The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
Band members Related acts
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line-up 1 (1968-70) - Victor Brox (RIP 2023) -- vocals, trumpet, keyboards - Aynsley Dunbar -- drums, percussion -
John Moorshead -- vocals, guitar
line-up 2 (1970) - Victor Brox (RIP 2023) -- vocals, trumpet, keyboards - Aynsley Dunbar -- drums, percussion - Tommy Eyre (RIP 2001) -- keyboards NEW - Alex Dmochowski (aka Erroneous)-- bass (replaced Keith Tillman) -
John Moorshead -- vocals, guitar
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- Annette and Victor Brox (Victor Brox) - Babylon (Tommy Eyre) - The Jeff Beck Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - Blue Whale (Aynsley Dunbar) - Eddie Boyd And His Blues Band (Aynsley Dunbar) - Eric Burdon & The New Animals (Aynsley Dunbar) - Eric Burdon's I Band (Aynsley Dunbar) - Neil Christian & The Crusaders (Alex Dmochowski) - Julien Covey and the Machine (John Moorshead) - Miles Davis Tribute Band ( Tommy Eyre) - The Excheckers Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - The Flamingos (Aynsley Dunbar) - Free At Last (Victor Brox) - Ian Gillan Band ( Tommy Eyre) - The Grease Band ( Tommy Eyre) - Heavy Jelly ( Alex Dmochowski and John Moorshead) - Stu James & The Mojos (Aynsley Dunbar) - Jefferson Starship Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - Journey Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - Juicy Lucy ( Tommy Eyre) - Die Liverpool Triumphs (Aynsley Dunbar) - Mainsqueeze (Victor Brox and Keith Tillman) - John Mayall's Bluesbreakers Group (Alex Dmochowski( Aynsley Dunbar and Keith Tillman) - Mingus Big Band ( Tommy Eyre) - Mogg / Way Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - The Mojos Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - Mother's Army Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - The Mothers of Invention Group (Alex Dmochowski and Aynsley Dunbar) - Mr. Gone ( Tommy Eyre) - The New Band ( Tommy Eyre) - Riff Raff ( Tommy Eyre) - Ritual ( Tommy Eyre) - Schenker Pattison Summit - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band ( Tommy Eyre) - The Shotgun Express (John Moorshead) - Strabismus ( Tommy Eyre) - Freddy Starr And The Star Boys (Aynsley Dunbar) - Sweet Pain (Victor Brox and Keith Tillman) - Topaz (Aynsley Dunbar) - UFO Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - Whitesnake Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - Derry Wilkie & the Pressmen Group (Aynsley Dunbar) - Jimmy Winston and His Reflections (Alex Dmochowski) - Zzebra ( Tommy Eyre)
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Genre: blues-rock Rating: 2 stars ** Title: To Mum, from Aynsley and the Boys Company: Blue Thumb Catalog: BTS
16 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $35.00
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1969's "To Mum, from Aynsley and the Boys" marked the third studio collection for The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation. The album featured a collection of eight band originals with all five members contributing to songwriting duties. With the formal addition of ex-Grease Band keyboardist Tommy Eyre to the line-up, Victor Brox was able to drop his keyboard duties and focus on vocals. Brox had a dark, bluesy and slightly ominous voice that's always reminded me of the late Jimmy Dewar. At least to my ears his vocals provided most of the album's highlights. At the same time Eyre's keyboards gave material like "Let It Ride" and "Leaving Right Away" a somewhat fuller and more melodic sound. Not the showiest performer, John Moorshead's work showed him to be an understated, but gifted guitarist. Bassist Alex Dmochowski was solid throughout with a sly affection for funky rhythms (check out his work on "Sugar On The Line"). Namesake drummer Aynsley Dunbar was ... well he was Aynsley Dunbar. As on the two previous studio album the predominant sound remained English blues-rock. What else would you have expected from a collection produced by Dunbar's former boss John Mayall? (Funny to recall that Mayall fired Dunbar from the Bluesbreakers and replaced him with a young Mick Fleetwood.) And that's the primary factor which was going to decide whether you liked the album or not. If electric English blues was your thing, then material like "Run You Off The Hill", the instrumental "Journey's End" and "Leaving Right Away" was likely to keep you engaged. It was all professional, enthusiastic and well played. On the other hand if you felt English blues-rock sounded "sort of the same" and were looking for a more varied and commercial sound, this was going to have minimal value. I'm in the latter category so with the exception of the opening ballad "Don't Take The Power Away", the funky "Sugar On the Line" and the slinky "Down, Down, Down" the set didn't do a great deal for me.
