Customer Reviews

70th Birthday Concert

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

John Mayall was already the elder statesman of the British blues revival when Eric Clapton, a refugee from the Yardbirds, joined Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1965. Mayall celebrated his 70th birthday in 2003 and this two disc, 19 song compliation is a persuasive reminder that Mayall still can righfully claim his royalty as leader of the most enduring British blues band and a singular performer in his own right.

Mayall performs a set of music with his current line-up, a short set with Mick Taylor, and final set with Eric Clapton and Chris Barber. Tribute concerts, like this, look good on paper but frequently are mediocre because the guest musicians usually play on autopilot and sleep walk their way through a set-list of songs they hoped to never play again, or, worse, had just plain forgotten the chops. This is not the case with Mayall and this Bluesbreaker 70th Birthday Tribute. These highly esteemed musicians pull out all the stops for the man who, in most cases, mentored them, offered his guidance and showcased each of these great musicians at the threshold of their lifelong devotion to playing American blues.

When Clapton launches into his early blues signature song,"Hideaway", a Freddy King instumental, it's elementary observation that Clapton is nearly incapable of playing anything without using his searing slow-handed tension/release style he prefected as a Bluesbreaker. I always thought Mick Taylor should have never played second guitar to Keith Richards in the Rolling Stones. Taylor was just too good a guitarist to play second fiddle to anyone. Mick has stayed under the radar since leaving the Stones in 1975. It's great to reappreciate Mick Taylor's enternally lingering single note sustains and expressive tonality of his Fender slide guitar, as he plays with as much conviction as he did at 19 years old in his debut on John Mayall's Bluesbreaker Crusade album. You will not hear any better sixties British blues revival music than the 19 live-wired perfomances on "70th Birthday Concert".

The band plays so many encores that a gaggle of cops show up to cite the band for breaking curfew law. The Bluesbreaker crew plays on in defiance of the constabulary, and Mayall wryly remarks to the crowd, "It's okay we'll pay all the fines latter." That's what the blues is all about, folks. It's John Mayall's best album in thirty years and is highly recommended as one of the best live music performance CDs of the new millenium.

Anyone who is a fan of Mayall's music or the 60's & 70's British Blues Scene (Yardbirds, Ten Years After, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown etc...) will find this two disc set to be "white boy blues" nirvana (for the uninitiated, before you get on my case about the previous term "white boy blues", enter it in the music search box and see what comes up, okay?). Having Clapton & Taylor on the same stage is pure magic. Eric must feel the need to show he's still got the "slowhand", because his playing here is 10 times better than any of his recent, more commercial albums. The guitar playing on this album also reminds me of the "guitar battle" scene from the movie "Crossroads". The players just don't sit back and go through the motions (even Eric), they rip away with abandon and a sense of real competition. Not necessarily trying to upstage one another, but to show each other they mean business and have killer chops too. My favorite moment is during the solos of "Blues For The Lost Days".
Buddy Whittingham rips off a solo with playing that would make Stevie Ray look down and smile. Mick Taylor's solo follows; and it's as if Mick is talking thru his Les Paul to Buddy saying "is that all you got big boy?". Taylor follows with a solo for the blues history books that ends with a "fuzz-wah" pedal flurry that left me stunned. Mayall's singing is also really good, better than most of his studio releases.
So I get a little carried away! You almost have to with this set. Two discs of music at a reasonable price. My only regret is the absence of Peter Green; his contribution to Mayall's legacy is as great as any.
Regardless this is a must, add to cart!

A superbly recorded live album which not only showcases current Bluesbreaker Buddy Whittington but also features two of the greatest guitarists from the British blues boom - Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor. This was the band, and Clapton and Taylor (along with Peter Green) were the guitarists, who made the blues popular all over the world and helped gain respect and recognition for a host of American bluesmen - people like Freddie King, Albert King, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. It's testament to Whittington's phenomenal abilities that he is not out of place in this revered company. The Bluesbreakers are as tight and energetic as ever. Mayall himself is a phenomenon - a bandleader who surrounds himself with great musicians and who clearly commands their admiration and respect. He shows no signs of slowing down. This is a historic gathering and a very fine album.

