[Slowhand] On This Day in EC History - December 10

[Almighty Geetarz]

On December 10, 2003, EC played another night at Tokyo's Budokan Hall. 
The highlight of the evening was an inspired performance of "Kind 
Hearted Woman", captured here as part of the impeccable "Just For You" 
box set on the EC is Here / DJ Copy label.

http://www.geetarz.org/reviews/clapton/just-for-you-12-10-budokan.htm

http://www.geetarz.org/tunez/12-10-jfy-31-khw.m4a

Someone (?) recently mentioned the Tom Dowd and the Language of Music 
documentary, in reference to the fact that some of the bare guitar 
tracks from "Layla" sound a bit weak and fiddly when separated from the 
mix.

This is true in general of a lot of music, and another good example is 
also to be found in another rendition of "Kind Hearted Woman". For this 
one we will take the time machine back to November 30, 2003, and visit 
the Budokan again via a release on the Kamikaze label, How Long This 
Must Go On?.

As a bonus track, the folks at Kamikaze tapped into the feed from the 
wireless transmitter on EC's guitar, and here we get to hear just EC's 
raw performance on this tune.

Of note, people often don't understand the difference between their 
typical home stereo amplifier, and a guitar amplifier, and the 
difference is here laid bare.

The receiver / stereo / amplifier in your home or car is designed to 
*reproduce* sound as exactly as possible.

A guitar amplifier is designed to *produce* sound, and to achieve that 
aim the response is anything but linear. If you've ever wondered why all 
the truly good sounding guitar amplifiers use vacuum tubes, it's because 
when digital signals hit the top end of their travel, or "clip", it's a 
really unpleasant sound. Whereas when a well designed tube amplifier 
clips, the tubes produce all sorts of even order harmonics and 
distortion that are very pleasing to the ear (unless you're a Yanni 
fan). So the raw output here is just that - raw and unfiltered.

This is what an electric guitar really sounds like in its unamplified 
state. Cool stuff!

Overall, this song is a textbook of Clapton-style blues. There is a 
saying that "it's not what you play, but what you *don't* play", and 
that's very obvious here. Also pay attention not just to the notes and 
their phrasing, but the dynamics of EC's touch on the guitar. Without 
the distortion of the amplifier, one can really hear EC's pick attack as 
he goes from soft, to really digging in with the edge of his pick on 
some of the solos.

http://www.geetarz.org/reviews/clapton/how-long-this.htm

http://www.geetarz.org/tunez/khw-solo.mp3

Cheers,
AG