Eric Clapton | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Prior to Eric Clapton, the idea of the guitar hero didnt exist in rock & roll. There were plenty of flashy players, but nothing along the lines of Clapton, who rocketed to fame in the 1960s as the guitarist for the Yardbirds, John Mayalls Bluesbreakers, and Cream. Clapton eased into a solo career in 1970, but he was so reticent to step to the front of the stage he adopted the pseudonym Derek & the Dominos for the album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. By the end of the 70s, he had finally embraced his role as the preeminent guitarist of his generation, and also tempered his virtuosity with pretty ballads. That sensitive side shone on his biggest hit, 1992s MTV Unplugged, which also reconnected him with the blues roots upon which his entire career lay. By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the worlds major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds, John Mayalls Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith -- all of which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation. The fact that it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for someone of his stature. And his debut album, though it spawned the Top 40 hit "After Midnight," was typical of his self-effacing approach: it was, in effect, an album by the group he had lately been featured in, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Not surprisingly, before his solo debut had even been released, Clapton had retreated from his solo stance, assembling from the D&B;&F; ranks the personnel for a group, Derek & the Dominos, with whom he played for most of 1970 and recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Clapton was largely inactive in 1971 and 1972, due to heroin addiction, but he performed a comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on January 13, 1973, resulting in the album Eric Claptons Rainbow Concert (September 1973). But Clapton did not launch a sustained solo career until July 1974, when he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, which topped the charts and spawned the number one single "I Shot the Sheriff." The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads. The follow-ups to 461 Ocean Boulevard, Theres One in Every Crowd (March 1975), the live E.C. Was Here (August 1975), and No Reason to Cry (August 1976), were less successful. But Slowhand (November 1977), which featured both the powerful "Cocaine" (written by J.J. Cale, who had also written "After Midnight") and the hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight," was a million-seller. Its follow-ups, Backless (November 1978), featuring the Top Ten hit "Promises," the live Just One Night (April 1980), and Another Ticket (February 1981), featuring the Top Ten hit "I Cant Stand It," were all big sellers. Claptons popularity waned somewhat in the first half of the 80s, as the albums Money and Cigarettes (February 1983), Behind the Sun (March 1985), and August (November 1986) indicated a certain career stasis. But he was buoyed up by the release of the box set retrospective Crossroads (April 1988), which seemed to remind his fans of how great he was. Journeyman (November 1989) was a return to form. It would be his last new studio album for nearly five years, though in the interim he would suffer greatly and enjoy surprising triumph. On March 20, 1991, Claptons four-year-old son was killed in a fall. While he mourned, he released a live album, 24 Nights (October 1991), culled from his annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall in London, and prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single. In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged which, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever. Two years later, Clapton returned with a blues album, From the Cradle, which became one of his most successful albums, both commercially and critically. Crossroads, Vol. 2: Live in the Seventies, a box set chronicling his live work from the 70s, was released to mixed reviews. In early 1997, Clapton, billing himself by the pseudonym "X-Sample," collaborated with keyboardist/producer Simon Climie as the ambient new age and trip-hop duo T.D.F. The duo released Retail Therapy to mixed reviews in early 1997. Clapton retained Climie as his collaborator for Pilgrim, his first album of new material since 1989s Journeyman. Pilgrim was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its spring 1998 release, but the album debuted at number four and stayed in the Top Ten for several weeks on the success of the single "My Fathers Eyes." In 2000, Clapton teamed up with old friend B.B. King on Riding with the King, a set of blues standards and material from contemporary singer/songwriters. Another solo outing, entitled Reptile, followed in early 2001. Three years later, Clapton issued Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of tunes honoring the Mississippi-born bluesman Robert Johnson. Released in 2005, Back Home, Claptons 14th album of original material, reflected his ease with fatherhood. Also in 2005, Clapton unexpectedly teamed with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a Cream reunion that included May concerts at Londons Royal Albert Hall and shows at New Yorks Madison Square Garden in October, with the former being compiled for a live release that fall. This turned out to be the first of many reunions and looks back for Clapton. In 2006, he elevated the profile of his latter-day idol J.J. Cale by recording an album-long duet, The Road to Escondido. The following year he released his autobiography -- accompanied by a new career compilation called The Complete Clapton -- which focused more on his trials with addiction and subsequent recovery than his musical career. In 2008, Clapton began playing regular shows with his old Blind Faith partner Steve Winwood, gigs that were captured on the 2009 double-live set Live from Madison Square Garden. Winwood also appeared on Claptons next studio album, 2010s Clapton, which was a collaboration-heavy affair also featuring Cale, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, and Wynton Marsalis. In 2011, Clapton returned the favor to Marsalis by collaborating on the live concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Clapton parted ways with Warner after Clapton, and he chose to set up his own Bushbranch imprint on independent label Surfdog. His first album for the label was Old Sock, largely a collection of old songs the guitarist loved. It reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the fall of 2013, Warner Bros. released Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013, and his Unplugged album was expanded and remastered by Rhino. Early the following year, Clapton announced that a new album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale, would be issued in July, one year on from the passing of his key inspiration. The tribute album included contributions from artists such as Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Mark Knopfler. A collection of his Warner recordings called Forever Man saw a spring 2015 release. Clapton returned in May of 2016 with I Still Do, his third album for Surfdog. It found him reuniting with Slowhand producer Glyn Johns; the album debuted at six on the Billboard Top 200. Later that year, Clapton released Live in San Diego, a double-disc album featuring a 2007 concert with J.J. Cale. In 2018, Clapton released his first holiday album, Happy Xmas. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 43 Title: The Best of Eric Clapton Released: 1970 Tracks: 7 Duration: 36:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 After Midnight (03:15) 2 Tell the Truth (06:45) 3 Bell Bottom Blues (05:04) 4 Slunky (03:40) 5 Layla (07:10) 6 Have You Ever Loved a Woman (06:49) 7 Blues Power (03:45) |
 | Album: 2 of 43 Title: Eric Clapton Released: 1970 Tracks: 11 Duration: 37:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Slunky (03:35) 2 Bad Boy (03:35) 3 Lonesome and a Long Way From Home (03:31) 4 After Midnight (02:52) 5 Easy Now (02:59) 6 Blues Power (03:10) 7 Bottle of Red Wine (03:08) 8 Lovin’ You Lovin’ Me (03:21) 9 Told You for the Last Time (02:32) 10 Don’t Know Why (03:12) 11 Let It Rain (05:02) |