I've been a big John Mayall fan from way back in the 60s. What a pleasure to hear the Bluesbreakers playing these tunes so well with John during his birthday celebration. John plays songs from the 1st Bluesbrakers LP to his most recent material. The players are excellent! whether listening to his current line-up or having the former bluesbreakers take the stage (Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor each play for 8 or 9 songs with John and band). The recording quality is excellent and the jam sessions allow everyone to show off (check out "Have you Heard" and "Blues for the Lost Days"). If you like British Blues you owe it to yourself to add this to your collection. Clapton even takes the Mike a couple of time. Keep on playing the Blues John!

With out a doubt, some of the best British Blues I have heard, Mick Taylor, and Eric Clapton just add to the wonder of it all. This cd is worth being in anyone's collection if you love the Blues.

Unbelievable energy - excellent sound - terrific playing by all - Buddy Whittington outguns Clapton - just great all the way thru. It is clear that all the players and audience love the guy on his 70th. He is having fun - thank goodness for John Mayall!

If you love great blues , with unbelievable guitar work this is it, This CD is a mind blower from start to finish , thank god this is isnt vinyl I'd have worn it out already , The guitar work rocks . Get It if you dig great blues and blues guitar in general

Until recently, I wasn't aware that the John Mayall 70th Birthday Concert CD contained more music than even the collector's edition of the DVD. When I noticed that it did, I bought it immediately. OK, well this features only two more songs than the DVD/CD collector's edition and those are performed by the Bluesbreakers sans Mayall. But this CD set is nevertheless a useful and inexpensive companion to the DVD set for those Mayall fans who don't have 24/7/365 access to a DVD player.
John Mayall has given us much music over the years and I own copies of about 90 percent of his recordings, but this has become my go-to CD whenever I'm in need of a quick Mayall fix. The songs span his career and the musicians featured are some of the finest alumni from the early years of the umpteen incarnations of the Bluesbreakers. No Peter Green and John McVie unfortunately, but you do get Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber.
Though I like the entire CD, the standouts are: Dirty Water, Somebody's Acting Like A Child, Blues For The Lost Days, Oh Pretty Woman, Hideaway, Have You Heard, and California. You get just over two and a half hours of great music and for the price that is a real bargain.
If you own and enjoy the DVD but don't yet own this CD set, I recommend you pick it up. You never know when the Mayall jones is going to strike.

Let's make a long story short--yes I definetely am a BIG John Mayall fan--this is the best Live Show I have ever seen- think of how complex Mayalls Music is, --more then just Jazz--Thanks for all, DR. John Mayall

I have two other of John Mayall's DVDs and this is by far the best. I was able to see him in concert in Mesa Arizona in 1997 and he cordially signed my ticket and the CD liner that he was pushing. His performance that day and on the other DVDs were JUST A BIT lackluster. I was slow to buy this DVD for that reason, but I recently watched the show with my brother over the past holidays.

I suppose the earlier DVDs and the live performance, was due to the fact that John is indeed, "the Grandfather of the British Blues". On this DVD he shows more spirit and "musical emotion", I believe, because he knew what a milestone occasion that this show truly was for his career.

As a man reaching well into his "golden years", I felt as though he was leaving this recorded live show for posterity. I was disappointed that Jimmy Page nor Jeff Beck couldn't find a way to show John homage, to be a part of celebrating his birthday. After all, without John Mayall, how many of the great artists would never have been known to the world, from The Yardbirds to the many Bluesbreakers bands? You think perhaps I'm wrong, they all would have been a success? Here is a list of all of the Bluesbreakers and Yardbirds, that have all at one point, been with John:

Eric Clapton
Jack Bruce
Jeff Beck
Jimmy Page
Peter Green
John McVie
Mick Fleetwood
Hughie Flint
Mick Taylor
Colin Allen
Don Harris
Harvey Mandel
Larry Taylor
Aynsley Dunbar
Dick Heckstall-Smith
Andy Fraser
Johnny Almond
Jon Mark
Kal David
Walter Trout
Coco Montoya
Soko Richardson
Keef Hartley
Keith Relf
Paul Samwell-Smith
Top Topham
Rod Demick
Ray Majors
Laurie Garman
Alan Glen
Gypie Mayo
Jerry Donahue

I dare say SOME of these GREAT artists would have never made it big, (not due to any lack of talent, but worldwide exposure) without backing John Mayall!

A one word description of the 70th Birthday Concert: MONUMENTAL!