John Mayall - Empty Rooms Mp3

Let’s finally get this record squared away. First, throw away the songs “Plan Your Revolution,” and “Don’t Pick Flowers.” From there you have the introspective album John was attempting to create; and without those tracks he has created a body of work like no one else had attempted to do at this stage of electric blues. I’ve had the delightful opportunity to speak with John several times, and it wasn’t until about twenty years ago that I ventured into the nature of his music with him ... more pointedly, songs that seemed to pass right over my head.

I hadn’t taken notes, so I’ll be paraphrasing here, but John said that I needed to remember that these were a strange time, and that music was a reflection of the nature of 60’s. He went on to say that everyone “had” to have some sort of song about revolution, and at least one song that included flowers. John wasn’t really into “Plan Your Revolution,” and took the song for a convoluted ride lyrically. And “Don’t Pick Flowers,” was just some nonsense that producers and hangers on thought was hip and cool ... and with that John put his hand on his forehead, as if he wanted to wipe these songs from his mind.

From there, “Empty Rooms” is one of my favorite albums of all time. It’s played low key, ashtrays overflowing with half smoked cigarettes, heavy curtains tightly drawn to keep out the day and set the mood. All of the songs sound as if they could have been written while sitting around a hotel room, whiling away the idle hours. These were blues songs to be sure, reflecting the loneliness of being on the road. But John had been to Californian several times at this point, and had been taken with with what Steve Miller, and groups like Spirit had been doing. So, with both Johnny Almond, and Jon Mark [The Mark Almond Band] on board, John took the adventure to new height’s that included Rock, Blues and Jazz. These were brilliant songs, textured, free, original, rich, and for the first time seemed to compliment John’s vocals perfectly. 'Empty Rooms' proves the adage, that less can often be more.

This isn’t so much an album that grows on you, but is more a record that you intuitively recognize as having always existed within your soul, or perhaps one of those memories that causes you to go, “Oh yeah, I forgot that.” This is a nearly perfect release ... and I can’t tell you how many times I wish this album had been on the turntable when I came home from assignment, but it never was ... so I slipped it out of its jacket and cued it up, just like I’m doing today ... wishing with all my heart, that the one I loved was looking over at me as I sleep, sheets in disarray, while “Lying In My Bed” softly played.

Review by Jenell Kesler