| Eric Clapton : Allmusic album Review : Eric Claptons eponymous solo debut was recorded after he completed a tour with Delaney & Bonnie. Clapton used the core of the duos backing band and co-wrote the majority of the songs with Delaney Bramlett -- accordingly, Eric Clapton sounds more laid-back and straightforward than any of the guitarists previous recordings. There are still elements of blues and rock & roll, but theyre hidden beneath layers of gospel, R&B, country, and pop flourishes. And the pop element of the record is the strongest of the albums many elements -- "Blues Power" isnt a blues song and only "Let It Rain," the albums closer, features extended solos. Throughout the album, Clapton turns out concise solos that de-emphasize his status as guitar god, even when they display astonishing musicality and technique. That is both a good and a bad thing -- its encouraging to hear him grow and become a more fully rounded musician, but too often the album needs the spark that some long guitar solos would have given it. In short, it needs a little more of Claptons personality. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 43 Title: The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions Released: 1971-11 Tracks: 15 Duration: 47:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Ain’t Superstitious (03:31) 2 Sittin’ on Top of the World (03:52) 3 Built for Comfort (02:10) 4 The Red Rooster (rehearsal) (01:26) 5 The Red Rooster (03:46) 6 Highway 49 (02:46) 7 Cause of It All (02:43) 8 Poor Boy (04:08) 9 Commit a Crime (03:59) 10 Wang Dang Doodle (04:31) 11 Do the Do (02:17) 12 Worried About My Baby (02:57) 13 Rockin’ Daddy (03:44) 14 What a Woman (02:59) 15 Who’s Been Talking? (02:58) |
| The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions : Allmusic album Review : For the casual blues fan with a scant knowledge of the Wolf, this 1971 pairing, with Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, and other British superstars, appears on the surface to be one hell of a super session. But those lofty notions are quickly dispelled once you slip this disc into the player and hit play. While its nowhere near as awful as some blues purists make it out to be, the disparity of energy levels between the Wolf and his U.K. acolytes is not only palpable but downright depressing. Wolf was a very sick man at this juncture and Norman Dayrons non-production idea of just doing remakes of earlier Chess classics is wrongheaded in the extreme. The rehearsal snippet of Wolf trying to teach the band how to play Willie Dixons "Little Red Rooster" shows just how far off the mark the whole concept of this rock superstar mélange truly is. Even Eric Clapton, who usually welcomes any chance to play with one of his idols, has criticized this album repeatedly in interviews, which speaks volumes in and of itself. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 43 Title: History of Eric Clapton Released: 1972 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:18:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Ain’t Got You (02:05) 2 Hideaway (03:08) 3 Tribute to Elmore (03:00) 4 I Want to Know (02:10) 5 Sunshine of Your Love (04:08) 6 Crossroads (04:13) 7 Spoonful (16:44) 8 Badge (02:45) 1 Sea of Joy (05:22) 2 Only You Know and I Know (04:13) 3 I Don’t Want to Discuss It (05:15) 4 Teasin’ (02:15) 5 Blues Power (03:16) 6 Tell the Truth (03:20) 7 Tell the Truth Jam (09:27) 8 Layla (07:07) |
 | Album: 5 of 43 Title: Eric Clapton at His Best Released: 1972-09 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:22:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bottle of Red Wine (03:06) 2 Anyday (06:37) 3 I Looked Away (03:02) 4 Let It Rain (05:07) 5 Lonesome and a Long Way From Home (03:43) 6 Sea of Joy (05:22) 7 Layla (07:01) 8 Blues Power (03:10) 9 Bell Bottom Blues (05:03) 1 After Midnight (03:09) 2 Keep on Growing (06:20) 3 Little Wing (05:31) 4 Presence of the Lord (04:49) 5 Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad? (04:44) 6 Easy Now (02:58) 7 Slunky (03:23) 8 Key to the Highway (09:39) |
| Eric Clapton at His Best : Allmusic album Review : Upon the expiration of its US licensing deal with Atlantic/Atco, Polydor wanted its own Eric Clapton compilation on the American market to compete with History of Eric Clapton, and so released this two-LP set, which featured material culled from Claptons debut album, Eric Clapton and Derek and the Dominos double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, both of which had been released through Atco. Unlike History, most of which contained recordings made by groups in which Clapton was a member, At His Best really was a compilation of work by Clapton the solo artist and band leader, and it featured such notable songs as "After Midnight," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Let It Rain," and "Little Wing." But it also began to glut the market, marking the third LP release in two years for songs like "Blues Power" and "Layla." | ||
 | Album: 6 of 43 Title: 461 Ocean Boulevard Released: 1974 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Motherless Children (04:53) 2 Give Me Strength (02:54) 3 Willie and the Hand Jive (03:30) 4 Get Ready (03:47) 5 I Shot the Sheriff (04:24) 6 I Can’t Hold Out (04:14) 7 Please Be With Me (03:26) 8 Let It Grow (04:58) 9 Steady Rollin’ Man (03:14) 10 Mainline Florida (04:05) |
| 461 Ocean Boulevard : Allmusic album Review : 461 Ocean Boulevard is Eric Claptons second studio solo album, arriving after his side project of Derek and the Dominos and a long struggle with heroin addiction. Although there are some new reggae influences, the album doesnt sound all that different from the rock, pop, blues, country, and R&B amalgam of Eric Clapton. However, 461 Ocean Boulevard is a tighter, more focused outing that enables Clapton to stretch out instrumentally. Furthermore, the pop concessions on the album -- the sleek production, the concise running times -- dont detract from the rootsy origins of the material, whether its Johnny Otis "Willie and the Hand Jive," the traditional blues "Motherless Children," Bob Marleys "I Shot the Sheriff," or Claptons emotional original "Let It Grow." With its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and strong bluesy roots, 461 Ocean Boulevard set the template for Claptons 70s albums. Though he tried hard to make an album exactly like it, he never quite managed to replicate its charms. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 43 Title: The Blues World of Eric Clapton Released: 1975 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Steppin Out (02:30) 2 Calcutta Blues (03:58) 3 Lonely Years (03:20) 4 They Call It Stormy Monday (04:33) 5 Shim-sham-shimmy (02:07) 6 Ramblin on My Mind (03:07) 7 Pretty Girls Everywhere (02:41) 8 Hideaway (03:14) 9 Key to Love (02:07) 10 Bernard Jenkins (03:44) 11 Third Degree (03:15) 12 Have You Heard (05:55) |
| The Blues World of Eric Clapton : Allmusic album Review : The title of Deccas compilation The Blues World of Eric Clapton doesnt strictly refer to recordings made by Eric Clapton. The world in the title also encompasses songs by other bluesmen, including three cuts by Champion Jack Dupree ("Clacutta Blues," "Shim Sham Shimmy," "Third Degree") and one by Otis Spann ("Pretty Girls Everywhere"). The rest of this 12-track comp is devoted to sides Clapton recorded with John Mayall, including a few cuts from the celebrated Bluesbreakers album but also the rarities "Lonely Years" and "Bernard Jenkins," which later showed up on the Crossroads box. At the time of its release, this was a useful compilation and its still a good one, but a lot of this stuff can be found easier elsewhere now. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 43 Title: There’s One in Every Crowd Released: 1975-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 We’ve Been Told (Jesus Is Coming Soon) (04:28) 2 Swing Low Sweet Chariot (03:29) 3 Little Rachel (04:06) 4 Don’t Blame Me (03:35) 5 The Sky Is Crying (03:58) 6 Singin’ the Blues (03:26) 7 Better Make It Through Today (04:07) 8 Pretty Blue Eyes (04:45) 9 High (03:30) 10 Opposites (04:52) |
| There’s One in Every Crowd : Allmusic album Review : Having stayed out of the recording studio for four years prior to making his comeback album, 461 Ocean Boulevard, Eric Clapton returned to recording only a few months later to make its follow-up, Theres One in Every Crowd. Perhaps be hadnt had time to write or gather sufficient material to make a similarly effective album, since the result is a scatter-shot mixture of styles, leading off with two gospel tunes, one a reggae version of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Clapton and his second guitarist, George Terry, had written a sequel to "I Shot The Sheriff," "Dont Blame Me," which Clapton sang in his best impersonation of Bob Marleys voice. The other originals included "Opposites," whose lyrics were just that -- day, night, life, death, etc. The albums best track, naturally, was the blues cover, Claptons take on Elmore Jamess "The Sky Is Crying." But Theres One in Every Crowd was a disappointing follow-up to 461 Ocean Boulevard, and fans let Clapton know it: While the former album had topped the charts and gone gold, the latter didnt even make the Top 10. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 43 Title: No Reason to Cry Released: 1976-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Beautiful Thing (04:26) 2 Carnival (03:44) 3 Sign Language (02:58) 4 County Jail Blues (04:00) 5 All Our Past Times (04:40) 6 Hello Old Friend (03:36) 7 Double Trouble (04:23) 8 Innocent Times (04:11) 9 Hungry (04:39) 10 Black Summer Rain (04:55) |
