Slowhand (35th Anniversary)

As a solo artist in the '70s, Eric Clapton frequently struggled to find consistency. His guitar work had been an obvious draw no matter what band he was playing in, but on his own a variety of material, production styles, and backing groups led to inconsistencies in tone. With Slowhand, however, everything came together beautifully. The opening trio of tunes—J.J. Cale's "Cocaine," "Wonderful Tonight," and "Lay Down Sally"—became classic rock staples, while John Martyn's "May You Never" and Arthur Crudup's "Mean Old Frisco" brought out Clapton the first-rate acoustic and electric guitarist, respectively. This deluxe version adds four outtakes from the Slowhand sessions, three of which were previously unreleased. Filling out the set are 14 live tracks from Clapton's show on April 27, 1977, at London's Hammersmith Odeon. Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Robert Johnson's "Steady Rollin' Man," Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff," and "Layla" are inspired works that always benefit from a live audience's energy, inspiring Clapton to play at the edge of his genius.