Customer Reviews

Hard Road (Exp)

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This 2 cd remastered and expanded edition of John Mayall's "A Hard Road" is a welcome release. Not only does the reissue contain a remastered version of the excellent "A Hard Road" album but it also contains Mayall/Green collaborations from no less than 5 other albums and EPs as well as some non-lp single A & B sides. Other stellar musicians appearing include later Fleetwood Mac mates bassist John McVie & drummer Mick Fleetwood. Ace drummers Aynsley Dunbar and Keef Hartley are present as well as the great American harmonica player Paul Butterfield. Green's replacement Mick Taylor even shows up on the last track. Peter Green is sometimes given short shift among the other blues/rock guitarists from the U.K during this time period like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Alvin Lee. However, Green's B.B. King derived playing while not as flashy as some of the previously mentioned guitarists was always tasteful. The best known tracks from "A Hard Road" include Green's "The Same Way" and "Supernatural". Equally impressive are covers of Freddie King's instrumental "The Stumble" and Willie Cobb's "You Don't Love Me". The complete EP with Paul Butterfield is included with great tracks like "Little By Little". The second disk features mostly single A & B sides and outtakes from the album sessions on the first disk. Green wrenches emotion from the cover of Otis Rush's "So Many Roads" and goes solo for a rendition of J.B. Lenoir's "Alabama Blues". Four tracks on the second disk are recorded as a trio without the aid of leader John Mayall and anticipate Peter Green's work in Fleetwood Mac. Great tracks like "Sitting In The Rain", "Jenny" and "Picture On The Wall" prove to be both haunting and memorable. While Eric Clapton's stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers might be more familiar to casual listeners, Mayall's band with Peter Green proves to be just as rewarding. This is one of the better reissues of the past year!

I had no idea they were reissuing this great, overlooked album until recently. Obviously, this is one of the most essential British Blues albums recorded, as it showcases Peter Green's early talents as a musician. But let's look at the other variables us consumers would be inquiring about.

Remastering wise... in my honest opinion, I really couldn't tell if there was THAT much of a difference. Nothing really jumped out in regards to the audio quality for my ears.

However, in regards to re-packaging, it's all right here for the "Greenie Years" with The Bluesbreakers. I didn't see it mentioned on Amazon, but this is a two cd set that includes the more obscure sides(and some of them are tremendous gems)that were on Looking Back, Thru the Years, & etc (including the sides recorded w/ Paul Butterfield). Whomever was in charge of this project really put in the effort to give the Peter Green fans what they WANTED, as it collects many things into one place. Very, very convenient. A 5 star packaging job.

I do wonder if they are going to do something similar for the Mick Taylor years....

Some of us sweated blood to get these tracks from different albums a long time ago. Now here they are collected: the amazing guitar work of Peter Green in all its glory with the bluesbreakers. The best thing that can be said about John Mayall is that he was a generous spirit and could recognize talent: he gave Peter the spotlight in many tracks, allowing him to record various guitar instrumentals and even sing on many tracks. Some of the best performances of Peter Green career are on this CD: Supernatural, the stumble, alabama blues, greeny... too many to mentioned. Essential listening for anybody who likes Peter Green, the blues, guitar...just great music.

Classic English Blues! This remastered version sounds exceptionally good. What stands out is how well this recording has endured. The public now has access to all of the tracks that John and Peter cut together. For myself, I now have a cut of one of my favorites, "Out of Reach." And let's not forget another favorite of mine, "Double Trouble." No Mayall collection would be complete without "A Hard Road."

Woah.....this is just stunning!

Peter Green's whole set of tracks from the original album,plus all the cool tracks he was on from "Looking Back" and other compilation albums too,....PLUS out-take tracks that made me wonder where the band's heads were when they passed-up on them for the original release!

This is all killer,and leads you right up to Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac years. The sound is punchy and has a warmth that was missing from past re-issues of this material too.

I didn't realize that this collected all those other tracks from various 1970's "comp" albums.But when I got it home and started listening and reading the liner notes,...WOW It's your one stop shopping spot for Peter Green's formative recordings!

Highly recommended! John Mayall's life in music did NOT end when "God",ooops,I mean Clapton left.

