CD-Charts Position 1
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Blues Breakers

by: John Mayall, Eric Clapton

Release Date December 15, 2000
I was going to mention Clapton's christening of the Les Paul, Marshall setup, but others have beaten me to it. I liken it's impact to what happened to harp playing when Little Walter and other's deciding to blow through the PA or an early guitar amp. They REDEFINED the sound of the instrument.

So all I'll add is the rhetorical question...can you imagine being a teenage Brit, having been reared on the sounds of the Beatles, Jerry and the Pacemakers, or even the Dave Clark Five, wandering into a London club because someone had recommended the Bluesbreakers, and hearing THIS STUFF? Probably as epiphanic as being a white guy in mid 50's Chicago and having the nerve to wander into the Dew Drop Inn and hearing Muddy, Wolf, or later, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Fresh Cream

by: Cream

Release Date March 09, 1998
'Fresh Cream' was Cream's first release, recorded within a few months of them getting together. It was probably one of the first 'progressive blues' records and as such sounded different to anything else around in 1966, apart from perhaps Jimi Hendrix. Looking back now it seems to contain a slightly odd mix of melodic pop - "I Feel Free", "NSU" "Sweet Wine", updated country blues - "Four Until Late", "I'm So Glad" and harder-edged blues workouts - "Spoonful", "Cat's Squirrel" and "Rollin' And Tumblin'". As time went on it was these workouts that would come to dominate their set as extended jams but here they are relatively concise and in my opinion all the better for that.

Although Clapton's guitar is very much to the fore, the exceptional rhythm section ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Wheels Of Fire

by: Cream

Release Date June 01, 1998
To set the cat amongst the pigeons here a little, I will have to disagree with those who view Cream and this album as a kind of holy grail of rock. This album suffers from that 60s disease known as selective memory, a disease which with one hand inflates the value and worth of anything that was produced during the years 1966 - 69 and with the other wipes the board of everything that was done since, in the end we talk of Cream as if it all happened a number of centurys sgo and in a far away land in which everything was bigger and better, the truth however is that Cream were then and everything that has come after struggles to get past the nostalgia block that selective memory creates.

This album like so much of the 60s stuff is another white attempt at black American spiritual ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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A Hard Road

by: John Mayall's Bluesbreakers

Release Date October 30, 2006
Where is 'Greeny'? I just can't believe it. The most stunning, emotional bluesy Peter Green song and it is not on this otherwise brilliant album. I now have to dig deeper and purchase the double CD version which is quite a bit more expensive just for this one track alone.
Why, oh why, oh why?

CD-Charts Position 5
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Goodbye

by: Cream

Release Date March 09, 1998
Simply one of the greatest rock albums ever released. Or, if you like, three of the greatest live tracks ever released with 3 studio tracks added on but not 'an album'. Who cares? The only thing wrong with it is that it doesn't contain a fourth live track instead of the three short studio tracks. Now with CD allowing much more space it is a disgrace that Polydor haven't rectified this. With one or even two extra live tracks it would have the makings of what discophiles like to think of as an 'album' and people compiling discographies might stop moaning about it being a(n)(arbitrary) hodge podge and completely forgetting to rate it primarily on the quality of the music rather than as some sort of meaningful, tidy or satisfying arrangement of tracks. This 'record' has been sadly undervalued ever since it's release ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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The Best of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac

by: Fleetwood Mac

Release Date November 11, 2002
How highly do I rate Peter Green(baum)? Well put it this way, at his peak he was at least as good as anyone that has EVER picked up an axe, plus he had the ability to write songs that still sound amazing thirty years later. So how good is this as a testament to his lost talent? Well, about as good as it could be given his early crack-up and losing his "magic stick." Tragedy really. A far bigger loss than Syd Barrett was to the Pink Floyd.

Here we have classics and filler in equal numbers. To be frank the blues pastiche (not all written by Green) was ho-hum at the time and is skip material here. The sixties recording time was shorter and there are even a few bum notes that should not be there.

However the genius of Albatross (who but a genius could make a number one instrumental?) and the sad ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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461 Ocean Boulevard

by: Eric Clapton

Release Date March 17, 1997
This is a wonderful album. It marked Clapton's sobriety following his heroin usage, and has a theme of redemption and rebirth running through it. Also, there's a strong taste of someone who has turned himself inside and out.

In places, this is passionate, elsewhere playful, and in many places you can hear a man asking himself what he has left. Fantastic stuff, strongly recommended.

CD-Charts Position 8
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Electric Ladyland

by: Jimi Hendrix Experience

Release Date July 26, 1999
The definitive Hendirx cd, brilliantly produced it ranges from low beat blues records such as 'voodoo chile' to upbeat rock records in 'crosstown traffic' to great covers in the form of 'all along the watchtower'.
The 'wah-wah' effect on 'voodoo child slight return' is ledgendary and will be remembered until the end of man.
The guitar playing on '1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)' is brilliant and really suits the pysecdelic theme of the song.

CD-Charts Position 9
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Are You Experienced

by: Jimi Hendrix Experience

Release Date July 26, 1999
Born in 1940's Seattle, Jimi Hendrix would go on to be the ultimate guitar Legend in both his native America and more crucially here in the UK. In the mid sixties, Eric Clapton was God having given the blues sound a complete overhaul, however in the late sixties Clapton was revealed to be just a mere prophet for Hendrix had arrived to save us all.

It's well documented that Hendrix had a gift for creating noises from his guitar that only he could create, this much is true, problem is he raised the bar to a level which has not even been sniffed at since the time of his tragic death in 1970, which certainly has left a big hole on mankind's ability to create.

Despite Hendrix's ability and obvious talent, it was only in the last 5 years of his life that he managed to have the huge impact his talent deserved. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
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Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs

by: Derek & The Dominos

Release Date March 17, 1997
This is one of the few albums that can be classed as a masterpiece. From the perfectly crafted album opener 'I Looked Away' to the evocative 'Bell Bottom Blues', the powerful blues of 'Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out' to the great riff on 'Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad', the masterly Hendrix cover 'Little Wing' and of course the song that never loses it's power 'Layla', this album has so many gems and brilliant tracks it is hard to know where to begin. 'Layla' sounds so powerful, especially sitting amidst the other tracks on this album, and on reflection it really does adhere to the 'timeless' label heaped on lesser songs. This songs till ignites after all these years. This albums shows EC playing at his height and most creative and although he has played as well since, this album stands out as a highlight of his career. One ... Read More: