Greatest rock song of the 20th century

Walking around the dunes the other day, looking at the bay and the happenings of the day, listening to music as I strolled.  On came Clapton playing Layla, unplugged. I had to search for the studio version and turn it up loud. For my money it’s the greatest rock song of the 20th century. Check out the song, and the article that I read about the song, in the link here.  

The studio version by the short-lived band Derek and the Dominos is nothing short of masterful.  Written by Clapton and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, Layla’s brilliance bubbles up from several sources.  Musically it’s flat out beautiful melodically and performed magnificently by great guitar, keyboard and vocal work.  

Layla – it rolls off the tongue so nicely, like Lo-li-ta – is a song about love, the most important and unifying subject of all time.  But in this case it’s the painful brand of unrequited love that drives the mournful quality of the song.  

As luck would have it - again refer to the ultimateclassicrock article about the song - guitarist Duane Allman happened to be in the same recording studio when Layla and Other Love Songs was being produced.  He joined it and so happens the magic.

Finally, the song’s roots tap into a classic Middle Eastern tale - Layla and Majnun - that chronicles another story of unrequited love.  When Majnun ultimately realizes he will never be able to marry the princess Layla, his despair leads him onto a spiritual journey that ultimately opens the door to enlightenment and the realization of universal love and interconnection between all human souls.

The power of love.

Layla is another of the endless gifts given us by artists and their ability to draw us together through the pleasure of shared aesthetic experiences.  If you want to follow this a little farther, read Robert Frost’s poem called Tuft of Flowers.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/derek-and-the-dominos-layla/