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Derek & the Dominoes

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Formed in 1970 from the ashes of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, Derek & the Dominoes
assembled for this one all-time great album, and a few other scraps that I have here.....comprised of course of singer/guitarist Eric Clapton, keyboardist/singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle, and drummer Jim Gordon. They also recieved early contributions from George harrison, Dave Mason, and most notabaly some killer slide guitar work from Duane Allman.....the double album ("Layla and Other Assorted Lovesongs" is a masterpiece of bluesy-guitar rock, an absolute 5-star classic in my opinion......probably merely here as an aside as I bet that any one of you who is interested in it, has it already.

It is keyed by the phenoominal title track, written about Clapton's secret love of Harrison's wife Patti Boyd, you can feel Clapton's heart aching throughout the album, for my money, he was not better in Cream, nor in the Yardbirds, nor in Blind Faith, and certainly not as a solo act......"Layla" is the definitive work of Eric Clapton as a guitarist, writer, and singer.

As great as the single "Layla", best heard with it's extended outro, is, it is FAR from the album's only highlight......the amazing "Bell Bottom Blues"...."Tell the Truth"....and the Clapton/Allman guitar duet on "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?" would make this a reasonably good album if they were the entire contents, and it is a LOT better than that......the main question is, if you don't have it already, why not?

"In Concert" was a set of 1970 live recordings the band made before disbanding, (I don't have it), pieces of it turn up on the double-disc "Live at the Fillmore East" (which i DO have).....besides tracks from the one classic album, we get versions of Blind Faith's "Presence of the Lord" (perhaps THAt "supergroup's" best number), as well as a version of "Crossroads" from Cream......the opener "Got to Get Better in a Little While" is a great one, "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad" suffers greatly from the lack of Allman's presence,  "let It Rain" and (Hendrix') "Little Wing", and "Blues Power" rock smartly, and they wisely avoid a live "Layla", which would havea served only as a disappointment, I imagine......I LIKE THIS ALBUM A LOT, I know many Clapton-ites don't, but I REALLY do enjoy it.....energetic, rocking, and fun......NOT on par with "Layla", but not pretending to be....an album that has been "shortchanged by history", so to speak......

We Also have a leftovers set, "The Layla Sessions", which is interesting if nothing else...a shorter, duller version of "Got To Get Better In a Little While" appearas here, Nothing you will likely put into heavy rotation but without question a fine historical document.......

Trying, trying, trying like hell to keep things mixed up......Scratch Acid one night, Derek & the Dominoes the next? Maybe I'm failing, but at least I'm remaining true to my attempt of not being locked into ANY niche......if you like it, great, if not, maybe you'll like tomorrow's, that is how I look at it at least!

LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS-01 I Looked Away/02 Bell Bottom Blues/03 Keep On Growing/04 Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out/05 I Am Yours/06 Anyday/07 Key to the Highway/08 Tell the Truth/09 Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?/10 Have You Ever Loved a Woman/11 Little Wing/12 It's Too late/13 Layla/14 Thorn Tree In Garden

LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST DISC 1-01 Got TO Get Better In a Little While/02 Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad/03 Key to the Highway/04 Blues Power/05 Have You Ever Loved a Woman/06 Bottle of Red Wine

LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST DISC 2-01 Tell the Truth/02 Nobody Knows You When You're
Down and Out/03 Roll It Over/04 Presence of the Lord/05 Little Wing/06 Let It Rain/07 Crossroads

LAYLA SESSIONS-01 Sick at heart/02 Is My Love/03 Mean Old Frisco/04 Evil/05 Snake Lake BLues (Minor Key)/06 Snake Lake Blues (Major Key)/07 One More Chance/08 Got To Get Better In a Little While/09 High/10 Untitled Instrumental #1/11 Untitled Instrumental #2/12 Devil Road

So one for the old timers like me tonight, we'll see what my mood for tomorrow might be!

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