Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton

This is a two-disc deluxe edition of the famous & influential "Beano" album. Disc one contains both the mono original release (1966) and the stereo version (1969) of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton album.

For a review of disc one, I would refer you to many existing reviews of the original release of this important album. I can add little to all that's been said before, other than to say listen carefully to Have You Heard and Stepping Out. And Ramblin' On My Mind features a young Eric on vocals in the style he came to develop in his solo career.

Disc two (the reason I bought the deluxe edition) contains 19 extra tracks, and is the interesting part if, like me, you already own the original version of the Bluesbreakers album on CD. Extra tracks 1-13 are both live and in the studio. For instance, there are some BBC radio live in the studio broadcasts from 1965 & early 1966 and some recording studio session tracks, which predated the album...Read more

Another attempt to issue the definitive edition of the legendary Bluesbreakers album that falls slightly short of the mark. The mono and stereo mixes on disc 1 are excellently done but simply replicate the single disc issue featuring the same material released a few years ago. This, therefore, sheds no new light on this fertile period of the second British blues boom. Disc 2 features some BBC sessions along with the familiar Immediate and Purdah 45's and half a dozen live tracks, in poor sound quality, that have been available before.

This is a big disappointment and is a missed opportunity which could have been avoided if the compilers had made any attempt to research the easily available archive information from this time. John Mayall himself was known to have kept meticulous records of sessions, gigs, personnel and recording dates and I'm sure would have been more than happy to contribute his knowledge in order to preserve his legacy in the best possible manner...Read more

The Deluxe Edition is a must-have for any Clapton fan. This is my favorite Clapton album insofar as his inspired blues soloing is concerned. It's great to hear the differences between the stereo and mono mixes and, in my opinion, the mono is much more punchy and rocking, and it sounds better in my cars than does the stereo. It's also great to finally have all the leftover tracks without needing to buy the various British Blues compilations, which are difficult to track down and a pleasure to have in one place. An excellent release that deserves a place on any electric blues fan's shelf, the Deluxe Edition of John Mayall Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton is also the only CD version of this record to include the elusive mono mix. BACK TO MONO!