Eric Clapton: (Polydor/Universal)

This double album shows the serious side of Clapton, tracing his blues inspiration from the acoustic sounds of the rural Delta to the urban grit of the post-war electric Chicago scene. The first disc features studio sessions - the opening track, Before You Accuse Me, is a completely different version to the one people will know, more authentically bluesy than its later interpretation. Alberta shows off the guitar mastery: notice how husky his voice is, too - he sounds as if he's on 60 a day, but it's still great. The second disc consists of live material recorded in the 1970s, when Clapton was known as God, and the last track, Further On Up The Road, has Freddie King guesting on guitar. King and God together? It makes for a miraculous ending to this collection of classic Clapton.

Colm Banville