Bluesbreakers

Very average listen. The technical work masterful, from the guitar playing by Eric Clapton and the drums & harmonica playing. For me it lacked that sense of emotion and pain in the blues. I’m both the singing and the guitar. It became almost boring. Also, “little girl” is cringy and gives a sense of the songwriter which maybe dimmed my view. So many great blues players and styles from the Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, Country Blues and list goes on, not sure we need the English blues or at least I don’t. Glad I listened, was a decent album.

Pretty fun to listen to, found myself dancing a little. It has really impressive technical skill from all the band members and the songs are good, but I feel like there's something slightly bland about this album. Overall, a decent listen!

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

I own it on vinal--that's an automatic 5. Another route through which naive girls learned about the blues. Departed from the slapped together junk British youth immitated at the time. Don't know what Clapton was complaining about--not authentic enough. It was all about him anyway. Mayall was pretty amazing too.

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.

Lonely years lyrics Bernard Jenkins piano

Sykt chill, var blues gitar hele veien

This album absolutely rules. The blues are tight as fuck. The arrangements beyond the guitars are top notch. The guitar playing...I mean, the words don't exist. Just so superlative. Favorite track: Hideaway

Not my thing

If you like blues rock, you’ll enjoy this album. Early Clapton at a more raw stage.

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

This is a 5 for me, although probably barely. It's got that super classic blues rock feel - this is the era and style that all that blues-based rock that we love so much is actually based on. I bet Clapton's later work is seen as 'better' but I think this is the most fluid and loose I've ever heard from him. He's got so much 'feel' coming through in his improvisation here, and I FWIW I am beginning to wonder if the Les Paul years suit me better than the Strat years haha Anyway great record, a lot of fun, killer guitar work.

Okay. Recognize the guitar work.

Again, this probably isn't my bag. But it's well made and the instrumentation is solid. It's obviously influenced a lot of other rock and blues music since it was made. But again. Not my bag.

Don’t have too much to say about this one, it’s decent

Behövs det verkligen 30 album som Eric Clapton spelade på

Good bluesy jams. Easy to pick Clapton out. I don’t live in the blues, but I did dig this. Top 3 All Your Love Hideaway 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

Liked the guitar, not usually my flavor of music but this is going in my roadtrip music playlist

A great collection of white, British musicians playing traditionally black music.

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

Nothing on this album was unpleasant. It was all excellently bluesy at times with some really technical sounding pieces. Mid range album for me. Likely won't listen to it again but wasn't a bad time.

Blues with unsurprisingly impressive guitarwork. Short track lengths is nice for this genre. Could do without the disturbing lyrics that are uncomfortably pedophile-y.

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

prefer solo Clapton or the updated sound found in the early black keys

Clearly an influential album in the UK so I can see why it is on the list. Never cared too much for it though (standard blues songs), but the band sounds excellent when you listen to the stereo version (3 stars) instead of the mono version (2 stars).

Solid blues album, some nice guitar playing.

"Blues Breakers" is the debut album by English blues band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers with guitarist Eric Clapton. After the release of Mayall's first album, Eric Clapton joined the group leaving the Yardbirds. The album was originally planned to be a live album but ended up recorded at Decca Studio in London. It is credited with helping pioneer a guitar-dominated blues rock sound with Clapton's guitar guitar tone very influential in future commercial rock-style guitar playing. Besides Clapton on guitar, the band includes John Mayall (vocals, piano, organ, harmonica), John McVie (bass) and Hughie Flint (drums). A horn section is added in the second half of the album. Of note, the album title as well as Clapton's guitar are nicknamed "The Beano" after the album cover where Clapton is pictured reading "The Beano." The album opens with a cover of Otis Rush's "All Your Love." A bluesy rhythm section. Background organ. Mayall's strong vocals. It starts slow then picks up pace. Clapton's guitar both having rhythm and lead aspects. A searing Clapton solo. Let's get this out of the way. Every song has a searing Clapton solo, so no more mentioning of them. They are all great. "Little Girl" has a quicker pace. A Mayall original. I like the melodic tone of Clapton's guitar both in the chorus and solo (Oops, last time). "Double Crossing Time" features the piano and has a stomping bluesy groove. One of my favorite songs on the album. The second half adds horns which kicks off with "Key to Love." This is a bouncey song. Lest we forget that John Mayall is one of the best harmonica players, the band covers "Parchman Farm." Never a better blues subject than spending time in the state pen. Some more great rhythm section playing. A bouncey feel. Horns start off "Have You Heard." This is slower. Great interplay between EC's guitar and the horns. Eric Clapton's guitar playing, guitar solos and especially his guitar tone are all spetacular. But, there is more here. The rhythm section is tight. Mayall's harmonica playing and vocals are top notch. There's variety in their blues approach using horns, an organ, a piano or a harmonica with EC's guitar. This is rightfully put up with the best-ever blues rock albums.

This album offends me to my core when it's propped up as something someone must hear. We do not need more bluesy rock like this. Less Clapton please. I'd give it a 0 out of 5 if I could.

Best part was Ray Charles

Fint album

Lame prehistoric music

boring, stick to one genre

3.5/5. Alright but I fucking hate that Eric Clapton wanker.

I can understand the influence of the band and the hype around Clapton. This is the sound of a band at the top of their genre.

Blues rock. Clapton. Vinilo.

2/12, 17%

Very influential on UK 1960s blues rock. Good riffs. Mayall’s singing is a bit variable, doesn’t always hit the mark. Naturally Clapton’s playing is excellent. The band are tight. Could do without the extended drum solo in What’d I Say, but this is redeemed with Clapton’s Daytripper riff!

Taken at face value a solid blues record. Great solo work by Clapton and would give a glimpse of what was to come. Very well produced for '66. Little Girl is quite a dud and the album suffers from it.

