Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert

“I was sitting in the audience at the Rainbow…as I heard the opening wail of Layla, the first number of the evening, then the lyrics, my blood ran cold. He might have been wrecked for the last three years, but he hadn’t forgotten how to tear at the heart strings with his guitar. All the emotion I had felt for him when he disappeared from my life welled up in me.”**Taken from Pattie Boyd’s autobiography: Wonderful Tonight (a really good read I hasten to add)This recording of a piece of rock history catches the personal static on (and uniquely off) the stage that night: the hopes, the dreams, the high stakes and dire straits that Eric, Pattie and their friends were in.The conversation was the music, the dialogue was Eric’s and his friends loved him enough to make it happen. That’s what’s on this CD.When you know this, listening to the concert pushes it to an intense and precarious level - as it was for the participants and most of the audience. You can feel the apprehension, a collective hesitancy half a second before Layla rang out. Eric had to do it. Play Layla. Play Layla, first. If he couldn’t get any further in the concert he had to play Layla, as primal as possible and quintessentially, in public. After all Layla (his Layla) was there watching and this was his desperate scream for her to be with him. He was literally insane about Pattie and this was a single chance to show his desperate need for her.I cannot out add much to the other fine reviews of this concert and CD, suffice to say the original LP of the concert was a teenage staple of mine. It was okay but only ok and suffered in being a single album of a full length concert. The music oddly disjointed and out of context - without the reality which makes concerts so electric.The quantum leap was to release it all on CD.Suddenly it’s a different ball game, the full banana - in the way that the Who’s Live at Leeds was transformed or Delaney and Bonnie and Friends on tour with Eric Clapton, The Song Remains the Same or even Deep Purple in Concert ‘72 etc!Without emotion and on a pure listening level, this CD is to be recommended not least for its incredibly alive concert feel. You could be there - delicious in its lack of studio overdubs and with none of the Live and Dangerous polish which set future standards for deadening concert recordings.If you like this type of music, or drama, buy it.Good money well spent - passion in public doesn’t often go deeper.

This album is great. I had always heard/read not too good things about this album. Certainly the general consensus seemed to be "It's not an essential Clapton purchase." Sure, if someone wanted one Clapton live record only, this one wouldn't be mentioned, yet that still doesn't affect the fact this is a fab live recording. Remember, this is NOT a full on Clapton concert, it is a 'benefit' concert with Ronnie Wood and Peter Townsend alongside such people as Steve Winwood and Rick Grech. This is a group effot, an ensemble piece.I must admit, I was slightly nervous as I expected rough vocals and average playing on Clapton's part, yet this is simply not the case. His vocals are fine, with a few songs producing great Clapton vocals. The playing, as well, is fine. In fact, it's more than fine. So listen to me and the others reviewers who state its worthy document. I give this 4.5...obviously the original 6 track version from 1973 probably wasn't as great, however, i'm reviewing this expanded version. There are great versions of his songs, including 'Layla', 'Bell Bottom Blues', 'Key to the Highway', 'Let it rain', 'Bottle of Red Wine' and 'Blues Power'. While guitar wise its an ensemble effort, outside of Clapton I must single out Ronnie Wood...some great licks from him! This is an historic document of an early 70's live recording at one of the great 70's rock venues, the Rainbow, blazing through a great selection of blues-rock. And this concert did, after all, prompt Clapton to step back into the world of rock once again. Hats off to Townsend for giving us this!

Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert(s) ... you wait ages for an Eric Clapton show and then two come along at once (both on the same day, at 6:30 and 8:30)!  And that either show happened at all was little short of a miracle - a reclusive Eric was heavily hooked on heroin and hadn't performed for two years (and then only at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh).  Despite this, his supreme talent is such that even if he was a bit rusty, his brilliance still shone through.  There are already many good reviews - some of which include audience member recollections, well worth reading, so I'll comment on a few aspects which haven't been mentioned much (or possibly at all): - Even as an amalgamation of the two shows (and at nearly 74 mins), the CD isn't quite 'complete'.  The two set-lists varied slightly (Eric would always do this on tour) and not all songs played on the night are represented.  The two 'missing' numbers are "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" (sung by Steve Winwood) and "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?".  - Although there were no studio overdubs, there are edits to some tracks.  - You can tell which show it was from Eric's distinctive guitar tones, as he played his Strat 'Blackie' on the first show and the George Harrison red Les Paul 'Lucy' on the second one.- What isn't obvious from the expanded edition is that the 6 'duplicated' tracks aren't the same as those on the original album. - The original vinyl sounded awful (very muddy) but fortunately this expanded remaster doesn't.  Unless you absolutely must have everything EC ever released, I wouldn't bother with the original version - the expanded remaster is much more satisfying and is definitely recommended. Things get a bit rough in places but think of it as a group of mates just getting together for a good blow - Ronnie Wood's lead guitar playing is a revelation and when he and Eric hit their stride together some of the guitar interplay is quite breathtaking.  However, despite the obvious love for Eric from his muso mates and fans alike, heroin kept its hold, Clapton went back into hiding and it would be another year before he got his life and career back on track with his comeback album, 461 Ocean Boulevard.

Great music 🎶 5 stars

Tardó un poco en llegar, pero genial!

昔、アナログレコードで持っていましたが、CDを購入しました。spotifyではこのCD音源はありませんでした。40年ほど前のライブ音源でリマスター処理されていないので音は良くないですが、思い出の一枚になります。

A classic concert album with Eric Clapton in top form and his all star cast of Pete Townsend, Steve Winwood, Ronnie Wood and co letting him perform. Amazing

Grande disco di un grande concerto.Da avere sia per il livello musicale che per le ragioni che hanno portato al concerto (Clapton convinto da Townshed a tornare sul palco per uscire dai problemi di dipendenza da droghe ed alcool), che lo rendono un pezzo di storia non solo della musica rock, ma della storia e della cultura degli anni '70.Per quanto riguarda il venditore, ineccepibile. Tempi di consegna non brevissimi, ma giustificati dal prezzo (costa più la spedizione che il cd...).