Mick Taylor's debut

"Crusade" is one of John Mayall's often overlooked albums. It is the debut of the very young Mick Tyalor at the Blue breakers. Besides Taylor nor John McVie, bass, Keef Hartley, drums, and saxophonist Chris Mercer and Rip Kant formed the band. The game of Taylor appears to be somewhat smoother than that of his predecessor, Peter Green and Eric Clapton, but fits perfectly into the fabric of the band. As with its predecessors also Taylor's lead guitar is the supporting element.
It's a guitar-heavy and the winds backed blues-rock album with occasional breaks from Mayall's piano or organ and strong accents through the harmonica. The driving instrumentals "Driving Sideways" and "Snowy Wood" are the highlights. With "The Death of JB Lenoir" Mayall continues his idol a worthy monument. "Me and My Woman," "Oh Pretty Woman" (has nothing to do with Roy Orbison), "My Time After a While", "Tears in My Eyes" and "Streamline" protrude from an overall strong album. Although Mayall is not necessarily a frontman and not the best singer, but his harmonica and the excellent band work more than make up for it.
The remastered edition offers ten additional single pages from that era that are weaker in any way. So people do not, stops at "Laurel Canyon" and "Turning Point" and give this album also times a chance.