Your Five Favorite British Blues Albums

This is strange... My fragment of a Rory impression was an idea I had abandoned in mid thought and was unable to delete. It had no relation to anything specific previously posted on this or relating to this thread. I actually lost my train of thought along the way. I recognized this; attempted to delete it and failed.

As to your not including any one Rory album... I agree with your idea that no one record is "straight and pure" blues in its entirety; but personally I'd not be opposed to the inclusion of a record which mingled pure blues and other variances on the theme. 3 albums that I mentioned further into the thread would fit that categorization: Jethro Tull's - This Was, Blodwyn Pig's - Ahead Rings Out and the widest swing; and I noted it as such; Them Featuring Van Morrison.

If my inclusion of these is inappropriate as to not precisely adhering to the original premise I apologize; but my intent in widening the strict definition was to give any passers by, any viewers of the thread who thought it might be intriguing a possible "related" suggestion that they might want to explore; which is something I see as the primary purpose of this forum. So by all means... anyone wanting to explore British Blues; it might not be exactly in totality what you're looking for; but it also may spark a note of interest... give Rory's Irish Tour '74 or Live In Europe or Beat Club Sessions or his band Taste a spin and see what it's about.

 

Apologizes... just reviewed and saw Brian Lux's earlier inclusion of Duster Burnett.

 

Gutbucket.

 

I think you might like an album called Turn on... by N.S.U.
Very much influenced by Cream. It just got a RSD release on vinyl. Plenty of copies still about for not much. A really strong album. Great guitar work.

 

Thanks for the recommendation! I just added it to my Apple Music libray
I assume the name of the band is based off of Cream too?

 

You're welcome! Yes, the group were heavily influenced by Cream. The band just did the one album but it is really tight. I think you will like it.

 

White bastard noise ?

 

I saw Mick Taylor's name mentioned upthread, and want to concur with the choice of:

Crusade -- John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers

I rate this on par with Mayall's Beano album with Clapton and A Hard Road with Peter Green.

 

Please, the great Jo Ann Kelly! Channel Skip James!

 

Led Zeppelin - s/t
Led Zeppelin - II
Groundhogs - Split
Fleetwood Mac - s/t
Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
+
John Mayall - Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton
Ten Years After - Cricklewood Green
Ten Years After - A Space In Time

 

Nope, can’t agree with that. There’s some real gems on that 1971 album.

I’ll add one I’ve not seen mentioned:

John Mayall: A Hard Road

 

I'd call most of the those suggested Rock.
This is the best blues guitar player I have known from the UK
Great LP, also good audiophile dem disc, fabulous recording

Kris Dollimore



Kris Dollimore

 

I don't actually think of Then Play On as a blues album but it's certainly my favorite Mac album. So my favorite Brit blues albums are:

Fleetwood Mac - Mr. Wonderful
John Mayall - A Hard Road
Savoy Brown - Street Corner Talking
Derek And The Dominos - Layla (and of course only one actual UK member)
John Mayall - Blues Breakers

 

And recorded in FLORIDA!

 

Rory Gallagher was a wonderfully talented musician who produced an excellent run of albums from Taste right through the 70's. But it's probably worth mentioning that he was Irish, not British.

 

Jethro Tull's debut, Taste's On The Boards, Spooky Tooth's Spooky Two, Humble Pie' Safe As Yesterdays Is & Blind Faith s/t.

 

I wrote a fragment about Rory that I attempted unsuccessfully to delete. It was going to point to the fact that Rory was indeed from Ireland and not British; Cork to be specific. After may attempts at deletion as it became unclear to me; I did a cursory look-see on line regarding who / what is considered British. I was actually surprised to find that in 2 articles I read (which I haven't explored their sources) LEGALLY Northern Ireland is considered part of the the British Empire. I made no reference in the thread either way as whether Rory was indeed British; in part because I didn't want to ignite the inevitable rift that would ensue. But there it is; according to what I read; Rory could clearly be considered a true-"Blues" proponent of the genre. Personally as you say; who cares; he is one of the major forces of the "British" Blues. And a huge personal favorite. As an aside; the bulk of my Rory recordings are cds on the German Intercord label which I find to be of excellent quality. The musicianship; the talent... the soul speaks for itself and needs no addition comment on by me.

