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Interesting that this is coming out on the heels of the Disraeli Gears DE. Haven't seen it on the PR Newswire yet.

Two-CD Deluxe Edition Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of Eric Clapton's Classic 1974 Solo Album 461 Ocean Boulevard

DOUBLE CD EDITION FEATURES PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LIVE RECORDINGS.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Eric Clapton's first solo gold album, first solo gold single, first solo #1 album and first solo #1 single, the two-CD Deluxe Edition of 461 Ocean Boulevard (Polydor/UMe), will be released on October 26, 2004.

Disc One features the original album completely digitally remastered, including its hits "I Shot The Sheriff" and "Willie And The Hand Jive", plus session outtakes of five tracks not on the 1974 LP: "Walkin' Down The Road", "Ain't That Lovin' You", "Meet Me (Down At The Bottom)", "Eric After Hours Blues" and "B Minor Jam".

Disc Two is perhaps the highlight of this Deluxe Edition. Culled from Clapton's concerts at Hammersmith Odeon, London December 4-5, 1974, the 11 tracks include eight previously unreleased live and scorching performances: "Smile", "Let It Grow", "Can't Find My Way Home", "Tell The Truth", "Singing The Blues", "Badge", "Let It Rain" and "Layla". Previously issued are the concert performances of "I Shot The Sheriff", "Little Wing", and a medley of "The Sky Is Cryin'", "Ramblin' On My Mind", and "Have You Ever Loved A Woman".

With 16 Grammys to his credit and the only three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of Cream and of the Yardbirds, and as a solo artist), Clapton is one of the most admired and honored guitarists of the rock generation. Yet he was enormously reluctant to launch a solo career. His self-titled 1970 solo debut embraced an organic rock/R&B/gospel rootsy vibe that grew out of his touring with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, but then he left the solo spotlight to form Derek and the Dominos with Delaney & Bonnie alums Bobby Whitlock (organ), Carl Radle (bass) and Jim Gordon (drums).
Finally, after years of struggle with heroin addiction, Clapton returned to his solo career with his second studio outing, 461 Ocean Boulevard. Produced by Tom Dowd in a relaxed Miami atmosphere, the album went gold and hit #1 on the charts. Clapton's reading of Bob Marley's outlaw anthem "I Shot The Sheriff", which served as many American listeners' first exposure to reggae, soared to #1 on pop charts and Top 40 R&B and also went gold. Johnny Otis' "Willie And The Hand Jive" reached the pop Top 30. Other standout tracks include the gentle Clapton original "Let It Grow" and the traditional blues "Motherless Children".
461 Ocean Boulevard remains an extraordinary Clapton album
--bluesy yet eclectic, laidback yet emotional. Few albums have matched its musical achievement.

Source: Voodoo Music Newsletter/Universal
Posted on: September 03, 2004

According to this (also dated 9/3/04):

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/ ... r=12035586

there's also a surround SACD set for the same date of this title and "Slowhand." The SACD article doesn't mention bonus tracks, and the DE article doesn't mention SACD or surround. I hope Universal doesn't release an album-only SACD and a 2-CD Deluxe Edition separately. That would make me sad.

Ryan

They did on the Allman's Fillmore set.

Yeah, I know. Which is why I haven't bought either the DE or the SACD. They had the right idea with the Tommy and GYBR sets. I guess they realized they were being too consumer-friendly, and instead turned their resources toward bigger, uglier FBI warnings.

Ryan

Have you listened to the dts CD yet?

Bill L claimed that a hybrid SACD of the Allman's DE would have had to have gone on 3 or 4 discs or something. I pointed out that Tommy clocked in at 75+ minutes, but that conversation never got very far.

Have you listened to the dts CD yet?

Yes. I'm guessing it's a straight port of the quad mix, since there are 1971 and 1974 Polygram copyrights on the package.

The sound is fine, but the mix is very discrete -- you've got Duane in the left rear, Dickey in the right rear, one drum kit each in the front channels, and Gregg and Berry more or less in the front center. That's cool for separation, but that level of discreteness front-and-back sounds gimmicky to me. In any event, though, it's an interesting item.

Bill L claimed that a hybrid SACD of the Allman's DE would have had to have gone on 3 or 4 discs or something. I pointed out that Tommy clocked in at 75+ minutes, but that conversation never got very far.

Apparently it has to do with how much top end (we're talking in the 50kHz range) you're willing to filter off to make it fit. The guys working on Tommy went ahead and trimmed it to fit, while the Blonde on Blonde guys said no and pushed it to a two-disc set. I guess Levenson is in the latter camp.

Ryan

Yeah, I believe Bill made some comment like "it's SACD, why would you filter?"

As far as those DTS CDs go, yeah, quad mixes. However, I've heard some/all use some type of filtering to "create" the center channel. Thoughts? Are the other 4 speakers straight dubs, or are they missing the center channel stuff?

I'll have to check more closely to say for sure.

As far as the larger question goes, I'm inclined to go for the DEs rather than the SACDs, as I think the bonus tracks are more interesting to me than surround mixes and whatever incremental sound upgrade there may or may not be. But I'd rather not have to make that choice.

Ryan

Did you listen to those center channels at all?

More on 461, Slowhand, and Layla:

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/ ... r=17121442

# More Information on the Eric Clapton SACDs
Universal Music also provided some additional information on the three upcoming Surround Sound SACDs by Eric Clapton. Universal says that the albums 461 Ocean Boulevard by Clapton and Layla by Derek and the Dominoes will feature "a new SACD Surround Sound mix by the current Eric Clapton production team of producer Simon Climie and engineer Mick Guzauski and totally remastered SACD and CD Audio Stereo programs. All were created using the original analog master tapes."

The 461 Ocean Boulevard Surround Sound SACD will feature three bonus tracks not on the Stereo CD edition of the album. The bonus tracks will be Walkin’ Down The Road, Ain’t That Lovin’ You and Meet Me (Down At The Bottom). A separate 2 CD Deluxe Edition of the album will be issued a week later on November 9th.

Turning to the Slowhand Surround Sound SACD, Universal has announced that this one will feature a new Surround Sound mix done by the original producer of the album Glyn Johns. As with 461 Ocean Boulevard and Layla, Slowhand will also feature remastered SACD and CD Audio tracks created from the original analog master tapes.

# Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard (Polydor)
# Eric Clapton - Slow Hand (Polydor)
# Derek & the Dominoes - Layla (Polydor)

No, not yet.

Ryan