CLAPTON, ERIC / THE LADY IN THE BALCONY: LOCKDOWN SESSIONS [TARGET EXCLUSIVE] – 2X180 GRAM CLEAR VINYL

The 17-song set features Clapton and his longtime bandmates Nathan East (bass and vocals), Steve Gadd (drums) and Chris Stainton (keyboards) playing acoustic interpretations of Clapton standards and a selection of other numbers that include blues, country and rare originals.

Led by Clapton’s legendary longtime Grammy Award-winning producer Russ Titelman (James Taylor, George Harrison, Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Rickie Lee Jones) and recorded live at Cowdray House in West Sussex, England, Clapton and company revive timeless classics like “After Midnight,” “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tears in Heaven,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” and “Key to the Highway.” In addition to some of the most popular tunes from Eric’s extensive repertoire, Clapton and his crew also offer their own versions of songs that have had a lasting impact on his career and those of his contemporaries, including the Fleetwood Mac tracks “Black Magic Woman” and “Man of the World” from the Peter Green era.

The project was launched after Eric Clapton’s concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, scheduled for May 2021, had to be canceled due to ongoing disruptions from the pandemic. In search of a viable alternative, and hoping to keep all his options open, he retreated with his band into the English countryside and staged a concert with only the participants themselves present while he kept the cameras rolling. (Clapton’s wife Melia, the only outside observer, inspired the title of the sessions.) The mostly acoustic set should be like an Eric Clapton Unplugged II, but not quite, as three songs are played with electric guitars. The result is much more than just a stringing together of the greatest hits. Rather, it’s one of the most intimate and authentic performances of Clapton’s entire career, an offering that provides real insight into the composition of his indelible catalog.

Following his time with the Yardbirds in 1963, Clapton embarked on a career as a professional musician that included numerous bands, a plethora of albums, countless worldwide sold-out concerts, an impressive array of awards, unwavering critical acclaim and his consistent delivery of legendary guitar work.