Eric Clapton/Alabama,USA 1974 Upgrade

Another of Eric Clapton’s excavated master cassettes provided by the heavyweight Taper in the UK is a soundboard recording of the regular set except for the encore at the Birmingham, Alabama performance on July 29th, the final day of the tour, from the first leg of the 1974 comeback US tour, the same as the first “Pittsburgh 1974”. Like the master of “Pittsburgh 1974”, this soundboard source was recorded as a PA out at the concert venue for the engineer’s check, and this source is a mono soundboard recording. It is the same source as the one that was once released as part of a 3CD bootleg made in Japan called “Three Smiles”, but the master of this heavyweight is only a “master cassette”, so the sound quality is clearer than the previously released version. The hiss noise is a little noticeable, which is probably because the sound quality is clear in the master version. Clapton’s voice on this day is a little rough, probably due to the fatigue of the tour and the influence of alcohol, but the play quality is quite high. Here we will repeat the review of “Pittsburgh 1974”, but let’s take a look at how this performance was positioned in Clapton’s comeback year.・June 19th and 20th, 1974: Warm-up gigs in Scandinavia for the US comeback tour ・June 28th to August 4th, 1974: US tour ←★Here★≪August 5th, 1974: Album “461 OCEAN BOULEVARD” released≫ ・August to September 1974: Album “THERE’S ONE IN EVERY CROWD” recorded in Miami ・September 28th to October 6th, 1974: 2nd US tour ・October 31st to November 6th, 1974: First Japan tour ・November 27th to December 5th, 1974: Short European tour Although this was the same leg of the tour as “Pittsburgh 1974,” you can see that these were the final dates. At this time, Clapton was naturally tired from his first tour in a long time, and you can notice that his voice is a little rough, but it was also a time when he realized the success of his comeback, and it seems that this has led to confidence, and the playing quality of Clapton and the band is high. Clapton’s drunkenness is also suppressed, and his playing is very sharp. In the acoustic number at the beginning, you can clearly hear the beautiful sound of the Martin D-45 (Longworth), which he used frequently at this time. It was also surprising that the number he played immediately after switching to the electric (Blackie) was Layla. It has been almost a month since the start of the tour, and you wonder if he still didn’t realize the weight and popularity of this song? Even though it was almost a month after the start of the tour, he still plays a very sharp and extraordinary phrase in this number that appeared early on (although Clapton’s whims led to the ending being abbreviated). Before Key To The Highway, you can hear Clapton’s voice telling the band the title of this song, but there is no set list sheet, and it seems that the songs were decided by Clapton’s mood alone. The band’s potential to respond to that is also amazing. From here, Clapton and the band show their true colors. Especially in the post-Badge, which is usually left to second guitarist George Terry, Clapton cuts in halfway through and the twin lead system is formed. This guitar battle that sparks is amazing. In the one-chord jam part of the post-Tell The Truth, the twin guitars play an accidental ensemble. Just when you think it will continue, Clapton’s playing appears towards the ending. Before Let It Rain, Clapton announces, “This is the last song of the day. Sorry.” And then he plays it again in the post-lude. If we can hear the encore with this flow! I thought so, but the PA out was a situation where the sound could be confirmed and the recording could be stopped if there was no trouble, so it can’t be helped. However, the popular songs in Clapton’s career and the numbers from the big hit comeback work “461 OCEAN BOULEBARD” that were included there show an exquisite balance, and the sound source of this day is a 1CD that “listens to only the good parts”, and it can be said to be a representative good board of the 1974 tour. The master cassette of the heavyweight taper was still 40% higher in pitch overall due to aging, but our shop adjusted it perfectly. You can enjoy it with a sense of stability that was not available on the already released board. If you want “74 Birmingham”, this is the one to go for. Live at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama, USA 29th July 1974 SBD*UPGRADE(from Original Masters) (77:17) 1. Intro. 2. Smile 3. Let It Grow 4. Layla 5. Willie And The Hand Jive 6. Get Ready 7. Key To The Highway 8. I Shot The Sheriff 9. Badge 10. Tell The Truth 11. Let It Rain Eric Clapton – Guitar Vo, cals George Terry – Guitar Dicks Sims – Keyboards Carl Radle – Bass Jamie Oldaker – Drums Yvonne Elliman – Backing Vocals SOUNDBOARD RECORDING