A 60's album primarily featuring covers of blues standards by a British band. This was pretty good, but I did find myself kinda tuning out and getting a bit bored throughout. I didn't even notice how I had effectively listened to the album twice, since the album on Spotify has both mono and stereo versions, and some instrumental versions sprinkled in. Was probably groundbreaking in '66, but unremarkable for me today. Favourite: Parchman Farm

Meh. Not bad. Not particularly good.

White man blues. The track about the 18 year old girl is a bit creepy

Nice musique, de la bonne guitare, des cool solos avec des touches d'harmonica par endroits. Bon, mais pas d'effet wow plus qu'il faut.

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

Nice blues album

Genres: Blues rock, blues Formed: 1963 Run time: 24 songs, 1 hour, 14 mins (12 songs, mono then again in stereo) The debut studio album by the English blues rock band. This band has had a phenomenal list of members over the years: Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce (both later of Cream), Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie (those three would form Fleetwood Mac), Mick Taylor (the Rolling Stones), Aynsley Dunbar (Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention), Jon Hiseman, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Tony Reeves (these three would form Colosseum), and many others. Most modern Rock guitar laden music can trace its roots back to this group and album. I’ve never heard of John Mayall or The Bluesbreakers, but I am very familiar with the groups formed by the artists passing through. Spotify: Least popular song: >350k Most popular song: >33M plays. Out of the 200+ albums I’ve listened to as part of the “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” there have only been a couple that I actually believed lived up to that grand title, and this is one of them. Listen Again?: Yes My Rating: *****

There are a bunch of great songs here. Also a bunch I don't care for at all. Anyway, is be happy to hear this album again sometime, but I'm probably not gonna look for it.

Okay, musicians are brilliant, John McVie, Clapton, Mayall, what can go wrong? Well, the music is nice for 10 minutes, then gets dreary. The cover of Ramblin' on My Mind tells is all, can listen to Robert Johnson for hours ans hours, got the rawness I prefer. Give me the real stuff

Fantastic musicianship; I really enjoyed this album. I recognized some of the tracks - definitely left me inspired to listen to some of the originals and more blues in general.

So much guitar blues

A solid selection of blues tracks, some particularly fine instrumentals (Hideaway, Stepping Out) and of course some fine guitar from the young Eric Clapton

Was good. Didn't blow my mind, but some impressive musicianship and worth a listen.

Great blues! Amazing guitar (shocker) and hearing a young Clapton charge through the songs was enjoyable!

Well, the cover of this album gives us a very strong new candidate for the most unfuckable band ever. That unibrow could scrape the ice off of my windshield in a Minnesota winter, and that guy's the MOST handsome one here Another thing that this album has working against it is that old villain, Eric Clapton. He's used well here, which is to say that he's keeping his mouth shut most of the time and not choosing any of the songs. Overall, this album is okay. It's definitely got its moments, but other parts of it are just baffling. Who the fuck called for an extended drum solo in the middle of What I Say? It stops that song dead, and then it never really gets a chance to get going again. The same could be said for my level of interest in this album 3/5, leaning very close to 2

Short and sweet. Great guitar work.

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

Clapton's a man worthy of being boiled in a comically large witch's cauldron, but thankfully they shoved his ass into a corner and told him to be a good little boy and only play the guitar (which he's only adequately good at). The album itself is fine. If I'm ever craving extremely consistently "alright" music, this would be my go-to.

White guy blues featuring noted racist Eric Clapton.

Goddamn what a star studded cast. Almost every song had me clicking over to see which great was involved. Really good album.

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

This was decent. Not much more to say. 3/5

This is surely some great musicianship but I find it overall not as interesting as later works of other blues rockers including Eric Clapton himself.

Ballbreakers

Fuck clapton

Good but generic. Probably interesting at the time for people that had not heard the blues before.

Good blues tunes. Nothing extraordinary but the band is right and sounds good. Blues music is repetitive and doesn’t allow much room for creativity but if you can play, you can play - and these guys can.

This was great, especially for its time. Foreshadowing Clapton’s better work to come

# 26 : guitar rock! Plenty of riffs, not much singing, maybe that’s what we want IDK?

Vad ska man säga? Hemskt, men hemskt välspelat.

Oh wow.

Clapton's solo's are the highlight of this album, it's a good album. The record is full of hits and misses, the highs are good, but the lows are terrible... (Little Girl) ??? Without Clapton I fear this record would be mid, which is still, pretty low... Favorites: All Your Love / Hideaway / Key To Love / Ramblin' On My Mind / Steppin' Out There are some... Weird songs on the album... and some pointless ones, and some bangers! I like the combination of clapton and blue's, I think for the most part is actually sounds pretty decent.

Classic blues album, love Clapton but more so prefer the original Chicago blues players

An album of proficient guitar blues.

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

je ne peux pas désentendre les paroles de little girl

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.

Classic Clapton guitar genius.

2.5

It's fine but kind of goes on and on.

Great record

-this GUITARRRRR -favorites: double crossing time, -i LOVEEE me some blues -like this is so awesome -im groovin to the guitar in EVERY song -this music is just genuinely so good feeling -listening to blue always makes me feel good always always -that harmonica is pulling SO MUCH WEIGHT -it better have gotten credits and pay for all it did for this album

did not like the little girl song but good vibes

Yep, that sure is the blues. I can hear why Eric Clapton is so well loved. Not my thing.

This was an ok blues rock album that I think started off pretty string and lost my interest a little towards the end. The first few songs are a lot more guitar focused and a little less generic. The later songs aren’t terrible, just more bluesy and with less focus on the rock part which I liked intially.

Yeah one of the classic British blues records, well deserving of its place on the list, but just falls short for me of a masterpiece, no idea why just don’t completely click with it.

Much better than Cream, and I'm getting curious how much Clapton is on this list. Still a solid British blues album from when they were all stealing licks and songs.

Nice, not so varied tho

Typical blues album where every song sounds the same, like death metal.

