Derek and The Dominos
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs: 40th Anniversary
Hip-Oselect
www.hip-OSelect.com
By George W. Harris

If you have never heard of this album, well, all I can say, is,
“Welcome to planet earth.” Eric Clapton, one of the most important and
influential guitarists of any genre, teamed up with Duane Allman to
form the iconic country/blues/rock band that transcends and defines
genres. For the 40th Anniversary a 4 disc set with tons of very, shall
we say the 70s term, “boss” extras, both visually and musically, to
whet your palate.

The original 14 tracks feature loose, relaxed yet thriving takes of R&B
and blues standards like “It’s Too Late,” “Have You Ever Loved A Woman”
and “Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad” as well as the anthematic title
tune. Electric guitar fans will have a field day with the new sound; I
heard things here I never was able to pick up before. Carl Radle’s bass
and Jim Gordon’s drums are crystal clear and finally appreciable.

After that comes the fun stuff. First, you’ve got six mouth-watering
tracks that were supposed to make up part of their follow up record,
which never happened. There’s some great material here, particularly
the jam and song version of “Got To Get Better In A Little While” which
has Bobby Whitlock’s vocals and keyboards in overdrive. There is also a pre-convicted Phil Spector producing a couple tracks for a
single; “Tell The Truth” and “Roll It Over” that are neither here nor
there. Likewise, a 2 CD remastering of their wild and thrilling concert, which also benefits from a nice sonic bath, includes a heartfelt take of “In The Presence Of The Lord.”

The real reason you’re going to want to get this baby, however, is for
the 4 audio takes of Derek and the Domino’s justifiably famous
appearance in 1970 on the Johnny Cash Show. Cash introduces them as
good old English boys (so cute),stating that he can “hear a lot of down home country blues in your playing,” and the audibly awed band gets
blown off the stage when Carl Perkins steps up to the plate with a
smoking take of “Matchbox Blues.” You WON’T want to miss this! A feast
of fun on the frets here, with something for everyone who’s ever
touched a Gibson or Strat.