JOHN MAYALL=BLUES FROM LAUREL CANYON=1968=DECCA=SKL4972

	£		27
	$		36

 JOHN MAYALL

BLUES FROM LAUREL CANYON

VERY RARE RECORD

BLUE DECCA LABEL 1ST PRESSING

STEREO

LAMINATED GATEFOLD COVER

1968

VACATION = READY TO RIDE = MISS JAMES = FLY TOMORROW

PLUS MANY MORE GREAT TRACKS

 DECCA RECORD LABEL

CAT#  SKL4972

MATRIX# 

In the sixties John Mayall was one restless soul – either that or simply capricious. In the early part of 1968 Mayall assembled a new version of The Bluesbreakers. The expanded seven piece – including a brass section – recorded the album Bare Wires and introduced a more jazz flavoured sound into their repertoire. While admittedly not as successful musically as his pure grounded blues work (at least to these ears) I still find it amazing that Mayall would decide to disband the group in the middle of a European tour. Being a Bluesbreaker must have been one of the most insecure jobs in the whole of the music business. In fact Mayall himself must have thought the same as he dropped the band name from hereon in.

Maybe there was a degree of dissatisfaction involved. Maybe he felt the enlarged band was harder to control. Whatever the reason Mayall fired off everyone but guitarist Mick Taylor, drafting in Stephen Tomlinson on bass and Colin Allen on drums as replacements. This much tighter, compact outfit recorded Blues From Laurel Canyon which proved to be a welcome return to the type of blues that had seen Mayall catapulted into the limelight three years previously.

_Blues From Laurel Canyon_ is like the assignment a teacher hands out to their pupils when they return from vacation. After splitting the Bluesbreakers, Mayall granted himself a holiday in Laurel Canyon, California and the album reflects his experiences during that time.

The spell away from recording and performing live obviously gave Mayall the opportunity to regroup and contemplate his future musical direction but, while a return to vintage blues rock was always the logical choice, the psychedelic influence of Los Angeles is very much in evidence on tracks like "Vacation" and "First Time Alone". Some of his time away was spent in the company of members of Canned Heat and instrumental "The Bear" was written for the Heat's vocalist Bob Hite with more than a passing nod to the band's "On The Road Again".

Besides being a return to basics for Mayall, Blues From Laurel Canyon is the farewell shout of Mick Taylor before he got the call from Mick Jagger to join The Stones. And, as much as this is Mayall's work, Blues From Laurel Canyon is Taylor's triumph. Is it just me or did the playing of The Stones'  music place limitations on the showcasing of his talent? Here the free-flowing nature of the music allows more room to express himself especially on tracks like "Walking On Sunset", "First Time Alone" and "Fly Tomorrow", where the underlying rhythm reminds me of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells".

I can't say I'm a fan of each track segueing into the next as a certain degree of definition and personality is lost but that's my only real gripe with Blues From Laurel Canyon. The album may not be on a par with the first two Bluesbreakers albums but it still makes for a mighty fine listen.

VINYL - in excellent condition

 SLEEVE - sleeve excellent condition

COVER - in excellent  condition (some edge and corner wear)

Grading System Used - Record Collector's

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