| No Reason to Cry : Allmusic album Review : When he gave a speech inducting the Band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Eric Clapton said that after he heard their debut album, Music from Big Pink, he wanted to join the group, the fact that they already had a guitarist in Robbie Robertson notwithstanding. In the winter of 1975-1976, when he cut No Reason to Cry at the Bands Shangri-La Studio in Malibu, California, he came as close as he ever would to realizing that desire. Clapton is a musical chameleon; though some of No Reason to Cry is identifiable as the kind of pop/rock Clapton had been making since the start of his solo career (the best of it being "Hello Old Friend," which became his first Top 40 single in two years), the most memorable music on the album occurs when Clapton is collaborating with members of the Band and other guests. He duets with Band bassist Rick Danko on Dankos "All Our Past Times," and with Bob Dylan on Dylans "Sign Language," as Robertsons distinctive lead guitar is heard rather than Claptons. As a result, the album is a good purchase for fans of Bob Dylan and the Band, but not necessarily for those of Eric Clapton. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 43 Title: Slowhand Released: 1977 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cocaine (03:38) 2 Wonderful Tonight (03:41) 3 Lay Down Sally (03:53) 4 Next Time You See Her (03:59) 5 We’re All the Way (02:30) 6 The Core (08:41) 7 May You Never (02:58) 8 Mean Old Frisco (04:37) 9 Peaches and Diesel (04:46) |
| Slowhand : Allmusic album Review : After the guest-star-drenched No Reason to Cry failed to make much of an impact commercially, Eric Clapton returned to using his own band for Slowhand. The difference is substantial -- where No Reason to Cry struggled hard to find the right tone, Slowhand opens with the relaxed, bluesy shuffle of J.J. Cales "Cocaine" and sustains it throughout the course of the album. Alternating between straight blues ("Mean Old Frisco"), country ("Lay Down Sally"), mainstream rock ("Cocaine," "The Core"), and pop ("Wonderful Tonight"), Slowhand doesnt sound schizophrenic because of the bands grasp of the material. This is laid-back virtuosity -- although Clapton and his band are never flashy, their playing is masterful and assured. That assurance and the albums eclectic material make Slowhand rank with 461 Ocean Boulevard as Eric Claptons best albums. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 43 Title: The Early Cream of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker Released: 1978 Tracks: 6 Duration: 25:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Louise (03:45) 2 Five Long Years (05:07) 3 Early in the Morning (03:55) 4 Too Much Monkey Business (03:00) 5 The First Time I Met the Blues (05:14) 6 Stormy Monday (04:17) |
 | Album: 12 of 43 Title: Backless Released: 1978 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Walk Out in the Rain (04:07) 2 Watch Out for Lucy (03:21) 3 I’ll Make Love to You Anytime (03:17) 4 Roll It (03:41) 5 Tell Me That You Love Me (03:27) 6 If I Don’t Be There by Morning (04:34) 7 Early in the Morning (07:57) 8 Promises (03:01) 9 Golden Ring (03:24) 10 Tulsa Time (03:25) |
| Backless : Allmusic album Review : Having made his best album since 461 Ocean Boulevard with Slowhand, Eric Clapton followed with Backless, which took the same authoritative, no-nonsense approach. If it wasnt quite the masterpiece, or the sales monster, that Slowhand had been, this was probably because of that usual Clapton problem: material. Once again, he returned to those Oklahoma hills for another song from J.J. Cale, but "Ill Make Love to You Anytime" wasnt quite up to "Cocaine" or "After Midnight." Bob Dylan contributed two songs, but you could see why he hadnt saved them for his own album, and Claptons own writing contributions were mediocre. Clapton did earn a Top Ten hit with Richard Feldman and Roger Linns understated pop shuffle "Promises," but it wasnt one of his more memorable recordings. Of course, Claptons blues playing on the lone, obligatory blues cut, "Early in the Morning," was stellar. Backless was his last album to feature the backup group that had been with him since 1974. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 43 Title: Another Ticket Released: 1981 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Something Special (02:37) 2 Black Rose (03:45) 3 Blow Wind Blow (02:58) 4 Another Ticket (05:43) 5 I Can’t Stand It (04:09) 6 Hold Me Lord (03:27) 7 Floating Bridge (06:33) 8 Catch Me If You Can (04:26) 9 Rita Mae (05:03) |
| Another Ticket : Allmusic album Review : Now, heres a star-crossed album. Polydor rejected the first version of it, produced by Glyn Johns, and Eric Clapton was forced to cut it all over again with Tom Dowd. Then, a few dates into a U.S. promotional tour coinciding with its release, Clapton collapsed and was found to be near death from ulcers due to his alcoholism. Finally, it turned out to be the final record of his 15-year association with Polydor, which therefore had no reason to promote it. Nevertheless, the album made the Top Ten, went gold, and spawned a Top Ten single in "I Cant Stand It." And the rest of it wasnt too shabby, either. The first and last Clapton studio album to feature his all-British band of the early 80s, it gave considerable prominence to second guitarist Albert Lee and especially to keyboard player/singer Gary Brooker (formerly leader of Procol Harum), and they gave it more of a blues-rock feel than the country-funk brewed up by the Tulsa shuffle crew Clapton had used throughout the 1970s. Best of all, Clapton had taken the time to write some songs -- hes credited on six of the nine selections -- and tunes such as the title track and "I Cant Stand It" held up well. This wasnt great Clapton, but it was good, and it deserved more recognition than conditions allowed it at the time. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 43 Title: Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton Released: 1982 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Shot the Sheriff (04:24) 2 After Midnight (03:09) 3 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (04:23) 4 Wonderful Tonight (03:42) 5 Layla (07:07) 6 Cocaine (03:36) 7 Lay Down Sally (03:52) 8 Willie and the Hand Jive (03:30) 9 Promises (03:01) 10 Swing Low Sweet Chariot (03:29) 11 Let It Grow (04:58) |
 | Album: 15 of 43 Title: Money and Cigarettes Released: 1983 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Everybody Oughta Make a Change (03:17) 2 The Shape You’re In (04:09) 3 Ain’t Going Down (04:03) 4 I’ve Got a Rock ’n’ Roll Heart (03:16) 5 Man Overboard (03:47) 6 Pretty Girl (05:31) 7 Man in Love (02:47) 8 Crosscut Saw (03:31) 9 Slow Down Linda (04:15) 10 Crazy Country Hop (02:47) |
| Money and Cigarettes : Allmusic album Review : Money and Cigarettes marked several important turning points in Eric Claptons recording career. It was his debut release on his own Duck imprint within Warner Bros. Reprise Records subsidiary. It was also the first album he made after coming to terms with his drinking problem by giving up alcohol. Newly focused and having written a batch of new songs, he became dissatisfied with his longtime band and fired them, with the exception of second guitarist Albert Lee. In their place, he hired session pros like Stax Records veteran bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and Muscle Shoals drummer Roger Hawkins, also bringing in guest guitarist Ry Cooder. His new songs reflected on his changed condition, with "Aint Going Down," a thinly veiled musical rewrite of the Jimi Hendrix arrangement of "All Along the Watchtower," serving as a statement of purpose that declared, "Ive still got something left to say." "The Shape Youre In" was a criticism of his wife for her alcoholism that concluded, "Im just telling you baby cause Ive been there myself," while the lengthy acoustic ballad "Pretty Girl" and "Man in Love" reaffirmed his feelings for her. The albums single was the relatively slight pop tune "Ive Got a Rock n Roll Heart," but Claptons many blues fans must have been most pleased with the covers of Sleepy John Estes "Everybody Oughta Make a Change" (significantly placed as the albums leadoff track), Albert Kings "Crosscut Saw," and Johnny Otis "Crazy Country Hop." For all the changes and the high-powered sidemen, though, Money and Cigarettes ended up being just an average effort from Clapton, which his audience seems to have sensed since, despite the Top 20 placement for the single, it became his first album in more than six years to miss the Top Ten and fail to go gold. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 43 Title: Backtrackin’ Released: 1984 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:46:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Shot the Sheriff (04:24) 2 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (04:23) 3 Lay Down Sally (03:52) 4 Promises (03:01) 5 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (03:35) 6 Wonderful Tonight (03:42) 7 Sunshine of Your Love (04:12) 8 Tales of Brave Ulysses (02:49) 9 Badge (02:45) 10 Little Wing (05:36) 11 Layla (07:07) 1 Cocaine (03:36) 2 Strange Brew (02:49) 3 Spoonful (06:31) 4 Let It Rain (05:08) 5 Have You Ever Loved a Woman? (07:05) 6 Presence of the Lord (04:49) 7 Crossroads (04:15) 8 Roll It Over (06:39) 9 Can’t Find My Way Home (05:17) 10 Blues Power (07:26) 11 Further On up the Road (07:11) |
