Search - Delaney & Bonnie :: On Tour With Eric Clapton: Deluxe Edition Box Set (4-Disc Set)

ONE OF THE BEST RELEASES THIS YEAR

Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 09/02/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Four discs-79,58,47,66 minutes each approximately. The sound is very good-especially considering the era and live location of the recordings. The spatial qualities of each instrument is apparent from the beginning-the highs are crisp, and the lows are deep without being muddy. Each disc is snapped in, inside a fold-out cardboard holder, each in a different color (that matches each CD), and with graphics related to when/where the music was recorded on the front flap. Inside each holder is a different b & w photo of various band members. On the back is listed location and date of each concert, and song title and length. The booklet is a spiral flip-up style. The 46 pages contain an overview (in fairly difficult to read cursive handwriting) of Delaney and Bonnie (and an interesting asides on how the name THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS came into being and how George Harrison came to join the bnad), and how they became involved with Eric Clapton. There are three loose photographs (reproductions) of various band members-a nice touch. The CD holders and booklet slip into a cut foam insert, inside a heavy cardboard replica touring case, and the large lid slides up and off. Check the Rhino Records site for availability and a good price. I only wish this set was available at a lower price (without the fancy packaging), so many more people could hear this amazing music.



Personnel on these recordings are: Delaney Bramlett-rhythm guitar/vocals, Bonnie Bramlett-vocals, Eric Clapton-lead guitar (occasional vocals), Dave Mason-guitar, Carl Radle-bass, Jim Gordon-drums, Bobby Whitlock-organ/vocals, Jim Price-trumpet/trombone, Bobby Keys-saxophones, Tex Johnson-percussion, and Rita Coolidge-vocals. And while George Harrison's name isn't listed (he's mentioned in the accompanying booklet as playing guitar), it's well known that he did play guitar, along with his friend Eric Clapton on this tour.







The original album, "Delaney and Bonnie & Friends On Tour with Eric Clapton", was released in 1970, from concerts recorded in 1969. It was immediately praised by critics and that portion of the public that had come to grips with the fact that CREAM and BLIND FAITH were dead. In addition, Clapton, after hearing the first album by THE BAND, wanted to both join an honest working band, and make some honest sounding music-like THE BAND. No more headlining superstar status again-just a guitar player in a rootsy, straight forward, ego-less, hard working band. In Delaney and Bonnie he found what he was looking for.



Originally a support group for the BLIND FAITH tour, Clapton found himself drawn to Delaney and Bonnie not only because of the music, but because of the bands camaraderie on and off the stage. Clapton is quoted as saying that playing after Delaney and Bonnie was really difficult for the simple reason he thought their band was miles better than BLIND FAITH. The bands Southern heritage and musical chops, plus the fact that Delaney and Bonnie were the first white act singed to Stax Records, Clapton felt, put them in a league of their own. So he started to hang around the band more and more, and basically gave up on BLIND FAITH. It's widely known that Delaney Bramlett encouraged Clapton to sing-not occasionally-but to eventually front his own band. After playing as part of THE PLASTIC ONO BAND, Clapton went on tour with Delaney and Bonnie. This was one of the major musical turning points in Clapton's life-playing music for the infectious thrill of it rather than to simply make wads of cash. The results of this musical merger has now (finally!) been released in a lavish box set. Infectious? Wow.



For listeners who liked the original album-multiply that feeling by four. This set has so many gems its difficult to list them all. For anyone who wants to know what all the fuss was about-give this a listen. From the "Opening Jam", to "Gimme Some Lovin'", to "Medley: Pour Your Love On Me/Just Plain Beautiful", to "Everybody Loves A Winner", to the "Little Richard Medley", the musicianship, the vocals of Delaney and Bonnie, and the generally free-wheeling, good-time sound the band pumps out is amazing. This is music that's a visceral mixture of gut-bucket soul/r&b/blues/country, seasoned with a healthy dose of rock 'n' roll. This band had an unpretentious yet very intense, alive sound that touched all the bases, that formed into something approaching "American" music-this band was simply on fire. And that's just on the first disc.



Several songs ("Gimme Some Lovin'", "I Don't Know Why", "Coming Home", "Little Richard Medley", among others) are played at each concert, so there is some repetition, but the electricity generated by the band makes this a small issue. This bands good-time outlook, both in life and music-making can be heard loud and clear on any track on any disc. This is honest, real-deal, soulful rock 'n' roll-the kind that once you hear it-it gets inside your body and doesn't let go. The gritty vocals, the pumping rhythm section, the soulful smoking horns, and Clapton's reinvigorated guitar playing-all add up to a heart-pumping experience. Listening to this music-can you imagine what it was like to be there in person? This set of concerts is the next best thing. Oh, yes-play loud.



