MiDoyle's Full Review: The Last of the British Blues by John Mayall
John Mayall [1933- ] is considered by some to be the father of the “British Blues” as he did more to bring blues to England and a rock audience than possibly any other artist of his generation. His own band, “The Bluesbreakers,” helped launch and nurture the earliest beginnings of some of rock and roll’s great players: Jack Bruce, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, and others. The Bluesbreakers band has served the same purpose for the American musicians who have flowed in and out of his band over the years too (most notably, Coco Montoya, Walter Trout).
He’s recorded well over 50 or so albums and his catalog is a treasure trove of the British Blues. Mayall's songs run the gamut: traditional, acoustic, electric, but all done in his original voice and style, which some would call jazz/blues fusion. I think he could also be considered something of a “blues hippie,” as his personal history is quite interesting and certainly, unorthodox and nontraditional.
In any event, in 1978, he released a live album, The Last of the British Blues, on ABC Records that was recorded in various locations in the U.S. It is a refreshingly honest depiction of Mayall’s talent, warts and all. Three of the songs date back to the great "Bluesbreakers" album.
Opens with a great full throttle version of Tucson Lady, a cheeky song about confidence and infidelity, then segues into Parchman Farm, the Mose Allison song with a memorable line at end. There’s Only Now, is a chance for guitarist James Quill Smith to step up front with a vocal.
The highlight of the album is fun, fast and furious version of Freddie King’sHideaway.
The album ends with five tunes that were either written or arranged by Mayall, most notably, The Bear, and Lowdown Blues, the latter which is introduced as a "song about the most disastrous woman I ever…"
It’s a mixed bag record but an effective one. It’s worth a listen.
Mayall’s recorded many albums after this one and he's still going strong. A trio of records he recorded for Silvertone in the 1990s are recent highlights: Wake Up Call, Spinning Coin, and Blues for the Lost Days.
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