Record Details
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Record ID
1241
Artist
John Mayall
Title
The Best Of John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers
Field / Genre
Blues
Year Recorded
1969
Label
Deram
Pressing
Eng
Rating
***
Discs
1
Media
CD
Date Bought
5 Jun 2000
Cost
¤15.00
Cover Name
—
Review
<p>As It All Began: The Best of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers 1964-1968 is an excellent 20-track retrospective, capturing Mayall's band at their peak. The Bluesbreakers went through several different lineups during those four years, with musicians the caliber of Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Paul Butterfield, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Peter Green floating through the group. Hardcore fans of any of those musicians, or of British blues, will naturally want to familiarize themselves with the original albums, but As It All Began is a fine sampler for the casual fan, featuring such staples as "Lonely Years," "Bernard Jenkins," "All Your Love," "Parchman Farm," "Double Trouble," "The Death of J.B. Lenoir," and "Miss James." Even at 20 tracks, there are a number of fine moments missing from this collection, but As It All Began remains the best available single-disc overview of the Bluesbreakers' prime period.</p><p>— <strong>Stephen Thomas Erlewine</strong></p>