Eric Clapton boxed set boasts previously unreleased Freddie King tracks
Music lovers of a certain age—let's call them "old fogies" for want of a better term—know that 1973 was an incredible year for guitar-based rock.
You can read all about it in music historian Michael Walker's great new book, What You Want Is in the Limo, which focuses on the albums and touring shenanigans of the Who, Led Zeppelin, and Alice Cooper those 40 years ago.
Or you can just take my word for it, and go here for a sampling.
But the two years following weren't too shabby either—especially for guys like Eric Clapton. Between April '74 and June '75 he released some of the finest material of his fabled career, all of which—as Universal Music announced today—has been collected in an upcoming boxed set titled Give Me Strength: The '74/75 Recordings.
The six-disc package, scheduled for release on November 25, features expanded versions of the two studio albums Clapton released in that time period, 461 Ocean Boulevard and There's One in Every Crowd, as well as a remixed and expanded version of his live album, E.C. Was Here, which includes previously unreleased versions of "Crossroads", "Layla", and Hendrix's "Little Wing".
But perhaps most enticing to blues-loving guitar freaks is the inclusion of disc five, The Freddie King Criteria Studios Sessions, which sees Clapton performing with his idol—or one of them, anyone—on "Sugar Sweet", "TV Mama", the previously unreleased "Boogie Funk", and the full-length (22-minute!) version of "Gambling Woman Blues".
According to Universal's promo material, a sixth Blu-ray disc "adds a newly-available 5.1 Surround Sound mix of 461 and the original quadrophonic mix of both studio releases."
But who cares about that when there's 22 minutes of Slowhand and Freddie trading licks in their prime!
Comments
1 Comments
Steve
Sep 27, 2013 at 5:32am
I care about that, a few unreleased quad mixes finally mastered in high rez PCM along with the Scheiner 5.1 mix of 461? Dear God that's the most amazing surround sound news I've heard this year that didn't have Steven Wilson's name attached to it. What a shame these surround mixes aren't being sold as a standalone SKU. You can keep your 22 minutes of trading licks, I'll take my few hours of delicious high rez surround sound thanks.