John Mayall - Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

It's often been said that Eric Clapton's greatest album is Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. It's supposed to be one of the few double LPs that can justify its length but, while it's a nice set, to these ears it shouldn't be considered one of rock's most revered classics. Instead, Clapton's best work goes all the way back to 1966, between his gigs with The Yardbirds and Cream, to a time when he was a member of John Mayall's Blues Breakers.

A hallmark of British blues, this is the album that began all of the "Clapton is God" pronouncements that were everywhere at the time. However, he isn't the only one to give an outstanding performance during these sessions. Mayall, who always owned a phenomenal reputation as a bandleader who discovered a boatload of talent more so than as a musician, put together his best band ever with this short-lived lineup. The soon-to-be-famous axeman was accompanied by Mayall on keyboards, harmonica, and lead vocals. The group was rounded out by an outstanding rhythm section of John McVie (later of Fleetwood Mac fame) on bass and drummer Hughie Flint who went on to organize the forgotten folk-rock outfit McGuinness Flint that featured songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle.

The leader allowed Clapton to take his first ever recorded lead vocal and his guitar is showcased on every tune. His solos are blazing and nobody can stop him. He always played the right thing at the right time. It's absolutely amazing how "God" can just turn it on at will. Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton stands as the template for all of the American influenced English blues that followed. I know this statement is going way out on a limb but not only is this record closer to the real thing than any other LP recorded by superstar blues oriented bands such as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin it's also a much richer listening experience because there is no pretense involved. It's just a true labor of love.

Comments

  1. Sean10:33 PM, February 09, 2012

    This is on par with Five Live Yardbirds and sections of Wheels of Fire as Clapton's high points on record in the sixties. You are not going out on a limb with your closing sentence, either...it's just a fact.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT TODAY!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen...
Read more

The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight (1977)

Image
In 2006 Hall and Oates released Home For Christmas , their one and only holiday album, an extremely good set of music that immediately became one of my favorite seasonal listens. I wrote then that I was stunned at how many overtly religious songs the famous duo put on the the disc considering the very politically correct climate of the new millennium. One of them was a cover version of a song that alluded me for almost thirty years, "Christmas Must Be Tonight." I liked the new, upbeat track sung by Daryl Hall and it made me go out and search for Robbie Robertson's never-to-be classic. Sung by Rick Danko, it appears on the great American band's last album, Islands (1977). It's a surprise that a group whose members were not known to have any specific or powerfully strong religious beliefs would release a song that tackled the subject of Jesus's birth as blatantly as our most loved Christmas carols. It's not about a reckless reinde...
Read more

The Chieftains With Jackson Browne - The Rebel Jesus (1991)

Image
"The Rebel Jesus" is a Christmas song composed by Jackson Browne and performed with The Chieftains, the eclectic, veteran Irish folk band on  The Bells of Dublin,  their 1991 holiday album. Browne wrote the song specifically for his guest appearance on this record. The singer-songwriter, who is deservedly in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, can be a bit preachy when he wants to be, and he is again here, but no one can dispute what the man is saying.  The last two verses are the key to the song. Browne points out that people often feel more generous at Christmas so they'll give to those who were less fortunate than themselves during the holidays. But, if anyone tries to dig deeper and root out the poverty that envelops the downtrodden they are often scorned like Jesus was. This message is coming from a man who is admittedly a "heathen and a pagan," but on this occasion he is "on the side of the rebel Jesus." At the same time Browne doesn't want to sp...
Read more

The Beatles - Christmas Messages (1963 - 1969)

Image
For seven straight years beginning in 1963 - even before they were famous in America - The Beatles recorded annual Christmas messages exclusively for their fan club members as a holiday thank you. They were issued on seven-inch, vinyl records that were very thin, very bendable, and easily damaged. These flexi-discs, as they were called, could not be stacked on record changers. Over the years the tracks have been bootlegged in countless ways, and until a few years ago the only legal release was sent to fan club members in 1970 on 33 RPM vinyl records after the boys from Liverpool went their separate ways. The LP cover shown here is from that album. Finally, in 2017, a limited edition box set  on colored vinyl was released and is now an expensive collector's item. Many Beatles fans managed to hear these records over the years, and with the Internet being what it is, there are several websites where anyone can easily listen to all of them.  Archive.org ...
Read more

Chicago: An Album By Album Analysis Of The Terry Kath Era (1969 - 1977)

Image
The original lineup of Chicago has always been one of my all time favorite bands. My affection for this great horn band is such that I want to discuss all of the albums they recorded before Terry Kath's unfortunate and accidental passing. Their debut album is now forty years old, and it's followup is not far behind, yet their music endures to this day. * * * * * Everyone Must Own * * * * Excellent * * * Good * * Fair * Poor * * * * * Chicago Transit Authority (1969) - Whether they were playing screaming psychedelic hard rock, jazz, blues, or love songs, everyone in the band proved they were worthy of the huge mass success that followed CTA 's release. The band's ability to play anything and play it well is the hallmark of their debut album. The stars are Robert Lamm, Terry Kath, and the horns, and even Peter Cetera demonstrates he can be a rock and roll animal when he wants to be. The standout tracks are Lamm's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It...
Read more