The Sun Is Shining Down is the final studio album by British blues musician John Mayall, released on 28 January 2022 through Forty Below Records. All but one of the tracks are collaborations with other musicians, including two collaborations with both Melvin Taylor and Scarlet Rivera. It was produced by Mayall and Eric Corne and received positive reviews from critics.
| The Sun Is Shining Down | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 January 2022 | |||
| Genre | Blues rock | |||
| Length | 45:43 | |||
| Label | Forty Below | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| John Mayall chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| American Songwriter |  [3] |
| Classic Rock | [4] |
| Uncut | 7/10[5] |
The Sun Is Shining Down received a score of 78 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[1] Classic Rock found that "Mayall endures, and keeps exploring, with his best originals – 'Got to Find a Better Way' and 'Deep Blue Sea' – bent happily out of shape by screeching violin",[4] while Uncut commented that "Mayall enthusiastically opens the door to funk and soul elements".[5] Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter stated that while "Mayall never had a commanding voice and his thin vocals aren't getting any sturdier with age", he still "delivers these songs with emotion and joy that belies the many candles on his birthday cake".[2] Thom Jurek of AllMusic opined that Mayall's "ability to write and record vital modern blues with excellent musicians continues unabated" as he "sounds hungry and vital. Mayall delivers these rough-and-ready blues like a champ."[2]
Track listing
editAll tracks written by John Mayall, except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hungry and Ready" (featuring Melvin Taylor) | 5:00 | |
| 2. | "Can't Take No More" (featuring Marcus King) | 3:45 | |
| 3. | "I'm as Good as Gone" (featuring Buddy Miller) | Bobby Rush | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Got to Find a Better Way" (featuring Scarlet Rivera) | 5:00 | |
| 5. | "Chills and Thrills" (featuring Mike Campbell) | Bernard Allison | 5:20 |
| 6. | "One Special Lady" (featuring Jake Shimabukuro) | 4:17 | |
| 7. | "A Quitter Never Wins" |
| 4:33 |
| 8. | "Deep Blue Sea" (featuring Scarlet Rivera) | 4:25 | |
| 9. | "Driving Wheel" (featuring Melvin Taylor) | Roosevelt Sykes | 3:41 |
| 10. | "The Sun Is Shining Down" (featuring Carolyn Wonderland) | 5:19 | |
| Total length: | 45:43 | ||
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[6] | 159 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] | 87 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[8] | 75 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] | 29 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[10] | 28 |
References
edit- ^ a b "The Sun Is Shining Down by John Mayall Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ Horowitz, Hal (25 January 2022). "Review: Octogenarian John Mayall's Blues Keeps Shining Down". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ a b "John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down". Classic Rock. February 2022. p. 79.
- ^ a b "John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down". Uncut. February 2022. p. 32.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 December 2023.