Feel like anything with Clapton involved in it is tainted. Regardless, I liked this enough to give it a three and that's because of Clapton's guitar and also Mose Allison's Parchman Farm song .. which, btw I'm pretty sure the Spotify version of it is sung by Mose Allison, not John Mayall. Big Hearts for Mose Allison. The album seemed a little disjointed from track-to-track, but I definitely enjoyed the second side more than the first (I'm assuming that the second side was all tracks 8-14.

It seems that every 2 years or so in the 1960s, Eric Clapton decided to take his illustrious talents in a new direction, first leaving the Yardbirds in pursuit of the blues, then leaving John Mayall to form the three-piece Cream. But for a guy with the ego of one of the greatest guitar players ever to live, and a racist, alcoholic, rapist to boot, maybe there is more to his inability to stick with a band for more than a couple albums. Speaking of Clapton's racism, it remains odd that he was so drawn to the blues music created by black Americans and rooted in a history of slavery and segregation. Though it seems many white Brits embraced and co-opted the blues while their country was trying to hold on to its empire of non-white colonies in the second half of the 20th century. But there is no sign of racism or support for colonization or vilification of immigrants from John Mayall. He just loved the blues and rock and roll, and in working with Eric Clapton was able to produce one of the best blues albums I've heard. And possibly had quite an eye for talent as well, with the Bluesbreakers also including John McVie on this album and Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor on others. Perhaps Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and the best Rolling Stones albums would not exist without John Mayall? That may be just as impressive as this album.

This is known as the preeminent blues album for lead guitar work for very good reason. Clapton’s 1960 Les Paul screams throughout. This album is the Mecca towards which all electric blues guitarists are migrating towards when they practice. I learned that the 1960 Les Paul Standard used two PAF (patent applied for) humbucker pickups, which hold a revered place in many guitarists hearts. These pickups eliminated the humming sound of single coil pickups by wiring two opposite polarity single coils in serial (nerd shit). The manufacturing process was inconsistent during the early years leading to each guitar having a unique sound. Over the years, the manufacturing process became more standardized and design efficiencies were introduced. Eventually, the original humbucker design was so well sought after in the community that Les Paul, and other companies, spent significant resources trying to replicate the pickups from this guitar’s time period due to performances such as Clapton’s on Bluesbreakers.

I can listen to this all day long. Great riffs and solos! Nice album

Some incredible blues playing on this

Amazing blues

Great on paper. Average in reality

Not bad to be honest. Very chill.

This was really good

Bluesbreakers is an appropriate name for an album such as this due to the domino effect that this wound up having on the British blues scene going forward: in addition to the guitar tones from Eric Clapton that led to the foreshadowing of perhaps his greatest group, this would help spawn a guitar generation the likes of which would soon dominate rock and roll for years to come. And John Mayall is absolutely no slouch, either. His vocals and guitar playing is given equal billing and helps elevate the album into further loftier terrain. In its mono and stereo configurations, Bluesbreakers is an important feature in the trajectory of 60s rock. Favorites: All Your Love, Hideaway, Another Man, Double Crossing Time, What'd I Say, Parchman Farm, Have You Heard, Ramblin' on My Mind.

New to me. Liked it so much I bought the album.

70s blues is not really my thing

bluessia bluessia more like diearrhia... heh... tylsää on ja sonics more like hedgehog niin paskat heh ei claptonin parasta (hyvät polittiset, politiikka mielipiteet, hyvät ajatukset, tuumaukset & funtsaukset herralta) mitäänsanomaton.... steppin out

It's fine I guess. Better than the pure folk or psychedelia of the decade.

Blues, but waaay watered down. The cover of "What'd I Say" was the weakest, most limp dicked shit I've ever heard. Since they like blues so much, I award them one, much needed blue pill. 💊

Good Chicago Blues. Apparently this is the band that Eric Clapton and a few other big names were in before they got their breaks. Vocals aren't great, but guitars and horns are pretty nice.

I can hear the influence they have on future acts. It not really my thing though.

It's blues. Eric Clapton is playing guitar. That's all you need to know. Incredibly well executed but you've heard it all before and it smells of shit beer and machismo. Knowing as little of the blues as I do, I suspect there's something in this being an important album in the history of such music but it's a history full of guitar wankers I can't really be doing with.

snappy

Bit boring but good

Don’t bother listening to a bunch of white guys doing mediocre blues covers, just listen to compilations of the original source material. You’ll be much happier overall.

First time I've heard this. I thought "Heard it all before". That's because everyone else has copied it, I suspect.

4 stars, then minus one because Eric Clapton's a racist piece of shit who raped his wife.

Not bad at all, blues is not really my thing but this album was very "listenable" for a beginner

Bluesbreakers breaks blue

It’s fine Best track: All Your Love

Solid blues and guitar. Glad I've given this a spin.

I learned a few things from this album: Eric Clapton and John McVie were in a band together; Eric was an amazing guitarist way back in '66; British bands could do the Blues rather well.

Straight blues. Great album.

It was okay

Music for divorced middle aged men in poorly fitting jeans and tshirts bought from HMV 👍🏾

Ballsy

whoever told john mayall he could sing the blues was playing quite the prank, the only question is if the prank was on john or the listening public

Hits you in the face with blues, then some more, and even a little jazz. Some of my favorite Clapton.

Not a blues guy 1.5

Feels kind of inauthentic but I get that it was an important record for the blues scene over here. And it's decent blues. A better listen than most Clapton content in this book. I'm not that arsed about the blues though. A few tracks here and there is fine.Two songs played after this finished before I noticed.

Eric Clapton makes this band somehow more boring than it already is, which seemed impossible considering they’re a white blues band. 2/5

Great bluesy album. Can't really go wrong with Clapton (at least with regard to guitar playing).

In My late 20s & early 30s I had a rock/blue phase. I'd go to blues clubs & festivals, so this album fits that part of me perfectly. I love this style of guitar & vocals...it sounds like soulful sex. I'm taking this as a reminder to revisit this genre. 5 outta 5.

Some good old fashioned get off your ass and rock out to some blues.

Pretty solid blues album. Guitarwork is pretty strong.

Fun listen, enjoyable blues music. Nothing too crazy or mind blowing on here just loaded with really well executed songs. Blues isn’t necessarily my favorite genre so I doubt I’ll be going back to this too often but if I’m ever wanting to listen to blues I’ll put this on for sure. Didn’t wow me or anything, but no major flaws either. Seems typical of 60s era albums that are just packages of songs rather than leaning into the album format with cohesion and sequencing. Can’t say which are my favorites since it did blend together a bit, each song was equal to the last.

very bland, but undeniably great. Everything is crafted incredibly in a musical sense, but none of the songs actually felt meaningful. A lot of the same on this record, which made it a boring listen.

Goeie bluesmuziek

Own on Vinyl

Fun little blues album.

Bluesy indeed

I love blues and Eric Clapton but this is so boring and soulless. It feels like eating a steak without any seasoning.

White guy blues. Don't get me wrong, I like white guy blues sometimes but this is just like black guy blues other than a sheen of inauthenticity. The voices are an imitation, the guitar licks have been overheard elsewhere first, the band is a homage and the grooves are affectations. The problem is that these people admire blues musicians not for the emotions they evoke but the technical ability they have. And generally these early British blues guys practiced that in their private school dorm rooms. It's a different, worse, world. And throughout this ineffable sensation that they thought they were so cool for producing this fake bread. The album, in the end, is forgettable, cliched, at least by now, and just a bit annoying

I really didn’t enjoy John Mayall’s voice - I noted immediately when Clapton took over the vocals and warmed to it. I cannot fault the guitar-ing. Historically important - still, you’d like the innumerable black artists on which this album was built to get more credit.

I don't have anything interestimg to add to the general discourse re: Eric Clapton.

It takes a lot for electric blues to grab me, but parts of this did! eric clapton is probably the best part of this but for the most part its kinda standard electric blues-fare. best tracks: all your love, double crossin time, key to love

Blues rock. Clapton. Vinilo.

Bah, normal 3.

solid blues rock

Musica vecchia e ritrita, non interessante

Kind of the quintessential "British blues" album and Clapton's first showcase as a blues guitarist. Depending on your perspective, that could be a good or bad thing.

Shitty record. I was looking forward to the Ray Charles cover but its mostly a dumb ass drum solo. Eric Clapton Sucks

I wish Eric Clapton wasn't such a wank. His playing is really pretty great to listen to. I'm not sure I'm on the 'Clapton is God' bandwagon but apparently, he wasn't either. His one redeeming quality outside his guitar playing is that he at least once said that Prince was the greatest, which is most likely true. Anyway - the guy is pretty wanky and that kinda bums me out. But this is a very fun listen.

An important album in the context of the British blues boom, but by the same token the midwife for all kinds of abominations done in service to the blooz. The music is fine, and nice selection of upbeat and ruminative numbers. Pre-racism Clapton's guitar playing is hip and aggressive; my favourite elements, though, are the harmonicas and brass instruments used liberally throughout. A shame so many successors to the Bluesbreakers opted to privilege guitars ahead of horns. Points taken off for Mayall's singing; punchy songs are hamstrung by his thin, mannered vocals. Still, pretty good fun nonetheless.

Liked this much more than I expected. I think that's mainly due to how well and full it sounds. If this had come out in 1986 - or even 1976 - instead of 1966 I'd probably be shitting all over it as nothing more than a copy of a copy. It's still that, in essence, but I'm willing to give it a pass as at least being in early gen versions of this type of blues rock. The guitars sound damn good and I didn't mind the voice! Maybe my bar was real, real low. Not saying I'd listen to it again but not saying I wouldn't.

Yes, Clapton blazes, but the tight and high-impact song structures generate much of the power. Only false note is "What I'd Say" because, you know, Ray Charles.

Highlights: "All Your Love," "Hideaway" This narrowly slips in before Hendrix with that heavy midrange and the Marshall sound, and Clapton does have some good tone and licks. The tone on the opener sounds bleary or washed out in a way that has aged remarkably well, and the album ends on some great feedbacking harmonic. A lot of unforgivable lyrics on here, but especially "Little Girl." Almost as unforgivable is the bumbling and interminable drum solo on "What'd I Say." Ultimately, it reminds you of why blues rock feels so utterly dead: from the start, it's been promulgated by unabashed middle-aged British statutory rapists. Don't feel bad for letting Clapton's later outbursts of 1800s-level racism tarnish your perception of this mediocre album.

it's blues, it's aite

2.5

Wow, I'm impressed. I didn't realize this kind of music was being made as early as 1966. NOTE: there are several versions of this album. I generally prefer to listen to the original release, which had 12 tracks, not the 14 on the re-release linked to on Spotify. In this case, however, I actually wound up listening to the 2nd half of the mono/stereo release. It's the same 12 songs on each half, but the 2nd half is a stereo mix released in 1968. The original was mono, and sometimes that's better because some of the stereo mixes from around that time were a little odd, but in this case, I believe the stereo mix is the better version.

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers: 4

Not bad

Just kind of a stock standard blues album heard 1000s of times before pleasant enough but not too interesting and been done better. Also fuck Eric Clapton. 2/5

2.5

Eric Clapton is my beloved little blues guitarist. I've recently come to appreciate good blues. This album is an excellent example of good blues. No, amazing blues!

Loved it. This is exactly what I am here for with this project.

I demand an explanation for why I had to grow up only hearing Tears in Heaven and Layla but not Clapton's best stuff. This is a fantastic blues rock album with excellent guest artists and a great sound.

Good blues sound!

