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Editorial Reviews
A key catalyst of the late-'60s British blues boom, this 1966 milestone brought Mayall attention and Clapton to the brink of stardom. This might be the best British blues album ever, with All Your Love; Parchman Farm; Hideaway; Rambling on My Mind (featuring Clapton's first recorded vocals!) and more. Bonus tracks: both sides of their rare Lonely Years/Bernard Jenkins single, recorded prior to the LP!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
221 of 237 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you've never heard this album then this remaster is the best way to hear it. It's clean, has good separation and features two
bonus tracks recorded by John and Eric. Now for the anorak, trainspotting details of WHY this album is important. Quite simply, as far as tone, technique and temperament, Eric Clapton at this time was revolutionary. In the guitar world there are two periods; BB (Before "Bluesbreakers") and AB (After "Bluesbreakers"). First, tone. NO ONE had this kind of overdriven, aggressive and harmonically rich sound before 1966.
Literally, what we associate with rock/blues guitar sound for the last 35 years can be traced back to the tones Clapton was getting in '66. Second, technique. Imagine yourself as young
person in England at this time and you've discovered the great American blues guitarists like B.B. and Freddie King but figure
you will never see them unless you go to America. Then you hear about AN ENGLISHMAN your age who can play that way, plus add
something of his own. Third, temperament. Eric Clapton was able
at young age to both tap into a vastly different world (that of the African-American middle aged bluesman)and supply his own
revolutionary ideas about how the elecrtic guitar could be played. Revolutionary is right. People forget about that all the time but in 1966 Clapton changed everything. It is a tribute to his basic sanity after all these years and personal problems that
he DIDN'T try and continually live up to that standard. He did
other things. Most musicians never have the opportunity to revo-
lutionize anything and very very few can do it more than once.
Whenever anyone looks disparagingly on Eric Clapton's career, and
he had some low points it's true, all I have to say is "Bluesbreakers".
bonus tracks recorded by John and Eric. Now for the anorak, trainspotting details of WHY this album is important. Quite simply, as far as tone, technique and temperament, Eric Clapton at this time was revolutionary. In the guitar world there are two periods; BB (Before "Bluesbreakers") and AB (After "Bluesbreakers"). First, tone. NO ONE had this kind of overdriven, aggressive and harmonically rich sound before 1966.
Literally, what we associate with rock/blues guitar sound for the last 35 years can be traced back to the tones Clapton was getting in '66. Second, technique. Imagine yourself as young
person in England at this time and you've discovered the great American blues guitarists like B.B. and Freddie King but figure
you will never see them unless you go to America. Then you hear about AN ENGLISHMAN your age who can play that way, plus add
something of his own. Third, temperament. Eric Clapton was able
at young age to both tap into a vastly different world (that of the African-American middle aged bluesman)and supply his own
revolutionary ideas about how the elecrtic guitar could be played. Revolutionary is right. People forget about that all the time but in 1966 Clapton changed everything. It is a tribute to his basic sanity after all these years and personal problems that
he DIDN'T try and continually live up to that standard. He did
other things. Most musicians never have the opportunity to revo-
lutionize anything and very very few can do it more than once.
Whenever anyone looks disparagingly on Eric Clapton's career, and
he had some low points it's true, all I have to say is "Bluesbreakers".
61 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Few albums have had greater impact than the landmark John Mayall With Eric Clapton "Blues Breakers." Released by the Decca label in Britain on 22 July 1966, literally days after Clapton quit the Bluesbreakers and just a week before Cream's debut, it went all the way to #6, a pretty mean feat since Mayall's band had never had a hit single. This may have been a first in Britain.
Of course, this is the album that set the blues and guitar worlds aflame and established Eric Clapton's name worldwide as the most passionate of musical interpreters. If you haven't yet heard "Beano" (as the album is affectionately known, because Clapton is pictured reading "The Beano" comic book on its cover), then you ain't heard nuthin' yet!
From the album's first notes, you realize that you're in guitar heaven, as "Slowhand" shows us the way electric guitar can and should be played. Clapton's virtuoso playing is white-hot throughout. Playing with maturity beyond his then-21 years, the young Eric Clapton was so influential that Gibson eventually reissued the (out-of-production-since-1960) Les Paul model guitar, which Clapton then played.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers served--and still serves today--as a finishing school for great musicians and sidemen (Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, John McVie, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Mick Fleetwood, Coco Montoya and others). Mayall's proselytizing the blues (he's 78 years old!), his songwriting skills, and his other musical talents should not be ignored nor taken lightly.
Of course, this is the album that set the blues and guitar worlds aflame and established Eric Clapton's name worldwide as the most passionate of musical interpreters. If you haven't yet heard "Beano" (as the album is affectionately known, because Clapton is pictured reading "The Beano" comic book on its cover), then you ain't heard nuthin' yet!
