Eric Clapton - The Definitive 24 Nights- Rock 1... -
In 1990 and 1991, Eric Clapton did something no other rock guitarist had the audacity to try. He booked London’s Royal Albert Hall for eighteen nights (later expanded to twenty-four for the box set) and split the residency into three distinct personalities: Rock, Blues, and Orchestral.
Most retrospectives focus on the Orchestra nights—Clapton taming the beast of a full symphony. Others swear by the Blues nights, where Buddy Guy and Robert Cray turned the hall into a Mississippi juke joint.
But if you want to understand velocity, risk, and why Clapton was considered untouchable in 1991, you have to cue up “Rock 1” (Night 1 of the Rock stand).
Here is the dirty secret of that recording: Clapton was terrified.
The highlight of the Rock 1 set isn't the usual Layla (though the double-stop dive bombs there are vicious). It’s the extended jam on "Old Love." Eric Clapton - The Definitive 24 Nights- Rock 1...
Midway through the solo, Clapton’s backing band—featuring the late, great drummer Steve Ferrone and bassist Nathan East—locks into a groove that is suspiciously close to Jimi Hendrix’s "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)." Clapton, caught off guard, laughs audibly on the tape. He then proceeds to quote Hendrix’s riff verbatim, bends the note so sharp it nearly breaks, then swings back into "Old Love" without missing a beat.
It is the loosest Clapton has ever sounded. It is the sound of a "god" having fun.
If you buy only one night of the 24, buy the Rock Night.
The Blues night is for purists. The Orchestral night is for crying. But the Rock night? That is for air-guitaring so hard you pull a hamstring. In 1990 and 1991, Eric Clapton did something
This is not nostalgia. This is a document of a cornered king reminding the world that no one—not Vaughan, not Beck, not Page—could play the blues louder than Eric Clapton when he stopped being polite and started being real.
Rating: 9/10 Essential for: Fans of Derek and the Dominos, Journeyman era, and anyone who thinks Clapton is "boring."
Skip if: You prefer "Tears in Heaven" to "Cocaine."
What makes the Rock segment of Definitive 24 Nights definitive? The band. Clapton didn't just hire session players; he hired demolition experts. What makes the Rock segment of Definitive 24
What makes the Rock segment of The Definitive 24 Nights so devastating is the band. Clapton wasn't just backing himself; he built a wall of sound.
This lineup didn't just play the songs; they attacked them.
From the Journeyman album, this track is the perfect launchpad. The remastered audio allows you to hear the grind of Clapton’s Soldano amp. Greg Phillinganes’ backing vocals explode out of the right channel, and when Clapton slides into that solo—bending the strings until they scream—you realize this isn't a nostalgia act. This is a man proving he is the best rock guitarist alive.
