Customer Reviews

Halfbreed

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Keef Hartley Band's ''Halfbreed'' is arguably the best English blues album ever recorded. Having just been fired from the drum kit in John Mayall's Bluebreakers -- Keef Hartley took with him seemingly the entire horn section of the Bluebreakers who had just recorded the great ''Crusade'' album. Joining them was Gary Thain on bass (who would later show up on Uriah Heep's best efforts like ''Demons & Wizards'' and ''Look At Yourself.''), along with Spit James and Miller Anderson on guitars. Two incredably talented guitarists whose work on cuts like ''Born To Die'' is as good as any work by better known guitarists, such as Clapton, Beck, Peter Green, etc. These guys were incredible. Miller Anderson also had a voice that was born to sing the blues -- it is an incredibly expressive voice that carries so much strength, emotion and tenderness (when needed) that few singers are his equal. To fill it all out, Peter Dines was on piano and the Hammond B3 organ to give that fat sound that only a B3 can bring to the blues. Gorgeous stuff. Brash stuff. Blistering stuff. It's all here. Their version of ''Leavin' Trunk'' will peel the paint off the walls and the aforementioned ''Born To Die'' would easily make any Best 10 Cuts of English Blues albums that were really worth their salt. This album was, for me, in 1969 when it was released, the high-water mark of English Blues. These guys were incredible. Today, my son listens to it and tells me that it's one of the best albums he's ever heard -- it is. If you can find a copy, don't pass it up.

This is finest rock/blues lp on CD of all time. Contact me at [email] if u need a FREE CD-R of this CD. It is now out of print but I got a copy on CD several years ago.

The best British blues album of the late sixties, opens with bit of drama as John Mayall, gives Keef a little ring to inform him he was being sacked, from Mayall's band, {"Hearts & Flowers," included}. There were many great bands in England playing the blues, and Keef Hartley was ready to lead up his own band, and grab the brass ring. "Halfbreed" is his band's debut recording. This is one of the finest records of British blues ever served up, well...ever.

"Confusion Theme" {like a band on stage, warmin' up} melts right into the title track: "Halfbreed", and it's serious right from the begining, with smoldering organ at first and then The guitars, let's just mention that these guitars BURN all the way through this record, and never ever let up, slow or blinding fast, all the right notes are played.
"Born To Die", is a slow blues epic, the singing of Miller Anderson, is intense and the guitars on this one are full of emotion. Like Mick Taylor, in his prime, the guitars of Spit James & Miller Anderson are a 10++ on this one, and really bring this one home...world class playing here...
"Sinnin' For You", features the best hooks on this record, it's a catchy tune and I can't believe that nobody else has ever done a cover version, of this, it's another classic.

Side Two: This half of the record opens with: "Leavin' Trunk" and it's heavy and hard, with Miller singing a bunch, once more...Another keeper.
"Just To Cry", cools the mood down with bass & organ leading the way and lead guitars melting in with their cries of pain, this one is a slow burn of playing and it stays right in the pocket.
"Too Much Thinking", a slow one that builds and builds with the guitars ready to ignite, then a nice fiddle takes over in the middle section, and with Miller's help, the band finishes up, and it's into: "Leave It Til' The Morning" that sounds very close to a John Mayall track.
"Think It Over" is the closer, with it's Hendrix style, wah-wah. This is standard 1969 blues, all the way...Then, the phone, rings once more...".And, you're sacked" it's over for Keef, and this great record: "Halfbreed" comes to a close.
Classic, all the way. My favorite of the British blues bands, Keef Hartley has hit a home run here!
Five Stars !!!

Yesterday evening I wrote a Review for "Halfbreed" on "amazon.de". And all you reviewers on "amazon.com" are right: This CD in my opinion is one of the best British Blues-Albums ever. The band is incredible; Miller Anderson and Spit James are both great on guitars and Peter Dines has a really bluesy B-3. The arrangements of the songs are all great, there are no "Loosers" on it. Only "Leave It Till The Morning", the Bonus-Title, that didn't belong to the original Album, is not great; and Keef Hartley will know, why this title didn't make it on the LP in 1969. I like especially "The Halfbreed" with the organ-solo by Peter Dines, the slow-blues "Born To Die", "Sinnin' For You" with the drum/organ intro and "Leavin' Trunk" with the fantastic twin lead-guitar interplay by Anderson and James; they really smoke together! And the guitars on "Think It Over" are also great.

I belong and hear the LP since 1970 and in 1995, at this time I lived vor 2 years in NYC, I found a copy of the "One Way Records"-print at "Tower Records". I also found a copy of "The Battle Of North West Six" and "Overdog" from 1970/71, but today, very sad for me, I didn't buy it. That really was a big mistake, because they are also great albums of Keef Hartley. And today, like in the USA, you also will not find a copy of these CD's in Germany. So I have to hear my LP's of these albums anymore. Maybe there will come a time and somebody alse will re-release the albums of Keef Hartley. Let's hope for it!

Greetings to you all from Bonn, Germany, by

Herbert Johannsen

You have to keep looking if you want to obtain this incredible blues album -- leave no stone unturned. It is available on ebay - rarely (I just found two being offered in the UK), but it IS available at two rare CD sites: musicstack.com and gemm.com. If you absolutely LOVE this album as much as I do and are serious to own it, as it IS one of the great best blues albums of the 70's, you will stop at nothing to buy it!!!!

Amazing... with thousands of mediocre CD's out there this excellent album remains deleted. Some inspired record company executive needs to rectify this sorry situation: why?... well, it contains some of Keef Hartley's, Henry Lowther's & Chris Mercer's best post John Mayall work and in "Sinnin' For You", "Just To Cry" and the superb jazz/blues jam "Hearts And Flowers/Confusion Theme/The Halfbreed" it has three of the finest tracks to come out of the late 60's UK R&B scene. After 30 odd years it still grabs space on my hi-fi and, I suspect, many others. A worthy contender for much more interest...

SOMEBODY OUT THERE HAS THIS CD. ( OR ALBUM ).I have been looking for this for years,can somebody send me a cassette or better a cd. I will pay.

When Keef Hartley was sacked by John Mayall he assembled a fine band of British bluesmen and recorded this excellent album in 1968. This is British blues at its finest with exemplary playing by all. Listening to this you wonder why Mayall sacked Hartley as his drumming is faultless and inventive. Miller Anderson's vocals are strident and Skip James, who was never heard of again after this, provides sizzling guitar solos. Its a great shame that this album is no longer available on CD. Hartley's follow-up albums were relatively disappointing as he drifted more towards big band jazz-rock. Buy this if you can find it.

A friend of mine had this album when it was first released and I was blown away, one of the best British blues albums ever recorded. One of the best blues albums [period]. My friend let me tape it on open reel a few years later as it was out of print. I spent years looking for a copy and found one in 1983 in a used record store. In 1995 the cd was available from Germany, sadly, it is now out of print. If you are a fan of the blues, by all means you should have this in your collection. I've never understood why this disc was never given the air play it deserved. If only it would be remastered on SACD. I know, I'm Dreaming! The other reviewers on this page have done an excellent job describing the context and sound of the band, and I can only echo their feelings. Good Listening. Cheers.

I should rate this as "5" but some songs are not utterly fantastic like most in this rara avis. I feel that I belong to a weird cognoscenti who "get it" - that is, those who who are stopped cold by Peter Dines' harpsichord/electric piano in the "Hearts and Flowers" theme song and the rest. The electric guitar work by Miller Anderson and Spit James reflect excellent chemistry in how they weave together. There are some excellent blues riffs yet their music was tight. To date: never heard such a unique keyboard riff as by Dines who later joined T.Rex. "Just To Cry" is insanely sweet blues. I found this thru CD Euroexpress a CD from South Korea a few months ago. If you like British Blues, imo, this is an absolute *must* - the highest end but a lamely ignored masterpiece.