Derek And The Dominos – Layla… (Deluxe Edition)

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Universal/Polydor
Produced by The Dominos

While obviously not a heavy metal record, Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, famed for the coming together of two of the all-time finest blues guitar players in Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, is one of the most important rock ‘n’ roll records of all time, and after several unnecessary re-releases, finally gets the re-issue treatment it deserves for its 40th anniversary.

It’s actually the latest in the ever-growing series of Deluxe Edition releases from Universal Music’s collaborations with various other labels, but with the distinction of having far more configurations than any of the previous projects. First off the original album has been newly remastered, giving rise to the standard new one-disc edition. For the real hardcore lovers of the album there is a massive seven-disc “Super Deluxe” edition featuring four CDs, an audio DVD and a double LP of the album. And for everyone in between there are one- and two-disc editions.

Exploring the worth of all of this is actually reasonably straight forward, as with a release like this the musical merit of the material is largely irrelevant. What’s important is what that material actually is, so that fans can decide whether it’s something they need to re-buy the album for, or even just to make sure it’s not something they already own under a different label.

The audio DVD is a new Dolby 5.1 mix of the original album. Clever and all, perhaps interesting to hear for audiophiles, but ultimately pointless. No one listens to music on their DVD player, no matter how much manufacturers wish it otherwise. And the double LP (which is also available separately) is likewise for the real purists and die-hards. Probably of very little interest to most other listeners.

That leaves the four CDs. The first is obviously the remastered edition of the original album, which is an obvious necessity in all of the versions, and essential listening for any blues or rock fans who haven’t heard it. That’s been a known quantity for most, if not all, of the 40 years since its first release in 1970. Two of the remaining CDs, which are only available in the “Super Deluxe” edition, are a remastered version of the 1970 live album In Concert, including the extra tracks added when this was itself re-released in 1994 as Live At The Fillmore. Again, the remaster maybe of passing interest, but this is yet more material most fans already own.

One CD remains, and this is where the vast majority of the interest in this release lies. This disc comprises “Disc Two”, and is therefore part of both the Deluxe and Super Deluxe versions. It’s a compilation of all of the remaining Dominos material that is not on the album, some of it never before released, some available for the first time on CD and some newly remastered. It kicks off with the only track from the recording sessions of the original album not to make the cut, Mean Old World. Three versions of this were available on the 20th anniversary version of the album released in 1990, this is the one listed there as the “duet version”.

Next are two songs recorded during the sessions for George Harrison‘s All Things Must Pass album, which were subsequently released as the first Dominos single ahead of the album. This is the first time Roll It Over and the original single version of Tell The Truth, both produced by Phil Spector, have ever been released on CD. Shortly after the album’s release the band appeared on Johnny Cash‘s TV show, performing four songs live including a cover of Carl Perkins‘ Matchbox featuring Perkins and Cash and a searing version Blues Power from Clapton’s debut solo album, and all four are included here for the first time.

The final six tracks were all recorded during sessions for what was going to be the second Dominos album, five different songs, all recorded in April and May 1971. These are a wonderful instrumental called Snake Lake Blues, covers of Willie Dixon‘s Evil, Arthur Crudrup‘s Mean Old Frisco and two Eric Clapton originals. These have been newly remastered from the original tapes and released for the first time. There are two versions of Got To Get Better In A Little While, which was also one of the tracks played on the Johnny Cash show. The first is a jam version, the second is a finished studio version, slightly controversially featuring newly recorded vocals and keyboards from original Domino Bobby Whitlock.

What’s therefore very strange, is the absence of the other bonus tracks from the 20th anniversary edition. As well as several alternate takes and masters of tracks from the album, including Mean Old World, there was a disc of five lengthy jams showing off the incredible skill of the band. None of this material has been included in this edition, and with the 20th anniversary edition now out of print, that material is no longer available.

For a project trying to be all-encompassing as this, to have material not included is remarkable, and as vital as that second disc is (the only one of the additional discs in this edition with any longevity), and as important as the original album is, the merits of this have to be called into question.

The upshot? More or less everyone who’s not an absolute die-hard or audiophile only needs to care about the two-CD Deluxe Edition. If available for a reasonable price, it’s worth re-buying for fans who own the original for the second disc alone. For anyone who doesn’t have this album, the second disc material is as strong as the first, so getting a reasonably complete picture with the Deluxe Edition is probably the best bet. But if the price is a problem, there’s always the single disc version, which is a must-own for any rock or blues fan. The Super Deluxe version is a nice idea, but given its price, and the fact that it’s missing so much by not including the jams and alternate takes from the previous anniversary version, purchase is hard to justify, especially with the LP version available separately.

And in all honesty, the best thing to have done would have been to release the Deluxe Edition as a three-disc set including the jams disc. The star rating, therefore, is for the two-CD Deluxe Edition alone. For reference, the original album would get five, the Super Deluxe would get two.

“ trying to be all-encompassing ”

Tracklists:
CD1 – I Looked Away / Bell Bottom Blues / Keep On Growing / Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out / I Am Yours / Anyday / Key To The Highway / Tell The Truth / Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad? / Have You Ever Loved A Woman / Little Wing / It’s Too Late / Layla / Thorn Tree In The Garden
CD2 – Mean Old World / Roll It Over / Tell The Truth / It’s Too Late / Got To Get Better In A Little While / Matchbox / Blues Power / Snake Lake Blues / Evil / Mean Old Frisco / One More Chance / Got To Get Better In A Little While Jam / Got To Get Better In A Little While
DVD-A – I Looked Away / Bell Bottom Blues / Keep On Growing / Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out / I Am Yours / Anyday / Key To The Highway / Tell The Truth / Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad? / Have You Ever Loved A Woman / Little Wing / It’s Too Late / Layla / Thorn Tree In The Garden
CD3 – Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad / Got To Get Better In A Little While / Let It Rain / Presence of The Lord / Key To The Highway / Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
CD4 – Tell The Truth / Bottle of Red Wine / Roll It Over / Blues Power / Have You Ever Loved A Woman / Little Wing / Crossroads
LP1 – I Looked Away / Bell Bottom Blues / Keep On Growing / Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out // I Am Yours / Anyday / Key To The Highway
LP2 – Tell The Truth / Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad? / Have You Ever Loved A Woman // Little Wing / It’s Too Late / Layla / Thorn Tree In The Garden

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, Albums, Blues, Re-release, Derek And The Dominos