A three-fer today. 50 years ago this week you could have bought new albums by Eric Clapton (16 August), The Band (17 August) and The Carpenters (19 August).

The self-titled Eric Clapton has an honesty about it that makes it distinct from the Cream years. It’s quite a rounded sound, with a gospel influence, presumably through Delaney and Bonnie, as well as his cover of JJ Cale’s After Midnight. There’s nothing to complain of about it, but neither is there much to hold the attention. A collection of well-played songs.

The Band’s Stage Fright is, in some respects, similar to Eric Clapton, insofar as it is well-played with a couple of strong songs, notably the title track, but, over the piece, is not a keeper (and I write that as someone who likes The Band).

Close To You was The Carpenters’ second album and is far and away the most varied and accomplished of these three records. Well-produced, arranged and played, with three Bacharach/David songs, and Karen’s voice which wraps around you like a warm duvet on a cold night. The only track I don’t think works is a cover of The Beatles’ Help which I found to be over-arranged.

I wondered if my preference for The Carpenters over The Band and Elo is a harbinger of the apocalypse, or at least dotage, and concluded that it isn’t (phew!). I think it’s because when you listen to a run of records from the same year, you start to get an ear for what has that elusive ‘something’, irrespective of so-called genre or fashionability, or even whether or not you particularly like it.

I listened to all three on Spotify