Artist: Eric Clapton
Album: The Lady In the Balcony
Label: Mercury Studios
Release Date: 11/12/2021
This stunning release is three great items in one package*: CD or vinyl music, DVD or Blu-ray video, and physical photo book.
Let’s start with the book.
The book is terrific—worth owning for any Eric Clapton fan. The same size as an LP, the 12 X 12 book contains photos of all the musicians in the session: Eric Clapton, Chris Stainton, Nathan East and Steve Gadd, as well as Melia Clapton. Boasting both individual and group shots, the photos were shot in both black and white and color, with natural light and unposed shots; overall the collection truly captures the session.
The video, available both in Blu-ray and DVD, takes things a bit further, giving you a little bit of chatter in the session, plus it give you a feel of Cowdray House, the Victorian country estate built in 1875. It gives you a fly-on-the-wall-experience to a lush environment far removed from the recording studio .
Last but certainly not least, the music. This session came about after Covid hit the UK in March of 2020 and both Clapton’s Royal Albert Hall show and his European tour were cancelled. What musicians want to do is play music. So, Eric put together his band and recorded this acoustic album with lone spectator, his wife Melia, aka The Lady in Balcony. The music is mostly Eric Clapton standards, “After Midnight,” “Layla,” Bad Boy,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tears in Heaven,” “Key to Highway,” etc., 17 songs in all. However, the two songs that make the album for me are the two Peter Green compositions “Man of the World” and “Black Magic Woman.” They are both dedicated to Green, the man who replaced Clapton in John Mayall’s Blues Breakers band.
This is the best album Eric has done since Derek and the Dominos, and is a must-have package for any music lover. Needless to say, Brit Eric Clapton has done his job in Saving American Music.
—Arnie Goodman
*2 LP yellow vinyl, deluxe DVD+BD+CD photobook, digital video and digital audio
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