Friday Featured Album: Layla, and Other Assorted Love Songs

Eric Clapton has just come out with a new album, Old Sock, which is his 20th studio album.  I have not heard it yet, but I’m not expecting greatness at this point.  I love Clapton, both his playing (of course) and his voice, which he has grown into over the years.  His live recordings and concerts show his strengths and his greatness. But his studio albums are more often than not don’t convey the same sort of emotion and connection that you get when you see him play live.  If you look at his records over the years, there are some great moments, but not a lot of great records. (Probably a reason why he has so many greatest hits packages).

The one exception to this, of course, is Layla, and Other Assorted Love Songs, which is technically not an Eric Clapton record, but credited to Derek and the Dominoes.  Certainly the band put together for this record is a big reason for its success.  After Blind Faith, Clapton retreated to being a sideman with Delaney & Bonnie (great in their own right – check them out), and wanted to avoid the spotlight that came with being in a “supergroup” after that experience and three years with Cream.  He pulled Bobby Whitlock (keyboards, vocals), Carl Radle (bass), and Jim Gordon (drums) from that band to record songs in 1970.  After the sessions started Clapton recruited Duane Allman to sit in, and one of the great (albeit short-lived) bands was formed.

As is often the case with great art, so many elements came together to at the right time and in the right way to make Layla the great record it is.  The band members themselves, of course, contributed, but in being a band (not a supergroup) Clapton felt at ease in a way he had not since being with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers.  He was the leader, to be sure, but the emphasis was only on the music.  Also contributing, as is often the case, was turmoil personally for Clapton, with his love affair with George Harrison’s wife, Patti.  The choice of producer was also spot on, with Tom Dowd leading the sessions.  Dowd was a long time engineer with Atlantic Records, and he brought a raw bluesy feel to the sessions that Clapton’s records often lack.

The songs, both original and covers, over and over again emphasize heartbreak, and Clapton’s voice was never better (and never has been).  Never wanting to be a singer, he finally came into his own and the emotional delivery is often heartbreaking to listen to.  The guitar work — especially on those tracks with Allman — is simply the standard for rock blues guitar in the history of music.  It does not get better than this (and, yes, I’m including Hendrix).  It’s all about emotion, and you get the sense that Clapton was playing for his life.

Personally, I hold Layla as one of the great all-time albums, and there’s rarely a month where I don’t listen to some or all of it.  I get chills almost every time, too, listening to songs like “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?” , “Bell Bottom Blues”, and their cover of “Little Wing”.

So, go and buy Old Sock, and enjoy it.  But take the time to re-listen to Layla this weekend first.

(the version below is the Deluxe Version, with tons of additional tracks. Listen to the first 14 for the original album).