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Strange Brew Eric Clapton And The British Blues Boom 1965-1970

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I'm not kidding with this title (well, maybe half-kidding). Like the Bible is, in some ways, the history of the Hebrew people, this book is a veritible day-by day document of the activities of Slowhand (God), John Mayall (Father), Peter Green (Green God) and Mick Taylor (Younger brother of God). I'll admit to being at first a bit put off about the calendar style of writing, but you easily sink into the format. Its all here. The story of British Blues as seen through the eyes of the greatest British guitarists of their generation. You will learn obscure details, such as set lists, equipment played and what went on in the recording studios. The formidible impact of Clapton on British music and blues in general is clearly illustrated here. Also, I was not aware that Paul Butterfield played gigs with Mayall during their tour there, or the fact that Bloomfield and Clapton connected in Britain prior to Clapton's visits to the U.S. The detailed info on the Beano, Hard Road and Crusade Mayall albums is worth the cost of the book alone (If this sounds like so-much guitar mumbo jumbo, celebrate, because it is!!!!! Those of you who are into this stuff will have a huge ball!!). The performance reviews are both insightful and at times extremely humorous. For instance, one review reports that all members of Cream, during an early gig, were so high that they got stuck in the "Cat's Squirrel" riff loop and it took them 15 minutes to find their way out of it. (:-). Beyond the detail, this book provides a clear picture of the British blues scene, specifically that scene revolving around John Mayall and his allumni. Mayall, in fact, provides the intro. The period covered runs from Clapton's membership in the Yardbirds through Derek and the Dominoes in the early '70s. Of course, other bands, including Hendrix (the best of them all), Free and Jeff Beck are also included. However, this book definitely has a Mayall focus. My only regret is that there wasn't any info on the Graham Bond Organization. However, for that info we also have the bio of the late great Dick Heckstall Smith which came out a couple of years ago. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who really wants to learn about one of the most formative periods in popular music, the rise of British Blues. It will inspire all you guitar players to dust off that Les Paul, plug in that Bluesbreaker Marshall and try your hand at "Steppin' Out"!

"Strange Brew: Eric Clapton & The British Blues Bloom" by rock historian Christopher Hjort is a history of the 1960s British blues music boom in general, and Eric Clapton's stellar music career from 1965 to 1970 in particular. "Strange Brew covers hundreds of gigs, radio and television appearances, recording sessions, discographical information, trivia, contemporary reviews, and first-hand accounts and recollections from ex-band members and fans. Some of the stories will be new information for even the most dedicated Clapton fan, such as the comprehensive account of Clapton's Greek odyssey in 1965 (including the true story of The Glands and Greek band The Juniors, as well as fresh information about John Mayall's recording with Bob Dylan). Here presented in a day-by-day format laced with photographs and memorabilia, the way the musicians behind the British Blues worked together, influenced each other, and helped each other to ever greater musical accomplishments. "Strange Brew" is essential reading for Clapton fans, British Blues music enthusiasts, and academic library 20th Century Music History reference collections.

This is a great collection of tour dates and band interviews of all the bands that were emerging in London during the early sixties. The author does a great job of weaving it all together and this is a great edition to anyone's library of this period. Some great photos of the Bluesbreakers and all London players and club scene.

Definitive hardly does this book justice. Authoritative, doesn't do it. The sheer amount of research author Hjort did on this labor of love really is mind boggling. He probably knows what each of these guys had for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day from '67 to '70. Being a Mick Taylor fanatic with my love for Peter Green running just shy of that, I was so delighted to find a book devoted to them and Clapton it was days before I realized what you learn reading this book. There's tech stuff for us players, lists of gigs, record sessions and tv appearances for the completists and a bit of gossip here and there for all of us. But his finest feat is making the reader feel he is there at the beginning of a blues scene made up of skinny white Brit kids that 3 years later was the basis for much of the most vital rock music ever made. This time telling the story as it went through Mayall's Bluesbreakers and those 3 incredible guitar players he hired in a row. I'm not sure who came after these 3 but I'm glad it wasn't me. I still consider Taylor and Green to be deities, way too overlooked and underappreciated, but Taylor especially enhances every project he's been a part of and I can listen to him play slide all day long. This is an incredible look at what it must be like to be a child prodigy, playing world class blues at 15, in arguably the best blues band in England at 17 and asked to join the Stones at 20. And there's just as much or more on Clapton and Green; looking back it seems incredible that these 3 virtuoso musicians emerged in a country with no blues tradition or players to look up to or learn from in their early guitar years. If you're a fan of blues, guitar,the 60s, London or any of the 4 principles of this story, I urge you to treat yourself to this book. You won't be sorry.

