, recorded with his BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist quintet comprising of American guitarists Coco MontoyaFind albums by this artist and Walter TroutFind albums by this artist, bassist Bobby HaynesFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, a mixture of Mayall originals and Blues standards. The music was recorded between April 19 and 21, 1987 during a tour in Germany. The second part of recordings from that tour will be released only thirty-seven years later (2024) as “The Power Of The Blues, Pt, IIFind albums with this title”. Mayall, who died in July 22, 2024, was definitely one of the key figures in the 20th Century music, and left an incredibly rich and extensive recorded legacy. Following his recent death, the market will be most likely flooded by less or more legal live recordings made by him over time, but this album was released “while still hot”. Luckily for music lovers, Mayall never played a bad gig in his life and everything he ever played is worth listening to. The sound quality of this album and the superb performances, especially the guitar soloing by both guitarists, as well as Mayall’s vocals, are all first class and therefore a worthy addition to his recorded legacy. Overall, although there is nothing extraordinary herein, other that the superb quality of the music of course, this is definitely a joyful listening experience for the many fans and followers of Mayall’s long career. Definitely worth investigation!

Updated: 01/01/2025Posted: 01/01/2025

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MAYALL ~ THE POWER OF THE BLUES, PT. II MIG 03282 (Barcode: 885513032829) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1987 Released: 2024 This is an archival live album by the Godfather of British Blues, the iconic John MayallFind albums by this artist, recorded with his BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist quintet comprising of American guitarists Coco MontoyaFind albums by this artist and Walter TroutFind albums by this artist, bassist Bobby HaynesFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, a mixture of Mayall originals and Blues standards. The music was recorded between April 19 and 21, 1987 during a tour in Germany. The first part of recordings from that tour was released thirty-seven years earlier (1987) as “The Power Of The BluesFind albums with this title”. Mayall, who died in July 22, 2024, was definitely one of the key figures in the 20th Century music, and left an incredibly rich and extensive recorded legacy. Following his recent death, the market will be most likely flooded by less or more legal live recordings made by him over time, like this one. Luckily for music lovers, Mayall never played a bad gig in his life and everything he ever played is worth listening to. The sound quality of this album and the superb performances, especially the guitar soloing by both guitarists, as well as Mayall’s vocals, are all first class and therefore a worthy addition to his recorded legacy. Overall, although there is nothing extraordinary herein, other that the superb quality of the music of course, this is definitely a joyful listening experience for the many fans and followers of Mayall’s long career. Definitely worth investigation!

Updated: 03/01/2025Posted: 03/01/2025

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MAYALL ~ UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL – LIVE IN TEXAS CLEOPATRA 889466601828 (Barcode: 889466601828) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1998 - 1999 Released: 2024 This is an archival live album by the Godfather of British Blues, the iconic John MayallFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quartet comprising of American guitarist Buddy WhittingtonFind albums by this artist, bassist John PaulusFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, a mixture of mostly Mayall originals and Blues standards. The music was recorded about six months apart at two locations, both in Huston, Texas. It covers material released on the “Padlock On The BluesFind albums with this title” album. The bonus DVD offers the same material in video format. Mayall, who died in July 22, 2024, was definitely one of the key figures in the 20th Century music, and left an incredibly rich and extensive recorded legacy. Following his recent death, the market will be most likely flooded by less or more legal live recordings made by him over time, of with this is a first sign. Luckily for music lovers, Mayall never played a bad gig in his life and everything he ever played is worth listening to. The sound quality of this album and the superb performances, especially the guitar soloing by Whittington, as well as Mayall’s vocals, are all first class and therefore a worthy addition to his recorded legacy. Overall, although there is nothing extraordinary herein, other that the superb quality of the music of course, this is definitely a joyful listening experience for the many fans and followers of Mayall’s long career. Definitely worth investigation!

Updated: 11/10/2024Posted: 11/10/2024

CD+DVD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

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