JOHN MAYALL FEATURING ERIC CLAPTON, MICK TAYLOR AND JACK BRUCE/PRIMAL SOLOS LC 50003 (-77) US

One of those albums containing earlier unreleased cuts picked from the bottom of the archives. Five recorded at Flamingo Club, London April 1966, two in Brighton May 1968 and one in Stockholm December same year. Checking reveiws they all have the same summary - redundant issue with inferior audio. I beg to differ. I can only speak for this US version, but the audio here isn't all bad. Very much like the "Diary Of A Band" LP:s it gets through OK, or as good as expected given the recording equipment and circumstances. There are also a couple of great solos - like the unusually playful Clapton in "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" or Mick Taylor's long and equilibristic one in "Start Walking". But the biggest value is historical. The Clapton/Bruce/Flint Bluesbreakers setting only lasted a few months before the formation of Cream. Apart from a live take of "They Call It Stormy Monday" on Mayall's "Looking Back" LP the five cuts on side one here must be the best surviving from that important period. As a fan of both Mayall and Cream I couldn't be without it. Contemporary vinyl issues in Japan, Europe and US. Japanese 2008 Re-mastered CD on Decca (UICY-93411). Early US had label as shown here and glossy cover. (LYBÖ*) (MÄH*) (CÄRÄ*)