From the album's first notes, you realize that you're in guitar heaven, as "Slowhand" shows us the way electric guitar can and should be played. Clapton's virtuoso playing is white-hot throughout. Playing with maturity beyond his then-21 years, the young Eric Clapton was so influential that Gibson eventually reissued the (out-of-production-since-1960) Les Paul model guitar, which Clapton then played.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers served--and still serves today--as a finishing school for great musicians and sidemen (Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, John McVie, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Mick Fleetwood, Coco Montoya and others). Mayall's proselytizing the blues (he's 78 years old!), his songwriting skills, and his other musical talents should not be ignored nor taken lightly.
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well this is one of the most memorable LPs of my life. I have been a Blues fan (fanatic?) for 40 years and it all started with this LP. I probably played along with the first side of this record everyday of my Junior year in High School. I had been introduced, as a teen age American, to R&B and Blues with the Rolling Stones, especially the 12x5 album, when they did Little Walter's (1950s version ala Jay "Hootie" McShann and Walter Brown's 1941 original) "Confessin' The Blues" (still the greatest Chicago Blues tune ever recorded by a British band). That was 1965, I got to know all the Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley originals. But this record opened up the Chicago Blues-But done differently, not just mere imitation-(that has been suggested in previous reviews, but I never believed it-(check out the differences in style and arrangement and sound) they really didn't/couldn't do that and they knew it, or at least Clapton did. Mayall was older than the rest and he really wanted to emulate his idols in Chicago. Clapton had a deeper (and younger) perception on this genre- and was a White British guy! Clapton was a lot like his young protege Doyle Bramhall II on his latest Sessions for Robert J- an extension on his first ever recorded vocal "Ramblin' On My Mind" on this CD. Bramhall confessed he never listened to Johnson much before this session. Well Clapton had been with the Yardbirds (as we all know) and had been getting into Blues with Mayall's extensive record collection. He came to this session also with a fresh mind.
The session was done at a loud- "club-like" sound level which perplexed the sound engineers. The distortion of the Marshall amp with the Les Paul was augmented by the sound engineers to make something really unique. The up front guitar of Clapton was something also never heard before (even with the Butterfield Band). This made it really different than Chicago Blues which tended to blend in overdriven tube amps with vocals and amplified harps. What a great and inspirational sound. This was the thing the caused Hendrix to take Blues to a different level and finally a different genre!
Time is the great equalizer of all music, classical, jazz, blues, folk, it doesn't matter. This album still sounds good, but because it has been emulated by all blues-rockers for the last 40 years it can sound stale to the newcomer, oldcomer, or someone who has just heard it and notices it sounds "familiar" now. Also the tracks are not of uniform brilliance, after all it was just a hiped up night club set that they recorded. Clapton says that his recollection of the session was unpacking, playing, packing up and leaving. This shows to some degree how much we owe to Mike Vernon and the production team.
The highlight of the set is usually ascribed to "Have You Heard", very interestingly redone on the 70th Birthday Concert DVD. However, the original had added horns and some B.B. King style licks from Clapton-something he got more and more into to the present day and he did even more of at the Birthday Concert. The fat and thick sound is the best part of this tune. Also it was an original Mayall penned tune. All of the best tunes on this LP were originals except for Hideaway. Clapton's rendition of the Freddie King's masterpiece took this tune to a new level-something similar to Stevie Ray Vaughan's rendition of Larry Davis' "Texas Flood". It became an old tune with a new sound and style. This is the number, to me, that changed the Blues to Blues-Rock!
The other two classic tunes on this LP are the highly underrated and double-tracked "Double Crossing Time", supposedly about Jack Bruce. It is Mayall's greatest minor key blues, better than "The Death of J.B. Lenoir". The feeling in Clapton's guitar is unsurpassed. The other tune is "Little Girl" with its Jimmy Reed updated rock groove. Clapton does his best solo on this tune with precise bends over a difficult beat to keep up with. Walter Trout also did a good version of this tune with Mayall in the 1980s.
The rest of the record is classic. The band itself was very good with Hugie Flint on drums and John McVie on the bass. Mayall made his international reputation with this disc and it has lasted to this day, he became the "Godfather of British Blues" because of this sound-and remember it was replicated (or tried to be replicated on his next 3 or 4 records). However, it does have some filler with tunes such as What I Say (the Brits loved Ray Charles) with a Day Tripper riff in part of it. And I never could understand why Mayall, who was only ever an average harp player, would do Little Walter's "It Ain't Right". However, this CD, with bonus cuts is essential for anyone who wants to understand the transition of the Blues into the evolution of Rock, Acid Rock, Metal and so on. It is truly a classic recording.
