A Hard Road is the third album (and second studio album) recorded by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, released in 1967. It introduced Peter Green on lead guitar following the departure of Eric Clapton, and also featured John McVie on bass, Aynsley Dunbar on drums and John Almond on saxophone. Tracks 5, 7 and 13 feature the horn section of Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh. Green additionally sings lead vocals on "You Don't Love Me" and "The Same Way". The cover art and the original LP sleeve design are by Mayall. The album reached #8 on the UK album charts which is Mayall's third best showing on the chart next to Bare Wires and Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton which reached #3 and #6, respectively. Two different expanded versions of the album were released in 2003 and 2006.

Reception

Reaction to the album was mostly positive, and many praised Green's guitar playing. Team Rock rated the album at 14, on their "Top 30 British Blues Rock Albums of All Time". The two re-issues of the album, in 2003 (double CD) and 2006 (single CD), have compiled all of the Peter Green studio contributions he made to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers over 1966–1971. The bonus tracks missing from the 2006 remaster (except "Evil Woman Blues") appeared on the remastered versions of the next Bluesbreakers studio albums, "Crusade" and "Bare Wires". It was voted number 638 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

Track listing

All tracks by John Mayall except where noted.

Original album

2003 expanded version (2CD/36 tracks)

Disc one

1–14 Original album tracks (as above)

Disc two

The additional material is: Disc 1 – 15 from Raw Blues; 16–19 from the John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Paul Butterfield EP Disc 2 – 1–3 and 13–16 from Looking Back; 4–7 and 9–12 from Thru the Years; 8 from the B-side of "Curly" single; 17 from Blues from Laurel Canyon

2006 UK expanded version (1CD/28 tracks, 4 unreleased)

1–14 Original album tracks (as above) The previously unreleased tracks 15–16, 23 from Looking Back; 17–18, 24 from Thru the Years, Decca SKL 5086; 19–22 are from the John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Paul Butterfield EP, Decca DFE 8673; 25–28 are from BBC Light Programme Saturday Club session recorded 23 January 1967

Personnel

Original album with: 2003 expanded edition Same as above with the addition of: Production