The music is great, but it all seems to run together. Will for sure put this album on again as background music, but it’s not something that gets me pumped or in a mood. This band has “created” so many guitar legends, so I’m glad to have discovered it. Would I buy this record: Maybe on vinyl, if I found it cheap, but not on my must have list. Best Song: What’d I Say Worst Song: Little Girl 🤮

Me gusta mucho, pero me parece mejor que cada canción tenga un poco de personalidad, tiene muchas pero no me parecen tan diferentes entre sí. Es como si fuera una sola canción muy larga y no del todo de mi agrado.

Solid blues. Some creative arrangements.

Cet album tombe au mauvais moment puisque je voulais parler de Robbie Williams. Comme vous le savez, notre ami Robbie s'est produit hier dans ma ville de résidence. Une amie à moi s'est rendue à son concert et m'a dit qu'elle avait vu le père d'eltrapeze torse nu dans la fosse et qu'il n'arrêtait pas de pleurer et de crier de manière hystérique en se dandinant. Ce qui est bien avec eltrapeze c'est qu'en plus de se ridiculiser lui-même avec ses critiques musicales pitoyables, il peut également compter sur sa famille pour le tirer encore plus vers le bas.

Un de ces albums sans aucune originalité particulière, ces albums qui font le ciment du générateur. Ces albums pas mauvais, mais pas bien non plus. Le purgatoire musical.

It's fine

Great blues riffs and singing. Good early Clapton guitar riffs.

Sometimes there's a well written blues song on the album but mostly it feels like listening to someones jam band. Sometimes it works but not in this case.

Not too bad, but not really engaging. There were a couple tunes that were interesting, but somewhat forgettable.

3/15- Driving to School

A seminal and historical album, which is pivotal to understand why young brits drawn to blues and electric guitar saw Clapton as "God". That said, Clapton's conservatism and orthodoxy is more a flaw than an asset here (and this without even mentioning how his "conservatism" later extended to extra-musical concerns). Not long before this record was released, The Yardbirds decided to embrace psychedelic "progress", something that Clapton couldn't stand, hence why he left them to join Mayall's band. And it seems to me that music history proved him wrong, for the most part. So, decades later, *Bluesbreaker* is still a nice listen, I imagine. But it doesn't have the intensity or power of The Yardbirds around the same time (plus Jeff Beck's solo output a couple of years later). *Bluesbreakers*'s reliance on guitar prowess and blues' formatted writing misses a key aspect that can help create a truly great albums: penning memorable melodies and tunes. *Bluesbreakers* is good, don't get me wrong. But whether its songs are covers or originals, they always use the same three damn chords, which is tiring in ways original American blues wasn't, even if the latter was using the exact same formula, ironically. Maybe this paradox can be explained by the fact that you can "feel" the British musicians' "copycatting" the original thing here--the sound and instrumentation are pretty neat, maybe even a little too clean and predictable. And on its own, technical prowess can't make up for those heavily standardized proceedings. You need *something else*--something direly lacking in this album. It's a lesson Clapton would learn later on with Cream and Derek And The Dominos, when he will finally write stuff to get out of such a stylistic dead-end. But that's a story for another time, I guess... I'm tempted to leave a 4/5 grade for "historical importance", but my gut feeling tells me a 3 would be more sincere. If you're reading those lines now, you already know what my final choice was. Number of albums left to review: 635 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 182 (for " historical importance", mostly). Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 85 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 105

Wow great album. My favorite so far. Good easy listening blues

great guitar, a lot of the songs sound the same, mid

Me préparer à jamais été aussi Bueno, gawd. Du blues qui frôle la perfection

Pretty meh on the album overall. The blues style is simply not to my personal taste. The performances are objectively great on a pure musical basis. I don't know if this is how blues rock always has sounded or if everyone and their mother has simply ripped off this album.

Loved every second of it. Best track: All Your Love

"I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley To do black music so selfishly And use it to get myself wealthy" Eric Clapton, 1966 Not bad for a blues album, which i usually find deathly dull.

Se mettre dans un champs et crier

Good playing but not so great vocals. Meh

I think this list has changed how I've looked at older music genres. Coming into it I really underestimated how much I like Blues and I think I have a new appreciation for some of them.

Didn't enjoy it much

Absolutely unremarkable. I'm not really a fan of Eric Clapton, but even though, I couldn't hear much of his influence on this album. It was just out-of-the-mill, honest to god, born of the dirt blues and rock record. Bit interesting at times, but mostly just average and boring. Not even one song would inspire me to write a little bit more about it. I guess I checked out another box, let's move on.

This is the third Clapton or Clapton related album I’ve gotten after ‘Derek and the Dominos’ and ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’. By now I’ve heard enough of his music to know that his version of the blues doesn’t really do it for me.

classic blues. very good

Nice blues record, fantastic meeting of John Mayall & Eric Clapton

Ok, not amazing

It’s pretty bluesy, I’ll give it that. Cons: - Very generic sounding - nothing standout about it - Much of it is pretty samey - Lacks the ‘authenticity’/soul of other blues albums, maybe? - Lotta covers Pros: - It's quite fun - particularly the earthier, less electrified numbers - Supposedly influential (I'll have to take that claim at face value) - The Beano - John Mayall was apparently born in Macclesfield. Represent. Firmly in 2.5 star territory, then.

