Bluesbreakers

I'm no fan of the instrumentals for most of the songs, and "Little Girl" really creeped me out. No thanks, it all felt like noise.

Felt very minimal and I liked the blues I wasn’t paying the most attention to it but not too bad

Boring

Complicated. I've written essays on this already (literally, for musicology I wrote this). Competent music, goes really well if you forget Eric Clapton's prejudices etc. Adding a star because I think any chance for people to hear of Robert Johnson is a good thing, and Rambling was the first song I played in a band at the start of a college term. Minus a star for a song called "little girl" - icky

Not my jam

Эрик Клэптон начинал с базы

Serviceable, well-performed blues. Just not something I’m really interested in.

Yawn. This album has all the soul and innovation of a paper towel.

Wasn't great. Heard the guy is racist too, so I didn't finish the album because it wasn't good and I didn't want to support him in any way.

I actually had never listened to John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers before today, but honestly, I can hear Eric Clapton's sound all over this. Still, this often leaned too bluesy and not rock enough for my liking. While Eric Clapton is a total piece of shit, I found myself mostly thinking about him during this album. This seemed to have served as a jumping off point for his transition from Yardbirds sound to Eric Clapton blues-rock sound. I feel like he took what he learned here and improved on it. But back to this album, the blues work here is definitely good, it just didn't wow me, unfortunately. Another 2.-something that just didn't make the cut for rounding up.

Overall: 3/10 The best thing I can day about this album is that it didn't piss me off! Still wasn't good at all though, the mix is terrible, the vocals are annoying and there wasn't anything that stood out about it. John McVie plays bass on it though! Fav Song: What'd I Say

⭐⭐ Skickliga musiker och jag kan uppskatta blues men för mig är detta blues av som saknar den känsla. Det finns ingen grit och jag känner mig oengagerad när jag lyssnar på det, så ska int blues kännas. Bäst är What'd I say men här blir det också tydligt vad som saknas, om man lyssnar på Ray Charles version så hör man känslan som saknas på det här albumet. Tror inte jag kommer ha någon anledning att lyssna på det igen.

Well this got samesy awful quick, didn't it? Also, and I've said this before but it bears repeating, fuck Eric Clapton....

I'm not so into blues, so it's hard for me to objectively evaluate an album like this. Of course Clapton is a monster player, and anyone can appreciate that.

These guys look like the definition of "Bloke". I'm not from the UK, so some other bloke can correct me, but I think the inventor of the word had these guys in mind

Did you know that Britain had a white blues rock scene that Eric Clapton came out of? Cool, 1001 Albums has your back, but not if you want to hear any American blues music that this is a direct and poor copy of because they aren't going to let you hear any of that.

4eme album proposé avec Clapton après un de Cream, un de Derek & the Dominos puis '461 Ocean Boulevard' que j'avais peu appréciés (tous 3 notés 2/5). Cet album est 100 % blues (pas entendu une touche de rock), donc par définition 100 % pas original. En plus une bonne partie de l'album est constitué de reprises ... Aucune chance que je l'écoute une seconde fois, même s'il n'est pas désagréable à écouter. =>2/5

Capable but thoroughly derivative electric blues rock - some nice fuzz tones and generic pentatonic noodling over the classic repertoire of 12 bar blues progressions. You can see how in London in 1966 this was fun for all involved, but it set a dangerous train in motion that's the curse of jam sessions and guitar stores everywhere.

Bland blues with some Clapton genius sparsely sprinkled in. And I like the blues. And Clapton. Dunno....this just didnt hit.

with eric clapton….hmmm, first time listening and blues is just not my cup of tea. Pretty one note, listened to it twice through bc I couldnt find my phone

Yawn.

2.5

Blues isn’t my usual thing but I enjoyed it for what it is

Ladies and gentlemen I don't play no blues I play rock 'n' roll

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 😒😔🫤🙄 Production: 🤷‍♂️😑🆗 Music: 🖌️🔢🎸 Rating: 🗞️(🗞️)/5

So much blues

Didn’t care for this, sounded like a cheap muddy waters rip-off. Plus I can’t stand Eric Clapton so that certainly didn’t help.

I don't enjoy a lot of music from this era, generally. Good for its time, probably. I also don't enjoy anything Eric Clapton has touched. I get the feeling from reading other reviews that he's controversial, and idk why but I just haven't liked any of his work. Didn't enjoy anything by Cream either.

Competent blues, but not outstanding compared to other blues music in the same era.

Good guitar I guess

Blues, nothing special. 4/10

They’re talented but this was a drag

Am I done/over with Clapton? Maybe. I did not finish this album.

Bleh. Some so-so songs, and yeah I guess they’re well-played but it’s done by at least one sack of shit and also just boring.

Minus one because Clapton is an overrated, racist, anti-vaxer.

Yes, Clapton has trashed his own legacy by being such a cretinous arse, but it’s hard to ignore his talent and influence. And yes, this is 'privileged white boy blues', but it’s directly influenced by the original blues players who were (and still to this day, are) openly cited and revered. And there's no escaping the fact that records like this one make up a significant part of the foundations for all the music that defined western popular culture over the last 60+ years. But, while I think this record deserves its place in the list, it makes for inescapably dull listening these days.

No private session used for Spotify. During this 1001 experiment, I have learned that I am not really into the blues..at least white boy blues. It does nothing for me. Also, Clapton can FO.

It's listenable enough but stuck in a weird middle ground. Other than a handful of songs (Steppin' Out, It Ain't Right) it completely loses the vim of the old blues masters and doesn't offer any interesting new interpretations of the blues like Cream or Led Zeppelin would later. I see it's a historically important album. Thank God history progressed fast enough to leave this behind. Leave it to a British band to turn our SACRED American blues into dry toast on beans or whatever these people call food. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

2.5

Whatever your feelings are in Clapton, there are two things that are hard to deny about this album. 1. It was incredibly influential 2. It's white boys singing about little girls and picking cotton...so it sucks

Goofy ass music

That sure was 45 minutes of white British men trying to sound like black guys from the American south. I’d rather listen to the real thing… obviously talented musicians but a bunch of nothing for me. 3/10

A slog for me. I just don't have it in me to appreciate this kind of blues rock.

The band is grooving and it's a great sounding record, but it should have been a priority for everyone involved in this project to get someone else to sing. And here's a message to all you politically motivated one-starrers: Go tell Yo-yo Ma he's appropriating white music you RACIST fucking dunces

Was nice enough background For driving.

It was blues alright. Ok listening experience. Best track was Parchman Farm.

Mehhhhhhh. Nothing bad about the production or playing but it’s missing an oomph factor for me

ehhh

Boring cover album

Fairly standard blues rock. Didn't hear anything ground breaking or amazing. It did have one of the most boring drum solos of all times though.

When I compare something like this to CCR, it honestly doesn’t compare. This is a jam band, an excuse to throw shit together with a particular progression and call it blues.

mmm

Give us some real blues please

Only listened to a couple of songs. Straight blues, not that interesting to me.

All your love hits you right out of the gate, good song. I hear so many instrumentals, this was definitely on purpose and well executed

Was not impressed by anything on this record. Felt soulless. The guitar/bass was fine but nothing that has me wanting to revisit it.

I do love some Blue-eyed Soul, but Blue-eyed Blues? Clapton is good, of course, but this album seriously lacks the proper depth and feeling for blues.

Grew tiresome by about the halfway point

White British guys playing and singing the blues has always been a thing. I can tolerate it when it's only one part of a musician's or band's output, like with Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones. With these guys, that's all it is. It feels like they are parotting the authentic blues guys. Even if they're very good at it, it's still a facsimile of the real thing. I'd rather listen to Muddy Waters or Howling Wolf, not a bunch of posers. Plus, it's really boring and one dimensional.

Clapton's shredding still does not make this anything more than a snoozefest. Bluesbreakers is right if they mean theyre breaking everything that makes the blues good. British whiteboy blues almost always lacks any real soul, and that's the case here. And Little Girl, yikes. Not an old blues standard, just Mayall being a fucking creep. Steppin Out is fun, the rest of it was a slog

Don't have too much to say about this one, to be honest. fav tracks: What'd I Say, It Ain't Right

Probably not different enough from real blues to be good.

Tricky one to rate after learning about some context. I enjoyed the album overall, but they were all covers of blues music that ended up feeling distilled. I also found it odd to hear the riff from Day Tripper (a song that had just been released) be just casually dropped in What'd I Say. That cover just made me want to listen to Ray Charles and The Beatles. (doesn't help that these were covers of songs by black artists and that Eric Clapton is a racist)

Kinda average blues rock. I wish I had more to say about it, but not much about it grabbed my attention. The sound is a bit dated, the guitar work could have been way more interesting and the songs just don't pack much interesting writing or anything. There's a couple interesting moments but most of it is in one ear out the other. What'd I Say was building up to be a good song but then it has this terrible drum solo in the middle that ruins its momentum. I liked Hideaway and Steppin Out because they offer some quite passionate performances, but that's about it. Maybe I could even find more arguments to defend it, but Clapton is also a racist douchebag so I don't really feel like doing it.

If you're into blues, it's good stuff. I'm not so into blues as I was before we cancelled Eric Clapton, so while I recognize the tremendous raw talent on this album it's not for me.

brit blues

Eric Clapton: late term abortionist. Good harp honking though.

Eh…

All Your Love

Eh. It was alright.

Unspektakulären und ziemlich durchschnittlichen Album ohne Spirit.

Best Track - "All Your Love"

I understand this man is supposedly one of the greatest guitarists of all time but I just don’t get it. It sounds dated.

Good album but it is difficult to separate the art from the artist with Eric Clapton.

I didn't really like this one. Now I generally do like blues, and the talent is here, with the instrumentals in the earlier songs really standing out. Despite this the songs just aren't very good, Little Girl is particularly creepy.

I don't like blues, so this is hard for me. Ugh, and at least one with saxophone.

Day 73 Didn’t do a great deal for me this 3/10 Highlights Little Girl Another Man

This was painfully generic and mostly covers.

Much like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, early Rolling Stones, and future Clapton work, the cloud of "white man popularising the black man's music" hangs heavy here. Classic rock & roll, albeit distilled.

I have never liked this stuff.

this was okay, i didn’t give it enough attention probably but it didn’t deeply strike me either

This album… is unfortunately everything I dislike about white blues rock. It’s okay, but it’s terribly overrated and only a couple of degrees above the weekend warriors slopping through easy songs in a corner bar for gas money and free beer.

