BOX SET REVIEW

DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS

On Tour With Eric Clapton (Deluxe Edition)

[Rhino Handmade]

When the American rock and R&B outfit led by husband-and-wife team Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett snagged a slot as opening act on supergroup Blind Faith’s 1969 tour, little did they know they’d also be luring away the headliner’s guitarist. Eric Clapton was so taken with the fun of Delaney & Bonnie’s shows that he tagged along when the troupe went out for a brief English tour later that year, setting aside his superstar status to play as a sideman. The shows yielded a live album, On Tour With Eric Clapton, drawn mostly from the Dec. 1 concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall. This four-disc box set presents that full show as well as three others from the same run—including two for which they were joined by another famous guitarist looking for an anonymous good time, a mostly inaudible George Harrison. Each concert finds the group romping through a set that spotlights the Bramletts’ soulful singing more than Clapton’s respectfully tasteful solo turns. The shows’ nearly identical set lists mean On Tour With Eric Clapton (Deluxe Edition) can’t help but slide into repetition, but each individual set is a testament to the joyous spirit that drew Clapton to the group in the first place. The moment chronicled here was brief but vital and productive—many of the same players went on to contribute to landmark albums by Clapton, Harrison and Joe Cocker. The Bramletts divorced in 1973, but this package offers a long-awaited closer look at the music that, however briefly, brought them and their friends together.  –CN