MICK MCSHANE is roused by a band whose socialism laces every line of every song with commitment and raw passion
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John Mayall: The Next Generation
Treasure trove of Britain’s blues history is a testament to a pioneer’s genius and longevity
(Left) From The Beano Album photo shoot: (L to R) John Mayall, Eric Clapton, John McVie, Hughie Flint; (right) album cover
New releases from Mountain, Soul Asylum and Michael McDermott
ALEX HALL is disgusted by the misuse of ‘emotional narratives’ to justify uninformed geo-political prejudice
SUE TURNER welcomes a thoughtful, engaging book that lays bare the economic realities of global waste management
JOHN GREEN welcomes an insider account of the achievements and failures of the transition to democracy in Portugal
SIMON PARSONS applauds an imaginative and absorbing updating of Strindberg’s classic
PETER MASON is enthralled by an assembly of objects, ancient and modern, that have lain in the mud of London’s river
THE Godfather of the British blues John Mayall turned 87 recently and a new 35-CD box set is out featuring every album he recorded between 1964 and 1974, plus some fantastic extras.
Born in Macclesfield in 1933, he discovered the blues from his father’s 78rpm record collection of Leadbelly and boogie pianists such as Albert Ammons.
After national service in Korea, where he played in small jazz combo, he returned to Manchester and began playing rhythm and blues with The Blues Syndicate.
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