Eric Clapton, “Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert,” Polydor. **

Because Clapton is joined by such notables as Pete Townshend and Steve Winwood on an album that features previously unreleased versions of such songs as “Layla” and “Crossroads,” it’s easy to assume this is an essential package. But the 1973 concert, available for the first time on CD, was only important because it represented a key step in the return to action of Clapton after a dry period following the breakup of Derek & the Dominos in 1971. The music is rarely inspired.

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