Bluesalbum verkar det gå 13 på dussinet av på den här listan. Inget som sticker ut i mängden förutom en riktigt lam version av What'd I say, med ett omotiverat trumsolo. Jag lyssande på Ray Charles inspelning direkt efter John Mayall. Det var som att höra Elvis efter att ha lyssnat på Eilert Pilarm.

Bland and a dishonourably discount version of blues

Eric Crapton.

Just ok

Just not a huge blues guitar fan.

Oh great, Eric Clapton. Boring. I don't hate it, it just doesn't have much emotion in it.

I'll give this a 2 for John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers' sake, but any time Eric Clapton was front and center my balls crawled up into my throat. 2/5

nah, 24 tracks all kinda samey...

an okay listen but a bit to lo fi for me

I liked the blues aspects of several tracks. Clapton is one of my fave guitarists, in spite of his politics. I did like the instrumental track HIDEAWAY. Some of the tracks with their 1966 era lyrics were cringe when listened to with a 2025 sensibility. Previous listened: N Saved to library: N Favorite track(s): Hideaway ⭐⭐: Didn't love but didn't totally hate it. Don't have to hear it again. Didn't save any of it.

Little Girl is cringe. Eww. And now I'm bored. I did clean my toilet, so at least this wasn't a complete waste of time. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

Quando o vocalista não esta presente, a musica cresce, e se torna incrível, pontos extras ao baterista.

As much as I have heard about Eric Clapton and his contributions to music, never have I ever heard an Eric Clapton album before. So when I was recommended Blues Breaker to hear by the 1001 albums to hear challenge all I really expected was some great guitar parts, and it definitely delivered, just not to the extent I had initially hoped. Other than this having the collaboration between Eric Clapton and John Mayall, I really don't see why this album is deemed as significant by the author of the book. Yes the guitar playing here is nice and dandy, but without that this project has nothing to stand on and falls apart more than a house of cards. I can appreciate the technical elements on display here thanks to Clapton's signature guitar playing, but I don't find this album to be impressive or all that essential even with its' inclusion here. It is an album with a lot of lost potential that really isn't made up with anything else here. Honestly feel like this was picked for the artists alone and not for any other reason because this is decent at best.

meh.

The Beano eh? One of those records I was told to buy when I was 18. I kind of get why it is here, as opposed to 137 Sonic Youth records. So many good things came out of that 60's white boy blues scene it is hard to be critical. John Mayall's talent was to have the chutzpah to create this band in the first place, but he was otherwise a mediocre talent. This combo is important for what the three big name went on to do, just Eric finding out he could sing was important, as well as Pete Green's rhythm section learning their chops. You could hear any bar band in any gin joint in any town play these arrangements today and play them so much better than this. But that's ok too, this record was a good solid stepping stone in the evolution of rock and roll and pop music and for that it is worthy. A curio.

Forgettable

I heard you like 12 bar blues.

Competent, even highly skilled, but doesn't move me.

Basic

For the second day in a row I've gotten a pretty meh album. Maybe it's your thing, I won't yuck yr yum but also don't think this is a good album let alone one I must listen to before I die.

I can understand now impressive the musicianship is on this but if just never does anything for me emotionally. 2.5/5

Average blues album, but Clapton's stuff was great

Whatever.

Blues by a bunch of white men. Kind if lacks the soul of real blues a bit.

Meh, this is really nothing special, blues without the soul.

Two stars for the toan. And zero stars for everything else. It borrows so heavily from American blues that it comes off as 'what if some white British guys did it instead?'. It's like when Phil Collins re-did 'You Can't Hurry Love' and just did it the exact same way but with just him singing. This list should point listeners to genre defining albums which would be whatever these guys ripped from.

no se si me gustó la verdad lo escuche dos veces y me gustó más lo que digo después recomendando Spotify

All lowlights: -Eric Clapton - blues - when I saw this album cover I thought it might be the Beatles, but it sure wasn't - "colloquially known as The Beano Album"* ??? - 'Little Girl' is kinda creepy *Beano is the comic mag pictured on the cover, the most successful outside Japan, and the longest running one (1938-present)!!! That's much more impressive than the beano I know about (1990-present). This album is not my cup of tea. I'm sure it is important in Blues Albums, but if I die without hearing any more of those, I'll live. :P

Very ok blues.

No thanks

Good musicianship. Not exciting blues, and certainly not really emotional. This may be seminal for bringing blues to a bigger audience, but I'd probably rather listen to more original blues albums than these British enthusiasts.

J’aime pas vraiment le blues

Pretty torturous for me in all honesty. White people should never have touched the blues let alone British whites. Fav song: Another Man

Kinda generic white boy blues. It all started to blend together making me think I already heard some of the tracks.

Just noise.

This is too stock for me. Too nothing. I'm sure its significance and innovation is lost on me, but on its own it's just not that great.

