Eric Clapton at His Best

AMG Review of Eric Clapton at His Best

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

Upon the expiration of its US licensing deal with Atlantic/Atco, Polydor wanted its own Eric Clapton compilation on the American market to compete with History of Eric Clapton, and so released this two-LP set, which featured material culled from Clapton's debut album, Eric Clapton and Derek and the Dominos' double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, both of which had been released through Atco. Unlike History, most of which contained recordings made by groups in which Clapton was a member, At His Best really was a compilation of work by Clapton the solo artist and band leader, and it featured such notable songs as "After Midnight," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Let It Rain," and "Little Wing." But it also began to glut the market, marking the third LP release in two years for songs like "Blues Power" and "Layla."