Bare Wires
was the first
Bluesbreakers
album of new studio material since
A Hard Road
, released 16 months before. In that time, the band had turned over entirely, expanding to become a septet.
Mayall
's musical conception had also expanded -- the album began with a 23-minute
"Bare Wires Suite,"
which included more
jazz
influences than usual and featured introspective lyrics. In retrospect, all of this is a bit indulgent, but at the time it helped
out of what had come to seem a
blues
straitjacket (although he would eventually return to a strict
approach). It isn't surprising that he dropped the "Bluesbreakers" name after this release. The album was
's most successful ever in the U.K., hitting number three. ~ William Ruhlmann