Derek and the Dominos

The guitar riff from "Layla" is arguably Clapton's most famous, but it's the shuffling country rock of "I Looked Away," Clapton's psychic pain (you can hear it), "Bell Bottom Blues," and Duane Allman that make this record the touchstone that it is. Just stay away from the blues standards and be careful not to overlook "I Am Yours."

Idlewood South is a big step forward from the Allmans' first -- that combination of Santana
and Led Zeppelin, with the Led finally weighing everything down -- but its second side
disappoints. Layla, on the other hand, sustains itself pretty well throughout, but we've
heard a lot of it before. The Allmans offer briefer, tighter, less "heavy" numbers this time
around. "Revival" gets things off rousingly, with tambourine and gospel chorus a... More >

What looks at first like a slapdash studio double is in fact Eric Clapton's most carefully conceived recording. Not only did he hire Duane Allman for overdubs after basic tracks were done, but he insisted that Duane come up with just the thick, sliding phrase he (Eric) wanted before calling it a take. The resulting counterpoint is the true expression of Clapton's genius, which has always been synthetic rather than innovative, steeped in blues anti-utopianism. With Carl Radle and Jim Gordon at bottom, this album has plenty of relaxed shuffle and simple rock and roll, and Clapton's singing is generally warm rather than hot. But his meaning is realized at those searing peaks when a pained sense of limits--why does love have to be so sad, I got the bell-bottom blues, Lay-la--is posed against the good times in an explosive compression of form. (Grade - A+)