| Backtrackin’ : Allmusic album Review : The 1984 two-disc compilation Backtrackin is an ambitious attempt to offer an overview of Eric Claptons then 20-year career, divided into four separate themes, two per CD. The first disc is devoted to Singles and History and the second to Classics and Live. Sometimes the divisions between these themes seem a little tenuous -- some of the Classics seem like Hits, for instance -- and even at this generous running time there are big hits missing (as are the Yardbirds and Bluesbreakers; this is just culled from material recorded for Polydor and RSO), but overall this is a very good sampler of Claptons first two decades of work. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 43 Title: Behind the Sun Released: 1985 Tracks: 11 Duration: 50:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 She’s Waiting (04:56) 2 See What Love Can Do (03:59) 3 Same Old Blues (08:16) 4 Knock on Wood (03:19) 5 Something’s Happening (03:23) 6 Forever Man (03:13) 7 It All Depends (05:05) 8 Tangled in Love (04:11) 9 Never Make You Cry (06:07) 10 Just Like a Prisoner (05:30) 11 Behind the Sun (02:12) |
| Behind the Sun : Allmusic album Review : Although he is universally considered among the most important figures in rock & roll, Eric Clapton has not had consistent success in translating his stature into record sales, partially because he is, in essence, a great blues guitarist rather than a great pop/rock singer/songwriter. Claptons career was in decline in the early 80s when he switched record labels from Polydor to Warner Bros., and his debut Warner album, Money and Cigarettes, became his first to fall below gold record status in more than six years. As a result, Warner looked critically at his follow-up, the Phil Collins-produced Behind the Sun, in the fall of 1984 and rejected the first version submitted, insisting that he record several new songs written by Jerry Williams, backed by Los Angeles session players under the auspices of company producers Lenny Waronker and Ted Templeman. Warner then emphasized the new tracks, releasing two of them, "Forever Man" (which reached the Top 40) and "See What Love Can Do," as singles. The resulting album, not surprisingly, was somewhat schizophrenic. It was hard to believe that Warner could have heard the leadoff track, "Shes Waiting," and not realized its potential to be a hit single, though the company may have been correct in thinking that the album as a whole was competent without being very exciting. The added tracks were not bad (and, in fact, Clapton later would add session players Nathan East and Greg Phillinganes to his band), but they were not the sure-fire hits they were supposed to be. As usual, there was some effective guitar soloing (notably on "Same Old Blues"), but despite the tinkering, Behind the Sun was not among Claptons best -- although it went gold after nearly two years in release. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 43 Title: August Released: 1986-12-15 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It’s in the Way That You Use It (04:11) 2 Run (03:38) 3 Tearing Us Apart (04:14) 4 Bad Influence (05:08) 5 Walk Away (03:51) 6 Hung Up on Your Love (03:53) 7 Take a Chance (04:52) 8 Hold On (04:55) 9 Miss You (05:05) 10 Holy Mother (04:54) 11 Behind the Mask (04:46) 12 Grand Illusion (06:22) |
| August : Allmusic album Review : Eric Clapton adopted a new, tougher, hard R&B approach on August, employing a stripped-down band featuring keyboard player Greg Phillinganes, bassist Nathan East, and drummer/producer Phil Collins, plus, on several tracks, a horn section and, on a couple of tracks, backup vocals by Tina Turner, and performing songs written by old Motown hand Lamont Dozier, among others. The excellent, but incongruous, leadoff track, however, was "Its in the Way That You Use It," which Clapton and Robbie Robertson had written for Robertsons score to the film The Color of Money. Elsewhere, Clapton sang and played fiercely on songs like "Tearing Us Apart," "Run," and "Miss You," all of which earned AOR radio play. That radio support may have helped the album to achieve gold status in less than six months, Claptons best commercial showing since 1981s Another Ticket, despite the albums failure to generate a hit single. The title commemorates the birth in August 1986 of Claptons son Conor. [The CD version of the album contains the bonus track "Grand Illusion."] | ||
 | Album: 19 of 43 Title: The Early Clapton Collection Released: 1987 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:17:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Got to Hurry (02:33) 2 I Ain’t Got You (02:01) 3 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (02:42) 4 Let It Rock (02:18) 5 A Certain Girl (02:18) 6 Take It Easy Baby (04:14) 7 Too Much Monkey Business (03:01) 8 Draggin My Tail (03:09) 9 Tribute to Elmore (02:10) 10 Snake Drive (02:29) 11 West Coast Idea (02:20) 12 Choker (01:26) 13 Freight Loader (02:49) 14 Miles Road (02:27) 1 Maudie (live) (02:24) 2 It Hurts to Be in Love (03:21) 3 Have You Ever Loved a Woman (06:42) 4 Steppin’ Out (02:30) 5 Have You Heard (05:56) 6 Lonely Years (03:16) 7 Bernard Jenkins (03:48) 8 I’m Your Witchdoctor (02:12) 9 Telephone Blues (03:57) 10 They Call It Stormy Monday (04:33) 11 On Top of the World (02:47) |
 | Album: 20 of 43 Title: The Cream of Eric Clapton Released: 1987-09 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:07:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Layla (07:07) 2 Badge (02:45) 3 I Feel Free (02:53) 4 Sunshine of Your Love (04:12) 5 Crossroads (04:15) 6 Strange Brew (02:49) 7 White Room (04:59) 8 Cocaine (03:36) 9 I Shot the Sheriff (04:24) 10 Behind the Mask (03:39) 11 Forever Man (03:13) 12 Lay Down Sally (03:52) 13 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (04:23) 14 Wonderful Tonight (03:42) 15 Let It Grow (04:58) 16 Promises (03:01) 17 I’ve Got a Rock ’n’ Roll Heart (03:16) |
| The Cream of Eric Clapton : Allmusic album Review : The Cream of Eric Clapton is a strong collection that provides an excellent overview of one of rock musics premier performers. Though the title might imply that the selections here are from Claptons recordings as a part of the British supergroup Cream, the range is much broader, beginning with Claptons earliest professional work with the Yardbirds and concluding with many of his most popular solo hits. Theres an excellent historical perspective in the choices included, and this is an excellent introduction to Claptons career. Of particular historical interest are "Crossroads," "I Shot the Sheriff," and "Behind the Mask," which showcase the eclectic influences that form Claptons career. Much of the increased mainstream interest in traditional blues, reggae, and electronica can be credited to these cover versions, which introduced the works of Robert Johnson and Bob Marley to a wider audience. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 43 Title: Crossroads Released: 1988-04-18 Tracks: 73 Duration: 4:54:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Boom Boom (02:26) 2 Honey in Your Hips (02:19) 3 Baby What’s Wrong (02:41) 4 I Wish You Would (02:18) 5 A Certain Girl (02:18) 6 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (02:46) 7 I Ain’t Got You (02:01) 8 For Your Love (02:30) 9 Got to Hurry (02:36) 10 Lonely Years (03:18) 11 Bernard Jenkins (03:48) 12 Hideaway (03:16) 13 All Your Love (03:35) 14 Ramblin’ on My Mind (03:09) 15 Have You Ever Loved a Woman (06:43) 16 Wrapping Paper (02:23) 17 I Feel Free (02:53) 18 Spoonful (06:31) 19 Lawdy Mama (01:51) 20 Strange Brew (02:49) 21 Sunshine of Your Love (04:12) 22 Tales of Brave Ulysses (02:49) 23 Steppin’ Out (03:29) 1 Anyone for Tennis (02:38) 2 White Room (04:59) 3 Crossroads (04:15) 4 Badge (02:45) 5 Presence of the Lord (04:49) 6 Can’t Find My Way Home (03:16) 7 Sleeping in the Ground (02:50) 8 Comin’ Home (03:14) 9 Blues Power (03:10) 10 After Midnight (03:17) 11 Let It Rain (05:02) 12 Tell the Truth (03:24) 13 Roll It Over (04:29) 14 Layla (07:07) 15 Mean Old World (03:51) 16 Key to the Highway (06:26) 17 Crossroads (08:16) 1 Got to Get Better in a Little While (05:31) 2 Evil (04:25) 3 One More Chance (03:17) 4 Mean Old Frisco (04:03) 5 Snake Lake Blues (03:33) 6 Let It Grow (04:58) 7 Ain’t That Lovin’ You (05:26) 8 Motherless Children (04:53) 9 I Shot the Sheriff (07:49) 10 Better Make It Through Today (04:07) 11 The Sky Is Crying (03:58) 12 I Found a Love (03:39) 13 (When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too (05:34) 14 Whatcha Gonna Do (03:02) 15 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (04:23) 16 Someone Like You (04:30) 1 Hello Old Friend (03:36) 2 Sign Language (02:58) 3 Further On up the Road (06:18) 4 Lay Down Sally (03:52) 5 Wonderful Tonight (03:42) 6 Cocaine (03:36) 7 Promises (03:01) 8 If I Don’t Be There by Morning (04:34) 9 Double Trouble (08:02) 10 I Can’t Stand It (04:09) 11 The Shape You’re In (04:09) 12 Heaven Is One Step Away (04:09) 13 She’s Waiting (04:56) 14 Too Bad (02:38) 15 Miss You (05:05) 16 Wanna Make Love to You (05:44) 17 After Midnight (04:07) |
