Really strong first half (b/t Motherless Children and I Shot the Sheriff) with a pretty disappointing second half. Get Ready is a wonderful song, and Clapton's voice is complimented by Yvonne Elliman's. The second half of the album does seem to mellow in a way that isn't particularly compelling (Please Be With Me epitomizes this melting away into guitar twang and softly sung words). The album does seem to pick up with Steady Rollin' Man and ends with a pounding flourish with Mainline Florida, but it isn't enough to rescue the second half from itself. I understand the criticism that Clapton's guitar-playing seems to melt into the background in this album. It rarely seems to be the emphasis in these songs, which leaves me wondering what the emphasis is. At its best (Motherless Children; I Shot the Sheriff), the album seems to be good because of the arrangement rather than Clapton's skill. However, I don't find that the arrangement of these covers is distinct enough from the originals (especially I Shot the Sheriff, I Can't Hold Out, Willie and the Hand Jive, Please Be With Me). What's worse, in some cases (particularly I Can't Hold Out) Clapton's rearrangement somehow dims the song itself (although it is noticeable that this song might be the one where his guitar playing is most prominent).