So boring The drum solo in "What I'd Say" is so out of place.

mid 6/10

a chill bluesy jam band at that bbq joint you like

Edick Clapshit

A demonstration of good guitar playing. May as well be an Eric Clapton album. I'm not really much of a blues fan, the album in fine to listen to but don't see myself seeking this one out to play again. 2.5/5

Another piece of Clapton's resume. Here he's only written one song and sang on another, which is for the best I think. Clapton's guitar skills are clearly excellent as shown in Hideaway and Have You Heard. This sort of exciting blues rock sound is what innovated rock music as we know it. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and even Black Sabbath have the Bluesbreakers to thank. We even get a drum solo on What'd I Say, which almost certainly would've made an imprint on a younger Bonham or Moon (that being said, Ginger Baker would be on Cream's debut album the same year as this). Also notable here is John McVie on bass, who would later go on to being a core member of Fleetwood Mac. The truth about the UK in the 60's is that there were a lot of movers and shakers in the music scene, and if you blinked you might've missed someone important doing something important. The Bluesbreakers were just once piece of the puzzle that would form the foundation of rock music. Is every song on here great? No, but the ones that are great make this record worth the listen.

prog blues

Wow am I sick of white British boomer dudes playing the blues

No

Plenty of good guitar work in there as you’d expect. Not bad listen but not one I’ll be adding for future listening

Supongo que es un buen disco. Quiero decir que se deja escuchar, pero a diferencia de otros discos dd esta época, su influencia no es tan clara para mí.

Extremely mid

Shit blues by numbers

Solid little rock album. Hella guitars and shit.

I was not expecting to like this this much, soothing, chilling, a nice rainy day country vibe i fw all the way thru

A great blues album from the british scene. The proto-Zeppelin take on What'd I Say is a highlight.

Easy listen. Can't really fault it. It's on the lower end of 5 though.

Super album!

Damn. This album melts in your years. Like Santana and BB King had a band and then Eric Clapton joined in. This is an album you can have on all the time. Just a great groove to hang with and some of the best guitar-centered blues you'll ever hear. The interplay between Clapton's virtuosic guitar playing and Mayall's expressive vocals creates a mesmerizing and unforgettable listening experience. "Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton" is an essential album for any fan of the blues.

This brand of British Blues with the ultra squeaky clean strat guitar tones is just so.... nothing. Middle class English white guys who have heard the blues on the pub jukebox and gone 'I can noodle about on my guitar like that but take all the soul out of it'. I am not trying to slander John Mayall as I dont know anything about the guy (although Eric Clapton can get fucked), so I don't want to project my personal opinions specifically onto him. But to me its not just the fact that I feel nothing when I listen to this kind of music. It's also indicitive to me of a time in the 60's and 70's when it was accepted that it was ok for guys to be offensive, racist and sometimes more than a little creepy in their attitudes towards women (How anyone could write Little Girl and not once get the ick is beyond me.) I just cant endorse this one in any way.

An important album for guitar persons. Sounds good too. 4/5

I don’t know, don’t really like blues.

Really good 60s rock album. I will be adding “All Your Love” to my playlist. Solid listen.

4 - интересно, выебонисто, красиво Алкоальбом: виски с сигарой в полутемном баре

Жёстко мотает по таймлайнам, снова в 60-х... а это значит: привет гребаное стерео. Благо - здесь была версия в моно! Ну и что у нас здесь: ага, ранний Клэптон. Раз уж мы любим списки, то FYI: он - 2ой в списке 100 величайших гитаристов всех времён, после Джимми Хендрикса. Это не самая известная его пластинка (хоть и название группы я даже когда-то слышал). Но тем не менее, надо заслушать. Звучит прикольно, я никогда особо блюдом не интересовался и, тем более, не слушал, но с энергетикой у парней всё в порядке полном. Плюс гармошка прям идеально сочетается с "винтажностью" записи, что придаёт ей некий шарм, относящий тебя далеко в эпоху. Возвращаясь к Клэптону, а здесь его и нет так много, получается. Ну да, конечно присутствуют зубодробительные соляки, но не факт, что они занимают центральную часть в композициях. Прикольно, например, духовые вливаются в аранжировки, они мне даже больше запомнились (Key To Love, Have you heard). Давайте так: оценить довольно честно тяжело. С одной стороны, надо отдать дань уважения легенде, но с другой стороны - это ведь и не самая лучшая его работа (а конкретно Bluesbreakers - вообще одна из первых). Но мне понравилось, переслушать можно. 3.5/5 -> 4/5

Возвращение к "ну норм" альбомам. Наверное, буду блюз теперь с этим ассоциировать прям плотно, это приятно. Вроде понравилось, но длительность выебонов не стоит времени. 3,5/5

what. an. album. great vocals killer instrumentation. Clapton absolutely shreds on guitar. There’s a great mix of blues styles but it all comes together like a delicious soup of sound. loved it.

Living and loving the blues here.

Clapton is a racist

A pretty good blues album. Nothing more to say about it really.

7/10

It was ok. Just not a huge fan of their music but I respect it

3.5

A little bit of blues guitar goes a long way but he sure could let rip.

If you like blues rock from the 60s sung by white dudes that sound older than they are, you'll love this.

A total snoozefest.

Really dig this album, solid blues tracks with riffs i recognize from other artists. So not sure whom was borrowing riffs from who but its a good album for blues fans.

Blues vom Allerfeinsten; wegweisend in der damaligen Zeit; noch immer gut anzuhören, aber passt auch nicht mehr so ganz in die hoch produzierte Zeit von heutzutage. Auf jeden Fall wert es ganz anzuhören.

Decent blues album. Nothing too special. I enjoyed it but prefer other bluesmen.

I will always remember this album because I put it off for 2.5 years and it was just as boring as I expected it to be.

What's up with the Daytripper riff?

It’s not super great just average claptons playing is definitely the highlight.

Fucking CUTE. I'd listen to it again, all old times n cute! Only thing is after a while I got bored to listen to the whole thing, but as singles I fuck with it hardd

Een blues nachtmerrie, sorry. vast heel knap en nog meer.

Blues met Clapton in de morgen klinkt voor mij als een ontbijt met naalden in de hel.

Niet zoveel over te melden. Not bad.

Another one that I felt like I should enjoy, but simply did not. 0 songs stood out to me, but nothing was really bad. I’d never come back to it. Normally a 3 but it lost a star for disappointing me.

