Because of the success of Volume I we are receiving Volume II, and the music is filled with that special energy and effort that we expect from the musicians in this aggregation. Just to be fair the recording was done on one channel reel to reel tape machine and as Co-Producer Eric Corne says; “… the source recording was very rough and the final result is certainly not hi-fidelity, it does succeed in allowing us to hear how spectacular these performances are.” Very, very true, and we can also see because 3 of the songs were also on Volume I, however recorded at different venues and at different times, we can see how improvisational the group was; how different the songs sound from one performance to the next.
This also gives us a good look at this group which was under-recorded and after Eric Clapton’s departure ignored. Think of the members that departed this group and the new group they formed; Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie formed the core of the new group, Fleetwood Mac. This is what London was like back then, the clubs were small, crowded, smokey and loud, however the musicians circulated and moved around and searched until they found the right group to play with, and they adjusted until the group was right for what they wanted.
The songs here include 3 by John Mayall, nine classic Chicago blues covers, and a wonderful version of the great instrumental, “Greeny,” written by Peter Green. This version of the Bluesbreakers was only viable for about 3 months, and yet look at the impact they had, and the tremendous musicianship they displayed. Though the sound is rough there is nothing holding back the musicianship and the the wonderful music they produced.
by bob gottlieb
