Record Reviews

ERIC CLAPTON ~ UNPLUGGED (DELUXE EDITION) REPRISE 081227963668 (Barcode: 081227963668) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1992 Released: 2013 Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic musical figures of the 20th Century, epitomizes the history of Rock perhaps in more ways that any other of his contemporaries. The God given talent, the meteoric rise to stardom, the "Clapton is God" status, the hiatus and confusion of fame and fortune, the pressures and personal disasters, the drugs and alcohol addictions and of course the music he created over the years are one complex, intricate and multifaceted amalgamation of what we call life. I am glad to say that the soundtrack of my life was always filled with the music he made, which one way or another made me a happier person, for which I´m eternally grateful to him. "UnpluggedFind albums with this title", recorded in 1992, was one of the early concerts filmed and recorded by MTV under that moniker, which promoted the idea of Rock artists performing an acoustic (or almost acoustic) set in front of cameras and a limited audience, which was intimate and immediate, and musically often dramatically different from their regular set. The idea worked brilliantly in most cases and in case of Clapton even phenomenally, producing not only a superb piece of music but also an immense commercial success and critical acclaim. Clapton and a bunch of accompanying musicians play and sing a selection of songs, ranging from blues classics to original songs penned by Clapton, some of them well known hits already. Clapton plays acoustic guitar and solos sparingly, but when he does play guitar solos he is brilliant, but concise. His singing is far from being sonically spectacular or even impressive, but it is exactly what these circumstances called for. It is difficult to say why this album was as successful as it was. Of course Clapton was immensely popular as a Rock star, but this album is as far from the Rock idiom as can be. And yet Clapton´s honesty, musicality, finesse, intelligence and charm make it work, magically and indisputably. The resulting album became an essential piece of Rock history, which encapsulated at least partially, Clapton´s contribution to human Culture. This is of course a must in every home on this planet. This remastered Deluxe edition adds a second CD of previously unreleased bonus tracks and also includes the DVD of the original concert, expanded with additional footage filmed during the rehearsals, also seen for the first time. Overall this is a much enriched and better sounding package than the original release, ergo definitely worth getting. And yes, Clapton is probably not God, but definitely a Godsend!

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted:

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