Released today (September 30th) is the latest Eric Clapton box set, The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume 1, which sells for $249.98. The Reprise collection contains newly remastered versions of six studio albums pressed on 180-gram vinyl: Money And Cigarettes (1983) as a single LP, Behind The Sun (1985), August (1986), Journeyman (1989), From the Cradle (1994), and Pilgrim (1998) as double-LPs. Behind The Sun and August were originally released as single LP's with both now packaged as three-sided double albums to avoid long LP sides and to maximize the audio quality.
A bonus album, exclusive to the new collection, Rarities (1983-1998), brings together eight rare recordings from this era, including live versions of “White Room” and “Crossroads” that were both featured on the B-side of the 1987 single “Behind The Mask.” Another B-side, “Theme From A Movie That Never Happened (Orchestral),” appeared in 1998 on the B-side to “My Father’s Eyes.” A cover of Albert King‘s “Born Under A Bad Sign” and a previously unreleased remix of “Pilgrim” by co-writer and long-time Clapton producer Simon Climie.
Early 2023 will see the release of The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume 2, a companion vinyl boxed set that features Clapton’s Reprise studio albums spanning 2001-2010, along with an exclusive LP of rarities from that era. More details on this release will be announced soon.
Often touted as a “Guitar God,” Eric Clapton told us that he's not really sure he deserves that kind of recognition: “If it's true — and I presume you think it is — then I think it's a wonderful thing, and it's a great honor to be able to have that. It's a privilege, y'know, that I'm very grateful for. I would never want to belittle that.”