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: /____\ : >>> John Mayall: Rockin' The Roadshow <<<
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:..:... Supplier: SER 2003 Release Date: 06/06/2003 ...:..:
: : Ripper: SER 2003 Street Date: 02/18/2003 :..:...
...:..: Genre: Blues Label: Sanctuary Records : :
: : Tracks: 21 Tracks Quality: 192kbps/HQ/44,1kHz ...:..:
: : Year: 2003 Channels: True Stereo : :
:..:... Source: CD Size: 209 MB :..:...
: : Language: English Rating: 70% of 100% : :
: : Grabber: EAC v0.95 Prebeta 3 Encoder: LAME v3.93.1 : :
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This double CD from Castle combines two very different aspects of an
outrageously complex man and artist. In order to display John Mayall's
commitment to a band's development on the road, Rockin' the Roadshow
combines one disc of live performances from the early '70s, with two
different bands, one that included Harvey Mandel, Don "Sugarcane"
Harris, Canned Heat's Larry Taylor, and Mayall without a drummer ù
until track four anyway, when Paul Lagos joins them on-stage. Now,
thinking of a blues band without a drummer, particularly an electric
blues band, might seem a bit strange, but the nine tracks on this disc
make a more than compelling case. The energy just crackles from the
stage on tracks like "Crying," with Harris wailing for seven minutes
without Mayall singing the lyrics. And then there's the scorching "Took
the Car" (each of these tunes has an alternate version on disc two
recorded with Lagos later on the tour), with Mandel and Mayall just
tearing up the heart of the tune on guitar and harmonica, respectively.
Before the live set goes any further, there is enough evidence here to
prove to all those weird naysayers that Mayall was more than just a
bandleader able to surround himself with good musicians; he was, and
remains, a visionary in the blues tradition. He was restless then and
is more so now. He still inspires his bandmates to these kinds of
performances, even in the new millennium at age 70. "Blue Fox" brings
in Lagos, and while the dimension of the band is deeper and wider,
there's something less ghostly and spiritual about it all. Not that the
music here doesn't rock; this is a band that loved to jam and that was
clearly its strong suit. In fact, many listeners may prefer the Lagos
edition of the band, but that sparseness created a razor wire for the
band to work out on. This is hard, tough, and jagged blues more akin to
Cream than the normal Bluesbreakers style. Of course, when the band
completely changes again later in the year and Blue Mitchell, Fred
Clark, Keef Hartley, Freddy Robinson, and Victor Gaskin climb aboard,
the vibe is far more groove-oriented, with jazz elements adding an
awesome texture and dimension. Disc two is a far more "conventional"
Bluesbreakers album, entitled Road Show Blues and issued on the DJM
label in 1981. Most folks haven't heard it because it was never in
print in the U.S., but it remains one of Mayall's finest efforts from
the 1980s with a slew of new originals, one by his hero J.B. Lenoir
("Mama Talk to Your Daughter"), and some live tracks, Jimmy Reed's
"Baby What Do You Want Me to Do" and "Mexico City." Here the band burns
with the same intensity that the 1970s bands did. Add the alternate
takes of the material from disc one and you have a stellar collection
that has a rawness and immediacy sorely lacking from much of the blues
today. To boot, there are copious liner notes by Neil Slaven with
extensive quotes from Mayall. A fine compilation to be sure.
http://www.johnmayall.com/
Tracks:
CD #1
01. You Must Be Crazy (5:12)
02. Crying (Version 1) (6:55)
03. Took The Car (Version 1) (12:36)
04. Blue Fox (4:22)
05. Devil's Tricks (10:58)
06. Don't Bring Me Down (7:20)
07. Won't Have To Worry (11:15)
08. Rock The Blues Tonight (9:07)
09. Goodtime Stomp (6:23)
CD #2
01. Why Worry (3:14)
02. Road Show (4:25)
03. Mama Talk To Your Daughter (3:57)
04. A Big Man (4:53)
05. Lost And Gone (2:42)
06. Mexico City (5:57)
07. John Lee Boogie (4:14)
08. Reaching For A Mountain (4:21)
09. Baby, What You Want Me To Do (5:02)
10. Took The Car (Version 2) (8:46)
11. Crying (Version 2) (10:49)
12. Possessive Emotions (20:13)
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