And unfortunately something I rarely get to cry out these days; but I will take the opportunity here to do so... "God Bless America. USA! USA! USA!" THE BLUES an American Invention through and through. ...But in a genuinely American way where ALL ARE ADMITTED ENTRANCE and WELCOME TO CONTRIBUTE AND EXPAND UPON. <Sorry for this inclusion here... No I'm not!

 

One that has not yet been mentioned is Black cat bones - barbed wire sandwich

 

How about the Rolling Stones latest album, Blue And Lonesome. One fantastic album in my opinion.

 

Some people seem confused as to what is meant by "British Blues".

Allow Fleetwood Mac to educate:




I'd heard bits of "Mr Wonderful" at my then-local vinyl trader years ago
and thought it was Elmore James at first. To me, the most authentic electric
renditions of The Blues, I was that fooled.

"Then Play On" is a pop LP with some blues sprinkled throughout.

 

This thread inspired me to order the 3 Savoy Brown albums I've always ignored: Hellbound Train, Jack the Toad, and Lion's Share. Just now ordered the SHMs from Japan. Have all the others already. Great band! Saw them twice in the early 70's.

 

01. The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things
02. Them - The Angry Young Them
03. Downliners Sect - The Sect
04. John Mayall's Blues Breakers -With Eric Clapton
05. The Yardbirds - Having A Rave-Up
06. The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones
07. Ten Years After - Ssssh!
08. Groundhogs - Thank Christ For The Bomb
09. Chicken Shack - OK Ken?
10. Cream - Disraeli Gears
11. Graham Bond Organization - The Sound of '65
12. Ten Years After - Cricklewood Green
13. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
14. The Animals - Animalization
15. Fleetwood Mac - The Pious Bird Of Good Omen
16. Blodwyn Pig - Ahead Rings Out
17. Groundhogs - Solid
18. The Yardbirds - For Your Love
19. Rory Gallagher - Tattoo
20. Them - Them Again
21. Jeff Beck Group - Truth
22. Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated - R&B From The Marquee
23. Savoy Brown - Blue Matter
24. The Pretty Things - Get The Picture
25. Free - Tons Of Sobs
26. Jo Ann Kelly - Jo Ann Kelly
27. The Rolling Stones - Out Of Our Heads
28. Duster Bennett - Bright Lights
29. John Mayall's Blues Breakers - A Hard Road
30. Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation - Doctor Dunbar's Prescription

 

Just in terms of albums released 'back in the day'...

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (could be tied with Mayall's/Bluesbreaker's A Hard Road though)
Savoy Brown - Blue Matter (could be tied with their Raw Sienna)
Groundhogs - Blues Obituary (after this were they 'blues', was Then Play On?)
Jo Ann Kelly - Jo Ann Kelly (from 1969)
Black Cat Bones - Barbed Wire Sandwich (although the earlier stuff with Kossoff is superior)

Taste counts as British? Oh bugger, I'd have to start over, never mind. Sorry Rory.

 

I hear you my friend; after all, great music has no comprehension of arbitrarily contrived borders. And yes, the Rory Intercord cd's are very good, as are the 2012 remasters (to my ears, at least).
As for my fave Brit blues lp, that would be John Mayall's "Crusade" with the other two featuring Mick Taylor (Blues From Laurel Canyon & Bare Wires) not far behind.

 

Maybe this album has not been yet mentioned; it is an anthology featuring lots of unreleased tunes by the great Alexis Korner: Bootleg Him. Great stuff by Cream (Wheels of fire, maybe the best?), the first album of Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac featuring Green and Kirwan and one among the works by John Mayall Bluesbreakers recorded with Clapton or Green or Taylor.
Honorable mentions for Savoy Brown, Blodwin Pig, Killing Floor, Chicken Shack, Keef Hartley Band, Paul Williams, Ten Years After, Rory Gallagher/Taste, Ansley Dunbar Retaliation.