P.S. For a good example of Delaney Bramlett's expertise in the studio-checkout the deluxe version of Clapton's first solo album-the 2nd disc is the album (plus additional tracks) mixed by Bramlett-what a difference!"

Track listing

Great Lakes Media | Michigan | 08/19/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Disc 1:

1. Intro/Tuning

2. Opening Jam

3. Gimme Some Lovin'

4. Band Introductions

5. Only You Know And I Know

6. Medley: Poor Elijah/Tribute To Johnson

7. Get Ourselves Together

8. I Don't Know Why

9. Where's There's A Will, There's A Way

10. That's What My Man Is For

11 Medley: Pour Your Love On Me/Just Plain Beautiful

12. Everybody Loves A Winner

13. Things Get Better

14. Coming Home

15. I Don't Want To Discuss It

16. Little Richard Medley: Tutti Frutti/The Girl Can't Help It/Long Tall Sally/Jenny Jenny

17. My Baby Specializes



Disc 2:

1. Intro/Tuning

2. Opening Jam

3. Gimme Some Lovin'

4. Things Get Better

5. Medley: Poor Elijah/Tribute To Johnson

6. I Don't Know Why

7. Medley: Pour Your Love On Me/Just Plain Beautiful

8. Where There's A Will, There's A Way

9. Coming Home

10. Little Richard Medley: Tutti Frutti/The Girl Can't Help It/Long Tall Sally/Jenny Jenny

11. I Don't Want To Discuss It

12. Crowd/Announcement



Disc 3:

1. Intro/Tuning

2. Gimme Some Lovin'

3. Introduction

4. Things Get Better

5. Medley: Poor Elijah/Tribute To Johnson

6. I Don't Know Why

7. Where There's A Will, There's A Way

8. That's What My Man Is For

9. I Don't Want To Discuss It

10. Coming Home



Disc 4:

1. Intro/Tuning

2. Gimme Some Lovin'

3. Pigmy (Instrumental)

4. Introductions

5. Things Get Better

6. Medley: Poor Elijah/Tribute To Johnson

7. Only You Know And I Know

8. Will The Circle Be Unbroken

9. Where There's A Will, There's A Way

10. I Don't Know Why

11. That's What My Man Is For

12. Coming Home

13. Little Richard Medley: Tutti Frutti/The Girl Can't Help It/Long Tall Sally/Jenny Jenny"

For Die Hards

Jared Purdy | Toronto, Canada | 09/10/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have long been a fan of these folks, particulalry these folks of this time period (1969-1970/71). Including: Delaney & Bonnie, Clapton and the Dominos, Mason, Harrison, Winwood/Traffic, Coolidge, Cocker/Mad Dogs, Russel et al, etc. These people put together some of the finest and iconic music in the history of contemporary western music that we have ever witnessed. Their influence on music post, is mind boggling, and probably largely unknown. It is a sad fact that there is little if nothing coming out of the music industry on either side of the pond today that could even remotely compare to this.



By the time of this recording, Delaney and Bonnie had already made a name for themselves in the US, and, depending on which polster you querry, they had crossed the very pronounced at-the-time colour barrier in the States. They came out of Memphis, the cultural/mixed-racial/musical hub of America at the time, and their early recordings were done out of the same studio (STAX) that produced the music that the vast marjority of African Americans listened to. They played music that was essentially African American (they didn't call it that then) in origin in terms of it's ethno-musicology. The roots were southern soul, and one of the 1/2 having been born, bred and raised in the south was imbued with the tempo, rhthym and soul of rock'n soul music, tinged with gospel. A decidedly different sound than what had emerged via Motown, in the north.



I love Delaney and Bonnie's hometown produced albums: Home, of which a number of songs on this collection are drwan from, Accept No Subsitute, Motel Shot, To Delaney, From Bonnie, and D&B Together. And, I really like the story that this new Rhino offering has to tell. However, I don't for a number of reasons feel that it comes remotely close to the quality of music to be found in Delaney & Bonnie's original US Atco/Stax studio recordings. The first CD is very interesting in that it is clear that the guest musicians (and that includes everyone, except Delaney & Bonnie!) are stumbling to find the groove. I swear to God, that at one point I thought the band weas going to break into a straight ahead country western music beat! Yee Ha!! Not. The band (aside from D&B) clearly did not grasp the nuanses of southern soul/rockin'soul. The tightness of the band, and their interpretations of the sound, however, improves with each passing CD. By the time you get to disc 3/4, it is clear that some kind of coalese has happened. The lads from the other side of the pond learned on the fly, but they are no substitute for the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.



It's a "historically" signicficant recording, and there is a lot of good music here. However, if you are stumbling upon Delaney & Bonnie as a newbie, then I would suggest you stear your musical interestes to their original studio recordings. With that, you also get the benifit of back-up musician extrodanaire, Duane Allman as sideman, on a couple of their albums pre 1971. D&B said it best: "Accept No Subsitute"."