It Ain't Right Just To Treat Me This Way 1001 Albums Generator 85 (07/30/2025) John Mayall was a British musician who got his start in the late 1950's. He became interested in this burgeoning American style of music, the blues, and decided to form a group called The Bluesbreakers. The Bluesbreakers are not so much a band in the traditional sense, as they featured over 100 unique combinations of musicians that played under the name, with the only constant being the mastermind, John Mayall. After touring for a couple of years around Britain, John Mayall recruited the great Eric Clapton and the band recorded and released their debut album, Bluesbreakers, which was largely responsible for pushing British Blues into the mainstream. Unfortunately, blues is in general not really my thing, and boring British blues is certainly not my thing. I like Cream and Layla, but even Eric Clapton's playing feels muted here. The opening track, All Your Love is a decent enough blues track and Little Girl is a lot of fun. What'd I Say is actually interesting, starting as a piano-led blues before a nice drum solo leads us into a Beatles homage. Interesting tune. The final song, It Ain't Right has the best use of harmonica on the whole thing and a great energy. Pretty much every other song is vastly forgettable. Why did the drummer go take a bathroom break for Ramblin' On My Mind? Who listens to an electric blues song and thinks "we need to remove the percussive energy immediately"? Same with Another Man, which is basically just harmonica. At the very least, this album isn't very long, but it still drags, with every song feeling the exact same, which is partially due to the fact that it is blues and partially due to the fact that it is not very inventive blues. It's honestly mostly a matter of personal taste to not love the blues, but it seems like even blues lovers don't jive hard with this album, so it was certainly an interesting choice for the list. Bluesbreakers has a couple of interesting songs, but is overall quite mediocre. I'm feeling a 2/5. Favs: All Your Love Little Girl It Ain't Right Least Fav: Ramblin' On My Mind

Meh. 2.5. - 3

2.5 stars rounded down. This feels forgettable.

Vocals too high in the mix. I'm not gonna dunk on white guys doing blues because I think they're allowed to it and I often like it. However.. I can see why this is largely forgotten these days when you know, Are You Experienced came out a year later. JM and the Bluesbreakers sounds so goddamn weak in comparison, no wonder Jimi made EC freak out. And the obligatory: fuck Eric Clapton

I had no idea who is Eric Clapton till I opened reviews of this. Then I understand that he sings "I'm gonna give you love, child", it was frighting...After that I went through racist stuff he told and other shit. And I feel kinda strange because I liked some songs, especially instrumentals but all of the context makes me feel wrong when I think that it's even 3-4 star album. It really inspires me to go into a long-winded discussion about an importance of artists as a person and impact on their music... well, okay, it'll be 2/5. because of really good instrumentals

Very unexciting. It doesn't sound like any of the musicians on this album have *really* had the blues, which doesn't help.

2/5. The Blues but white guys. I get it, but it's kind of hilarious that so many publications are like "wow this is truly the blues" when a white man does it. It's just rock mixed with blues so to call it innovative is just wrong. Eric does rip it here, and at age 21 at that, so I gotta give respect where it's due. And the tracks are still good, since the original versions are good, just feels a little empty at times. Best Song: Steppin' Out, Double Crossing Time, Ramblin' On My Mind

Naaaa I am not about the blues at all

I hate you Eric Clapton and all these songs sound like blister in the sun by the violent femmes

Lader til at være fint. Lyttede ikke til alle sange men kunne godt lide viben

Some alright blues songs that I wouldnt ever see myself going back to listen to

Meh

I mean they sound great but wow does this seem wrong.

Somewhat generic.

It’s was fine. Would give it a 2.5 but can’t so I’ll drop down because this is not a round up.

If you're into purist revivalist blues from the 1960s this is for you. However, although there are some great solos and some decent workouts, a lot of the British bands who did 'authentic' blues numbers produced some very wishy-washy and weedy versions of far superior US originals. These are no exception - a fair lot of it is very bland and flat, especially some of the organ playing.

There's some occasional talent to buy found by the musicians on here, especially Eric Clapton. The vocals are quite weak and the drumming is mediocre (don't get me started on the drum solo) The songs in the beginning sound unique and fun, until you realize that that's how most of the songs sound

Well performed I guess, but dont like it Will I listen to again: 0%

generic af. i don't caaaare

Meh

Blues like this is like baseball - it's cool live at a bar sometimes, no one cares about re-runs. If you can get a group of friends together and play, it's quite fun! But the only people who watch religiously are old dudes who haven't realized there's something more interesting. Also, that was the weakest drum solo I've ever heard. I'm glad we've come a long way from that

Truly the masters of sucking their own dicks. We get it, you play your instruments.

Blues...all sounds the same to me. I'm sure this is great, but I couldn't tell you the difference between it or bad blues.

This album went by so fast. Just a bunch of guitar and some guys singing quietly. 4/10

I’m not a middle aged man so I’m not the target group

My distaste for Eric Clapton on "the blooz" grows every year. I don't like them. This is fine, but it's a bunch of English guys pantomiming better bands, mostly actual Chicago blues guys. Why do you need this when you can just listen to them?

Meh. Not for me

Not bad but nothing memorable

They’re all fine as shit but this is the kinda music that makes me go nuts

I recognize that the British Blues Boom of the 60s was a cultural phenomenon, but it's not one I care for and I think it's over-represented on this list. Having said that, this album is a worthwhile entry. I especially liked the horn section - interesting to learn that it was only added post-production.

Meh. This version of blues rock cross over always is a little meh. 1.5/5

I was wondering when my first Clapton would be and didn’t expect or know of this one It’s an ok album , solid instrumental work .

Clinical, sterile blues music. It leaves me totally cold.

I just can’t get on board with this. Clapton has sounded better. The heavy use of organ is dated and silly. But most unforgivably, the songs are beige. I get that this music was important, but the more of the blues I hear, the more I’m convinced the style belongs in the past.

