Having known 'Layla' for so long, myself and my flatmates decided to give this album a go, and it was, for the first few weeks, magical (I should qualify this - when I say 'myself and my flatmates' I really mean my friend Tom and I). I always judge an album's quality, and the longevity of it, by my favourite song at any given time. When we began listening to this album, Layla was, of course, THE song on the album. As the days and weeks passed, we ended up skipping over Layla if we were playing on shuffle to get to the other songs. I can honestly say that, at one time or another, every single song has been 'my favourite song' for a period of time.
The only studio album by Derek and the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was released in 1970. The album details, in the main, Clapton's pain over his love for George Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd. The two were engaged in a sexual affair, but Clapton's love for his close friend's wife caused him immense heartache, explored in good detail on this album.
This album, save some Prince B-sides when I was 16, was my first real exposure to songs detailing the heartache that love can bring, or perhaps the first time I really identified with the pain these guys were singing about. I won't compare my own struggles with that of Eric, but I could certainly empathise with some of what he was singing about, and in a drunk state I have been known to send lyrics from this album to a young lady or two.
As an additional emotional connection, the guitar work on this album is phenomenal. Attainable, too, as I learned to play pretty much the entire album. Clapton's lead work is woven with guest slide guitarist Duane Allman, and the 'main solo' in Layla is in fact not played by Clapton at all, though this has gone unnoticed by many.
Listening back now, I'm reminded of cheap '2 for £5' wine deals and singing with good friends at 3am to the undoubted detriment to most around us. 'I Am Yours' is a beautiful, slow song, and I remember connecting with this song a lot in more private moments. 'Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?' is a searing song, filled with anger, and I really did find myself questioning this very thing quite a bit during my first year. I got no closer than Eric and his Dominos to finding a solution. 'Anyday' fits a similar mould, and I would be hard pressed to choose a favourite now listening between the two.
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is an album that reminds me so well of endless nights without a care in the world. It was around October 2010 that most around us seemed to scale back the freshers celebrations, but that just didn't happen with us. Ultimately, that did us little harm, so it's wonderful to think back now and remember just how much of a fucking awesome time we really did have.
