classic live clapton

as far as my favriote musician. eric clapton is the one. from cream, blind faith, derek and the dominos, mayall etc.. clapton has been greatnees for 40 years, and this set shows why. if your a die hard cream fan.. you may wanna forget about this set. most solo/covers and dominos stuff here. disc 2 captures some of the most amazing live work ive ever heard. badge and eyesight to the bind/why does love got to be so sad take the cake.



after that the tunes keep comin and it all comes to a great point on disc 4 when eric covers otis rush's double trouble. great cover there. i would def suggest this for a big clapton fan, its a must have. for a person who really isnt into him that much you may wanna pass. but if you like this cd then you have to go out and buy the dominos live show at the fillmore which is one of my favriote all time cds. i would give this set a 4... but everytime i see disc 2 i see the greatness of clapton.. one hell of a live player!!!

For serious fans

The great, career-spanning "Crossroads" compilation was a box set that appealed to both beginners and hardcore Clapton fanatics.

"Crossroads 2 - Live In The Seventies" mainly appeals to fanatics.



Spanning four discs and consisting almost entirely of live material (there are a handful of studio outtakes), this music will enthrall completists and archivists, who will find a wealth of compelling performances here. But they will also find a fair share of mediocre, uninspired tracks, and four versions of Robert Johnson's "Rambling On My Mind".

No-one needs four versions of "Rambling On My Mind" by the same artist on the same album. And three of them were recorded less than five months apart.



The majority of these songs are slow blues and ballads, and a few more up-tempo songs, and a bit more musical variation, would have made "Crossroads 2" a significantly better set. The band is somewhat static, and the lenghty instrumental breaks and intros can seem indulgent (or simply dull), especially since many songs featue little or no guitar playing of note, but a heck of a lot of organ instead.



But that's not to say that there isn't anything worth your while here. The serious Clapton fan will certainly enjoy the first version of "Rambling On My Mind", which features some great slide guitar playing. And there are plenty of other highlights as well, including the classic "Layla", a nice, piano-driven "Worried Life Blues", the tough blues-rock of "Further On Up The Road", an excellent take on "Crossroads", the smouldering slow blues "Have You Ever Loved A Woman", and the charming "Willie And The Hand Jive".

A few surprises are included as well, including Don Williams' "We're All The Way", a fine, acoustic "Cryin'" (a studio outtake), and the Four Tops-hit "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" in a nice, Clapton-esque rendition.



Most of these songs can be found on Clapton's other live albums, of course (albeit in different versions), so you don't have to get "Crossroads 2" in order to hear them. And besides, this set is weighed down somewhat by some mediocre performances, and the tempo is sometimes slowed down to a point where the pause between each drumbeat is long enough for the listener to start wondering if the CD has stopped playing.



The good songs do outnumber the less exciting ones, though, and there is some really superb guitar playing on display here. The serious fan will want this set in their collection, but the casual listener need not bother.

3 1/2 stars.

Go with this over the first Crossroads !

This is the perfect box set for the casual Clapton fan or the serious without a live set. This is a great introduction to Clapton's to most of Clapton's mandatory songs (minus the Cream songs) that were recorded during the 70's at various venues. The sound quality is perfect with no deteriation from the recording at all.

There are some amazing rocking versions of songs. This set was taken during his drugged out depression phase when his solos rocked the hardest and his blues were the saddest.

Disc One- A great intro for the set with a fun Hand Jive. The highlight of this disc is the great "Cant Find My Way Home" with some of Clapton's cathiest lyrics to date.

Disc Two- The best disc of the set and one my single most favorite discs OF ALL TIME- worth the price of the set by itself. The 4 and a half min Layla is the best version of Layla ever hands down. Clapton tears through the riff with an amazing solo that shows of his best skills and his full range. Guaranteed to have you air jamming every time. The I Shot The Sheriff jams like no other. Clapton just gets in a groove with some finger pickin that cant be beat. Badge goes through its usual first half before Clapton just puts on an all out assault on the laws of rockin. The solo flies through many phases and has to be heard to be believed. Follow this up with a 24 min "Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad" with Santana. This is my all time favorite Clapton song and it needs to be heard multiple times before its complexity can be unraveled. The easiest way to describe it would be like a battle between Santana and Clapton where they are playing off of each other in alternate dueling commraderie. Fantastic!!

Disc three- the second best disc with multiple winners. The two best are Core with its powerful emotion and the always solid Cocaine.

Disc four- my least favorite of the discs but some decents ones hidden away. "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" is another cathy tune that not all casual classic rock fans have heard.

Bottom Line: anyone interested in Clapton, classic rock, or kick-... guitar shreddin should go out and get this set.