Eric Clapton – Slowhand – 200gram Vinyl Review

Eric Clapton – Slowhand – 1977 – 200gram – 35th Anniversary Edition

Vinyl surface noise: 5-   (not pops and clicks)

Dynamic Range: 4

Stereo Imaging: 4+

Image depth/perspective: 4

Overall frequency response: 4+

Side One

1. Cocaine
2. Wonderfull Night
3. Lay Down Sally
4. Next Time You See Her
5. We’re All The Way

Side Two

1. The Core
2. May You Never
3. Mean Old Frisco
4. Peaches And Diesel

This album was originally released in November 1977 by RSO Records and recorded and mixed in May 1977 at Olympic Studios in London. Slowhand is the fifth solo studio album by Eric Clapton. It is one of his commercially and critically most successful studio albums. Slowhand produced the two hit singles “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight”, topped various international music charts and was honored with numerous awards and recording certifications.

This 35th anniversary edition on the Polydor Label – B0017702-01, was re-mastered from the original analog master tapes and pressed on heavyweight vinyl .

• 200gram Vinyl
• Remastered from the Original Olympic Studios 1/4″ Flat Analog Master Tapes
• Remastered by Seth Foster & Kevin Reeves at Sterling Sound
• Lacquers cut at 1/2 Speed by Miles Showell at Metropolis in London
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings

This classic rock album has stood the test of time, as have many of Eric Claptons albums. Did the improved mastering, and pressing by Acoustics Sounds, provide this album with a new lease on life?

Musician Line Up:

• Bass Guitar – Carl Radle
• Drums, Percussion – Jamie Oldaker
• Guitar – George Terry
• Guitar, Vocals – Eric Clapton
• Keyboards – Dick Sims
• Saxophone – Mel Collins
• Vocals – Marcy Levy, Yvonne Elliman

Now this Eric Clapton album is what I Still Do should have sounded like, but even better! My only real critiscm of this mastering is the low frequency drone from what maybe the cutting lathes motor. It is quiet evident on both lead-ins and between all tracks. The vinyl was otherwise really quite with no pops or clicks.

Overall the sound is open and clean with lots of “air” around the guitars, allowing you to pick out the various riffs, string pulls and effects like multi-tracking. The kit is well imaged with tight tom’s, great snare, cymbal and hi-hat detail, showing clean HF and no hardness of any kind. S1T5 providing nice detailed brush work on the snare. The album isn’t brimming with extended bass, having a solid, tight and well defined electric bass line throughout, with a deep well damped kick drum that never really pushes itself forward in any mix, except the instrumental S2T4.

Clapton’s vocals are very natural with few signs of hardness or over EQ, as are Marcy’s and Yvonne’s vocals. On occasions Clapton’s vocals do sound a little muffled, but at all times maintain a solid center stage, great imaging and  lots of presence. The most disappointing track was S1T4. His vocals were distorted for the entire track. Checking the track a second time revealed the same vocal distortion.

There is plenty of reverb for all instruments in particular the guitars, organ and sax (S2T1) that provides a pleasing level of ambience and warmth to the performances. The sax while clear and crisp lacked a little in the lower registers sounding a little hollow and thin. Many tracks have lengthy tail outs that fade very gracefully into the silent vinyl.

Musically the album provides a solid performance with a good selection of bluesy rock style tracks, some solid solos and a single instrumental track that lets you analyze each of the instruments in detail. Overall the albums sound is relaxed and its mastering and pressing are good. It is not highly dynamic in nature, but this albums style of music doesn’t demand it. As a studio recording it lacks any significant instruemental image depth with the kit taking its rightful place behind Clapton and the sax solo being well set back.

This album, despite its half speed mastering and 200gram vinyl pressing is no match for many of my Direct To Disc recordings. However, it sounds like Miles Showell  got everything he could off that analog tape and into the vinyl. As audiophile pressings go, this is a very good pressing with good dynamics, frequency response and low surface noise.

If you are looking to add an audiophile version of Slowhand to your vinyl stash then this version is probably as good as it gets.

Listening Note:

I have the ability to run my system either pure analog or use digital EQ (Audyssey XT32). My 1038 Genelec’s may be run either full range, being flat to about 20Hz, or with subs flat down to 5Hz; using either a 40Hz (digital) or 80Hz (analog) sub crossover frequency. The use of the Audyssey EQ while providing an even more open and detailed feel to the albums sound caused some hardness to appear on Clapton’s vocals. I also preferred the bass using my analog crossover with subs, as it was slightly tighter than allowing the 1038’s to handle all the bottom end.)

Available on vinyl and CD from Discogs.

See my other vinyl reviews here.