Full disclosure: I am a guitar geek. I was the guy at sock hops who'd sit by the record player, not dancing, reading the liner notes (remember those?), and dreaming of stardom.
What Christopher Hjort has accomplished with this volume is nothing less than amazing - a day-by-day accounting of concerts, club gigs, recording sessions, photo sessions, BBC broadcasts and even informal rehearsals by the movers and shakers of the blossoming British Blues scene. For the five years covered in this book, the careers of John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor (and pretty much anyone who came within five feet of an amplifier or microphone stand) are tracked in exquisite detail. The painstaking research is rewarding to anyone interested in the early days of groups like Fleetwood Mac, Cream and The Rolling Stones, and the cameos by Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix are the icing on the cake.
Great rare photos, detailed equipment lists, and Mr. Hjort's own recommendations for those wishing to hear the music described therein, this book is a keeper. I may have to get another one for lending out.

I got my first Stones album way back in 1964 for Christmas. A lot of Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters tunes. I didn't know much about either of them. I loved the Yardbirds and Animals too. Ironic that I got connected to American blues by listening first to British kids doing their interpretations of it. You have to admire them for their good taste. After all, we in America had all of this stuff right in front of us, and we didn't appreciate what we had, but it took some young men from across the pond to show us how cool it all was. What goes around comes around.

A Willie Dixon song called I Just Want To Make Love To You appeared on the very first Stones LP released in the US. I loved that tune, with its driving beat and honking harmonica. It took me a couple of years to search out and find the Chess recordings of Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Sonny Boy Williamson, the men who had done the ORIGINAL versions of all of these songs. Once I listened to them, I knew why so many guys in England had picked up guitars and tried to copy that music.

Anyway, this book tells, in intricate detail, the story of how American blues and rock became the basis for the the entire British invasion, from the perspective of the guitarists that made that music come alive. The chronicles of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, and many others are all included, with much credit given to John Mayall, the "godfather" of British blues. For guitarists and gear freaks, there is a wealth of information on tunings, equipment, set lists, and other esoteric information. If you are at all interested in that stuff, you probably already have this book; if you don't, you should.

Anyone who is remotely curious about the genesis of American blues rock needs to own this book. I guarantee you will love it.

This book is awesome if you're interested in details of how Clapton, Mayall & BluesBreakers, Cream, McVie and Fleetwood, etc got started and how they mixed up their bands in the mid-60s. I learned a ton by reading it. It's an anthology so you need to read it like that. Great research behind it though. Really enjoyed it. Lots of details about the guitars and amps, distortion tricks and their tours.

This book has an amazing amount of information but I find it hard to read straight through and instead wind up jumping from artist to artist and such.

What I do love is the photos of my heroes in action, my favorites being a complete picture of Peter Green with the Orange amps behind him (a cropped version is used for Gary Moores "Blues For Greeny" cd), the Cafe Au Go Go shot of BB King, Clapton and Elvin Bishop jamming (a cropped version leaving out Elvin was used for "Riding With The King") and an alternate angle shot of Cream at Madison Square Garden (this date is used for the cover of "Live Cream") with a nice view of Cream's weaponry behind them (man,I love gear).

That all being said its hard to imagine a more complete source of information on what is probably my favorite style of music, British Blues.