Boring, more moring than fleetwood mac pre-1970

This seems like a very good example of a blues album. I just don't like the blues all that much.

Lengthy Rock soli.

Solid blues riffs and vocals, just nothing new or experimental that would set it apart from other entries of that time period.

The tough part about blues albums is once you've heard one, you've heard them all. Decent listen with some highlight instrumental parts, but still a blues album through and through

Generic blues. Nothing too special. Extra star for Clapton.

This is the 4th or 5th Eric Clapton album so far on this list and I'm only 140 albums in. I haven't seen a single black r'n'b or blue artist however. This album impressed me when I was 16, now it just sounds weedy and devoid of any soul.

Mixed bag on this one. A couple of the instrumental-only tracks are really solid. Any track with singing suffers though. Too bad Clapton is so unlikeable as a human being, he really shreds.

Generic blues I guess.

Ikke helt min sjanger still

I love the blues, but not my blues.

Is this the worst drum solo of all time on what’d I say?? It sounds like that scene in Tarzan when Rosie o Donnell and the other gorillas who have never seen human life or artifacts before are learning to play with instruments for the first time. Speaking of terrible solos, have yall ever seen that Nick Jonas guitar solo at some music awards a couple years ago? It’s been popping up on my feed a couple times recently. It truly is so bad. I feel bad for him though cuz I’m sure he’s somewhat talented. But back to what’d I say, this is also just a terrible cover in general. They think by just changing the genre to a rock song that that’s doing something original but it just makes it worse. The rest of the album is not much better. They feel like blues-lite. Feels pretty generic and their blues melodies and rhythms don’t have much soul. Was going to give this a 1 because of how annoyed I got at this but I have to give it at least a 2 because of the obligatory harmonica. Decent harmonica work here.

I think the only time I like the Blues is when it's live in New Orleans.

Ugh. Did Eric Clapton own the only blues album in England? Its just so derivative.

Fucking Eric fucking Clapton. If I want to listen to blues, I would listen to blues. Two stars.

heavy guitar and drum instrumentals but not really my vibe. I liked the 5th song.

Okay I might write a little treatise here. ha. I can't stand Eric Clapton as a person. He's racist and his pompous, some of my least favorite attributes of people in general. He's a guitar God. He's a genius. This is what they all say. But I think that Eric Clapton is the biggest cultural appropriator in music history, which for some reason isn't attached to Clapton as much as it is to Elvis, for instance. One way that I think he's worse than Elvis is that he actually hated the people he stole his music from. I was willing to give this album the benefit of the doubt despite my feelings on Clapton as a whole. But all I think is, hasn't this been done better by someone else? This record is good in the sense that it's got some sick guitar work from Clapton, however I'm less impressed by it as almost every single song on the record was the very basic i-iii-iv progression. Maybe that makes me bitchy idk. I think part of what made this album so important was actually more about the audience that was exposed to the blues after this record. If you've never heard a blues song in your life and you listen to this record? Seems pretty decent. Then there's if you've been exposed to great blues in your life, maybe Mississippi John Hurt or Leadbelly or Howlin' Wolf or Little Walter, this sounds like an imitation. Which it is. Another thing is there's a few moments that sound like other songs to me, which when I looked them up basically came out in 1966. lol. "Another Man" is the only one, but reminded me of "Baby Please Don't Go," which is a blues song from long before Van Morrison recorded it. "Double Crossing Time" gives me big "It's a Man's World" with the melody, both came out in 66. As well as at the end of the cover of "What I'd Say" there's also a guitar lick that sounds exactly the same as the Beatles song "Daytripper" which came out in Dec. 1965. Despite saying all this, it isn't a bad listen necessarily. The singing could be stronger. The drum solo in "What I'd Say" could have been cut in half at least. Clapton could be less of a racist dick culturally appropriating Black music. But there's some sick guitar here and there. It didn't make my ears bleed. I wish I could do half points because I give this a 2.5.

Niet echt mijn muziek.

good, not exactly for me and nothing was too memorable about the album in my opinion

Eric Clapton is overrated

Don’t care for John Mayall. Just can’t get past the vocals. My dad likes them and I’ve tried for years. Just not for me.

It's a sound in search of a song

I've been annoyed by a few reviews of various albums here where they mention white people misappropriating blues music, and rate it extremely harshly almost out of spite. In those cases I've seen the skill in the album and enjoyed them in their own right. I thought that might be the case here too, but actually.. I think they might have a point. This is still accomplished enough, but it does sound like a much tamer sound, like they've taken something way more raw and powerful and just 'blanded' over the top of it. They play their instruments well enough, but this is incredibly dull for the most part. I enjoyed some of the tracks. 2.5 rounded down.

Maybe it was the day, but I was just annoyed by this. I'm sure other people "get it" but it's just more white guy blues to me. 2/5

Blues cosplay from the Brits. The musicians are proficient, the vocals are weak. Last track (Bernard Jenkins) was probably my favorite. Don’t know why I’d ever listen to this instead of Muddy Waters. Guessing this is like music for musicians or something.

I'm in a bad mood and I can't stand Eric Clapton and his wimpy little voice.

2.5 stars, don’t really know what’s so special

There is too much Clapton on this list.

White British guys in the sixties were really trying to appropriate everything huh? Can I not have, like... Actual blues?

Some good moments but generally couldn't care less

99% of the time, boring and soulless.

