Layla
Layla is widely held up to be a classic album. I was going to say that I don’t own it, then remembered that I still have the copy a friend put on cassette for me at school. I do have Derek and the Dominoes Live at the Fillmore on cd, which gets an occasional play.
After that lukewarm opener, am I going to criticise this album? No; that would be silly. I appreciate its melodicism and pop sensibilities; I like that Eric wanted to get away from the whole Cream/Blind Faith thing and just be in a band again. I like that he not only avoided being top dog but also invited Duane Allman to play on the majority of the tracks, including the title track. And there is something about it that reminds me of the Allman Brothers, as well as Delaney and Bonnie.
I also have to say that I much prefer this to Cream, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends or Eric Clapton. There is a reason loads of people rate this album so highly.
So why don’t I own a copy? I think because it kind of goes on and on. It would have been a great single album; unfortunately, it’s a double. Also, despite the more collective nature of this band, it sticks in verse/chorus/verse/instrumental bridge mode for most of its length, and the instrumental breaks keep creeping towards guitar hero territory, and I find that increasingly tedious. That says more about me than about the album, of course.
I listened on Spotify, but it’s everywhere.
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