Collectors Music Reviews

 Speed Freaks (Mid Valley MVR 300)

Henry W. Kiel Municipal Auditorium, St. Louis , M) – November 27, 1970 
Layla, Roll It Over, Blues Power, Stormy Monday, Got To Get Better In A Little While, Nobody Knows When You’re Down And Out, Tell The Truth, Let It Rain

This long lost Dominos show is one of the more recent to surface in the collecting community. This is a listenable, slightly muffled recording, lacking top end. I will rate it only as good and turning up the top end only enhances the tape noise. The drums can be hard to make out and the bass sounds muddy. However, Clapton’s guitar and vocals are at the front of the mix and at least the crowd is not very intrusive.

The set includes the rarely played “Layla”. This track has only been documented three times so far during the Dominos tours (Owings on Nov. 29, Tampa on Dec 1, and this one). This is interesting to hear with Eric alone on guitar. The band segue “Blues Power” into “Stormy Monday” tonight. This segue would change nightly between “Stormy” and “Have You Ever Loved a Woman”.

Bobby Whitlock gets his turn at lead vocals here on “Stormy”. His harmony vocals during “Roll it Over”, “Got to Get Better”, and “Tell the Truth” serve as a great companion to Clapton’s vocals.

The tape noise worsens by the end of “Tell the Truth” and lasts for the remainder of the tape. An extended “Let it Rain” includes the drum solo.

Most people would want to pass on this release but Dominos fans may want to check this out as Clapton sounds very inspired tonight and the original line-up performing “Layla” are few and far between.

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