By the time this was released in 2001,
John Mayall
was more known for the people who played in his seminal British band,
the Bluesbreakers
rather than his own accomplishments. The success of 1999's
Padlock on the Blues
afforded
Mayall
the opportunity to fulfill his dreams and gather an all-star lineup of
blues
and
rock
luminaries.
"A World of Hurt"
"That's Why I Love You So"
both typify the good but not great groove that permeates
Along for the Ride
. Better tracks
"Yo Yo Man"
"Early in the Morning"
are easygoing
that feature the great rhythm section of
John McVie
Mick Fleetwood
. Fellow
Fleetwood Mac
Bluesbreaker
alum, the reclusive
Peter Green
plays acoustic slide guitar on
"Yo-Yo Man."
"So Many Roads"
has
dueting with
Otis Rush
, and it soon becomes a contest on who sounds more disgruntled. The playful
"Testify"
features vocals and subtle guitar lines from
phenom
Shannon Curfman
. This ends on the strong note. The powerful and wry
"She Don't Play By the Rules"
with arguably the strongest and most subtle band with
Mick Taylor
on lead guitar and
Andy Fairweather Low
on acoustic guitar.
is produced, engineered, and mixed by
David Z
. Despite the camaraderie, a lot of the hooks here don't stick, and fans of
and superstar sessions will get the most from this effort. ~ Jason Elias