Live At The BBC - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

Advantages: John Entwistle and Eric Clapton were Gods
Disadvantages: John is no more.

...by Blind Lemon Jefferson, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and the like when along came this group, The Cream. I was absolutely dumbstruck, I loved the music. There was Ginger Baker on drums, Jack Bruce on Bass Guitar and Vocals, but there was God, otherwise known as Eric “Slowhand” Clapton, on Guitar/ Vocals. Eric Clapton is a Legend, he started off with the King of English Blues otherwise known as John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. About this time at school I had a mate John whose dad was rich. We wanted to go see the Blues together so his dad chucked us a set of car keys, one week it would be a Rover, next week a Triumph or a Fiat. John’s brother had an Alfa-Romeo out of “The Graduate”. Anyway I’d drive one of these flash motors up to London, and we’d nearly always go to The Marquee Club... Read review

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Advantages: Highly original and relaxing acoustic guitar songs, superbly played
Disadvantages: Inferior bonus tracks might interfere with the mood of the album for some.

.... Back Down The River is a plain and gentle song, just John on his own, short and sweet. We then come to the climax of the whole album, Glistening Glyndebourne. This is a six and a half minute instrumental jam. It starts out building slowly for a couple of minutes with piano, double bass and guitar, before markedly picking up tempo, and adding congas and drums. Martyn for the first time uses the Echoplex on his guitar, which adds rhythmic layers of sound to the whole piece, a technique that he was to feature prominently on future recordings and live performances. Martyn finally closes out with a short but idiosyncratic version of Singing In The Rain. On its own this track would be questionable, but in context of the whole album, it's included as a light-humoured contrast to the previous extraordinary track and wraps up the album... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic songs wonderful singing
Disadvantages: None

...A mate of mine who is a radio presenter first introduced me to the music of John Williamson. At first, his CDs were only available through Reddington's Rare Records in Birmingham as special imports. But as the influence of the radio programme they were played on spread (the Ed Doolan Show on BBC Radio WM) John Williamson began doing tours of the Midlands and them of the UK and his CDs became more widely available. "The Way It Is" is a wonderful introduction to the works of John Williamson who is, in my opinion, probably the best poet musician singer and humorist that Australia has produced in many years. Think of an Australian Max Boyce and you are probably part way to understanding the vibrant and lively appeal of John Williamson. The first song on the CD is Campfire on the Road. Is a wonderful love song with multiple... Read review

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