| Crossroads : Allmusic album Review : A four-disc box set spanning Eric Claptons entire career -- running from the Yardbirds to his 80s solo recordings -- Crossroads not only revitalized Claptons commercial standing, but it established the rock & roll multi-disc box set retrospective as a commercially viable proposition. Bob Dylans Biograph was successful two years before the release of Crossroads, but Claptons set was a bona fide blockbuster. And its easy to see why. Crossroads manages to sum up Claptons career succinctly and thoroughly, touching upon all of his hits and adding a bevy of first-rate unreleased material (most notably selections from the scrapped second Derek and the Dominos album). Although not all of his greatest performances are included on the set -- none of his work as a session musician or guest artist is included, for instance -- every truly essential item he recorded is present on these four discs. No other Clapton album accurately explains why the guitarist was so influential, or demonstrates exactly what he accomplished. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 43 Title: Journeyman Released: 1989-10-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 56:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pretending (04:43) 2 Anything for Your Love (04:10) 3 Bad Love (05:13) 4 Running on Faith (05:33) 5 Hard Times (03:14) 6 Hound Dog (02:27) 7 No Alibis (05:38) 8 Run So Far (04:07) 9 Old Love (06:24) 10 Breaking Point (05:32) 11 Lead Me On (05:52) 12 Before You Accuse Me (03:57) |
| Journeyman : Allmusic album Review : For most of the 80s, Eric Clapton seemed rather lost, uncertain of whether he should return to his blues roots or pander to AOR radio. By the mid-80s, he appeared to have made the decision to revamp himself as a glossy mainstream rocker, working with synthesizers and drum machines. Instead of expanding his audience, it only reduced it. Then came the career retrospective Crossroads, which helped revitalize his career, not only commercially, but also creatively, as Journeyman -- the first album he recorded after the success of Crossroads -- proved. Although Journeyman still suffers from an overly slick production, Clapton sounds more convincing than he has since the early 70s. Not only is his guitar playing muscular and forceful, his singing is soulful and gritty. Furthermore, the songwriting is consistently strong, alternating between fine mainstream rock originals ("Pretending") and covers ("Before You Accuse Me," "Hound Dog"). Like any of Claptons best albums, there is no grandstanding to be found on Journeyman -- its simply a laid-back and thoroughly engaging display of Claptons virtuosity. On the whole, its the best studio album hes released since Slowhand. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 43 Title: The First Time I Met the Blues Released: 1990 Tracks: 16 Duration: 52:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Shes So Respectable (05:42) 2 Choker (01:18) 3 Shake Drive (02:29) 4 Got to Hurry (02:19) 5 Freight Loader (02:47) 6 A Certain Girl (02:17) 7 Dragging My Tail (03:07) 8 For Your Love (02:30) 9 I Wish You Would (02:16) 10 Louise (03:31) 11 Five Long Years (05:00) 12 Early in the Morning (03:50) 13 Pounds and Stomps (02:34) 14 The First Time I Met the Blues (05:00) 15 Stormy Monday Blues (04:11) 16 Big Boss Man (03:46) |
 | Album: 24 of 43 Title: Story Released: 1990 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cocaine (03:36) 2 Lay Down Sally (03:52) 3 Wonderful Tonight (03:42) 4 Crossroads (04:15) 5 After Midnight (03:09) 6 I Shot the Sheriff (04:24) 7 Further on Up the Road (live) (07:31) 8 Rambling on My Mind (live) (07:23) 9 Layla (07:07) 10 Next Time You See Her (04:01) 11 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (04:23) 12 Sunshine of Your Love (04:12) 13 Tulsa Time (live) (04:01) 14 Let It Grow (04:58) 15 Steady Rollin’ Man (03:14) 16 Have You Ever Loved a Woman? (live) (07:50) |
 | Album: 25 of 43 Title: Rarities Released: 1990 Tracks: 9 Duration: 21:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Choker (01:18) 2 I Wish You Would (02:15) 3 Snake Drive (02:30) 4 For Your Love (02:30) 5 Draggin My Tail (03:06) 6 A Certain Girl (02:20) 7 Freight Loader (02:45) 8 Go to Hurry (02:18) 9 West Coast Idea (02:17) |
| Rarities : Allmusic album Review : Deltas 1998 release Rarities contains nine tracks that are the product of a 1965 jam session with Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Chris Winters, and Ian Stewart that reads more tempting than it sounds. These recordings are reissued many times on budget-lines comps like this, and this particular one has nothing to distinguish it from the herd apart from its lack of live recordings of the Yardbirds. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 43 Title: Erics Blues Released: 1990 Tracks: 18 Duration: 57:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Louise (03:31) 2 Five Years Long (05:01) 3 Early in the Morning (03:50) 4 Pounds and Stomps (02:34) 5 They Call It Stormy Monday (04:11) 6 Big Boss Man (03:50) 7 Choker (01:18) 8 Erics Blues (02:17) 9 A Certain Girl (02:20) 10 First Time I Met the Blues (04:59) 11 Shes So Respectable (05:43) 12 Snake Drive (02:30) 13 West Coast Idea (02:22) 14 Got to Hurry (02:21) 15 Freight Loader (02:50) 16 Draggin My Tail (03:06) 17 For Your Love (02:30) 18 I Wish You Would (02:15) |
 | Album: 27 of 43 Title: Eric Clapton & Friends – From Yardbirds to Bluesbreakers Released: 1992 Tracks: 9 Duration: 21:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Choker (01:22) 2 I Wish You Would (02:18) 3 Snake Drive (02:31) 4 For Your Love (02:30) 5 Draggin’ My Tail (03:08) 6 A Certain Girl (02:18) 7 Freight Loader (02:49) 8 Got to Hurry (02:18) 9 West Coast Idea (02:17) |
 | Album: 28 of 43 Title: Mister Slowhand Released: 1992 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:00:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Too Much Monkey Business (02:57) 2 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (02:37) 3 Smokestack Lightning (05:34) 4 Got Love If You Want It (02:33) 5 She’s So Respectable (05:25) 6 Here ’Tis (04:57) 7 Five Long Years (04:26) 1 Snake Drive (02:27) 2 Freight Loader (02:46) 3 Got to Hurry (02:36) 4 Train Kept a Rollin’ (03:24) 5 Draggin’ My Tail (03:05) 6 I Ain’t Got You (02:00) 7 Choker (01:23) 8 For Your Love (02:27) 9 West Coast Idea (02:19) 10 A Certain Girl (02:19) 11 I Wish You Would (02:19) 12 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (02:46) 13 Putty in Your Hands (02:15) |
 | Album: 29 of 43 Title: Experience Released: 1992-10-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 53:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Im Your Witch Doctor (02:11) 2 For Your Love (02:30) 3 Boom Boom (02:30) 4 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (02:47) 5 Miles Road (02:28) 6 I Aint Got You (02:00) 7 A Certain Girl (02:21) 8 Tribute to Elmore (02:11) 9 Train Kept a Rollin’ (03:24) 10 Talking About You (02:02) 11 I Wish You Would (02:19) 12 Got to Hurry (02:38) 13 Freight Loader (02:49) 14 Let It Rock (02:18) 15 Shes So Respectable (05:43) 16 You Cant Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover (03:03) 17 Louise (03:32) 18 Smokestack Lightnin (06:53) |
 | Album: 30 of 43 Title: From the Cradle Released: 1994-08-12 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:00:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blues Before Sunrise (02:57) 2 Third Degree (05:08) 3 Reconsider Baby (03:20) 4 Hoochie Coochie Man (03:15) 5 Five Long Years (04:47) 6 I’m Tore Down (03:02) 7 How Long Blues (03:08) 8 Goin’ Away Baby (04:01) 1 Blues Leave Me Alone (03:37) 2 Sinner’s Prayer (03:20) 3 Motherless Child (02:57) 4 It Hurts Me Too (03:19) 5 Someday After a While (04:28) 6 Standin’ Round Crying (03:38) 7 Driftin’ (03:08) 8 Groaning the Blues (06:06) |
