Eric Clapton's live performance on MTV's strip-down-the-rockers show allowed the heavily-blues-influenced guitarist a chance to show off another, underrated side of his talent--his voice. It's especially interesting to hear Clapton in an acoustic setting, because he made his mark as one of the early proponents of high-decibel rock. Here, sorting through numerous blues standards by the likes of Robert Johnson and Leadbelly, Clapton gives a lesson in technique, style and musical passion. His own, newer material allows him to stretch and play, while the heavily-grooved, slowed-down remake of his classic "Layla" is the essential standout. "Tears In Heaven", a moving tribute to his son's passing, is emotionally raw, yet stylistically smooth--a difficult task to achieve. Stripping down the music of an artist as technically proficient and historically based as Eric Clapton was a stroke of genius. Hence, it's no surprise that the result, UNPLUGGED, is brilliant as well.