TMS Movie Review: Eric Clapton Unplugged...Over 30 Years Later

(MTV / Paramount+)

After the innovation of music videos exploded through MTV in the 1980s, many wondered what the next, big visual prospect would be for music stars to utilize for exposure. By the early 1990s, it turned out to be MTV’s “Unplugged” concert series, featuring both legendary and modern musicians performing acoustic arrangements of their songs. Out of the many popular concerts filmed throughout the 1990s, the two that seem to be the most renowned are Eric Clapton’s 1992 set and Nirvana’s from 1994. The former show now returns as an updated documentary called Eric Clapton: Unplugged…Over 30 Years Later.

Primarily produced as a retrospective as well as an upgrade of Milton Lage’s original TV special, Over 30 Years Later adds an extra 30 minutes with a new intro sequence, a backstage interview of Clapton spliced in between tunes, and more performance footage to fill out the doc. If you remember watching the 60-minute episode back in 1992, the experience is still essentially the same, along with the singer-songwriter detailing his inspiration for the setlist, including covers of some of his favorite music artists.

(MTV / Paramount+)

The two most popular numbers from the concert during its initial airing were one of the first live performances of the ballad ‘Tears in Heaven,’ and the stripped down arrangement of Derek & the Dominos’ 1970 rock anthem ‘Layla,’ which originated on “Unplugged.” The interview also sets the story straight on if ‘Tears’ was inspired by the tragic death of Clapton’s young son Conor or already written for the soundtrack of Lili Fini Zanuck’s film Rush (1991). According to the man himself, it's a bit of both. Other songs include ‘Walkin’ Blues,’ ‘Old Love,’ ‘Running on Faith’ and ‘Circus,’ while the live band is mainly centered around Clapton and fellow guitarist Andy Fairweather Low, who have a nice back-and-forth chemistry and are clearly friendly off stage.

Personally, I’ve always preferred Clapton’s work with his early bands like Cream, Blind Faith and D&tD over his solo records, and I find the new title, Unplugged…Over 30 Years Later, hilariously lazy. But the special does remind us of why Eric Clapton has maintained his status as a rock legend and is an important presence in music history.