Eric Clapton • MTV Unplugged
The “unplugged” concept was invented by MTV back when it was still Music Television. Clapton performed before a select live audience, and the album was distilled from all the takes and retakes. It is worth noting that Clapton was not enthusiastic about releasing the album, fearing it would not be what his fans expected. Based on sales, he had to concede that he was wrong. What caught listeners' attention was the acoustic nature of the album, how intimate the sound was, and how easily Clapton created a rapport with the audience, along with his skill on acoustic guitar. Listen to him joke with the audience when he cues up “Layla” by saying “See if you can spot this one.” His comfort level translated into performances that relaxed the audience. His give-and-take with both the band and the audience is clearly audible, such as the opening to “Alberta” when he’s not quite ready to start and stops everyone with “ang on, ang on, ang on.” I was immediately struck by how full, rich, three-dimensional and live-sounding the new SACD is. Clapton's and Andy Fairweather Low’s guitars are clearly two separate entities in their own acoustic space, being played by two distinctly different guitarists. Then there is the moment Clapton launches into “Running On Faith,” where he switches from acoustic guitar to the Dobro, and the difference is easy to hear. There is a realness to the sound of the plucked, picked, or strummed guitar strings that I did not remember from my original CD. Clapton’s acoustic guitar sounds like it is firing each note straight at the microphone, whereas the Dobro is clearly laying on his lap sending its sound up and out. It is not a subtle difference. The detail the SACD lays bare is wonderfully revealing and adds to the feeling of liveness. There was also a real sense of space around each musician and the entire band. But what really stands out are the vocals: real people singing in real space in full-bodied power. I was especially impressed by the emotion I could hear in Clapton’s voice when, in such an intimate setting, he did the acoustic version of “Tears In Heaven,” the song he had written for his four-year-old son Connor who had accidently died the previous year. This is the quality remastering we have come to expect from Mobile Fidelity. At first, I even thought the SACD might be using a different mix (it is not), because there was so much additional detail. When I swapped out the new SACD for my original CD, the differences were glaringly obvious. The CD was, and still is, quite a good-sounding disc. There is a reason this album became an audiophile, and public, favorite. But the sound from the CD pales in comparison to that of the SACD. Everything is bigger, fuller, more realistic on the SACD. The front-to-back depth is more pronounced. The soundstage is wider, with a more realistic sense of space. Each musician and background singer is more precisely placed within the soundstage. All of this was a very pleasant revelation. If you've cherished this album since its original release
and already own the good-sounding CD, is the SACD worth its premium price? My answer is an
unqualified yes. It really is that big an improvement. You gain the feeling of
being in the audience, and Clapton sounds far more immediate, both his guitar/Dobro work
and his vocals. The soundstage opens up in a way you will not have heard it before. I
could go on and on. Hearing this SACD gave me the feeling of meeting a dear old friend for
the very first time. |
ne of the most
popular, most critically acclaimed and best-sounding albums of the 1990s has finally come
to SACD. Eric Clapton’s MTV Unplugged will be wowing listeners all over
again. So much has been written over the years regarding just how superlative the songs
and performance are. It almost goes without saying that this album contains some of the
best pop music ever recorded, having sold over ten million copies (and counting).