Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert [Expanded] [Remaster]

Performer: Eric Clapton
Artist: Pete Townshend; Steve Winwood; Ron Wood
Engineer: Glyn Johns; Glyn Johns
Producer: Jon Astley; Andy MacPherson; Bob Pridden
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Eric Clapton (vocals, guitar); Eric Clapton; Rick Grech (bass instrument); Rebop Kwaku Baah, Rebop (percussion); Pete Townshend, Ron Wood (vocals, guitar); Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards); Jim Capaldi, Jim Karstein (drums). Audio Mixer: Bobby Pridden. Audio Remixers: Jon Astley; Andy MacPherson. Liner Note Author: Ray Coleman. Recording information: Rainbow Theatre, London, England (01/13/1973). Photographers: Robert Ellis ; Barry Wentzell. In the two years following Eric Clapton's appearance at George Harrison's 1971 Concert For Bangladesh, the former guitar god took a sabbatical from playing, due to a number of personal problems. Alarmed at the state that his friend had fallen into, Pete Townshend arranged an all-star concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, where a band that included Ron Wood, ex-Blind Faith (Steve Winwood, Rick Grech) and current Traffic members (Jim Capaldi, Rebop) helped Slowhand play his first live show in two years. RAINBOW CONCERT, an album of edited segments from the live show, finds a rejuvenated Clapton revisiting his days with Cream ("Badge"), backing Winwood's soulful vocals with some sanctified playing of his own ("Presence of The Lord"), and paying tribute to a fallen comrade ("Little Wing"). On Traffic's "Pearly Queen," the combination of Clapton's guitar with the swirling keyboards and thundering rhythm of the song make for some mesmerizing listening. A year later, Eric Clapton had a comeback album (461 OCEAN BOULEVARD) and a number one song ("I Shot The Sheriff"). In these days of CD expansion, it is not unusual for a record company to reissue an old album with a bonus track or two. This reconstruction of the January 13, 1973, comeback concert by Eric Clapton is something else again, however. The original six-track LP ran less than 27 minutes; the new 14-track CD runs almost 74 minutes. The eight additions -- "Layla," "Blues Power," "Bottle of Red Wine," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Tell the Truth," "Key to the Highway," "Let It Rain," and "Crossroads" -- make the disc an effective recapitulation of Clapton's career over the previous seven years, including his solo work and his appearances with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Derek and the Dominos. Despite the addiction that had kept him largely homebound for almost two years, Clapton played well, though the all-star backup band was as ragged as it was spirited. The loose feel of the evening was brought out in the stage announcements, many by Pete Townshend, who even mentioned a social disease just before introducing "Presence of the Lord." This still isn't a great Clapton show, but it has been transformed from a historical curiosity to a historical document. ~ William Ruhlmann

Over the course of four decades, Eric Clapton has carried the British blues legacy into the mainstream of pop music. From his mid-1960s days with the Yardbirds and John Mayall, through his years as guitar god with Cream and Blind Faith, and eventually to his more laid-back solo albums, Clapton has remained one of rock's most successful musicians. Given his guitar-superstar status, Clapton has played alongside the biggest musical acts of the 20th century, from soloing on the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," to performing at the Band's LAST WALTZ, to recording an album with B.B. King. Overcoming numerous setbacks and tragedies, old Slowhand has settled nicely into a long and prolific career.

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