Taken from Garden Party IX at the Crystal Palace Concert Bowl, this show also featured Freddie King, The Chieftains, Dick & The Firemen, Jess Roden Band & Barbara Dickson and ran from 12PM to 8PM on Saturday, July 31, 1976. This concert is the second date from EC’s UK tour and also only his second performance from 1976.
The sound is a bit tinny, although still a good recording that was recorded close to the stage, and fluctuates between being very clear and lively to somewhat muffled in spots.
As for the playing, the band sounds very good with solid performances from everyone. “Hello Old Friend” is missing the intro solo where Eric seems to come in with the vocal too soon. Clapton uses the beginning of the show to feature some of the newer songs “to get them out of the way” as he states before “All Our Past Times”. The show is somewhat slow paced and everything is played with a great feel tonight, especially “Tell The Truth”. This concert holds many surprises with Larry Coryell joining from “Going Down Slow” on and adding a nice solo right before the junction with “Stormy Monday”. People around the taper start to yell “Ronnie” as Ron Wood and Freddie King come up for “Further On Up The Road”. There is a fun guitar jam at the end where the band drops out and the guys take turns soloing.
Originally issued by Mid Valley as a limited edition 2CD set with T-shirt, this review comes from the non-limited single CD version still containing the entire Crystal Palace performance. I believe the extra disc from the limited edition contained Cream’s final US performance from November 4, 1968 at the Rhode Island Auditorium in Providence and is titled Heavy Gauge. (If anyone can confirm this please post a comment below.) The artwork has many pictures from the event and the cover shows Clapton wearing his I’m With Stupid T-shirt, hence the title. The CD also comes with four mini photos from the show and is a nice bonus included with the package.
Previous releases from this show include Jesus Gets Naked God Gets Drunk on Tambourine and Crystal Palace on Silver Horse, not available for comparison. I’m With Stupid is another worthy Mid Valley title from EC’s mid seventies period.