And I'm apparently not alone since, citing musical differences, the band called it quits within months of the album's release. That didn't stop Liberty Records from persuading Brox to oversee the release of a Dunbar-less posthumous fourth album of previously recorded material - 1970's "Remains To Be Heard" (Liberty catalog number LBS 83316).
The Hipgnosis designed "Teddy Boys" cover art has always made me smile.
"To Mum,
from Aynsley and the Boys" track listing: 1.) Don't Take The Power Away (Victor Brox) - 4:01 rating: *** stars Opening up with some distorted Brox guitar and trumpet, "Don't Take The Power Away" was a dark and spare ballad. Since he wrote it, I'm guessing Brox handled the lead vocals. Dunbar's drums were also prominent - sounded like he was pounding away of a pair of kettle drums. It's definitely eerie - imagine an obsessed lover having ended a relationship in a fit of anger. 2.) Run You Off The Hill (Aynsley Dunbar - Victor Brox - John Moorshead - Alex Dmochowski) - 5:43 rating: ** stars The opening chords had a Motown-ish feel, but when Alex Dmochowski's bass kicked in you found yourself listening to a standard slice of Chicago electric blues. Brox again showed himself to be a decent singer, but the real focus was on John Moorshead's extended jittery guitar solo and Tommy Eyre's Hammond B-3 fills. The downside; this was the kind of tune most folks had heard dozens of times before - it certainly wouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone who owns a John Mayall album. 3.) Let It Ride (Aynsley Dunbar - Victor Brox - Tommy Eyre) - 4:59 rating: **** stars Shifting the focus to Eyre's Hammond B-3, "Let It Ride" retained a bluesy feel, but was more driving and upbeat than the previous track. Brox's growling voice sounded good on this one. The audio quality isn't great and the video shots are jumpy and poorly lit, but YouTube has a black and white performance clip taken from ant October1969 appearance at the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany. Compared to the album version, live they sound like a second tier Brian Auger and the Oblivion Express. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pvVQP1XB6Q 4.) Journey's End (instrumental) (Aynsley Dunbar - John Moorshead - Alex Dmochowski - Tommy Eyre) 5:37 rating: ** stars Giving Eyre a chance to display his bona fides, the instrumental "Journey's End" opened with some Bach influenced church organ. The song's classical feel had always reminded me of something off a Focus LP. And just as I was settling in the tune shifted into a bluesy vibe with the focus shifting to Moorshead's guitar. Again, it was professional, but little more than standard English electric blues - think about an early Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Blues Band album and you'll know what to expect.
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2) Admittedly "Down, Down, Down" was a blues number, but it was build on a slinky groove that was perfectly suited for Brox's slightly ominous voice. The track also gave Moorshead a chance to showcase his most impressive solo. My pick for the album's standout performance. Also filmed at an October1969 appearance at the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany, YouTube has a performance clip of the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WsUSPp8bc 2.) Unheard (instrumental) (Aynsley Dunbar - Victor Brox - Tommy Eyre) - 2:22 rating: * star The instrumental "Unheard" was the album's most experimental piece. Essentially two minutes of Dunbar drum solos overlaid with some tuneless, jazzy Eyre keyboard doodling, this was one most folks can safely skip over.. 3.)
Sugar On The Line (Aynsley Dunbar - Victor Brox - John .Moorshead) - 4:25 rating:
**** stars
English blues can be ponderous, but when it's got a funky rhythm like "Sugar On The Line" (check out Dmochowski's bass line), it's a different story. The song attracted some attention when it was included on the 1970 Blue Thumb compilation "All Day Thumbsucker Revisited" (Blue Thumb catalog number BTS2000).
4.) Leaving Right Away (Aynsley Dunbar - Victor Brox - Tommy Eyre) - 6:54 rating: *** stars The keyboard powered blues number "Leaving Right Away" was another track salvaged by Brox's voice and Dmochowski's bass. On the surface it was kind of pedestrian, but once that bass line got into your system, it stuck.
© Scott R. Blackerby June 2025
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