Spoilers: Derek is actually Garth Brooks.... sorry, I meant Eric Clapton
I guess that coming off the back of being a superstar in the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and of course Cream, Clapton wanted to keep a bit more of a low profile with his first solo album... it worked too well , with the album bombing on its initial release!
I have to say that my view of blues albums being a bit samish at times comes into play here. Definitely a double LP release is just too much (even if it is Clapton) for my tastes. Tellingly then, the tracks that resonate most for me are the less bluesy ones like the poppy "I am yours" or the pulsing "why does love got to be so sad?"
The cover of Hendrix's "little wing" is terrible and heavy-handed and totally lacks the soulful spirit of the original. Layla though is the album's highlight. A great track with brilliant outro section. "Thorn tree in the garden" is a nice simple closer too.
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