John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers – Guitar Heroes: The Decca Years 1965–1967: Vinyl Box Set Review

Guitar Heroes: The Decca Years 1965–1967 brings together four albums documenting an extraordinary period for John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor are the names that immediately catch your attention, but what holds everything together is Mayall himself: his music, his leadership and his remarkable ability to recognise talent.

I was excited about this set as soon as I saw it. Having spent time playing the records and looking through the book, I’m absolutely delighted with it. This is how to put together a deluxe vinyl box set.

Four albums

The albums here were originally released between 1965 and 1967. Just look at the development across that short period, and at the musicians who passed through the band. It is an astonishing concentration of talent.

John Mayall Plays John Mayall (1965)

The debut was recorded live at Klooks Kleek in West Hampstead, London, on 7 December 1964, and released in March 1965. It captures the band before the celebrated Clapton, Green and Taylor studio albums.

Musicians: John Mayall – vocals, harmonica, keyboards and nine-string guitar; Roger Dean – guitar; John McVie – bass; Hughie Flint – drums; with Nigel Stanger – saxophone.

This was the album I was less familiar with, and I’m very pleased it has been included. It gives the set a starting point and lets you hear the live band before moving into the three studio classics. The live recording is fantastic, and hearing it on such a clean pressing makes it particularly enjoyable.

It also reminds us that Roger Dean deserves a place in this story. The famous names on the box are only part of the wider Bluesbreakers history.

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

Released in July 1966, this is the famous “Beano” album, named after the comic Clapton is reading on the cover. Produced by Mike Vernon and engineered by Gus Dudgeon, it is one of the defining records of British electric blues.

Musicians: John Mayall – vocals, piano, organ and harmonica; Eric Clapton – guitar and lead vocal on “Ramblin’ on My Mind”; John McVie – bass; Hughie Flint – drums. Additional brass and reeds come from Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone; John Almond – baritone saxophone; and Derek Healey – trumpet, credited as Dennis Healey on the original sleeve.

“All Your Love”, “Hideaway” and “Have You Heard” are among the recordings that explain why this album matters so much. For me, this is one of those records I wanted to own on vinyl. Seeing that sleeve at full size, taking out the record and sitting down to listen gives it a particular sense of occasion.

My musical background is in hard rock and heavy metal, and I hear these recordings as part of the foundation beneath that music. Follow Clapton into Cream and you can hear how the story develops. These albums invite you to explore those connections.

A Hard Road (1967)

Released in February 1967, A Hard Road introduces Peter Green to the studio-album sequence. Mike Vernon produced, with Gus Dudgeon engineering.

Musicians: John Mayall – vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano and organ; Peter Green – guitar and vocals; John McVie – bass; Aynsley Dunbar – drums. Additional wind players include John Almond, Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh.

Peter Green makes every note count. That is what strikes me when I listen to him: the expression, the space and the feeling he brings to a phrase. There is such personality in his playing.

“The Super-Natural” and “The Stumble” offer two different ways into his contribution, while his singing adds another dimension to the record. Alongside the Clapton album, this makes a wonderful opportunity to hear two very individual guitarists working within Mayall’s musical world.

Crusade (1967)

Released in September 1967, Crusade brings Mick Taylor into the picture, with Mike Vernon again producing. The line-up also includes two saxophonists, giving the band a broader instrumental palette.

Musicians: John Mayall – vocals, organ, piano, harmonica and bottleneck guitar; Mick Taylor – lead guitar; John McVie – bass; Keef Hartley – drums; Chris Mercer – tenor saxophone; Rip Kant – baritone saxophone.

There is some wonderful guitar playing here from Taylor before his later years with The Rolling Stones. “Snowy Wood” and “Driving Sideways” provide instrumental showcases, while the album also includes “Oh, Pretty Woman” and Mayall’s tribute “The Death of J.B. Lenoir”.

By the time you reach this record, you have heard three major guitarists across three successive studio albums. Yet each record has its own character. That is part of what makes listening through the box so rewarding.

The sleeves use excellent card stock, the construction feels properly considered and the period-style Decca labels look right. Every record comes in a polylined inner sleeve.

I know a hardback costs more to produce, but it makes a difference. When a release is described as deluxe, a proper hardback book helps it feel special.

This one brings together photographs, memorabilia, tape-box images and an extended essay that puts the albums into context. I enjoy seeing those tape boxes. They show us something most listeners would never otherwise encounter: the working documents behind familiar recordings.

The book also traces the musicians’ subsequent paths. Clapton went on to Cream, Green and McVie became central to Fleetwood Mac, and Taylor joined The Rolling Stones. Mayall’s wider band history includes Mick Fleetwood too. You begin to appreciate how many musical roads ran through The Bluesbreakers.

But Mayall deserves to remain at the centre of the story. His voice, harmonica, keyboards, songwriting and musical curiosity gave these changing line-ups their direction.

Much of my John Mayall library is already on CD, including the substantial Madfish box I previously reviewed. The attraction here was the opportunity to experience these albums on vinyl in such a carefully presented edition.

For anyone interested in blues guitar or the development of rock music, there is so much here to enjoy. I can’t give it anything other than 10 out of 10.

ORDER THE JOHN MAYALL GUITAR HEROES BOX SET ON VINYL

ORDER THE JOHN MAYALL GUITAR HEROES BOX SET ON CD

Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine