Back To The Roots - JOHN MAYALL****

Prisons On The Road/My Children/Accidental Suicide/Groupie Girl/Blue Fox/Home Again/Television Eye/ Marriage Madness/Looking At Tomorrow/Dream With Me/Full Speed Ahead/Mr Censor Man/Force Of Nature/ Boogie Alert/Goodbye December/Unanswered Questions/Devil's Tricks/Travelling

Back To The Roots was an ambitious double album from British blues pioneer John Mayall, in which he invited several former Bluesbreakers, including Eric Clapton, to record some new material. (US:52 UK:31)

“There’s no denying the quality here. It’s not really a jam but each musician brings something unique. How they interact and grow is what is delicious and tasty.”

“Sporting a fairly commercial sound of blues-pop by this time, comparisons with Canned Heat are not unjustified. They feature guitar, flute, sax and electric fiddle, as well as some softer material too.”

“When John Mayall goes back to his roots, there's a very rich history to draw from. That's the whole idea behind this album, as Mayall calls back some of his former Bluesbreakers mates to record two records worth of new material. It's too bad this isn't stronger, but it is what it is, and most of the time the musicianship overcomes the shortcomings of the songs themselves. Excellent for late night listening.”

“Back To The Roots merits a special place on the long list of Mayall blockbusters. The 1960s and early 1970s were a period of tremendous creative ferment in the world of music and Mayall was always in the vanguard of experimentation. He is known to most as a blues artist, but on this LP he stretches that concept, touching more on social issues and the everyday concerns of the people than at any time before or since.”

“Besides John Mayall at the forefront, you get legendary artists like Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Harvey Mandel, and the great jazz violinist Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris. With eighteen outstanding songs by Mayall, the album is mostly electric blues/boogie with a tasty helping of jazz and rock mixed in.”

“This is a first rate collaborative album by Mayall and former associates with his then current band. It remains a mellow album, which spans many blues styles, and even touches on elements of softer jazz-rock, which Mayall had been experimenting with at the time. It also contains some excellent all round work by Clapton”