B.B. King & Eric Clapton Riding with the King Numbered Limited Edition Hybrid Stereo SACD

This item not eligible for any further discount offers!

Eric Clapton was on a heckuva roll when he teamed with B.B. King on Riding with the King. The British icon boomeranged back into the mainstream in a serious way during the '90s courtesy of a standard-setting MTV Unplugged performance, exceptional blues covers set, and a platter of all-original material that became one of his most commercially successful releases. Clapton continued the streak on his first collaborative album, an inspired and inspiring tribute to King that finds both guitarists at the top of their respective games.

Sourced from the original masters, mastered by engineer Rob LoVerde, housed in mini-LP-style gatefold packaging, and featuring two bonus tracks unavailable on the original versions, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition hybrid SACD presents the 2000 album in audiophile stereo quality that exceeds that of the long-out-of-print DVD-A and Audio Fidelity SACD. Transparent, clean, and crisp, this reissue showcases the dynamic interplay between the two six-string pioneers with riveting presence and near-visceral physicality.

Separation is such that you can both distinguish and pinpoint the melodic sounds of Clapton's Fender Stratocaster and King's Gibson ES-355. Everything from in-the-studio directness to the wiry carry of the duo's oft-amplified strings emerge with dimensional body and pleasing realism. King's sweet lyricism, smooth bends, hallmark vibrato, warm tones, and economical thrift. Clapton's creamy phrasing, thick timbre, expressive pull-ons, and pentatonic scale-based lines. All rendered with extraordinary detail and clarity.

High degrees of imaging, balance, and definition also help put into perspective the contributions and chemistry of the supporting cast, which includes A-listers such as bassist Nathan East, drummer Steve Gadd, keyboardist Joe Sample, and organist Tim Carmon. They, along with guitarist Doyle Bramhall II and Andy Fairweather Low, were personally selected by Clapton. Many had already played with Slowhand in the studio and or on the stage.

Clapton also hand-picked the material, landing on five classics closely linked with King as well as four blues standards. Two Bramhall II co-writes and a John Hiatt-penned title track (ostensibly about a dream about Elvis Presley albeit apt for this occasion) completed the track list for the standard version. On this collectible SACD, the collective's interpretations of Muddy Waters' "Rollin' and Tumblin'" and King's "Let Me Love You Baby" serve as bonuses.

In listening to Riding with the King, you'll likely come away with the sense these musicians (joined by backing vocalists Susannah and Wendy Melvoin on a majority of songs) could pick up anything by ear and play for days. Part of that sensation stems from the fact Clapton and King discussed the idea for years. Clapton states in the credits that the project represented the culmination of "a dream come true"; relatedly, King says it is the fulfillment of "a lifelong dream."

Both first connected in 1967 at a club in New York City. The Mississippi-born King, a direct link to the Delta Blues that helped transform popular music, loomed as a massive influence on the English-reared Clapton. Their sense of admiration and respect for one another comes through in every passage on Riding with the King, which followed the pair's only prior studio collaboration (a rendition of "Rock Me Baby") by three years. As does their camaraderie and virtuosity. According to King, the pair took a loose, improvisational approach to the sessions, going by gut feel rather than following a script.

Winner of the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, Riding with the King teems with one standout performance after another. And while Clapton definitely earns his co-headliner status, he ensures the effort functions as a major platform for King's inimitable talents. The elder statesman stamps every track with character, emotion, and an authenticity that traces an unbroken line to the roots of the blues. To state the obvious and use a phrase commonly cited in the genre, he's the real deal.

King delivers a semi-autobiographical monologue on the title track, stretches his legs with Clapton on an epic read of "Three O'Clock Blues," swings and sways during "Days of Old," and gets intimate on a stripped-down take of "Worried Life Blues." The then-74-year-old is in incredible voice throughout. He growls, the rise and fall of the raw electricity in his singing coming across with hurt and conviction, "Ten Long Years." He lays into every syllable of "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer" as if life depends on it, the throaty cries complemented by sharp, pinched guitar fills and tasteful piano accents. And he turns tender on "Come Rain or Come Shine," the lone track augmented by strings.

A true partnership built on mutual admiration, symbiotic interests, and spontaneous call-and-response musicianship, Riding with the King represents a high-water mark for a pair of giants who made their long-awaited opportunity count. And then some. Enjoy the ride.