It's very generic blues. There's a couple of songs that would be fun in a bar but too many guitar solos which aren't interesting Also, clapton is a prick

It's blues. It exists, and Eric Clapton is on it. If that sounds like your thing, go for it.

I like rock with blues elements, but this was a bit too "bluesy" for me. Usually those kind of albums get tiring for me around the halfway mark, and this one was not an exception. I did find it interesting that John McVie (later of Fleetwood Mac) played bass on this album, though. It makes sense since Fleetwood Mac was originally a blues band. 2.5 stars

yay more eric clapton Honestly, Eric Clapton is good at guitar, but he’s not anything special. Disraeli Gears being included is fine, since there’s some actual good songs on that album, but I don’t understand listmakers’ obsession with him in general.

Really didn’t care for this one. Was not interested in listening to it at work. Just not for me that day. Didn’t keep track of the standouts.

This was a competent yet dull album, it could have been edited down to a shorter package and I would have enjoyed it better. I don't think I will ever remember listening to this album, and that's a fate worse than death.

Nothing stood out.

I can imagine this was fairly exciting at the time, when the originals of these tunes were hard to get hold of or hear, but at this distance this comes across as a bit of a pub rock covers / wedding band set. And of course the one thing that really stood out about Charles' original of 'What'd I Say' was the ridiculous drum solo.

Influential yet pedestrian. Fuck Eric Clapton.

Someone described this as white blues and I couldn't agree more, 2* Even the drum vamping in "what i'd say" sounded like someone with no drum skills fucking around.

If I was a white man with a goatee born in the 1950s, I would be absolutely ripping my cock off its hinges at this (presuming I could still find it under my belly). I'm not, so no.

If I have to listen to songs about shagging kids I'd prefer them to be good songs about shagging kids

1 boom BOOM 💪

Day 66 - Nov 17th, 2024 Eric Crapton amirite. 2/5

Nett.

bad quality and weird ass lyrics, got boring really quickly.

Meh.

This was fine. A 3 downgraded to 2 because I hate Clapton.

Really very bluesy. Not my bag. Some of this is more bluegrass (?) and other parts are more jazzy or soulful, but I liked very little of it. Expected more Clapton guitar I guess. The instrumental second track was pretty good, at least. Listened to the stereo mix.

Have You Heard // Steppin’ Out // Bernard Jenkins 2.5/5

Eric boy plays some mean blues guitar, and that's all there is to it. No real sentiment and no eye for when to tone down the flashiness - fair play, that's how life is when you're in your early twenties.

Mostly included to showcase the early guitar playing of Eric Clapton. It might do that - but it accomplishes very little beside from that.

White boy blues

boring, repetitive and self indulgent. Not sure why i expect more from something that Eric Clapton has had his mits on.

Some claim this album hugely popularised the blues genre. I call utter bologna, because even by 1966 standards, this kind of music is massively overdone. And an entire album filled with 12-bar blues (half of the tracks all in the same key) isn't doing the music any favours. Sure, it sounds fine, but it also has that '60s unpolished feel that makes the band appear more unprofessional than anything else. With a more interesting mix of genres, a la Revolver or other contemporary albums, they could've gotten away having unsteady mixing and performance – but here, they don't quite cut it. The piano (appearing in many of the tracks) is probably the highlight. The singing is fine, though I slightly prefer the instrumental tracks to the ones with lyrics. I have such an intense and rightful grudge against Eric Clapton as a person that all of his music is irreparably tainted even if it's played well, so I can't really say I loved his guitar cameo. As with a lot of my recent album reviews, I'm probably being too harsh here. But Clapton deserves it. Take that, little racist anti-vax guitar boy. 2/5 Key tracks: All Your Love, Have You Heard, Little Girl

What a nice example of cultural appropriation!

There is too much Clapton on this list! Look. This is fine. The music is clearly well performed. But this style of white, boomer boy blues is way too over-represented on this list. Absolutely unnecessary.

I think my problems with Clapton's 'Derek and the Dominos' apply to 'The Bluesbreakers' threefold. While Clapton is most certainly a talented and "fast" blues-rock-styled guitarist - I struggle to find any distinctive personality in his recordings (barring a few songs, like the incredible 'Layla' on 'Layla...') or playing. A good chunk of the tracks here are covers of blues and RnB greats like Ray Charles and Freddie King, and the Mayall-written songs aren't anything to cry home about. He's a decent vocalist in this area though. Good playing only gets you so far on records like this that have so little in terms of substance or, especially, variety. There's no definition here, it just sort of trudges along...soullessly. John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (and Clapton) are undeniably good at what they do, but what they do is just kinda bland.

😴💤😴💤😴💤😴

Yet another forgettable album

Mostly forgettable.

boring ahhhh

So, yeah, Clapton can play guitar. Besides that, this, to me, is a totally unremarkable blues album that also clocks in way too long.

01) All Your Love - 6,0 02) Hideaway - 5,5 03) Little Girl - 5,5 04) Another Man - 5,5 05) Double Crossing Time - 5,0 06) What'd I Say - 5,0 07) Key to Love - 5,5 08) Parchman Farm - 5,0 09) Have You Heard - 5,5 10) Ramblin' on My Mind - 6,0 11) Steppin' Out - 5,5 12) It Ain't Right - 5,5 13) Lonely Years - 5,0 14) Bernard Jenkins - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,39 (54/100) Current ranking: 227/261 I guess this was significant when it was released, but I rate it based on personal taste, not significance to world music, so this is barely two stars. So boring!

