As It All Began: The Best of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers 1964-1968 is an excellent 20-track retrospective, capturing
Mayall's band at their peak. The Bluesbreakers went through several different lineups during those four years, with musicians the caliber of
Eric Clapton,
Mick Taylor,
Paul Butterfield,
Mick Fleetwood,
John McVie, and
Peter Green floating through the group. Hardcore fans of any of those musicians, or of British blues, will naturally want to familiarize themselves with the original albums, but
As It All Began is a fine sampler for the casual fan, featuring such staples as "Lonely Years," "Bernard Jenkins," "All Your Love," "Parchman Farm," "Double Trouble," "The Death of J.B. Lenoir," and "Miss James." Even at 20 tracks, there are a number of fine moments missing from this collection, but
As It All Began remains the best available single-disc overview of
the Bluesbreakers' prime period. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine