The Layla Sessions: 20th Anniversary Edition (or The Layla Sessions) released September 1990 is an anniversary remix of the 1970 Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs album by
Derek and the Dominos. The album contains the original album, remixed to improve audio quality, and, in the 3-CD edition, two extra discs of unused alternate and incomplete masters of the original songs and studio jamming. The box set was designed by Mitchell Kanner.
Reviewing in October 1990, Ira Robbins of Rolling Stone said the original album has "aged gracefully", but found the rest inferior, including some of the "intriguing" outtakes.[3]Robert Christgau was more critical in The Village Voice, questioning the value and purpose of the box set. While most fulfill marketing rather than musical purposes, The Layla Sessions is especially suspicious, in his opinion:
It pretends that Eric Clapton's finest pickup band … deserves the kind of genius treatment that's dubious even with great jazz improvisors. And since it unearths not much
Duane Allman (no surprise, since he barely met the band), it cheats on the dueling-guitars fireworks that made Layla explode. This is
pop, gang – arrangements matter. Outtakes are outtakes because the keepers are better. Jams take too long to get anywhere worth going. And when a mix trades raunch for definition, the exchange is usually moot.[5]
Track listing
Disc one: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (Remixed Version)
"I Looked Away" (
Eric Clapton,
Bobby Whitlock) Recorded September 2, 1970. Overdubbed September 2 & 4, 1970
"
Bell Bottom Blues" (Clapton) Recorded September 2, 1970. Overdubbed September 4 & 9, 1970
"Keep on Growing" (Clapton, Whitlock) Recorded September 1, 1970. Overdubbed September 1,2,5 & 9, 1970
^Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press.
ISBN1-57859-061-2. p. 240.