| From the Cradle : Allmusic album Review : For years, fans craved an all-blues album from Eric Clapton; he waited until 1994 to deliver From the Cradle. The album manages to re-create the ambience of postwar electric blues, right down to the bottomless thump of the rhythm section. If it wasnt for Claptons labored vocals, everything would be perfect. As long as he plays his guitar, he cant fail -- his solos are white-hot and evocative, original and captivating. When he sings, Clapton loses that sense of originality, choosing to mimic the vocals of the original recordings. At times, his overemotive singing is painful; he doesnt have the strength to pull off Howlin Wolfs growl or the confidence to replicate Muddy Waters assured phrasing. Yet, whenever he plays, its easier to forget his vocal shortcomings. Even with its faults, From the Cradle is one of Claptons finest moments. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 43 Title: Pilgrim Released: 1998-03-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:15:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Father’s Eyes (05:24) 2 River of Tears (07:22) 3 Pilgrim (05:50) 4 Broken Hearted (07:52) 5 One Chance (05:55) 6 Circus (04:11) 7 Going Down Slow (05:19) 8 Fall Like Rain (03:50) 9 Born in Time (04:41) 10 Sick and Tired (05:43) 11 Needs His Woman (03:45) 12 She’s Gone (04:45) 13 You Were There (05:31) 14 Inside of Me (05:25) |
| Pilgrim : Allmusic album Review : One strange thing about Eric Claptons 90s success is that it relied almost entirely on covers and new versions of classic hits; he released no albums of new material between 1989s Journeyman and 1998s Pilgrim. In the decade between the two albums, he had two new hits -- his moving elegy to his deceased son, "Tears in Heaven," and the slick contemporary soul of the Babyface-written "Change the World" -- and Pilgrim tries to reach a middle ground between these two extremes, balancing tortured lyrics with smooth sonic surfaces. Working with producer Simon Climie, his collaborator on the TDF side project, Clapton has created a numbingly calm record that, for all of its lyrical torment, displays no emotion whatsoever. Much of the problem lies in the production, which relies entirely on stiff mechanical drumbeats, gauzy synthesizers, and meandering instrumental interludes. These ingredients could result in a good record, as "Change the World" demonstrated, but not here, due to Pilgrims monotonous production. Unfortunately, Clapton doesnt want to shake things up -- his singing is startlingly mannered, even on emotionally turbulent numbers like "My Fathers Eyes" or "Circus." Even worse, hes content to take a back seat instrumentally, playing slight solos and fills as colorless as the electronic backdrops. The deadened sonics would make Pilgrim a chore even if there were strong songs on the record, but only a handful of tunes break through the murk. Considering that Journeyman, his last album of original material, was a fine workmanlike effort and that From the Cradle and Unplugged crackled with vitality, the blandness of Pilgrim is all the more disappointing. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 43 Title: Knockin on Heavens Door Released: 2000 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Come on and Love Me (03:35) 2 The Dealer (04:04) 3 Knockin on Heavens Door (03:36) 4 Go Out and Make It Happen (03:40) 5 It Feels Good (03:47) 6 Been on the Road Too Long (04:05) 7 Train 444 (03:32) 8 Someone Like You (04:48) 9 Plum (instrumental) (05:06) |
 | Album: 33 of 43 Title: Riding With the King Released: 2000-06-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:01:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Riding With the King (04:23) 2 Ten Long Years (04:40) 3 Key to the Highway (03:39) 4 Marry You (04:59) 5 Three O’Clock Blues (08:36) 6 Help the Poor (05:06) 7 I Wanna Be (04:45) 8 Worried Life Blues (04:25) 9 Days of Old (03:00) 10 When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer (07:09) 11 Hold On I’m Coming (06:20) 12 Come Rain or Come Shine (04:11) |
| Riding With the King : Allmusic album Review : The potential for a collaboration between B.B. King and Eric Clapton is enormous, of course, and the real questions concern how it is organized and executed. This first recorded pairing between the 74-year-old King and the 55-year-old Clapton was put together in the most obvious way: Clapton arranged the session using many of his regular musicians, picked the songs, and co-produced with his partner Simon Climie. That ought to mean that King would be a virtual guest star rather than earning a co-billing, but because of Claptons respect for his elder, it nearly works the other way around. The set list includes lots of King specialties -- "Ten Long Years," "Three OClock Blues," "Days of Old," "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer" -- as well as standards like "Hold on Im Coming" and "Come Rain or Come Shine," with some specially written and appropriate recent material thrown in, so King has reason to be comfortable without being complacent. The real danger is that Clapton will defer too much; though he can be inspired by a competing guitarist such as Duane Allman, he has sometimes tended to lean too heavily on accompanists such as Albert Lee and Mark Knopfler when working with them in concert. That danger is partially realized; as its title indicates, Riding With the King is more about King than it is about Clapton. But the two players turn out to have sufficiently complementary, if distinct, styles so that Claptons supportive role fills out and surrounds Kings stinging single-string playing. (Its also worth noting that there are usually another two or three guitarists on each track.) The result is an effective, if never really stunning, work. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 43 Title: Reptile Released: 2001-03-02 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:03:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Reptile (03:26) 2 Got You on My Mind (04:30) 3 Travelin’ Light (04:17) 4 Believe in Life (05:05) 5 Come Back Baby (03:55) 6 Broken Down (05:25) 7 Find Myself (05:15) 8 I Ain’t Gonna Stand for It (04:49) 9 I Want a Little Girl (02:58) 10 Second Nature (04:48) 11 Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight (04:47) 12 Modern Girl (04:49) 13 Superman Inside (05:07) 14 Son & Sylvia (04:43) |
| Reptile : Allmusic album Review : For a musician known to strive for authenticity, Eric Clapton has always been curiously obsessed with appearances, seemingly as interested in sartorial details and hairstyles as in the perfect guitar lick. Its hard to find two photographs of him from the 1960s and early 70s that appear to be the same person, and even after he formally launched his solo career he switched looks frequently. Thus, the album sleeve of his 13th solo studio album of new material, Reptile, its "concept" credited to the recording artist, seems significant. The album cover shows a smiling Clapton as a child, and there are family photographs on the back cover and in the booklet, along with a current photograph of the artist, who turned 56 in the weeks following the albums release, in an image that does nothing to hide the wrinkles of late middle age. This photograph faces a sleeve note by Clapton that begins with his explanation of the album title: "Where I come from, the word reptile is a term of endearment, used in much the same way as toe rag or moosh." (Thanks, Eric. Now, all listeners have to do is find out what "toe rag" and "moosh" mean!) The note then goes on to dedicate the album warmly to Claptons uncle. All of this might lead you to expect an unusually personal recording from a man who has always spoken most eloquently with his guitar. If so, youd be disappointed. Reptile seems conceived as an album to address all the disparate audiences Clapton has assembled over the years. His core audience may think of him as the premier blues guitarist of his generation, but especially as a solo artist, he has also sought a broader pop identity, and in the 1990s, with the hits "Tears in Heaven" and "Change the World," he achieved it. The fans he earned then will recognize the largely acoustic sound of such songs as "Believe in Life," "Second Nature," and "Modern Girl." But those who think of Clapton as the guy who plays "Cocaine" will be pleased with his cover of another J.J. Cale song, "Travelin Light," and by the time the album was in record stores mainstream rock radio had already found "Superman Inside," which sounds like many of his mid-tempo rock hits of the 80s. This diversity is continued on less familiar material, especially the many interesting cover songs. Somebody, perhaps the artist himself, has been busy looking for old chestnuts, since Reptile contains a wide variety of them: the 1930 jazz song "I Want a Little Girl," recorded by McKinneys Cotton Pickers among others; John Greers 1952 R&B hit "Got You on My Mind"; Ray Charles 1955 R&B hit "Come Back Baby"; James Taylors 1972 hit "Dont Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"; and Stevie Wonders 1980 hit "I Aint Gonna Stand for It." The two earliest of these songs are old and obscure enough that Clapton is able to make them his own, and he recasts the Taylor song enough to re-invent it, but remaking songs by Charles and Wonder means competing with them vocally, and as a singer Clapton isnt up to the challenge. He is assisted by the current five-man version of the Impressions, who do much to shore up his vocal weaknesses, but he still isnt a disciplined or thoughtful singer. Of course, when that distinctive electric guitar sound kicks in, all is forgiven. Still, Reptile looks like an album that started out to be more ambitious than it ended up being. There may be a song here for each of the artists constituencies (and, more important to its commercial impact, for every major radio format except talk and country), but as a whole the album doesnt add up to the statement Clapton seems to have been hoping to make. