Author: cjvinyl

Bat Out of Hell front cover 2

Meat Loaf — Bat Out of Hell

In 1977, when “Bat Out of Hell” was released, I was 16, and this album was a goddamn cultural phenomenon. It’s surprising now to find that neither the album nor its singles went to...

The Latest Edition front cover 4

John Mayall — The Latest Edition

This 1974 release from John Mayall (without the band name) was my first foray into Mayall, after years of simply ignoring the band. While considered legendary, given their lack of hits I had truly...

John Mayall Moving On, still in the original cellophane 0

John Mayall — Moving On

So it happens that I’m touching on this one before I leave the ‘M’ section of my collection, but in fact this begins a long series of “catch-up” entries – the records that I’ve...

Crusade front cover 0

John Mayall’s Blues Breakers — Crusade

I do wish there were some consistency as to whether “Blues Breakers” is one word or two, but perhaps that’s a lot to ask of British musicians. On this album it’s two words, so...

Blues Breakers front cover 1

John Mayall — Blues Breakers

For the longest time, I just paid no attention to John Mayall. My British blues was mostly filtered through The Animals and the like – that particularly British turn on R&B. For my blues,...

Christine McVie front cover 0

Christine McVie — Christine McVie

Following the alphabetization I learned in elementary school, Christine McVie should have come before Manfred Mann. But . . . that’s not what I did, so here she is. In the course of my...

Dave Mason Certified Live front cover 0

Dave Mason — Certified Live

Prior to the Dave Mason & Cass Elliott album, I had no real interest in Dave Mason. I was never a fan of Traffic (I have an active distaste for Steve Winwood’s voice). I...