"...Bell Bottom Blues..."
I had the 2004 single-disc
SACD reissue of "Layla..." and was duly blown away by it (truly
awesome audio – even if it does reflect the crudity of the original recordings).
So why does anyone need a newly done 2CD 'Deluxe Edition' of this most iconic
of double-albums? The answer is that the New 2010 Remaster on Disc 1 absolutely
rocks - while the near sixty minutes of non-album single sides, live Johnny
Cash Show material and aborted 2nd album outtakes on Disc 2 offer up solid
thrills throughout and not just filler (most of it new to CD). In fact CD2 may
be the very best 'Bonus Disc' to a Rock DE version that I've ever heard. Got me
on my knees...Layla...here are the details...
UK released 21 March 2011
(26 April 2011 in the USA) – "Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs" by
DEREK and THE DOMINOES (featuring Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Bobby Whitlock,
George Harrison, Dave Mason, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins) on Universal/Polydor
B0015353-02 (Barcode 600753314296) is a 2CD Expanded 40th Anniversary 'Deluxe
Edition' and plays out as follows:
Disc 1 (77:16 minutes):
1. I Looked Away [Bobby
Whitlock and Eric Clapton song]
2. Bell Bottom Blues [Eric
Clapton song]
3. Keep On Growing [Bobby
Whitlock and Eric Clapton song]
4. Nobody Knows You When
You're Down And Out [Jimmie Cox song, Bessie Smith cover]
5. I Am Yours [Eric Clapton
song, Lyrics Adapted From A Nizami Poem]– Side 2
6. Anyday [Bobby Whitlock
and Eric Clapton song]
7. Key To The Highway [Big
Bill Broonzy cover]
8. Tell The Truth [Bobby
Whitlock and Eric Clapton song] – Side 3
9. Why Does Love Got To Be
So Sad? [Bobby Whitlock and Eric Clapton song]
10. Have You Ever Loved A
Woman? [Billy Myles cover]
11. Little Wing [Jimi
Hendrix cover] – Side 4
12. It's Too Late [Chuck
Willis cover]
13. Layla [Eric Clapton and
Jim Gordon song]
14. Thorn Tree In The Garden
[Bobby Whitlock song]
Tracks 1 to 14 are the
double-album "Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs" – released
November 1970 in the USA on Atco SD 2-704 and December 1970 in the UK on
Polydor 2625 005 (it peaked at No. 16 on the US charts – didn’t chart UK).
Disc 2 – BONUS DISC (58:32
minutes):
1. Mean Old World [Little
Walter cover, Album Outtake]
2. Roll It Over [Eric
Clapton and Bobby Whitlock song, Non-Album 7" B-side]
3. Tell The Truth [Eric
Clapton and Bobby Whitlock song, Non-Album 7" A-side]
(Tracks 2 and 3 originally
recorded in June 1970 at Abbey Road for the George Harrison "All Things
Must Pass" sessions - both Produced by Phil Spector – September 1970 UK 7”
single on Polydor 2058 087 - withdrawn)
4. It's Too Late - Live
[Chuck Willis cover]
5. Got To Get Better In A
Little While - Live [Eric Clapton song]
6. Matchbox - Live [Carl
Perkins cover]
7. Blues Power - Live Encore
[Eric Clapton & Leon Russell song]
Tracks 4 to 7 are Derek
& The Dominoes 'live' on The Johnny Cash Show, taped 5 November 1970 at the
Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. JOHNNY CASH and CARL PERKINS join the
band for "Matchbox" only
8. Snake Lake Blues [Eric
Clapton and Bobby Whitlock song]
9. Evil [Willie Dixon song,
Howlin' Wolf cover]
10. Mean Old Frisco [Arthur
'Big Boy' Crudup cover]
11. One More Chance [Eric
Clapton song]
12. Got To Get Better In A
Little While Jam [Eric Clapton song, instrumental]
13. Got To Get Better In A
Little While [Eric Clapton song, new 2010 vocal by Bobby Whitlock]
Tracks 8 to 13 are the
April/May 1971 sessions at the Olympic Studios in London for the aborted 2nd LP
(engineering by Andy Johns). The band was Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl
Radle and Jim Gordon. Bobby Whitlock's vocals on Track 6 were recorded
September 2010 in Austen, Texas especially for this release. All tracks remixed
by the original engineer ANDY JOHNS in September 2010.
DEREK and THE DOMINOES were:
ERIC CLAPTON – Guitars, Lead
Vocals
BOBBY WHITLOCK – Keyboards
and Vocals
DUANE ALLMAN – Guitars (All
Tracks except 1 to 3)
CARL RADLE – Bass and
Percussion
JIM GORDON – Drums and
Percussion
ALBHY GALUTEN – Guest Piano
on "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out"
Despite how pretty these gatefold
card digipaks can be – you have to say that the 12-page booklet is a
surprisingly skimpy affair for a supposed 'DE' of an album as highly regarded
as "Layla". The double-page photo spread (the inner gatefold of the
original vinyl album) is reproduced on both flaps and the inner pages of the
booklet with the other pages given over to track-by-track credits - and I'm
afraid little else. There isn't any liner notes – no discussions of the
supergroup's mercurial talent or its tortured discography – damn shame really.
Having said that we are left with the sound and content on Disc 2 which will do
very nicely indeed.
The September 2010 Remaster
done at Universal Studios went back to the original British Master Tapes and
long-time Audio Engineer ELLEN FITTON has done a stunning job. Motown fans will
know of her staggering work with the Hip-O Select label out of the USA – all 14
of the massive ‘Complete Motown Single' Sets – 75 Volumes of CDs with 1847
tracks – so this experienced lady knows her way around an original tape box or
two. The Audio is fabulous – really bringing out the layers.
While ERIC CLAPTON and DUANE
ALLMAN always grabs the lion's share of attention (Allman is on 11 of the 14
tracks) – a quick glance at the writer credits above and you'll see that BOBBY
WHITLOCK deserved just as many plaudits. Famously ignored in England (post
Cream) and making only 16 in the US LP charts – Atco even had to issue 'Derek
Is Eric' stickers to inform supposedly clueless punters as to the true identity
of the 'head domino' on the sprawling 2LP set. In fact I've always thought that
"Layla..." feels more like the studio double-album The Allman
Brothers never made rather than a vehicle for Clapton's songs of love, passion
and longing.
It opens with the mid-tempo
but fairly nondescript "I Looked Away" - Clapton and Whitlock sharing
the vocals with Whitlock's second-half-of-the-song croaking coming off the
worst. Better is the more melodious "Bell Bottom Blues" – Clapton
doubling up those guitars so well and that chorus sounding not unlike something
released by Badfinger on The Beatles' Apple label. But the proper axe-wielding
comes with the six and half minute ruckus of "Keep On Growing" where
Clapton spends much of the song endlessly racing up and down the frets of several
guitars – it's impressively dense, rocking and even a tad flashy. Time for some
Blues to end Side 1 – the band call on a Jimmie Cox song made famous in 1929 by
Bessie Smith on a Columbia 78" - "Nobody Knows You When You're Down
And Out". It's the first time the distinctive slide of Duane Allman shows
– and along with Whitlock's organ – they anchor every tune thereafter with
great flits and licks - feeling like the second guitarist Clapton has always
needed by his side.
The acoustic ditty "I
Am Yours" has come in for some stick over the years but I'd argue its
pretty (if not a little overly hissy here). "Anyday" is surely one of
the great moments on the album – six and half minutes of Allman and Clapton on
fire. Things lighten up considerably with the barroom boogie of Big Bill
Broonzy's "Key To The Highway" – the band flexing their playing
muscles for 9:38 minutes and enjoying it. Side 3 opens on another
Clapton/Whitlock winner and future concert fave – the re-recorded "Tell
The Truth". The album version of this guitar boogie weighs in at 6:30
minutes and is more measured than the frantic shorter original Phil Spector
produced for the "All Things Must Pass" sessions (the 3:23 minute
original recorded in June 1970 was slotted in for a supposed UK 7" single
release in September 1970 but that was hastily withdrawn (that version is on
Disc 2). "Tell..." is followed by the manic pace of "Why Does
Love Got To Be So Sad?" - but it's resolutely trounced by the side
finisher – "Have You Ever Loved A Woman". Recorded 2 September 1970
with Duane Allman taking on the 2nd solo – it's a blistering piece of Rock
Blues from the pen of Billy Myles (made famous by Freddie King in 1961 on King
Records). Clapton sings the "...so much you tremble in pain..." lyrics
with such passion that you can literally feel it translate to his fingers –
fabulous stuff and next to the title track – surely one of the album's true
highlights.
But Side 4 opens with yet
another sweetie – a Soulful ramshackle take on Jimi Hendrix's beautiful ballad
"Little Wing". We get an "...ok hit it..." silly inclusion
of the Chuck Willis hit on Atlantic Records "It's Too Late" which
definitely feels like a throwaway. The title track however is another matter.
The intense and forbidden love that dominates the lyrics of "Layla"
may have come from the translation of the 12th Century Persian poet Nizami
Ganjavi whose book speaks of the same. The duelling guitars of Allman and
Clapton have become the stuff of legend in this seven-minute Rock Opus – and
even to this day "Layla" sounds amazing – especially that wonderful
keyboard break half way through. Following the album's release November 1970 in
the USA but just prior to its issue in the UK (December 1970) – Polydor and
Atco pulled what should have been their ace in the hole 45 – "Layla"
b/w "Bell Bottom Blues". But alarmingly it garnished little attention
on either side of the pond – genuinely odd nowadays considering what a classic
the A-side was and is - and how ingrained into our musical psyche
"Layla" as a song truly is. Just outside the Top 50 on initial
release in the USA (51) – it would take until June 1972 for the song to get
real chart action on reissue (Atco 6809) when it peaked at No. 10. A solo Eric
Clapton Acoustic 'unplugged' version went even higher to No. 2 in October 1997
when he radically reworked the song to spectacular effect. The 1970 double
album ends of another song that's been slagged off down through the years as
sappy and even trite "Thorn Tree In The Garden" – a Bobby Whitlock
original sung with his slightly annoying croak. I've always liked it and think
the song as pretty an acoustic tune as you're ever likely to hear.
DISC 2 (Bonus Tracks):
It opens with a fantastic
find – three members of the band doing a slide acoustic take on Little Walter's
"Mean Old World". Clapton and Allman share bluesy guitar licks while
Jim Gordon plays Drums (Eric sings Lead) – and it sounds utterly amazing. Two
obvious Derek & The Dominoes exclusions from the 1990 '20th Anniversary'
Edition 3CD set and not on the 2004 SACD reissue either were the stand alone
single "Tell The Truth" b/w "Roll It Over" which I
mentioned earlier. Polydor UK tried the original version of "Tell The
Truth" (Track 3 on Disc 2) as a 7" single in September 1970 (Polydor
2058 087) with the non-album Clapton/Whitlock original "Roll It Over"
(Track 2 on Disc 2) on the flipside – but then withdrew it at the band's
insistence. Both tracks were originally recorded at Abbey Road in June 1970 for
George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" sessions. Both sides are
produced by PHIL SPECTOR with the A-side "Tell The Truth" being a
much shorter 3:23 minute version of the re-recorded 6:30 minute take that would
eventually appear on the "Layla" double album. It's also frantically faster
(I love it actually). But even "Tell..." is as nothing to the totally
brilliant flipside "Roll It Over". Unlike the A – the B-side included
the stellar talents of GEORGE HARRISON of The Beatles and DAVE MASON of Traffic
both on Vocals and Guitar. Clapton takes lead vocals while Carl Radle plays
Bass with Jim Gordon on Drums. What a winner this is...and collectable on so
many fronts...
The live stuff on the Johnny
Cash Show features an introduction by the mighty Johnny when he name-checks all
four band-members (sans Duane Allman). The audio is far better than I thought
it would be and Eric's playing very fluid especially on the stunning second
track "Got To Get Better In A Little While" – a non Layla side that
sees Clapton funking-out on Guitar much to the clapping audience's enthusiasm
(screams for more). They return with Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash to do a cover
of Perkin's boppin' classic "Matchbox". After an introduction and a
vocal appreciation from Cash and Clapton – they launch into a joyous take of
the song The Beatles loved and recorded. "...I'm an old poor boy and I'm a
long way from home..." Cash and Perkins sing as Clapton lays into the most
tasteful solo (its fabulous stuff). Then Eric agrees to do another song (huge
applause) and pulls out the EC/Leon Russell original "Blues Power"
where he and the band give the crowd six and half minutes of what they want.
As if these goodies aren't
enough to put the release into five-star status – we get even more brilliance –
6 outtakes from the aborted 2nd LP recorded in London April/May 1971.
"Snake Lake Blues" is an instrumental that you can't help feel was
probably waiting for lyrics that never came. But whatever way you look it –
Clapton's playing on "Snake..." is fantastic and the remastered audio
just kicking (clear, warm and full). The same applies to a wickedly good
version of Willie Dixon's "Evil" which he'd return to on his solo
LPs. Fans will double take at the identikit Dobro sound on "Mean Old
Frisco" – practically a doppelganger for the sound of the version that
would turn up a full seven years later on Clapton's "Slowhand" LP.
The same stunning audio (remixed by Andy Johns) applies to the superb acoustic
boogie of "One More Chance" and the two ramshackle but wildly
exciting versions of that Johnny Cash show stopper – "Got To Get Better In
A Little While". The first is a Funky Jam instrumental at just under four
minutes (utterly brilliant) while the full 6:05 minutes version has Bobby
Whitlock's vocal mixed into it in September 2010 – a seamless job done too – wow!
For the insatiable there's
even a Super Deluxe Edition version of this "Layla" reissue that
gathers up the double live set that followed the album (sans Duane Allman),
Surround Mixes, Single Sides and an awful lot of other stuff.
But if you want the short
sharp shock – then this double-dose 2011 DELUXE EDITION of "Layla And
Other Assorted Love Songs" is a superlative reminder of why people painted
Derek's name on walls once upon a time...
This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Book Series. One of those titles is CLASSIC 1970s ROCK - an E-Book with over 250 entries and 2100 e-Pages - purchase on Amazon and search any artist or song (click the link below). Huge amounts of info taken directly from the discs (no cut and paste crap).