Stream of consciousness notes: Eh, this is the kind of music where I don't mind if it's on in the background but it's not really my jam. "You're gonna be mine, little girl You've been through 18 years of pain I'm gonna give you a love, child You won't feel bad again" Um...yuck 🤢. I'm not sure I'm going to stick it out for the whole album. Update 7 tracks in: imagine my relief finding out the version of the album I'm streaming is duplicated with the first half being the tracks in mono & second half in stereo! So the album is only 37 minutes long, not 74! I will definitely make it through. I don't have much historical context for this album so maybe it was groundbreaking at the time but honestly it's a little bland to me...

One can hear how influential this record is in so many ways. After its release, the sound spread everywhere, and it's a great sound, much as, as often happens with style shifts, it got so heavily used and over-saturated. Not the fault of this band or record, of course; it all exploded in the second half of the 60s and into the 70s and beyond. Just because so many bands tried to sound like this, it's not easy for me to just listen and enjoy it for what it is. Still, it's fantastic.

Would be a 4 or 5, but singer isn’t great

I like it, 3-3.5 range for me probably

Just boring really. I tried to listen to this album a couple years back, wanting to like it. However, it’s just boring af. Instrumentally it is quite good at points, but it never builds and by staying stagnant it’s somewhat boring. The singing voices are not notable, arguably even bad. All in all, mid as a Wednesday afternoon. Sounds like it was made by a 65 year old hipster. Reminds me of the scene from The Office where Robert California starts a band in the warehouse by burgling Andy, Darrel, and Kevin’s instruments.

Loved the blues

did not feel a whole lot. love the cover art though.

The best statement I've ever heard from Clapton, when asked, what does it feel like to be the greatest guitarist in world? His answer, "I don't know, ask Prince." You're g-damn right, Mr. Clapton, g-damn right. As for the album, didn't really mind, but kinda wore on me halfway through, but I'm apparently listening to all the extended versions, so my fault. Found it good music to listen to while working. Nothing exceptional, but nothing that made me want to go back and listen on a regular basis. Not sure if I've ever heard a drum solo on an album before, like with the song What'd I say, but there it was....I laughed to myself. 2.5 but will score a 3

4.5 I’m very nostalgic for a lot of blues music because it’s what my dad would always play when I was growing up. It’s safe to say that my musical foundations are built on the blues. Though I’ve never heard any of John Mayall’s music it reminds me of the blues that I grew up on. I can almost imagine myself with my parents back at Blues Fest or 411 Club watching master blues men practicing their craft again. Less anecdotally but no less subjectively this is a really fun album. It’s improvisational but not to the point where it sounds jazzy. There are songs here that sound like what I imagine the Beatles would sound like if they were more talented musicians. Other times I hear the same building blocks that built The Who. This is exactly the kind of blues rock that originally got me interested in music and I really loved it.

2.5 Fine Blues Rock - I can see how this could be influential for the rock bands to come in the decade ahead. Another Man in particular reminded me of the opening to Bring It on Home by Led Zeppelin, though to be fair, both artists were inspired by (or ripping off) blues artists from years prior. Don’t feel like I have a ton to say beyond that. I’ve never been much of an Eric Clapton fan, and this didn’t do much to change that. One of the most “Yeah, that’s music alright” listens I’ve heard so far, and, as someone who is far from an expert on the genre, I’m confident there are much better blues albums out there. Favorite songs: All Your Love, Another Man, It Ain’t Right

Nah.

A bit much to take in all at once. Standout track is probably Parchman Farm.

It's not a terrible listen but the appropriation of it all is a little hard to stomach. Fave track - eh.... "Another Man", maybe? "Parchman Farm" is catchy, but sticks in my craw...

I guess this was the o.g. but it's still dull white blues. Better than the Yardbirds at least

It is possible for two things to be true at once. 1) Eric Clapton is an amazing musician 2) Eric Clapton is an asshole A lot of the reviews here today don't take the context of EC going John Mayall's Bluesbreakers into account. At a time in music when American music fans had forgotten about the blues and it was nearly erased from history, some Brits picked up some records and heard amazing guitar riffs and lyrics. Just like every form of music that Americans created and ruined, the British take and improve and make it relevant again. Such is the case for Mayall and this album that brought aboard the young phenom Eric Clapton. Music today wouldn't be half of what it is had it not been for these two gods of the blues collaborating. 4/5.

Timeless and classic. Amazing instumentals, the blues in one of its purest forms Festuring the great Eric Clapton

Ok - probably never listen to it again

That was pretty good. A lot of artists must have been influenced by this record. Was a little over it by halfway.

Good Blues!

I like the blues. I like blues-based rock. I like Eric Clapton. But this album was the same progression of blues chords on, and throughout, every track. This bored me very quickly.

Great

Decent blues-y album. Probably tainted by the fact that Clapton is a complete toolbox.

This album is so fucking good. This Eric Clapton guy might have a future on the guitar. Such diverse and interesting blues themes in the instrumentals. Favorite tracks: Hideaway, What'd I Say, Have You Heard

This album was fairly basic, but an enjoyable listen. Fav track: Another Man

Other than the "new" guitar tone that this album inspired, I never got this record. zzzzzzzz.

Excellent album

Highly influential blues album. Clapton was already a made man from his time in the yardbirds, but this cemented all that. And its the album that probably kicked off the 59 Les Paul craze as every known guitar player of the era american or british went out on the hunt for a Les Paul burst.

I hate Eric Clapton

нормально, хоть и не мой жанр

This is the kind of record to launch a thousand guitar solos, but wouldn't it be better for all if it simply didn't? A big of grudging respect for choosing the blues, but most of the beginning and end is at such a lifeless pace that I found myself getting bored. In the middle, organ or harmonica flourishes that I expected to genuinely hate took on a charming character thanks to the early-stereo mixing. But in the end, Clapton and Mayall fall back on their old tricks.

