Mayall, John – A Hard Road Colored vinyl mono (LP – New)

1967’s A Hard Road proved to be every bit as powerful and innovative as it’s predecessor, thanks in large part to Mayall’s discovery of Clapton’s equally brilliant replacement, Peter Green. A one-of-a-kind player with a highly distinctive sound, Green makes his instrumental presence felt throughout A Hard Road, while delivering compelling lead vocals on “You Don’t Love Me” and “The Same Way.” With sterling support from bassist John McVie and drummer Aynsley Dunbar, the material here features such Mayall originals as “Hit the Highway, ” “Leaping Christine” and the title track, along with standout interpretations of tunes by Freddie King, Elmore James and Willie Cobbs. The legendarily haunting Green-penned instrumental “The Supernatural” previews the guitarist’s groundbreaking work with the original incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, which he and fellow Bluesbreaker John McVie would form a few months later. From the pristine U.K. mono masters, with complete original artwork and photos. John Mayall’s fabled albums with Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor have been reissued before, but these discs, re-mastered from the original mono masters, sound absolutely glorious (whether on CD or vinyl). -Pete Prown