Certified noodling! something uniquely lame about british blues

I don't like this. This reminds me of the kind of blues that your uncle listens to while doing that gross head bob thing that blues fans do (people do bob their head to various styles of music but boomer blues people do it in a very gross and different way) and tells you all about how you don't understand music because you don't like this crap. Honestly, it's not 1 star bad but this album gave me a stomach ache or gas or something. Gross.

That was some blues rock music

The production on this album is distractingly poor, I get that it was 1966 but this didn't age well. Clapton's guitar work on here is undeniable but Mayall singing about "being my little girl" is miffin' it up too much for me to like. The instrumentals with harmonica were slightly better but I got bored with it even though there's so many songs in the list. It just felt like it was hitting all the tropes of standard blues rock and I think others just do it better (with more passion and grit). This combo isn't working for me.

An abhorrent racist prick is still an abhorrent racist prick whether or not he can or can't play guitar. Maybe it was transformative at the time but the album just sounds bland and lacking any kind of authenticity.

I had to listen to Can Blue Men Sing The Whites by Bonzo Dog Band after listening to this. It's good considering they have none of the oppression and were all doing too much coke at the time. It's just not great.

Only appears to be a noteworthy album because it heavily features Eric Clapton. Meh. Another reviewer says "it's probably the whitest version of the blues I've ever had to listen to"... sounds about right! Which is fine, if that's your thing.

Not my favorite blues rock

And whaddaya do? You join the Mothers! And you end up working for Zappa! And he makes you be a creep! You could have played the blues with John Mayall or far out exciting jazz with Blood Sweat and Tears. Look, no one will ever take you seriously. How CAN they take you seriously? In this business, you've either gotta play the Blues, or sing with a high voice!

Liked the more quiet songs like Another Man

Not my cup of tea.

Cooler Blues - die Stimme ist mir aber durchgehend zu angestrengt. Schade.

Yawn

Imagine in 2010 a bunch of white British 20 year old dudes made an album of covers and attempted replications of like 90s gangsta rap (which they clearly have no ability to truly relate to) and did absolutely nothing to change the style besides using more modern recording/beat-making tech. That's pretty much what this is to the blues. Aside from the fact that you should just listen to real groundbreaking (and more talented) black blues performers (muddy waters, howlin wolf, Mississippi John hurt, bb king, delta blues guys like Robert Johnson, blind willie Johnson/mctell, and more) , Hideaway does fucking rule and is probably the only track I've heard where I kinda understand the praise for Clapton. Steppin out and the guitar solo at the end of of have you heard are also pretty good. 5/10, its objectively not bad but just kinda pointless to me.

Fine, nothing incredible and given the history of these types of groups...

Fine, kind of boring.

I don't really wanna listen to this album I'm not gonna lie. I have no desire...

This just annoyed me the more it went on. Dull. Lacklustre vocals. Drum solos. Drum solos get me like that Michael Scott ‘please god, no’ gif.

Not really into blues

More than anything, this album is about TONE. Eric Clapton may be a dickbag, but his playing here crystalized the style of solo and tone that should accompany the new shifting era from Blues to Rock. Though the album is built around his playing, I find some of the best segments to be without him

I find this sort of album to be more of a showcase of musical ability than an enjoyable listening experience. I can somewhat appreciate that they are very talented but I don't think it is fun to listen to

A nice record. A showcase of Clapton's guitar powers that soon will make him "god". I particularly loved the guitar sound. The band plays well also. But not something I think I'll go back to often.

Clapton is technically impressive on this, sure, but it's musically uninteresting.

White guy blues covers. Bland but quick. Crazy the member history in this group though.

I don't like blues rock and Eric Clapton is a failure of a human being.

Previous comments about young English white guys doing blues still apply. (Short version: please don't)

Fine

Disclaimer - I have always really struggled with blues rock. Especially with Eric Clapton. In the case of this record, I get it. These are competent musicians. They love the blues as a musical form. I love it too. So why is it that I am left completely unmoved by what is happening here? This feels like a conversation I am not invited in. And I have no desire to engage with it.

I thought I could be boys with white dads through Eric Clapton...

Meh. I like Clapton a lot, but this album was just very ok.

I'm in a state of shock, early Clapton, legendary band!! Yet totally uninspired white man blues. Was excited when this album popped up but god its weak. Truly disappointing.

I like the blues but this wasn't it for me. Felt a little soulless to me.

Pretty basic for white guys playing the blues.

# Playlist track - Hideaway # Notes - Decent blues. Fun for a while. - Has good moments, but it's not a good *album*. - For the fans, it's kind of cool to get some Clapton's early work, but this is far from his best.

I wish the singer felt the words the way the guitarist did, and didn’t just hit the notes.

Okay

1.5 - This was annoying. I don't like blues very much and this certainly wasn't an exception. The lyrics were the usual stuff that I literally don't care about. Just more sad white boy blues...

The first two songs, I was into it. But the longer it went on, the more I realized I was listening to a cheap imitation of the genre. The drums were messy, the singing flat. The guitarplay is all that is really good, but I feel like it mostly hides how bad everything else is. Weird album.

Nice.

It's as boring as it looks on the label.