White Men Play Blues That's it. Bom bom bom bom bom bom bom bom bom duh-duh-duuuuuuh

Some songs are rather nice, if not a bit faceless. Others are deep in generic blues rock structures and that bores be to death. I just dont' care for that genre at all.

Boring basic blues rock

Generic blues rock, probably wont listen to it again

It's a cool album, the feeling and the vibes are there. However, it's also kind of generic, they sound like The Yardbirds without any distinctive songs or touch.

I mean it's the same chord progression for 40 minutes. Which is fine when you've got lucille singin to you but these guys aren't exactly B.B. King. like low 2

Why is almost every blues album on this list made by a bunch of white guys

Nice but I don’t like guitar led blues.

Blues w/ Jazz organ doesn’t impress me the same way it might’ve before I started this albums project, found this kind of grating after a full album of it

suspeito pra falar, bluezao de respeito

3,8/5 Klassischer Clapton blues

whitest blues music ever

fine

Wahhhhh ! Un p... de bon disque !!! Du blues, oui .. mais du blues blanc, cette vague du British Blues Boom puisque coincés dans leurs préjugés raciaux, les américains ne donnaient aucun echo à cette musique puissante, vebue des tripes et des champs de coton, champs de souffrance... Puis électrifiée à Chicago, mais condamnée à un circuit de salles minables colored only ! C'est ainsi qu'il faudra s'expatrier à Jimi Hendrix pour obtenir une écoute digne de son génie... Les anglais eux s'étaient intéressés au blues US depuis longtemps, les Beatles et les Stones l'ont popularisé puis réimporté aux Etats Unis lors de la British Invasion... Mais en Angleterre même restaient nombre de musiciens réellement passionnés par le blues, et parmi eux John Mayall dont nous avons ici son premier disque studio... Ce musicien à la tres longue carrière aura reussi tout au long de celle-ci à attirer des ses filets la crème des musiciens anglais, les guitaristes en particulier... Il leur offraient des reprises lais aussi nombre de remarquables compisitions originales leur permettant de briller... C'est vraiment lui qui a donné ses lettres de noblesse au blues blanc... Parmi les guitar hero venus se former au sein du groupe de Mayall, on trouvera notamment Eric Clapton sur ce remarquable disque qui venait d'abandonner les Yarbirds et sa Fender, il jouera enfin sur une Gibson LesPaul de légende et trouvera son "son" si identifiable... Il quitte Mayall pour créer Cream, excusez du peu ! Autour de Mayall et Clapton, ici on trouve deux membres du futur Fleetwood Mac ! D'ailleurs, à la suite de Clapton, c'est Peter Green qui viendra mettre le feu avec ses solos avant d'embarquer Mick Fleetwood (drums) et John Mac Vie (bass) pour former Fleetwood Mac première époque... A la suite de Peter Green, ce sera Mick Taylor qui eclaboussera tellement la scene londonienne de sa classe su'il oartira remplacer Brian Jones au sein des Stones pour leur offrir la meilleure guitare qu'ils aient jamais eu !!! Vous voyez le flair de John Mayall ! Et ça va durer des années ! J'aime sa voix rocailleuse à souhait et surtout la precision, la qualité des interprétations des reprises, ainsi que l'immense qualité de ses compositions originales ... Réellement le pape du Rythm & Blues Britannique... Toute sa discographie, solo ou avec les blues breakers mérite d'être achetée et écoutée... Commencez par celui-ci à cause de Clapton qui y trouve vraiment ses marques (c'est d'ailleurs de ce disque là que sortira le fameux "Clapton is God")... Enjoy !

Clayton’s playing is just unimpeachable here. Technically brilliant and full of soul. John Mayall’s vocals/piano/harmonica are to my mind just about adequate, if not especially convincing. He’s at least earnest; and even if it’s influenced by Otis Rush or Buddy Guy, it’s not a cringeworthy imitation like some others of the time. John McVie is doing his thing on bass. Drums are a little all over the place—WTF is happening on that extended solo on “What’d I Say”! Pretty good horns. “Steppin’ Out” absolutely rips. Clapton’s guitar is a 5 and worth coming back to, while everything else is a solid 3, so I’m calling this a 4. Will definitely listen to this again.

Hetkittäin oikein toimivaa settiä ja sitten taas ei. Kokonaisuus painuu enemmän ärsyttäväksi kuin nautinnolliseksi, mutta silti 2* on aavistuksen verran väheksymistä.

Tasokas albumi, vaikkei mitenkään erikoisesti potkinut tunteisiin.

Never heard this before, I love it.

Similar sound to Jimi Hendrix and I like it. Songs dont overstay their welcome but they are similar sounding to each other. Good stepping stone for music, likely paved the way for artists.

хорошо

Solid blues album.

7/10. Enjoyable to listen to, not all that memorable

One of those albums that makes you say, “That was a pretty good album.” 8/10

Much blues

Love when white British people (the white people of white people) play black american music. It definitely sounds whiter.

it's really fuck eric clapton for life. that's it, that's all. i have ntn eloquent to say on his past statements on dark skinned immigrants whilst in the same vein making a name for himself in a genre pioneered by the same ppl he had vitriol for. i'm sure someone b4 me has already said more in an undoubtedly more sensible way and i rlly cba

Was good for its time, I'm sure.

Someone told me we aren't suppose to like Eric Clapton anymore. Can't remember why. Anyway, he sure is good guitar player.

I find this interesting from a historical perspective. There was so much happening in 66: pop and psychedelic rock were coming on strong, as was folk-rock; prog was just around the corner. And then there was blues rock from the UK which featured a heavier version of what Muddy Waters & John Lee Hooker were doing at the time. John Mayall's voice is a bit thin for me, but the guitar playing is great.

Even though these guys are immensely talented, a bunch of Brits doing American Blues just sounds off to me.

Fuck Eric Clapton.