In the days of album expansion, it's not unusual for a record company to reissue an old album with a bonus track or two. This reconstruction of the January 13, 1973, comeback concert by
Eric Clapton
is something else again, however. The original six-track LP ran less than 27 minutes; the new 14-track expansion runs almost 74 minutes. The eight additions --
"Layla,"
"Blues Power,"
"Bottle of Red Wine,"
"Bell Bottom Blues,"
"Tell the Truth,"
"Key to the Highway,"
"Let It Rain,"
and
"Crossroads"
-- make the disc an effective recapitulation of
Clapton
's career over the previous seven years, including his solo work and his appearances with
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
,
Cream
, and
Derek and the Dominos
. Despite the addiction that had kept him largely homebound for almost two years,
played well, though the all-star backup band was as ragged as it was spirited. The loose feel of the evening was brought out in the stage announcements, many by
Pete Townshend
, who even mentioned a social disease just before introducing
"Presence of the Lord."
This still isn't a great
show, but it has been transformed from a historical curiosity to a historical document. ~ William Ruhlmann