Umbrella Entertainment/AV Channel .
R4 . COLOR . 59 mins .
E . PAL
Feature
Contract
Eric Clapton is without doubt one of the world’s finest guitarists and this showcase performance from the Birmingham NEC in July 1986 is a great testament to that. He is backed by impressive musicians Nathan East on bass and Greg Phillinganes on keyboards and a pretty well known drummer in Phil Collins. This concert is basically the four musos showing us mere mortals how it should be done. There is no fancy stage production and huge supporting band, this is simply the four guys pumping out a great sound, but with Eric Clapton up front, the sound is never really in doubt.
The Master.
Recorded in 1986 prior to the release of Clapton’s August album, this brief performance features several tracks from that album, which is great if you like this album but for those that are fans of Clapton’s more historic work, fear not as he does perform some of his better known songs. Layla is always a highlight, as is Sunshine of Your Love and to top things off for Phil Collins fans, we also get a great performance of In The Air Tonight from the former Genesis front man.
Track Listing:
Crossroads
White Room
Run
Miss You
Tearing Us Apart
Holy Mother
In the Air Tonight
Layla
Sunshine of Your Love
There is currently another release available that looks very similar to this. Eric Clapton – Live 1986 was also recorded in 1986 at the Birmingham NEC but having not seen this release, I cannot confirm it is the same show but it does seem likely. If it is in fact the same show then why the dual release?
Fans of Clapton will love this show and lovers of quality music should also find enjoyment. The running time of just under an hour is a little short but the content makes it well worth it. It’s not everyday you see the likes of this kind of talent on the same stage without the banner of “benefit” or “tribute” flying overhead so give this one a look.
Video
Audio
Extras
Contract
This made for television presentation delivers as expected. It is presented in full frame and considering its age, it looks reasonable and of the expected level of quality. Picture is reasonably clear but can look a little washed out in areas due to poorer detail quality. This is not a bad thing overall though as the quality in general is quite strong for a telly film made in the mid ‘80s.
Sound is the most important thing for a concert performance and this Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track delivers nicely. Age is again a problem with the audio suffering from a few minor faults, but generally it is very strong and delivers a nice punch. This audio mix is not going to set the world on fire, but it is better than expected and could have easily have been a basic stereo mix so the supply of a surround mix is indeed a bonus.
There are a couple of extras with this release, but nothing to write home about. First up is a selected discography, this contains a three page list of Clapton’s work. Secondly is a collection of teaser trailers. These are for the music titles Max Merritt & The Meteors – Live in Concert, Ronnie Wood – Far East Man, Jimi Hendrix – Rainbow Bridge and John Lee Hooker – That’s My Story. All of these are basically a song from the relevant release to entice the viewer to buy.
For Eric Clapton fans, and there are many of you, this is a good performance and one worth adding to the collection. It is possibly also worth it for Phil Collins fans too. Picture and sound quality are both reasonable and extras are minimal. There is the question as to whether this is the same show mentioned earlier that has been released, if so the viewer should decide which is better before going ahead and buying, as it would be stupid to have the same show twice.