Derek and the Dominos - Layla

As I alluded in an earlier post, Thursday I went out for a walk after dark. For most of the walk I listened to my iPod. I was in a 70's frame of mind, so I clicked on ""Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" by Derek and Dominos. OK, so I have been listening to this record since it was put into general release in the early 70's. For well over thirty years that record has been with me - through thick and thin.

I've always wanted to rank the songs, and hey, what is blogging for?

The story of Eric Clapton's passion for his good friend George Harrison's wife Patti Boyd is legendary, and provides much of the grist for the songs on Layla, "Layla" being Clapton's make-believe name for Patti Boyd.

From all I have read over the years Clapton was totally and completely swept up by his (then) unrequited love for Ms. Boyd, and was suffering deeply and greatly. He was a sick dog. But it made for some great songs.

"Layla" is not a polished album. It was recorded more or less live-in-studio, without a whole lot of rehearsal. Thankfully Clapton met and pulled in Duanne Allman before the recordings really got going. Their dual guitars on Layla is the stuff of legend.

Clapton has never been a really great singer, but on Layla his voice is filled with almost a desperate pathos. A few of his vocal duets with Bobby Whitlock are superb, especially on "It's Too Late" and "Little Wing." There's footage on You Tube from a pre-Duanne version of Derek and the Dominos who appeared on the Johnny Cash Show singing "It's Too Late."

This is manly music, but manly in a manner which reveals the deepest passions of the heart and soul. Despite its rugged nature, and the genre, I find it almost symphonic in places.

Hopefully I'll fully annotate this list at some point, but for now here are my favorite tracks, from favorite to least.

And just a few notes....There have been many great versions of Hendrix's "Little Wing." This is the most unique version of all I think. It is magisterial, symphonic, and exquisitely fragile and beautiful all at once. I have no idea how they squeezed all those possibilities into that one song. The guitar solo (or duet) is as good it gets. Speaking of great guitar duets, "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" contains what is for me the greatest electric guitar duet ever. I must have listened to it a thousand times, and it still thrills me....."Bell Bottom Blues," yet another song of unrequited love, was my favorite song on the record for years. It was recorded sans Allman. Clapton spills his guts out in this song... "Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?" Check out the lyrics here. They'll make a grown man cry.

I've been jammin' and playing air guitar to "Key to the Highway" since forever. It's one of my favorite car songs - a great song for a long night drive, just played over and over. And I love the way Clapton sings in a lower register the first line, especially the word "key" - "I got the keeeeeeee to the highway....." It's cool.

Finally, just a word about "Layla" itself. I'll admit to having tired of the song at one point, as I think many did, though I do think Clapton's unplugged version gave new life to it. But the original song found it's way back into my heart somewhere along the way. Some of my rockin' friends don't like the long ending. I think it's my favorite part. I love good piano in a rock song, and when I was younger I picked out most of Layla. I somehow never seem to want the song to end.

Well, all for now. Here is my list:

1. Little Wing

2. Have You Ever Loved a Woman

3. Bell Bottom Blues

4. Layla

5. Key to the Highway

6. It’s Too Late

7. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

8. I Looked Away

9. Thorn Tree

10. Why Does Love Have to Be So Sad

11. I looked Away

12. Anyday

13. Keep on Growing

14. I Am Yours