With a
release coming only two months after Crusade, The Blues Alone, the first Mayall
"solo" album (i.e. without The Bluesbreakers), was John Mayall's
third album of 1967, or fourth, if you count the various artists compilation
Raw Blues. Like Raw Blues, it was released initially on Decca's discount Ace of
Clubs label to distinguish it from a regular Mayall album, although the
distinction has been lost over time. It was actually recorded prior to Crusade
on May 1, 1967. Mayall played and overdubbed all instruments except drums,
which were handled by Bluesbreaker Keef Hartley, which was one way of dealing
with his ongoing personnel difficulties (by this time, his bassist, John McVie,
had left to join Fleetwood Mac). It also served notice that, despite his band
being a spawning ground for several British stars by now, the real star of the
group was its leader. But it didn't quite prove that, since Mayall, while
certainly competent on harmonica, keyboards, and guitars, doesn't display the
flair of an Eric Clapton or Peter Green, and the overdubbing, as is so often
the case, robs the recording of any real sense of interplay. (The Blues Alone
hit #24 in the U.K. and #128 in the U.S.)
- William
Ruhlmann. AllMusic.com
