Search - John Mayall :: Private Collection (Reis)

John Mayall live rarities....must have for fans!

Leo Creek | 01/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Recall version of The Private Collection that I purchased is actually a 2-CD set. It is identical to the French release of Rolling With The Blues, but it doesn't include the 3rd disc, which is a DVD interview with John Mayall.



This is awesome, vintage John Mayall & friends live performances from 1972-1973 (disc 1) & 1980-1982 (disc 2). Truly superb Mayall performances that every fan should have.



This is rare, raw live Mayall. One disc of Mayall featuring the Blue Mitchell line-up, live and superb; one disc of pure raw Mayall energy!!! No duplication in any of this material with what has been previously available."

More Treasure From the Vault

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 03/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are a lot of musicians whose music I bought when I was a kid that I still buy 35-40 years later. But few of them have been as productive through the years as John Mayall. Except for the 50+ CDs I own of Astor Piazzolla, no musician comes close to adding so many recordings to my collection as John Mayall does. Here the guy is 73 years old and he's still working as if he were young and hungry. Then besides all the new CDs he regularly issues, there are those that seem to appear regularly from his archives.

The Private Collection turns out to be yet more treasure from the vault. Despite owning at least 90% of Mayall's known output, I have never heard him on most of these songs which were recorded at shows in the early 1970s (Disc 1) and the early 1980s (Disc 2). So that gave me one reason to buy this. Then there is the consideration that a live John Mayall show is always a treat, so that gave me a second reason. And when I saw that his bands here contained such greats as Blue Mitchell, Keef Hartley, Mick Taylor, and John McVie that sealed the deal.

I like pretty much the entire set with the exception of the fading out of an interesting rendition of Room to Move right at the point the song moved from extended explorations into familiar musical territory. I won't say that this is the best CD that Mayall ever issued, but I will say that he allows his musicians free rein to express themselves fully within the framework of the compositions. This has resulted in quite a few enjoyable solos that add value to the listening experience.

For John Mayall fans, all the above positives, the unbeatable price and an attractive, informative booklet make The Private Collection a set not to miss."