Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is Eric Clapton’s finest career work in my opinion, which is truly saying something for a man who stands as probably the most influential and accomplished guitar player in rock history. Formed after the breakup of his previous supergroup Blind Faith and their excellent self-titled album in 1969, Clapton assembled an all-star group of musicians that included the equally legendary Duane Allman to cut a record chock full of original blues rock and five covers of blues standards from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Big Bill Broonzy. In other words, it is a classic rock fan’s dream record.
And damn did the boys deliver. Hearing Clapton and Allman playing on a full length album together is a serious treat, and the guitar work on here is simply sublime, filled with incredible moments on nearly every song. The story behind how Allman joined Clapton for the record is the stuff legends are made of– after Allman Brothers producer Tom Dowd received a call that Derek and the Dominos would be in town to cut a record, Duane expressed interest in sitting in on the sessions. Clapton heard of this, and after learning that The Allman Brothers Band would be playing a show the night they were to begin recording, he went to the show and sat in the front row. During the show Duane Allman was playing a show when he clocked Clapton and froze on the spot, causing Dickey Betts to have to pick up the solo from where Duane left off.
The rest is history. Clapton invited Duane Allman to the studio later that night where the pair played through the early hours of the morning, trading licks and swapping stories like only two guitar legends who are masters of their craft could. That session was the genesis of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, and over three weeks the band cut the 14 songs that would make the final album. Later on, Clapton would describe Duane Allman as the “musical brother I’d never had but wished I did.” And the rest is history.
A final note– the lead guitar riff on “Layla” is so iconic it’s almost futile to try and describe it with words. It simply must be heard to be fully appreciated. But an interesting historical footnote is that this song was actually written about Clapton’s infatuation with Pattie Boyd, the wife of his close friend George Harrison famously of The Beatles. The tension and lust in that song is palpable, especially when the extended outro kicks in and Duane’s majestic slide guitar floats over the cinematic piano riff. Boyd would famously divorce Harrison and marry Clapton nearly a decade later, which may sound like the ultimate betrayal until you hear that Harrison, Clapton, and Boyd would all celebrate Christmas together that same damn year, refer to himself as Clapton’s “husband in law”, and attended the couples wedding reception where he played an impromptu jam with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to celebrate.
The f***ing 70’s, man. What a world.
Standout Songs: “Layla”, “Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?”, “Bell Bottom Blues”, “I Looked Away”
Matthew. 