Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Album Review
Mayall's first post-Bluesbreakers album saw the man returning to his roots after the jazz/blues fusion that was Bare Wires. Blues from Laurel Canyon is a blues album, through and through. Testimony to this is the fact that there's a guitar solo only 50 seconds into the opening track. Indeed, Mayall dispersed the entire brass section for Blues from Laurel Canyon, and instead chose the solid but relatively limited backing of Mick Taylor (guitar), Colin Allen (drums), and Stephen Thompson (bass). Instantly, it is apparent that John Mayall hasn't lost his touch with the blues. "Vacation," the album's opener, reminds one exactly why this artist is so celebrated for his songwriting ability. The staggering Mick Taylor (here still in his teens) truly proves his worth as a blues guitarist, while Stephen Thompson (also in his late teens) works superbly with one of the genre's most interesting drummers, Colin Allen. Blues from Laurel Canyon is as unerring as Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, and equally as musically interesting. Not only is this one of the finest John Mayall albums, it is also a highlight in the blues genus. --Ben Davies, All Music Guide
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Who would believe that this album is 35 years old!!!! Any afficionado of the British Blues Boom should ensure this is in their collection. Featuring a young Mick Taylor, who still plays pretty mean guitar on his own and Carla Olsen's albums, the boss of British Blues (now about 70 years of age) provides a mixture of subtle sophisticated jazz-blues (Miss James, First Time Alone) and hard hitting in-your-face numbers such as 2401, the Bear and Walking on Sunset). But what marks this album out is the pure sophisticated skill of Mick Taylor (still a teenager at that time, if I'm not mistaken) which culminates in a highly developed solo in Fly Tomorrow. This is the same Mick Taylor who later joined and left the Rolling Stones, presumably because his talents were undervalued by his having to play second fiddle (sic) to Keith Richards. Following in the footsteps of the now legendary Eric Clapton (yes even he could play real mean blues in those days)and the undoubted genius of Peter Green, Mayall had unearthed yet another master of the six-string. This album marks the zenith of a set of 5 Decca releases featuring Taylor - the memorable Crusade, much in the style of Bluesbreakers and Hard Road, Bare Wires (Mayall's first foray into Jazz-Blues fusion and Diary of a Band Vols 1 & 2 - a pair of live albums eminently missable because of the poor mixing from an eight-track tape deck.
But enough of my prattling, if you're new to the 60's/70's Blues Boom, take my word as someone who has followed it from the beginnings, you should get your hand on this, even if you find Mayall's somewhat strangulated vocal tones a bit much at times. It marks the end of an era and not until the Blues Reunion of 82 and the Bluesbreakers featuring Walter Trout and Coco Montoya, did the "man" return to his natural calling.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Oh yes! This really hits the spot! Laurel Canyon was the culmination of several years riding the hard road of English blues, and this stripped-down lineup was the tightest and most consistent outfit Mayall had until years later. Having seen all the Mayall bands live since Clapton's legendary era, I saw this particular lineup on several occasions and on a good night there was no-one to beat them.
In many respects Laurel Canyon is a return to the roots of the Clapton and early Green days, i.e. less jazzy. And it features Mick Taylor, of course - an astonishingly fine guitarist, and the longest-serving axeman up to that point. Not only a lyrical and fluent lead guitarist, Mick also plays very fine slide, which is given ample exposure here. Peter Green's guest appearance on the very atmospheric First Time Alone is one of the high points, and it was great to see him back with his old boss. (At the time Laurel Canyon was released, Fleetwood Mac had begun to enjoy phenomenal success, and of course without Mayall it's arguable that FM may not have existed - Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood having played together in one of Mayall's lineups.)
Not to be missed by anyone with the slightest interest in British Blues in general and Mayall's extraordinary legacy in particular. Now all we need is a re-release of the Diary of a Band albums - dire sound quality, but some electric performances by the last of Mayall's 'big bands', especially showcasing Mick Taylor's guitar work, recorded a few months before the Laurel Canyon lineup. Please?
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I bought this album when it was released in the 60's and it has remained an all-time favourite. It was John's first release with a stripped down band since disbanding the Bluesbreakers. The songs are great and the playing is awesome. Mick Taylor went on to the Stones and the other two joined Stone the Crows. It was a very long time before another Mayall album came anywhere close to this one. Buy it.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
CD review
An album that does not date. It sounds as good as when I first bought it on vinyl all those years ago!
Published on 22 July 2009 by Mr. S. C. Warburton
British Bluesman inspired by US trip
This is an excellent, straight forward album originally released in 1968. Despite the cover pics of Mayall pretending to be a backwoodsman communing with nature and some crass... Read more
Published on 3 April 2003 by Mr P
British Bluesman inspired by US trip
This is an excellent, straight forward album originally released in 1968. Despite the cover pics of Mayall pretending to be a backwoodsman communing with nature and some crass... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2002
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
