Derek & The Dominoes: Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs - 1971

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Blues rock of the highest calibre here - the whole album reeks of quality, despite a notoriously muffled-ish production that multiple remasters can never quite cure. Anyway, let’s get to it. 

After the underwhelming Blind Faith “supergroup” experiment, Eric Clapton reconvened with his mates from the Delaney and Bonnie band, together with slide guitar maestro Duane Allman to produce a double album that has gone down in history as one of the great rock albums. Allman’s searing licks are all over album, outshining even Clapton at times. Tragically, he was killed in a motorcycle accident a year later. 

In a series of lengthy blues rock workouts that sound as if they are being played live, Eric and the band bring new rocking life to blues standards such as Nobody Loves You When You’re Down And Out, the peerless Key To The Highway (just check out that guitar half way through), Have You Ever Loved A Woman and Hendrix’s Little Wing. There are also more laid-back numbers like I Am Yours to be found on here too as well as typical Clapton uplifting, soulful rockers like the magnificent Anyday, Tell The Truth and I Looked Away as well as hits like Bell Bottom Blues and, of course, Eric’s lovesick anthem Layla - get that air guitar tuned.....daddle daddle daddle dah.

The Deluxe edition of the album contains loads of alternative versions, live versions and jam versions.

* Incidentally, The Tedeschi Trucks Band released a live recording of the full album in 2018. It is worth checking out. 

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