John Mayall - Essentially

Creative recycling

Despite its Essentially title, the five-CD box set isn’t the career-spanning retrospective the 73-year old British blues godfather deserves. But once over that disappointment, this keenly-priced item combines four recent albums – Padlock On The Blues (1999), Along For The Ride (2001), Stories (2003) and a single-disc (eight of 19 songs) version of 70th Birthday Concert (2003) – with a collection of Exclusive Live Rarities, all housed in cardboard slip-sleeves. Of the 11 unheard archive tracks, Hideaway and Tears In My Eyes (1966) feature Eric Clapton, The Stumble and Double Trouble (1967) sport Peter Green, while Mick Taylor and Walter Trout also appear. Unfortunately, at present you can’t get Rarities anywhere else, so you need to buy the set.

Eagle | EAGBX 340

Reviewed by Michael Heatley
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