John Mayall is the true granddaddy of rock – and this mammoth collection proves it
3/5
Over 35 CDs, this gathering of his work is a treasure trove for aficionados. Shame about the iffy sexism and limp lyrics, though
John Mayall has a tendency to be overlooked. This collection rightfully puts him centre stage
John Mayall is a curious figure in rock history, a bit part player in his own story. At 87, the multi-instrumentalist has been a headline act since the mid-60s, a prolific talent who has written hundreds of songs and released around 70 albums across a career spanning six decades. Before the pandemic, he could still be found out on the road, playing hundreds of gigs a year. Yet you never hear him on oldies radio or film soundtracks, and I suspect most music lovers would be hard pressed to name a single one of his songs.
The story of how white English boys sold black American blues back to America, creating hard rock and heavy metal in the process, has been told many times.
Mayall – who sang and played harmonica, organ and guitar – was more interested in capturing the purity and authenticity of the music.
This mammoth 35-disc box set packs in every album from his formative years, starting with 1965 s live album John Mayall Plays John Mayall, which includes Crawling Up A Hill, later covered by Katie Melua.
The gold standard was 1966 s follow-up Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton (known as the Beano album because old Slowhand is nonchalantly reading the comic on the cover).
/ 21 December 2020 2654 Views
Quietly evangelistic but restlessly questing, John Mayall played an inestimably huge role in shaping the blues/rock landscape during the 60s; not least through his nurturing of Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Fleetwood Mac and many more. After 2019’s female-fixated autobiography and decades of media focusing on his finishing school graduates, Mayall’s astonishing musical journey deservedly takes centre-stage in this stunning box set from the esteemed Madfish, LPs and singles (three stand-alone) joined by nine discs of previously unreleased material, including live sets and BBC radio sessions. The monolithic package includes a gorgeous 132-page hardcover book, which finds Neil Slaven telling this generous visionary’s story in forensic detail, plus a second book of fan club letters and correspondence, and assorted paraphernalia – replica posters, press pack and signed photo included.