Kinda ok to start with but ultimately boring and self indulgent

maybe it’s just me, but white guys shouldn’t play the blues. the ONLY white guy i’ve ever heard that could pull it off was SRV. this was bad and some of the songs were downright embarrassing.

Meh

They do a good job, but it's just blues.

Ich hab ein großes Herz für Blues, aber das hier fand ich irgendwie ein bisschen langweilig. Rating: 2,25/5

- Blues - Bluesiger - Am bluesigsten - hat mich absolut kalt gelassen (mit ausnahme von Another Man, was ich irgendwie ganz geil fand) 2/5

There are better Blues Rock albums. Star removed because Eric Clapton is a cunt. If Clapton was God then who was his Nietzsche?

Ehh

Nah, boomer rock from a racist asshole. Don’t need it.

Very bland and not at all interesting. Maybe it was influential in the 60s. But today it’s not special anymore.

Liia pitkä. Kovia rumpusooloja välil.

Yep. It’s smoke. Good blues album.

It's bluesy classic rock! Sounds pretty good. Nothing bad about it. Reminds me of Cream. I love Cream, and I'm not sure if any blues / classic rock outfits come close to them. I'm giving this a 2 because of the context of this 1001 list. It's not bad songs, it's just not really blowing me away. It only takes a few listens of Clapton to pick him out on songs. Not that it's a bad thing, but I had an expectation and received it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Eric Clapton I’ve really soured on the last few years. This is another entry in the 50s/60s phenomenon of covering other popular songs that have already been done to death, then getting added to this book. This act covers What’d I Say in just the most embarrassing way. I was giving this man the wrap it up signal 60 years in the future.

No bad... kinda like a poor man's https://open.spotify.com/album/3SgBIPBgm2Vmhv2kdym6pI?si=aewUpx39R3avsJjz6sZz8A&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A3SgBIPBgm2Vmhv2kdym6pI

I’m usually a big fan of the blues but this doesn’t really do it for me. Eric Clapton is good on the guitar as usual. Nothing here is going to make me want to come back to it.

Man, blues is so incredibly predictable and boring. Literally every single song on this album is a 1-4-5 chord progression. It's actually painful to listen to what sounds like the same song again and again and again. Half the songs on this album are covers of older blues songs and are thus not original to this band. It's really amazing what boomers actually thought good music sounded like. I know Clapton is a good guitar player and all that, but this was just difficult to listen to.

Very basic rock guitar blues. Nothing special whatsoever.

So sorry, I am not in the headspace to have the patience to enjoy this album currently. I'll revisit it in the spring and I'm sure I'll love it but for right now I just can't really.

Blues. Fine. Not my thing.

Rowdy

Instrumentality fine, but lyrically banal.

Not a fan of this one, couldn't make it to the end. After listening to Santana a few days im afraid Clapton doesn't hit the same

I don’t doubt the musical prowess of Eric Clapton or this group. But I’m finding that I really just don’t enjoy blues music.

I'll tell you what, this list here did not need yet another Clapton album

It lacks too authenticity but the talent on display is undeniable. Clapton in particular saw through each song on guitar with a calmed frenzy. He and Mayall are putting in work. It’s a shame the album itself is so damned bland and overall uninteresting.

This is classic rock blues. It's okay. I'm sure for the time it was wild. I suppose this album is just a vessel for Clapton to solo on top of blues standards? That's what it sounds like anyway. I'm fine with just listening to this once, the guitar is tone is pretty good and Clapton in '66 sorta rips, despite him also being a racist POS? Review of Reviews: Yeah I guess I agree with what a lot of people are saying. Through the lens of 2023, the blues has been done to death, and white boys cant really play it all that great. The drum solo in What'd I say.. was terrible. Best Track: Steppin' Out

All Your Love- 3.5/5 Hideaway- 2.6/5 Little Girl- 2.2/5 Another Man- 2.9/5 Double Crossing Time- 2.3/5 What'd I Say- 3.5/5 Key to Love- 1.9/5 Parchman Farm- 4/5 Have You Heard- 1.8/5 Ramblin' on My Mind- 1/5 Steppin' Out- 1/5 It Ain't Right- 3.4/5 Total- 2.5/5

If you like the blues this is probably pretty good. I couldn't get past the third song.

It's like if Ned Flanders tried to play the blues. Not awful but very weak.

Best part was Ray Charles

boring, stick to one genre

2/12, 17%

Meh. Not bad. Not particularly good.

This would be good for when I want to listen to honky tonk blues (which is never).

It's been done a lot better after them. It sounds clumsy by today's standards, not essential at all.

White guy blues featuring noted racist Eric Clapton.

ew @ little girl, felt like very standard issue blues

I can really do without Clapton’s vocals… but his guitar is amazing and the other guy sounds great. Overall, this was fine but not mind blowing

Meh was just ok

Day 105 John Mayall & The Ballsbreakers - Balls Breakers with Eric Clapped Out I am really hoping the authors have included some Albert King, FFS.  Rating: It's in the title if you haven't noticed. Now get out of here. 

Dodo

This album has quite the lineup that played on it. I think that is the reason the album is on the list. I don't dislike Eric Clapton and enjoy a lot of his music, but I do find his guitar playing to be dispassionate and very clinical. It doesn't speak "blues" to me. So because this album had young Clapton on it, it made the list. Otherwise, I don't really see very much special about this album. It's not bad, but is just standard blues performed by a guitarist that is technically really good.