On Tour With Eric Clapton

With a smorgasbord of backup musicians from both the soul and rock fields and a thunderously approving audience, Delaney and Bonnie create a high-energy, electrifying, live event whose recording the listener will blast and imagine himself there. With the funky opening licks of "Things Get Better," you know you're in for an exuberant ride. In between the breakneck-speed soul-rockers "I Don't Want to Discuss It" and "Where There's a Will, There's a Way," Bonnie sings her heart out on the slow churner "That's What My Man is For" The desperately jubilant road song "Comin' Home" closes the set, and the audience is bellowing. Delaney and Bonnie close out with an electrifying medley of Little Richard covers.

This, my friends, is a perfect example of why live albums were invented. Sure, it would have been good, but this album wouldn't have been as totally SMOKIN' as it is if it hadn't been recorded live.

I HAD THIS ALBUM ON VINYL WAY BACK WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT. THIS IS A GREAT ALBLUM BY DELANEY AND BONNIE, WITH AN ALL-STAR CAST BACKING THEM UP (INCLUDING DAVE MASON, JESSIE ED DAVIS, A FAT HORN SECTION, AND RITA COOLIDGE SINGING BACKUP), AND SOME BLISTERING GUITAR LICKS FROM OLD SLOW HAND, E.C. GREAT SOULFUL LYRICS, GREAT ARRANGEMENTS MADE ON THE FLY, AND WONDERFUL ALBUM FROM BACK IN THE DAY.

This was one of my favorite albums when I was in college. A great live performance with amazing talent. The combination of Jim Gordon and Carl Radle is almost perfect, however tragic.

This is the BEST live album ever recorded - not just one of the 50 in your Top Ten, not one of the 300 in your Top 100, but the absolute #1 live album ever! Delaney & Bonnie had a wonderful ability to gather talent around them. No wonder Joe Cocker stole this band and Lowell George took the heart of their next band.

However, when this album came out in 1970, Eric Clapton was the only name in the band most folks recognized. Eric is at his best here as "just one of the boys." Don't expect flashy solos, just 3 guitars (or is it 4 - George Harrison was on this tour too?) picking you up and whisking you away.

When "Things Get Better" starts, you'll say, "This is the hottest song I ever heard." Then it gets even better! By the time "Coming Home" has run over your brain, you'll just give in and hang on to the train barreling to rock 'n' roll nirvana. No rhythm section ever drove harder. I dare you to restrain yourself.

Unable to purchase this cd which seems so important to all Clapton-fans even in the best equipped music stores in Amsterdam I ordered it through Amazon received it swiftly by mail. Since then I have played it over and over. It captures the energetic performances of a band that knows how to combine musical drive and soulful bliss. As for Clapton: just listen to that solo in 'I don't want to discuss it': without any redundancy this stripped down minimalistic approach epitomizes power and tension in a superbly timed monochordic drone. This is truly stepping down to reach higher.