by William Ruhlmann
John Mayall's Turning Point band -- Jon Mark, Johnny Almond, and Steve Thompson -- broke up in June 1970 after a European tour. Mayall then assembled his first all-American band and recorded this album in July. It had more drive than the previous outfit, and Mayall turned to environmentalism on the leadoff track, &Nature's Disappearing.& But much of his low-volume, reflective approach remained on an album that was still more of a jazz-pop outing than the blues sessions of his early career. USA Union had the highest U.S. chart peak of his career, hitting #22. But in the U.K., where its title confirmed Mayall's U.S. leanings, the album showed a big dropoff from his usual sales.