#CLAPTON UNPLUGGED SERIES#

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior With the arrival of MoFi's UD1S pressing, that sensation is more urgent than before. In every regard, Clapton's Unplugged session was appointment listening when it came out in August 1992. Equivalent in mastery if not in volume to the output that earned him his 'God' nickname, interpretations of Jesse Fuller's 'San Francisco Bay Blues' (complete with kazoo!), Big Bill Broonzy's 'Hey Hey,' Robert Johnson's 'Walkin' Blues' and 'Malted Milk,' and Muddy Waters' 'Rollin' & Tumblin'' showcase a learned professor in his element and all the wheels turning. Indeed, how Clapton frames other favorites here – transforming 'Layla' into a relaxed, comfortable stroll and ruminating on the seasoned ripples flowing throughout 'Old Love,' for example – indicate both a creative rebirth and gleeful acceptance of the next phase of his career.Īnd that very direction (two of Clapton's next three albums would be all-blues projects) is what really makes Unplugged so indispensable. More emotional, direct, spare, and healing than the studio version released a year prior, it crackles with an intimacy, maturity, poignancy, honesty, sweetness, and integrity that inform the entire concert. Of course, there's no talking about Unplugged without keying in on 'Tears in Heaven,' the striking ballad Clapton penned about the death of his four-year-old son. What follows over the course of nearly the next hour stirs the heart, shakes the soul, moves the mind, and invigorates the senses. Backed by a superb band that includes guitarist Andy Fairweather Low, pianist Chuck Leavell, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Steve Ferrone, Slowhand delivers a rhythmic, toe-tapping rendition of Bo Diddley's 'Before You Accuse Me' that announces he's come to reconnect with his muse. Kicking off his performance with a spirited instrumental to establish the mood, Clapton immediately wades into the style that originally caught his attention as a British teenager in the early 1960s: American blues.

#CLAPTON UNPLUGGED SERIES#

Needless to say, Clapton's session turned MTV's series into can't-miss programming for which the likes of Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and more would soon participate. Recorded for MTV before a very small audience on January 16, 1992, the 14-track set became the signpost for future acoustic-based endeavors that witnessed artists of all stripes re-examining their catalogs and, in many instances, as Clapton does here, placing familiar originals in fresh contexts and unveiling spirited versions of cover material. and more than 26 million copies worldwide, the 1992 work resonates with listeners of all generations and speaks a universal language. Having sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S.

Truly, everything about Unplugged matters.

It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the images to the finishes. Aurally and visually, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. Housed in a deluxe box, the UD1S Unplugged pressing features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording and the reissue's premium quality. The expanse and depth of the soundstage, fullness of tones, natural snap and extension of the guitar strings, realistic rise and decay of individual notes, and roll of Clapton's vocals all attain demonstration-grade levels. Surpassing the sonics of any prior version, it peels away any remaining limitations to provide a transparent, lively, ultra-nuanced presentation of a record that won six Grammy Awards – including prizes for Album of the Year, Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, and Best Rock Song. Strictly limited to 10,000 numbered copies, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition enhances the blockbuster work for today – and the ages to come.

Clapton unplugged