John Mayall is certainly one of the most accomplished bandleaders in blues history, a veteran of scores of albums who’s consistently put together interesting and musically sophisticated bands.

The current Bluesbreakers lack the flash of his legendary groupings, and there are certainly no Eric Claptons or Mick Taylors here, but the lineup performs more than capably throughout and Mayall draws excellent performances from his guest stars. Tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts is outstanding on the album-opening “Don’t Turn Your Back” and John Lee Hooker adds his trademark guitar sound to “Somebody’s Watching” and “Bad Dream Catcher.”

Hooker lets Mayall do the singing, quite a tribute to the latter’s abilities, and if anything Mayall has become a better vocalist over the years. The title track is Mayall’s statement of purpose, a truly driven vocal that rises to great occasion on the heels of a finely-honed guitar solo from Buddy Whittington.

“Sometimes I stop to wonder what some critics out there would have me do,” Mayall laments before placing his fate in the hands of the listeners.

Ultimately that’s where it belongs, and while I wouldn’t recommend this album as your introduction to Mayall, his fans will find that it provides the solid, enjoyable performance they’ve come to expect, and always get, from him.