What an incredible album and perfect follow up to the "Beano" album with Eric Clapton.
This album introduced Peter Green to the masses as he stepped into EC's shoes.
With the addition of uber-drummer Ansley Dunbar, this album takes it to the next level...even better than the "Beano" album i.m.h.o. The band is super tight, the songs are all off the hook...much more memorable with more variety in tempo, feel, orchestration, etc. Mayall's voice sounds awesome, the best it ever has and full of gritty emotion. Then of course is Peter Green's incredible gutar playing & vocals. BB King has been quoted as saying Peter Green was the best blues guitarist he ever heard...I believe him.

Peter Green went on to form Fleetwood Mac after this album and write "Black Magic Woman", among his many other accomplishments. Guitar players love to referenece the "Beano" album, which is of course a classic, but for those really in the know "A Hard Road" is THE album.

This is a reissue of the classic 1966 album with Peter Green, John McVie and Aynsley Dunbar supporting John Mayall. The music remains as great as it was forty years ago with some excellent Mayall songs and great Green guitar all backed by the excellent rhythm section. The additions from odd sessions and single releases are an icing on the cake. If you like British 60's electric blues and you do not already have this cd, then you need to buy it!

Peter Green is one of those guys you just don't hear about, yet he wrote "Black Magic Woman," the classic Santanna hit and penned what is possibly one of the finest blues tinged instrumentals - Albatross. You can hear him in the guitar playing of Billy Gibbons, and Carlos Santanna. Peter along with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie started the band Fleetwood Mac - perhaps the finest of the British Blues bands. Yet he remains relatively unknown and unappreciated. This album is a fine introduction. Other albums recommended would include "Shrine 69" with Fleetwood Mac and "The biggest thing since colossus" with Otis Spann. To those who have never heard of Peter Green, and you love blues, I envy you your journey of discovery!!!

Idaho John

A simply fabulous collection of historically valuable and noteworthy British blues. John Mayall was, and is, a kind of professorial blues pied piper, similar in what he's done for blues and blues musicians as Art Blakey has done for jazz and jazz players. I can't think of anyone who's done more for blues than the remarkably durable Mr. Mayall, who's still active, and still producing vital and energetic music, well into his '70's. We all should be so fortunate!

What more can be said about Peter Green? There was a bit of a backlash when Peter replaced the more ambitious and fame-driven Clapton as lead guitar in The Bluesbreakers, but Peter let his playing do the talking. His absolutely masterful and chillingly soulful playing is showcased here to beautiful effect. Of course, it's classified as a blues album, but there is an astonishing stylistic breadth to the 36 tunes here, and that is mainly because of the virtuosity of Peter Green. Mayall must have secretly been glad EC left! Peter's playing here does sound at times very similar to Clapton, and Peter has admitted that Eric influenced him greatly. But that is the characteristically modest and self-effacing side of Peter speaking. In his work throughout the two disks, he demonstrates a restless and searching creative spirit, e.g. Supernatural, Greeny, which would eventually result in several earth-shattering blockbusters with Fleetwood Mac. It typifies Mayall's generosity and--let's face it--business acumen, that he allowed PG's incredible talent to shine through.

There are many reasons to recommend this collection. First and most important, you will hear both kinds of Peter Green's trademark, double-barrelled blues: achingly emotional slow blues, AND fiercely powerful rocking blues. Listen closely to the guitar work throughout; you won't find any better playing anywhere. Besides being a peerless blues guitarist, Green was, incidentally, a decent enough harp player to give JM a run for his money, and his work appears on this collection (There's Always Work, a duet with JM). He was also, in my opinion, far superior to Mayall as a singer. None of this great stuff appears anywhere else. You will also get all of the wonderful work that the late, great Paul Butterfield recorded with John is included, a real bonus. Finally, the rhythm section of drummer Aynsley Dunbar--yeah, the same one who played in Journey--and John McVie lend a heavy driving beat to the band, presaging the unmatched power of Mick Fleetwood and the same John McVie a year later in the legendary Fleetwood Mac.

A young Peter Green (actually Greenbaum) approaching the height of his career, enhanced by Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass, and led by the great John Mayall. Does any more need to be said? A must for all Green and Mayall fans.