The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation emerged from Liverpool in 1967 as a blues-rock outfit fronted by drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who had cut his teeth with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The group's sound merged British blues traditions with psychedelic embellishments and jazz-inflected rhythms, reflecting the late 1960s appetite for genre fluidity. Their debut album The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (1968) showcased extended instrumental passages and Dunbar's commanding polyrhythmic approach, while subsequent releases like Doctor Dunbar's Prescription explored harder textures.

The band's lineup shifted frequently, yet consistently featured Victor Brox on vocals and organ, whose raw delivery complemented Dunbar's percussive intensity. Though never achieving mass commercial success, the Retaliation maintained a cult following through relentless touring, particularly across Britain and Europe. Their work captured the transitional moment when blues purism began splintering into heavier, more experimental forms. Dunbar himself would later anchor bands like Journey and Jefferson Starship, but the Retaliation remains a footnote in British blues history, remembered for visceral live performances rather than chart positions.

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