461 Ocean Boulevard, Deluxe Edition [Deluxe Edition, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Eric Clapton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 9, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 1974
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Deluxe Edition, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B00065VTU4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  DVD Audio  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,155 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #81 in Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Guitar Gods

Editorial Reviews

2 CD collection featuring a digitally remastered version of the original album, and a bonus CD with live recordings from the 1974 concert at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EC's Best Solo Album Gets the Royal Treatment, November 22, 2004

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 461 Ocean Boulevard, Deluxe Edition (Audio CD)

After all these years, I still believe that "461 Ocean Boulevard" is Clapton's best solo album. I will readily admit I'm not such a big fan of the more recent blues albums such as "Me and Mr. Johnson", which I thought was rather dull, as well intentioned as it was. But I digress.

"461 Ocean Boulevard - Deluxe Edition" has grown from the original 40 min. album to an exquisite 2CD spread (26 tracks, 142 min.), and quite comfortably at that. CD1 (15 tracks, 69 min.) brings of course the original 10 tracks, and they still sparkle today as they did 30 years ago. The remastered sound is fantastic. It has of course the hits "I Shot the Sheriff", "Willie and the Hand Jive", and "Motherless Children" (all from the original Side 1), but there really are no weak songs here. Other classics include "Let It Grow", the pensive "I Can't Hold Out", and the album closer "Mainline Florida". The 5 bonus tracks are session out-takes from the album recordings, they have appeared elsewhere before on various compilations such as "Crossroads", but are grouped together here for the first time. My fave of them is "Meet Me (At the Bottom)", a mostly instrumental jam session. CD2 (11 tracks, 73 min.) is a live album, recorded in London at the end of the 461 Ocean Blvd tour in December, 1974. After the announcer's "Well Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it, the last show of the tour, please welcome Mr. Eric Clapton and his band!", we're in for a treat. Only 3 of the 11 tracks have appeared before on the Crossroads compilations. The highlights are many, including "Let It Grow", the Steve Winwood cover "Can't Find My Way Home", a rousing "Tell the Truth", the Jimi Hendrickx cover "Little Wing", and the closer "Let It Rain", with at the end EC simply saying "bye bye, thank you" to an elated audience.

The liner notes are a bit skimpy, but that aside, everything is an A+ on this "Deluxe Edition". Let me emphasize that this is not just for the EC fanatic. Anyone interested in just plain good music will be taken aback by this album, finding Clapton at the top of his game. Strongly recommended!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SACD review, November 22, 2004

By 

scomoore "scomoore" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 461 Ocean Boulevard (Hybr) (Ms) (Audio CD)

The SACD version of "461 Ocean Boulevard" does sound much better than the CD version. With the surround mix, the separation of the music and the broader soundstage really helps compared to the CD.

However, the surround mix itself is inconsistent. It seems like they were going for an immersive sound stage, but the results are hit and miss.

Right from the start, 'Motherless Children' starts off sounding like the left/right channels are just duplicated in the surrounds, with even the main drum track in the surrounds too. Then in the middle of the song the surrounds contain only what sound like the 3rd and 4th guitar parts. Not sure what happened.

Other songs sound better from a surround standpoint, especially 'Willie and the Hand Jive' and 'Let it Grow,' but everything else in between sounds uninspired.

The most disappointing of all is 'Mainline Florida.' With it's layered guitar parts and keyboards, it should have been the best. But everything sounds shoved together in the front channels with the surrounds being an afterthought.

The extra tracks on the SACD deserve mention, because all three are great songs. The last one, 'Meet Me (Down at the Bottom),' also rates as one of the highlights of the disc from a surround presentation standpoint.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DTS - 461 Ocean Boulevard is Great !!!!, September 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eric Clapton/461 Ocean Boulevard DTS (DVD Audio)

I have just finished listening to the DTS 5.1 mix of Eric Clapton's 461 Ocean Boulevard. This mix actually puts you in the middle of the music and makes you feel as if you are in the studio with the musicians. This is a fine album from Clapton, but the best thing is the 5.1 remastering. I could hear more depth on this version of the CD than I've ever heard before. You can't go wrong with this CD, a great album for the first time Clapton buyer or those just venturing into the wonderful world of DTS.