John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
with John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Peter Green
Live in 1967: Volume Three
Forty Below Records
John Mayall achieved legendary status in the late ’60s with his band, Bluesbreakers. Mayall was (and remains) a disciple of the urban Chicago blues sound of players like Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Willie Dixon. Famously, when Eric Clapton felt the Yardbirds were losing their grasp on real blues, he defected to the Bluesbreakers.
John Mayall has always had a knack for spotting hot guitarists. In the late ’60s, the Bluesbreakers were a sort of finishing school for blues guitarists ,with Clapton, Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), and Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) all serving apprenticeships with Mayall. The band on Live in 1967: Volume Three is, in fact, the embryonic version of what would become the original lineup of Fleetwood Mac (Green on guitar with Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass).
The sound on Live in 1967 is surprisingly crisp and clean for an audience tape more than 50 years old. Mayall and producer Eric Corne did a great job of cleaning up the original tapes so the instruments shine while leaving just enough grit to remind you this was just a club date a long time ago.
The best thing about Live in 1967 is you get to hear Mayall and especially Green stretching out with their soloing. That’s also the biggest problem I have with the record. Mayall subscribes to the school of thought that the blues exist as a platform for soloists. That’s fine, but too often it feels like the solos just wander around, saying listen to how cool I am. My own preference is for the solos to serve the song. It’s a quibble, but it detracts from my enjoyment of the record.
My final word is Live in 1967 is a cool artifact of a moment in the British blues scene. Shortly after these dates, Green and the boys would break off to form Fleetwood Mac. John Mayall continues to find inspiring young players to work with to this day.
Pre-order the album, which comes out September 8, from your platform of choice.
