The Last Time by John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Vinyl record single review)

Record basics

• Single name: The Last Time
• Group name: John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
• Year: 1989
• Number of discs: one
• Label: Island Records
• Collection: Essex
• Distinguishing characteristics:
  • Price sticker on front of album: $8.99
  • Slit in upper left corner of album
  • “M” sticker on album (for “Mayall”)
  • “FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY – NOT FOR SALE” on back of album
  • “PROMOTIONAL COPY / NOT FOR SALE” on record
• Buy it on Amazon: $6.00

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’m familiar with John Mayall from reviewing The Turning Point (1969) last September, and he also appeared on An Anthology of British Blues and An Anthology of British Blues, Volume 2. I’ve never heard this record, though.

What I expected

This appears to be a 33 1/3 single. It’s also from the 1980s, so I’m not expecting much.

What it was actually like

There are a couple of other singles in my collection, but they are 45s, and I wasn’t aware that 33 1/3 singles were a thing. Apparently they are (or were)! This one was also unusual because, as far as I was able to discern, both sides of this record were exactly the same – both were marked as side A and both had one song (that sounded the same to me), which lasted three minutes and 45 seconds.

The Last Time was an excellent electric blues song, pretty structurally simple with some complex and impressive wailing electric guitar. It had gospel style backing vocals, which was slightly weird, and, like Strong Persuader by Robert Cray, its prominent percussion sounded like a drum machine.

It was good!

Grade

4/5: would listen again