A Hard Road [Remaster]

Performer: John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
Artist: Peter Green; Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation; Mick Fleetwood; Paul Butterfield
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: John Mayall (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, organ); Peter Green (vocals, guitar, harmonica); John McVie (bass); Mick Fleetwood, Aynsley Dunbar (drums); Paul Butterfield. Producers: Mike Vernon, John Mayall. Compilation producer: Bill Levenson. Recorded between 1966 & 1968. Includes liner notes by John Mayall, Scott Schinder. This is part of Universal's "Blues Classics" series. Eric Clapton is usually thought of as John Mayall's most important right-hand man, but the case could also be made for his successor, Peter Green. The future Fleetwood Mac founder leaves a strong stamp on his only album with the Bluesbreakers, singing a few tracks and writing a couple, including the devastating instrumental "Supernatural." Green's use of thick sustain on this track clearly pointed the way to his use of guitar riffs with elongated, slithery tones on Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" and "Black Magic Woman," as well as anticipating some aspects of Carlos Santana's style. Mayall acquits himself fairly well on this mostly original set (with occasional guest horns), though some of the material is fairly mundane. Highlights include the uncharacteristically rambunctious "Leaping Christine" and the cover of Freddie King's "Someday After a While (You'll Be Sorry)." ~ Richie Unterberger Following Eric Clapton's departure after the magnificent Bluesbreakers album, Mayall plugged the gap with Peter Green. Little did anyone know (except Green) that he would almost equal Clapton in the minds of fans and the cogniscenti. Two instrumentals on this collection, Freddie King's "The Stumble" and Green's "The Super-Natural", clearly demonstrate the clean sound of his Gibson Les Paul. The line-up is completed by bassist John McVie and Aynsley Dunbar on drums. Ex-commercial artist Mayall also designed and painted the cover, which itself is a fine piece of art-work and is probably rotting in some printer's basement, long forgotten. The remastered CD reissue is quite superb.

Rolling Stone (12/7/68, p.28) - "...the best album ever put out by a white blues band....[Mayall's] singing is excellent....If there is a quality that really distinguishes this record, it's the presence of piano...it adds a rustic, very country blues-ish flavor to the songs..."

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