It’s quite unlikely that there’s anyone in need of a regular John Mayall fix, yet if there is such an aficionado, a steady flow of releases documenting the creative path of the Godfather of British Blues keeps the listener on their toes and sometimes leaves them wishing for a conceptual approach to his archives. This is why the 35-CD set titled “The First Generation: 1965-1974” which was issued in 2021 and comprised, for the most part, the veteran’s studio albums, with a generous addition of previously unheard concert recordings, found a grateful audience. But “The Second Generation: Live Magic 1968-1993” collection, slated to see the light of day on March 7th, 2025, is aimed at an even more dedicated connoisseur.
Spanning 30 discs, it emphasizes the variety of what John used to do on-stage in the company of kindred spirits like Mick Taylor and Dick Heckstall-Smith, Keef Hartley and Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Don Nix and Alexis Korner, John McVie and Colin Allen, Walter Trout and Coco Montoya. And though some of the CDs here don’t seem to represent the complete array of pieces performed on a particular date and a few concerts split between two discs could actually fit on a single one, their range feels amazing, and the accompanying book – a stark contrast to paper paraphernalia included in the first box set – should enrich the context of the music.
The Second Generation:
Live Magic 1968-1993
CD 1 – Fillmore West, San Francisco – February 9th, 1968:
1. Dust My Broom
2. So Many Roads
3. I Can’t Sleep
4. It’s My Own Fault
5. Soul Of A Short Fat Man
CD 2 – Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island – July 5th, 1969:
1. The Laws Must Change
2. Don’t Waste My Time
3. California
4. So Hard To Share
5. Room To Move
CD 3 – Aragon Ballroom, Chicago – November 9th, 1970:
1. Introduction
2. You Must Be Crazy
3. My Pretty Girl
4. Hookers And Winos
5. Crying
6. Took The Car
7. Possessive Emotions
CD 4 – Konserthuset, Gothenburg – April 12th, 1972:
1. Driving Dangerously
2. Mess Around
3. Good Time Boogie
4. Drum Solo
5. That’s All Right
6. Times Are Getting Tougher
7. I Wish I Could Understand
8. Baby What Do You Have To Lose
9. Dry Throat
CD 5 – Record Plant, Los Angeles – February 1st , 1975:
1. Early In The Morning
2. Step In The Sun
3. Looks Like Love
4. Mighty Tight Woman
5. So Much To Do
6. Taxman Blues
7. When She Loves
8. Room To Move
9. St. James Infirmary
10. Driving On / Band Introductions
CD 6 – My Father’s Place, Roslyn, New York – October 3rd, 1976:
1. Introduction
2. Gasoline Blues
3. Play The Harp
4. The Boy Most Likely To Succeed
5. Room To Move
6. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
CD 7 – Pavillon de Paris, Paris – May 23rd, 1979:
1. Tucson Lady
2. California
3. Dreamboat
4. Separate Ways
5. Gypsy Lady
6. Parchman Farm
7. Arizona Bound
8. Bottom Line
CD 8 – Paradise Club, Boston – February 2nd, 1980:
1. Hideaway
2. Road Show
3. All Your Love
4. Long Gone Midnight
5. My Train Time
6. Stormy Monday Blues
CD 9 – Rolling Stone, Milan – July 15th, 1981:
1. Another Man
2. Send Me Down To Memphis
3. An Eye For An Eye
4. So Many Roads
5. Parchman Farm
6. Talk To Your Daughter
7. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Kitchen
8. Rock It In The Pocket
9. Stormy Monday
10. We Gotta Move (Keep On Rolling)
11. Black Cat Moan
12. Room To Move
13. Baby, What You Want Me To Do?
CD 10 – Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues, London – December 31st, 1981:
1. Mardi Gras In New Orleans
2. Blow Wind Blow
3. Blues Jam 1
4. Bring It On Home To Me
5. Blues Jam 2
6. Have You Heard
CD 11 – Keystone, Berkeley – January 16th, 1982:
1. An Eye For An Eye
2. Rock It In The Pocket
3. Have You Heard
4. Black Cat Moan
5. My Time After Awhile
6. The Stumble
7. Oh, Pretty Woman
8. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
9. Road Show
10. Room To Move
11. Happy Birthday
CD 12 – Club Chevron, Melbourne – February 1st , 1982:
1. Introduction
2. Oh, Pretty Woman
3. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
4. My Time After Awhile
5. Black Cat Moan
6. The Dark Side Of Midnight
7. The Stumble
8. Road Show
9. Ridin’ On To Santa Fe
CD 13 – Teatro Tenda, Padova – December 14th, 1982 – Pt. 1:
1. Introduction
2. An Eye For An Eye
3. Rock It In The Pocket
4. Oh, Pretty Woman
5. Have You Heard
6. Little Baby
7. The Stumble
8. Italiano Style
CD 14 – Teatro Tenda, Padova – December 14th, 1982 – Pt. 2:
1. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
2. You Never Can Be Trusted
3. Lookin’ For Willie
4. I Should Know Better
5. My Time After Awhile
6. Catfish Blues
CD 15 – Casino de Paris, Paris – May 23rd, 1983 – Pt. 1:
1. Introduction
2. Rock It In The Pocket
3. Oh, Pretty Woman
4. My Time After Awhile
5. You Never Can Be Trusted
6. Lookin’ For Willie
7. The Stumble
CD 16 – Casino de Paris, Paris – May 23rd, 1983 – Pt. 2:
1. Catfish Blues
2. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
3. Italiano Style
4. Sitting Here Alone
5. The Dark Side Of Midnight
6. Room To Move
7. Ridin’ On To Santa Fe
CD 17 – Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, California – April 5th, 1984:
1. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
2. Introduction
3. Streamline
4. Get Me Some Dollars
5. Ready To Ride
6. Parchman Farm
7. Italiano Style
8. Dust My Blues
9. I Can’t Quit You Baby
10. Somebody’s Acting Like A Child
11. Muddy Waters Blues
12. Room To Move
13. Rockin’… At The Tavern
CD 18 – The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano – April 28th, 1984 – Pt. 1:
1. Streamline
2. Get Me Some Dollars
3. Have You Heard
4. Parchman Farm
5. I Want It
6. 8000 Miles Drive
CD 19 – The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano – April 28th, 1984 – Pt. 2:
1. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
2. Italiano Style
3. Oh, Pretty Woman
4. I Can’t Quit You Baby
5. Catfish Blues
6. Baby What You Want Me To Do
7. Room To Move
8. Band Introductions
9. Rockin’ … At The Coach House
CD 20 – Maxim, Stuttgart – February 24th, 1986:
1. Tuning Up
2. Built For Comfort
3. If You Ever Had The Blues
4. Band Introductions
5. All Your Love
6. Little Girl
7. Somebody’s Acting Like A Child
8. Parchman Farm
9. In My Mind
10. Fly Tomorrow
CD 21 – The Town Pump, Vancouver – September 17th, 1986, Pt. 1:
1. Standing On The Corner
2. If You Ever Had The Blues
3. Band Introductions
4. Help Me
5. Little Girl
6. I Ain’t Got You
7. Come Back Baby
8. Our Love Will Be Through
9. Look To The Clock
10. Band Introductions
CD 22 – The Town Pump, Vancouver – September 17th, 1986, Pt. 2:
1. Woke Up This Morning
2. Somebody’s Acting Like A Child
3. Ridin’ On The L and N
4. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
5. In My Mind
6. The Bear
7. Room To Move / Layla Medley
8. Band Introductions
9. Looking Back
CD 23 – Chestnut Cabaret, Philadelphia – June 6th, 1987:
1. Dust My Broom
2. An Eye For An Eye
3. All Your Love
4. Little Girl
5. Help Me
6. Red House
CD 24 – The Catalyst, Santa Cruz – June 10th, 1988 – Pt. 1:
1. Got To Find My Baby
2. An Eye For An Eye
3. Band Introductions
4. All Your Love
5. Ridin’ On The L and
6. Oh, Pretty Woman
7. Parchman Farm
CD 25 – The Catalyst, Santa Cruz – June 10th, 1988 – Pt. 2:
1. Checkin’ Up On My Baby
2. Rolling With The Blues
3. The Bear
4. Wild About You
5. You Don’t Love Me
CD 26 – Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis – March 31st, 1991:
1. Chicago Line
2. I Want To Go
3. Congo Square
4. All My Life
5. The Last Time
6. Jacksboro Highway
7. Sensitive Kind
8. I Can’t Complain
9. Black Cat Moan
10. Dyin’ Flu
11. Room To Move
CD 27 – Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues, London – February 20th, 1992:
1. John’s Slow Blues
2. John’s R&B
3. Wilf’s R&B In A
4. Not At Home
5. Got My Mojo Working
6. Cut it Out
7. I Believe To My
8. Gaz’s Boogie Woogie
9. The Last Time
CD 28 – Town & Country Club, London – June 29th, 1992 – Pt.1:
1. Introduction
2. Maudie
3. I Want To Go
4. Congo Square
5. Chicago Line
6. Blues For The Lost Days
7. Movin’ Groovin’ Blues
8. The Bear
9. How Can You Live Like That?
CD 29 – Town & Country Club, London – June 29th, 1992 – Pt.2:
1. The Break Of Day
2. Nature’s Disappearing
3. T.V. Mama
4. Room To Move
5. Band Introductions
6. Get Me Some Dollars
CD 30 – Tempodrom, Berlin – May 12th, 1993:
1. Congo Square
2. Wake Up Call
3. Nature’s Disappearing
4. I Could Cry
5. Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby
6. Maydell
7. I’m Done With You
The Second Generation:
Live Magic 1968-1993
