Artificial respiration

I always had a soft spot in my head for the original 1973 'Rainbow Concert' album - Clapton, in the midst of his heroin addiction, was helped out by a cast of famous friends who together turn in a loose, touching, and sometimes dessicated performance that captures the era as well as other druggy, haunted post 60s documents, like the Stones' "Goats Head Soup," Traffic's "Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory," and Lou Reed's "Berlin." For the so called cd 'upgrade', Jon Astley has committed - and multiplied - the same revisionist sins that marred the Who's box set, utterly transforming the original performance and the album that resulted from it. This cd has more than twice as many tracks as the murky, dark original (6, clocking in at under forty minutes), but 5 of those tracks have been severely shortened, and many of the unreleased tracks are suspiciously short, clean and neat sounding as well. Example, the deliciously sleazy sounding "Roll It Over" has been cut from 7 minutes down to four; "Little Wing" (with Ron Wood's beautiful lead soloing atop Townshend's slashing chords)has 2 minutus lopped off the original 6:32. Etc, etc. Thus, the 1995 cd remaster (and, 'remix')is utterly different in sound, mood, and spirit from the more honest original album (and cd, which went out of print in the mid '90s). It's a shame, for now we have to own both the 1973 album (issued just a few months after the Dominos' "In Concert" and providing a fascinating, stark contrast) and this silly, cleaned-up 'medley' of the Rainbow shows to hear most of the songs Eric and his friends played those dark winter nights in January 1973. Maybe we'll get a full-length "Deluxe edition" on 2 cds? It would make more sense than the recently issued, padded "Disreali Gears."

THE LEGENDARY RESCUEOF A LEGEND!!

"Eric Clapton has had so much tragedy", my uncle said, "He should have been a Kennedy!!" This is true, & this album is the bi-product of part of it. Clapton started out in many Supergroups. After leaving the Yardbirds, he played with "John Mayall's Bluesbreakers", Then "Cream", then "Blind Faith". During these periods, he did little singing & was shy about his stardom. After Delaney & Bonnie, he formed another group with those musicians called "Derek & The Dominos". Duane Allman, a legendary slide guitarist from The Allman Brothers, heard Clapton was recording this album &, after a concert, rode his motorcycle from Sisco to L.A., in the rain & STONED ON HEROIN!! "I don't know how I made it alive", he later said. Well, he was sitting in a chair with other admirers when Clapton spotted him. "You're Duane Allman", he said. Allman replied, "I didn't know you knew I existed!" Clapton said, "Are you kidding? Get up here! I want you on my album!!" This took the "Layla" album to another level of legend!! After, a tour, Allman, & Jimi Hendrix, another of Clapton's friends & Idols, died, & the Dominos split up. Clapton grew depressed & went on a THREE YEAR HEROIN BINGE!! (So did his girlfriend) He had his drugs dropped at his door &, except to join his best friend, George Harrison, for the "Concert For Bangladesh", never left his house! Finally, Pete Townsend of "The Who", & some other friends, said "Enough!!" Townsend DRUG Clapton out of the house and pressured him into doing a concert, as an intervention. The Result was this classic album! Clapton was joined on stage by Pete Townsend & Ronnie Wood on Guitar, Steve Winwood on keyboards, Rick Grech on Bass, (Winwood, Grech & Clapton, along with Ginger Baker of "Cream", made up "Blind Faith". It's a shame Baker didn't attend & complete the reunion!!) & Jim Capaldi & Jimmy Karstein on drums! Now, it's obvious from listening to this album that this would have been one of "Mr. Slowhand"'s greatest performances had he been alone. BUT, when all of this legendary talent takes the stage together, YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Originally, this was released as an E.P. Lucky for the fans, when it was remastered, it was restored back to it's full glory!! Soon after this show, E.C.'s girlfriend's father sent them both to an accupuncturist & he quit drugs forever!! A LEGEND WAS SAVED!! He then set to work on his solo breakout, "461 Ocean Blvd" & accepted his rightful status as "GOD"!!! WHAT AN ALBUM & CONCERT IN BETWEEN!! If you're a fan of any of these musicians, or if you'd like to hear some great blues, rock & musicianship, BUY THIS! And if not, BUY THIS!!! FIND OUT WHY I AND BILLIONS LIKE MYSELF REFER TO "MR. SLOWHAND" AS "GOD"!!!!

Wish I was old enough to be there

The cd release has a lot of unreleased tracks that are done well. Although I would recommend "Live at the Fillmore" by Derek and the Dominos, Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert is a great cd to have. A band of known superstars bringing Clapton out of seclusion and giving him the confidence to perform his material again in front of a live crowd.