The session was done at a loud- "club-like" sound level which perplexed the sound engineers. The distortion of the Marshall amp with the Les Paul was augmented by the sound engineers to make something really unique. The up front guitar of Clapton was something also never heard before (even with the Butterfield Band). This made it really different than Chicago Blues which tended to blend in overdriven tube amps with vocals and amplified harps. What a great and inspirational sound. This was the thing the caused Hendrix to take Blues to a different level and finally a different genre!
Time is the great equalizer of all music, classical, jazz, blues, folk, it doesn't matter. This album still sounds good, but because it has been emulated by all blues-rockers for the last 40 years it can sound stale to the newcomer, oldcomer, or someone who has just heard it and notices it sounds "familiar" now. Also the tracks are not of uniform brilliance, after all it was just a hiped up night club set that they recorded. Clapton says that his recollection of the session was unpacking, playing, packing up and leaving. This shows to some degree how much we owe to Mike Vernon and the production team.
The highlight of the set is usually ascribed to "Have You Heard", very interestingly redone on the 70th Birthday Concert DVD. However, the original had added horns and some B.B. King style licks from Clapton-something he got more and more into to the present day and he did even more of at the Birthday Concert. The fat and thick sound is the best part of this tune. Also it was an original Mayall penned tune. All of the best tunes on this LP were originals except for Hideaway. Clapton's rendition of the Freddie King's masterpiece took this tune to a new level-something similar to Stevie Ray Vaughan's rendition of Larry Davis' "Texas Flood". It became an old tune with a new sound and style. This is the number, to me, that changed the Blues to Blues-Rock!
The other two classic tunes on this LP are the highly underrated and double-tracked "Double Crossing Time", supposedly about Jack Bruce. It is Mayall's greatest minor key blues, better than "The Death of J.B. Lenoir". The feeling in Clapton's guitar is unsurpassed. The other tune is "Little Girl" with its Jimmy Reed updated rock groove. Clapton does his best solo on this tune with precise bends over a difficult beat to keep up with. Walter Trout also did a good version of this tune with Mayall in the 1980s.
The rest of the record is classic. The band itself was very good with Hugie Flint on drums and John McVie on the bass. Mayall made his international reputation with this disc and it has lasted to this day, he became the "Godfather of British Blues" because of this sound-and remember it was replicated (or tried to be replicated on his next 3 or 4 records). However, it does have some filler with tunes such as What I Say (the Brits loved Ray Charles) with a Day Tripper riff in part of it. And I never could understand why Mayall, who was only ever an average harp player, would do Little Walter's "It Ain't Right". However, this CD, with bonus cuts is essential for anyone who wants to understand the transition of the Blues into the evolution of Rock, Acid Rock, Metal and so on. It is truly a classic recording.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clapton Before Cream!!!
This is Eric Clapton at his best. He is using the same rig that he used with Cream: the SG shaped Les Paul and the Marshall, and playing with an excellent blues band. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Ernie UMass
3.0 out of 5 stars
I was really disappointed in this...
It may have been impressive back in the day. Not now, for me anyway. The 2 Butterfield Blues band CDs that I bought around the same time were far better, Jimmy Page was far better... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Edorion
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic
A classic album that every GOD fan should own. Check this out and get some Cream albums to go along with it!
Published 2 months ago by Reviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic and Informative.
The music is fantastic. Clapton's playing is out front and on the edge. His energy and excitement with the songs makes me want to listen to this recording over and over again. Read more
Published 4 months ago by JERRY WHALEY
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Lauching Pad To Super Stardom !!
This is one of the better Blues Rock efforts of all time going all the way back to 1966. The album pretty much launched Eric Clapton to God status and on to his next project... Read more
Published 7 months ago by To The Max"Bax"
5.0 out of 5 stars
Early excellence
A young Eric Clapton(pre-Cream)makes this album a treat to behold. Great band with great performances by all. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Cattime
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very Influential Album and An Essential Recording For Any Blues Fan
A few months ago I saw John Mayall perform at a small club in Victoria, B.C. It was a great show; the man is 78 years old and he can still outperform musicians less than a third of... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mark Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clapton is GOD!
This album captures a period in Blues Rock history in mid-sixties London when Clapton was "God" to many fans. Read more
Published 20 months ago by James M
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "Beano Album" - with definitive Clapton pre-"Cream"-tone
Brother Eric really lays it on the line and leads the band memorably on this album with John Mayall's Blues Breakers. Read more
Published 22 months ago by johnnyguitar335
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL HISTORY - SOUNDS AS INNOVATIVE TODAY
When one listens to and appreciates John Mayall with Eric Clapton's Blues Breakers, it becomes easy to imagine the major impact that this release had in the history of popular... Read more
Published on December 2, 2010 by John
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