Definition Of Legacy (Tricone 053/054/055/056)
Budokan, Tokyo, Japan – December 6th, 1990
Disc 1 (76:16): Opening, Pretending, No Alibis, Running On Faith, I Shot The Sheriff, White Room, Can’t Find My Way Home, Bad Love, Before You Accuse Me, Old Love
Disc 2 (62:07): Badge, Wonderful Tonight, member introduction, Cocaine, A Remark You Made, Layla, Crossroads, Sunshine Of Your Love
Disc 3 (75:31): Opening, Pretending, No Alibis, Running On Faith, I Shot The Sheriff, White Room, Can’t Find My Way Home, Bad Love, Before You Accuse Me, Old Love
Disc 4 (58:43): Badge, Wonderful Tonight, member introduction, Cocaine, A Remark You Made, Layla, Crossroads, Sunshine Of Your Love
Eric Clapton closed a successful year by bringing the Journeyman show to the far east in December. This was his first visit in over two years and covered ten concerts in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. He played three shows in Budokan in Tokyo on December 4th, 5th, and 6th and a final Tokyo show on December 9th at the Yoyogi Olympic Pool.
The show on the sixth was pressed before on Journeyman at Budokan (Masterport – 016) with a good sounding recording. Definition Of Legacy presents two audience recordings of the show. The first recording on discs one and two are the better of the two. It is very clear, powerful and atmospheric and is arguably the best tape from this tour. Another poor audience tape is used to fill two very small gaps, after “Bad Love” and after “Cocaine.” Both gaps last only a few seconds.
The second tape source on discs three and four is also very good, but a noticeable distance from the stage and not nearly as enjoyable as the first. Tricone could have released source one by itself and have an essential release. Issuing two tape sources for the same show doesn’t really make sense and only increases the price of the set.
The setlist is very similar to that used in Europe and the US over the summer. The only change made is the classic “Badge” replaces “Tearing Us Apart” which effectively eliminates all traces of Clapton’s mid eighties catalogue from the set. Clapton is joined by his band Nathan East on bass, Steve Ferrone on drums, Greg Phillinganes on keyboards, and augmented with Phil Palmer on second guitar and backing vocals by Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles.
Many sources say that Ray Cooper, who provided additional percussion and insanity for most of the year was also with the band for these Japanese dates. However, Cooper that information is incorrect since he left the tour beforehand.
By this time in the tour the boogie piano introduction is replaced by an orchestral arrangement of the familiar “Layla” melody as a prelude to “Pretending.” Two more new songs, “No Alibis” and “Running On Faith” follow before a very long “I Shot The Sherrif.” Clapton performs a very delicate solo that builds into a nice crescendo before the song segues into “White Room,” without a return to the song’s final verse.
The long showpiece of the set is “Old Love” which features all off the soloing, and Phillinganes playing a groovy jazz piano solo in the middle. “Badge” is met with very loud approval from the audience and segues into “Wonderful Tonight.”
The set ends with the Pastorius cover “A Remark You Made” leading into “Layla.” Clapton’s guitar goes out of tune at the very end but nobody seems to notice. When he returns for the encores, he plays a bit of Robert Johnson’s “Hellhound On My Trail” as a prelude to “Crossroads” and provides a short heavy metal riff link to “Sunshine Of Your Love.”
Clapton plays an slow, melodic solo in the middle right before Ferrone’s plays the drum solo and the song’s ending.
Definition Of Legacy is packaged in a fatboy jewel case to house the four discs with very attractive graphics and artwork on the cover. It is a bit much to have two unique audience recordings of the same show in one title. The first tape source is the one that will be receiving the attention. But, this is another sterling concert on Clapton’s Journeyman tour of Japan worth having.
