Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios on:
October 11, 1966
October 12, 1966
October 19, 1966
October 24, 1966
November 11, 1966
The personnel of the Bluesbreakers having changed since our last LP, this album serves as a proper introduction to two new members of the group...Peter Green on lead guitar and Aynsley Dunbar on drums. I think that most people will realize what a tough time lay ahead in the way of comparison and criticism for any guitarist in this country faced with replacing the acknowledged master of blues guitar, Eric Clapton, in my band. However Peter Green took over the job and managed to brave out the storm. At first he sounded like a Clapton copyist, not unnaturally since he was having to play the current repertoire that Eric helped to make famous, and the transition to new material had to be gradual. Within weeks though he began to develop his own ideas, and the technique to express them, until now it is obvious that both Peter and Eric have separately improved beyond recognition but in totally different directions. Speaking of the modern young blues guitarists that I've heard ‘live’ I would certainly cram Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Eric Clapton and Peter Green on the same pedestal. In my opinion they all sound completely individual but they share the same emotional greatness. All I can say of Peter is that, having worked with him nearly every night since last July and witnessed his rapid progress as a blues player, he is the ideal guitarist for the overall band sound and a great person to work with.
Our new drummer, Aynsley Dunbar, is also a major musical talent and throughout the album he shows his strength and blues feel along-side bass guitarist John McVie in the rhythm section. Although John has been through good and bad times with us, I know from experience that a better blues bass guitarist would be difficult to find in this country. As a great rhythm section Aynsley and John should not be underestimated in their importance to every number on which they are heard.
A quick word about the use of horns which are heard on “Another Kinda Love”, "Someday After Awhile" and a couple more...I find them an advantage on some numbers but I would assure all our followers that I have no intention of augmenting the Bluesbreakers in the future, except for recording purposes.
These days I play guitar on many of the numbers in our repertoire and my 5 string can be heard on the great Elmore James classic “Dust My Blues” and again “Top of the Hill”. I play my old 9 string guitar on “The Same Way” and “Living Alone”. Harmonica crops up on “It's Over”, “Living Alone”, “Leaping Christine”, “You Don’t Love Me” and “There's Always Work”. The weird backing sound for the latter was achieved by greatly amplifying the faulty pedal click and hum emanating from the organ tone cabinet whilst Mike Vernon, Gus Dudgeon and I did the chanting and moaning sounds. As it is almost impossible to use a piano for club appearances. I always look forward to using one on our recordings. I overdubbed piano onto a few of these titles and featured it on “A Hard Road”, and “Hit The Highway”.
Peter is featured, as lead singer on “You Don’t Love Me” and on his own composition “The Same Way”. His guitar playing is well exposed on “The Stumble” and particularly on “The Super-natural” which he wrote specially for inclusion on this LP. I consider this one the most meaningful instrumentals I’ve heard and certainly stand as one of the high spots on the record.
The music contained here means far more to me than anything we’ve recorded before and I hope you will find your own special favorite tracks from the many contrasting types of blues represented here. Blues in it’s true form is a reflection of man’s life and has to stem from personal experiences good and bad, I accept that I’ve unwittingly hurt a lot of people who’ve known me, I’ve few friends left, and now the only thing to live for is the blues. “I’m trying to tell you people that the blues have hit me in my life. You know I was born for trouble and it’s a hard road ‘till I die”.
John Mayall
