Veteran John Mayall has been called 'the patriarch of the white blues'. On "Padlock on the blues" he collaborates again with his new guitar protégé Buddy Whittington. John Paulus (bass) and Joe Yuele (drums) are the other Bluesbreakers. Special guests include John Lee Hooker, Coco Montoya and Ernie Watts. The song material is new, and with the exception of the Whittington / Yuele composition
… "Always a brand new road". Between the opener "Don't turn your back on me", with a beautiful sax solo by Ernie Watts and the ninth track "Dancing shoes", Mayall manages to hold the attention with varied and entertaining songs. By way too long drawn out harmonica solos in "When the blues are bad" and boring predictable compositions like "Bad dream catcher" and the rock & roller "White line fever" the record then goes out like a candle. (CK) _more