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 43 Title: Me and Mr Johnson Released: 2004-03-22 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 When You Got a Good Friend (03:22) 2 Little Queen of Spades (04:58) 3 They’re Red Hot (03:27) 4 Me and the Devil Blues (02:58) 5 Traveling Riverside Blues (04:33) 6 Last Fair Deal Gone Down (02:36) 7 Stop Breakin’ Down Blues (02:30) 8 Milkcow’s Calf Blues (03:20) 9 Kind Hearted Woman Blues (04:09) 10 Come On in My Kitchen (03:37) 11 If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day (03:29) 12 Love in Vain (04:04) 13 32‐20 Blues (03:01) 14 Hell Hound on My Trail (03:51) |
| Me and Mr Johnson : Allmusic album Review : Ten years after his first all-blues album, From the Cradle, Eric Clapton released Me and Mr. Johnson, an album-length tribute to his hero, the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. Not that this is the first time Clapton has paid tribute to Johnson. Throughout his career, Clapton has not only drawn on Johnson for inspiration, but he has covered his songs at pivotal moments: "Ramblin on My Mind" on his classic album with John Mayall, Bluesbreakers; "Four Until Late" on the first Cream album; and, most memorably, the rampaging cover of "Crossroads" on Wheels of Fire that became his anthem and arguably his defining moment. Considering this long history, perhaps a full-length tribute was inevitable, yet Me and Mr. Johnson still is welcome, in part because its been a long time since this guitarist has sounded so comfortable and relaxed, as if he was having fun making music. With the possible exception of the spotty yet charming B.B. King duet album Riding With the King, this is simply the most enjoyable record hes made since From the Cradle, and in some respects its a better blues album than that since it never sounds as doggedly serious as that guitar-heavy affair. Given the somber, sometimes chilling lyrics Johnson wrote -- Clapton admits that "At first [his music] scared me in its intensity," an accurate summary of the haunting nature of those 29 sides the bluesman cut in the 30s -- its a little ironic that this tribute winds up being fun, not somber, but the light touch makes for a better album. That lightness comes from the deep love Clapton holds for this music, since the enthusiasm and enjoyment he and his band -- all the old regulars like Andy Fairweather-Low plus Billy Preston on keyboards -- give the performance results in the albums light, infectious feel. While that does result in versions of "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day" and "Hell Hound on My Trail" that sound anything but haunted, they do sound nicely next to the up-tempo rave-ups of "Theyre Red Hot," "Last Fair Deal Gone Down," and "Stop Breaking Down Blues" since all of them sound like Clapton is having a hell of a good time. Some might take issue with this, and others may find the album too slickly produced -- admittedly, blues albums should never boast a credit for Pro Tools, as this does -- but this is a heartfelt tribute thats among Claptons most purely enjoyable albums. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 43 Title: Sessions for Robert J Released: 2004-12-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sweet Home Chicago (05:17) 2 Milkcow’s Calf Blues (03:49) 3 Terraplane Blues (03:36) 4 If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day (03:25) 5 Stop Breakin’ Down Blues (02:58) 6 Little Queen of Spades (05:29) 7 Traveling Riverside Blues (04:28) 8 Me and the Devil Blues (02:52) 9 From Four Until Late (03:03) 10 Kind Hearted Woman Blues (05:41) 11 Ramblin’ on My Mind (02:41) |
| Sessions for Robert J : Allmusic album Review : It appears that Eric Clapton had more Robert Johnson in his blood than he thought -- or perhaps it was planned this way. This DVD/CD set (and really, its not the other way around despite the packaging), showcases Clapton mining the Robert Johnson vein ever more deeply in no less than four different settings. The DVD features 19 acoustic and electric performances recorded in rehearsal spaces in Dallas and in England, as well as in the 508 Park Ave. in Dallas, a studio Johnson himself recorded in, in 1937. There is one more segment, a recorded solo acoustic in a hotel room in California. The band that joins Clapton in the rehearsal studios is comprised of guitar master Doyle Bramhall, organist Billy Preston, Steve Gadd on drums, pianist Chris Stainton and Nathan East on bass. The electric performances, particularly "Milkcows Calf s Blues," "Stop Breakin Down Blues," and especially "I Wish I Had Possession Over Judgment Day," have some real life and stomp in them. Of the acoustic tracks, "Terraplane Blues" works best. The DVD also contains a selection of behind-the-scenes footage that will be of interest only to those fans who need to see everything. The CD contains 11 cuts culled from the DVD and the sequencing is in some ways preferable. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 43 Title: Back Home Released: 2005-08-29 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:00:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 So Tired (04:47) 2 Say What You Will (04:35) 3 I’m Going Left (04:02) 4 Love Don’t Love Nobody (07:13) 5 Revolution (05:00) 6 Love Comes to Everyone (04:35) 7 Lost and Found (05:21) 8 Piece of My Heart (04:22) 9 One Day (05:20) 10 One Track Mind (05:04) 11 Run Home to Me (06:18) 12 Back Home (03:32) |
| Back Home : Allmusic album Review : Eric Clapton claimed in the press release for Back Home, his 14th album of original material, that "One of the earliest statements I made about myself was back in the late 80s, with Journeyman. This album completes that cycle in terms of talking about my whole journey as an itinerant musician and where I find myself now, starting a new family. Thats why I chose the title. Its about coming home and staying home." With that in mind, it becomes clearer that the studio albums Clapton released during the 90s did indeed follow some sort of thematic logic. 1989s Journeyman did find Clapton regrouping after a muddled 80s, returning to the bluesy arena rock and smooth pop that had been his signature sound as a solo artist. He followed that with 1994s From the Cradle, where he explicitly returned to the roots of his music by recording an album of blues standards. Four years later, he released Pilgrim, a slick album that had Clapton strengthening his collaboration with producer/co-writer Simon Climie (who first worked with EC on his electronica side project T.D.F.). If Pilgrim touched on father issues, 2001s Reptile loosely returned Clapton to his childhood (complete with a smiling boyhood shot of him on the cover) and found the guitarist struggling with a seemingly diverse selection of material, ranking from 50s R&B; to James Taylor. After a brief blues detour on 2004s Me and Mr. Johnson, Clapton returns to the sound and feel of Reptile for Back Home, but he doesnt seem to be as tentative or forced as he did there. Instead, he eases comfortably into the domesticity that isnt just the concept for the album, its reason for being. In fact, the album doesnt need "back" in its title -- ultimately, the album is just about being home (which, if the center photo of Clapton at home with his three young daughters and wife is to be believed, looks alarmingly similar to the set of Thomas the Tank Engine, complete with a painted rainbow shining through the window). While its hard to begrudge the 60-year-old guitarist for finding a happy home after all these years, what is puzzling about this calm, comfortable album is that Clapton is equating domestic bliss with a glossy, consciously classy sound thats swept clean of dirt and grit, or even the blues. Consequently, Back Home is pitched halfway between the lite contemporary soul of Pilgrim and Claptons time as a Michelob spokesman in the late 80s. Each track rides a tight, professional groove -- sometimes a bluesy vamp, sometimes a reggae jam, usually something soulful but relaxed -- and while instruments sometimes bubble up from the mix (sometimes its Claptons guitar, but just as often its Billy Prestons organ, or occasionally a synth straight out of 1987), the emphasis is always on the smooth, shiny surface. Unlike such peers as Bob Dylan, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones who revitalized their recording careers with back-to-basics moves that stripped their music down to its essence, Clapton seems to harbor an aversion to what he built his reputation on, whether it was the lean, sinewy blues of the Yardbirds and Bluesbreakers or the psychedelic freak-outs of Cream, or even the rootsy rock he learned from Delaney & Bonnie in the 70s. Based on Back Home, it really does seem like he considers Journeyman ground zero for his solo career, but instead of replicating the well-balanced mix of rock, pop, and blues that made that record one of his best solo efforts, he settles into a tasteful adult pop sound that makes this record the ideal soundtrack to a pleasant Sunday afternoon at home with the family. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 43 Title: The Road to Escondido Released: 2006-11-03 Tracks: 14 Duration: 57:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Danger (05:35) 2 Heads in Georgia (04:12) 3 Missing Person (04:27) 4 When This War Is Over (03:50) 5 Sporting Life Blues (03:31) 6 Dead End Road (03:30) 7 It’s Easy (04:19) 8 Hard to Thrill (05:12) 9 Anyway the Wind Blows (03:56) 10 Three Little Girls (02:45) 11 Don’t Cry Sister (03:11) 12 Last Will and Testament (03:57) 13 Who Am I Telling You? (04:09) 14 Ride the River (04:36) |
| The Road to Escondido : Allmusic album Review : Two artists had an enormous impact on Eric Claptons music in the 70s: Delaney & Bonnie and J.J. Cale. Clapton joined Delaney & Bonnies backing band after Cream dissolved, an experience that helped him ease away from the bombast of the power trio and into the blend of soul, blues, pop, and rock that defined his solo sound. Delaney Bramlett helped steer Claptons eponymous 1970 solo debut, which not only came very close to replicating the sound of Delaney & Bonnies records from that time, but also had a rollicking version of J.J. Cales "After Midnight" that was Claptons first solo hit. Cales influence surfaced again a few years later on Claptons 1978 album Slowhand, which not only had J.J.s sardonic "Cocaine" as its centerpiece but also drew heavily from Cales laconic groove. Although Clapton progressively polished his sound over the course of the 80s, dabbling in pop along the way, he never quite strayed from the blueprint that he wrote based on his love of Cales music, so his decision to team up with Cale for a full-fledged duet album called The Road to Escondido in 2006 felt natural, perhaps even overdue. After all, Claptons work has borne the imprint of Cales sound for over three decades now, so a duet record 36 years after Eric had a hit with "After Midnight" feels right. Initially, Clapton planned to cut a record with Cale functioning as a producer, but the project morphed into a duet album where Cale has a stronger presence than Clapton: the superstar might have brought in his longtime producer/collaborator Simon Climie, who has helmed every one of his records since 1998s Pilgrim, but Cale brought in members of his backing band and wound up writing 11 of the albums 14 tracks, effectively dominating The Road to Escondido. Even if Cale is the driving force behind the album, its easy to listen to the album and think otherwise, since Climie gives this a precise, polished production thats entirely too slick for the rootsy music the duo plays, which in turn makes it sonically similar to all Clapton albums of the past ten years. Also, there are a lot of cameos from familiar pros (drummer Steve Jordan; bassist Pino Palladino; guitarists Albert Lee, Derek Trucks, and John Mayer; the late Billy Preston in some of his last sessions), giving this a crisp, professional vibe more in line with Clapton than Cale. But the real reason that it would be easy to mistake The Road to Escondido as a solo Eric Clapton effort is that its nearly impossible to distinguish him from J.J. Cale throughout the entire record. Sure, there arent nearly as many synths as there were on Reptile or the stilted adult pop of Back Home, but the laid-back groove -- even when the music starts jumping, it never breaks a sweat -- sounds like a Clapton record through and through. More than that, The Road to Escondido reveals exactly how much Clapton learned from Cales singing; their timbre and phrasing is nearly identical, to the point that its frequently hard to discern who is singing when. Disconcerting this may be, but its hardly bad, since it never feels like Clapton is copying Cale; instead, it shows their connection, that theyre kindred spirits. And if Clapton popularized Cales sound, hes paying him back with this record, which will bring him to a wider audience -- and Cale, in turn, has given Clapton his best record in a long time by focusing Clapton on this soulful, mellow groove and giving him a solid set of songs. While it is hard not to wish that there was a little less NPR slickness and a little more grit to the record -- this is roots music after all, so it should have some dirt to it -- this is still a very appealing record, capturing the duo working the same territory thats served them both well over the years but still finding something new there, largely because theyre doing it together and clearly enjoying each others company. Its relaxed and casual in the best possible sense: it doesnt sound lazy, it sounds lived-in, even with Climies too-clean production, and that vibe -- coupled with Cales sturdy songs -- makes this is an understated winner. This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Contemporary Blues Album. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 43 Title: Clapton Released: 2010-09-22 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:02:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Travelin’ Alone (03:57) 2 Rocking Chair (04:04) 3 River Runs Deep (05:53) 4 Judgement Day (03:13) 5 How Deep Is the Ocean (05:29) 6 My Very Good Friend the Milkman (03:21) 7 Can’t Hold Out Much Longer (04:09) 8 That’s No Way to Get Along (06:08) 9 Everything Will Be Alright (03:52) 10 Diamonds Made From Rain (04:23) 11 When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful (02:51) 12 Hard Times Blues (03:45) 13 Run Back to Your Side (05:18) 14 Autumn Leaves (05:40) |
| Clapton : Allmusic album Review : Clapton is Eric Clapton’s first solo album in five years, but he hardly spent the back half of the 2000s in seclusion. After 2005’s Back Home, he went on a journey through the past, writing a 2007 autobiography -- also titled Clapton, although that’s the only connection they shared -- mending fences with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a brief Cream reunion, establishing a lasting connection with his old Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood, and recording a duet album with his ‘70s inspiration JJ Cale. This embrace of history isn’t directly heard on Clapton but it’s certainly felt, extending to how EC relies on old tunes -- blues and country, but also pop and R&B -- for the bulk of this 14-track album. EC is no stranger to covers and the sound of the album is familiar, but there’s no record quite like Clapton in his catalog. The closest may be Unplugged, which also ambles along with an unhurried shuffle, but this boasts a greater musical range, mixing up Fats Waller and Robert Wilkins with Hoagy Carmichael and Irving Berlin, finding room for guests appearances by Winwood, Allen Toussaint, Wynton Marsalis, Sheryl Crow, Derek Trucks and selected members from Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Yes, it is eclectic, even dipping into a bit of a soulful soft-rock groove on “Everything Will Be Alright,” but not self-consciously so. Clapton flows easily, the blues never hitting too hard, the New Orleans jazz never getting too woozy, the standards never too sleepy, the sounds subtly shifting but changing all the same. It’s leisurely in its performance and its length, perhaps running just a little too long, but it’s hard to complain because the slow ramble is so enjoyable. Eric Clapton has never sounded so relaxed on record, either as a singer -- he is supple and casually authoritative, a far cry from the tentative lead vocalist of his earliest solo records -- or a bandleader, sounding at peace with his past yet harboring no desire to recycle it, even if he’s reaching back far beyond the blues that initially sparked his interest in music. He’s simply laying back and enjoying what he’s playing, winding up with one of his simplest and best records. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 43 Title: Old Sock Released: 2013-03-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Further On Down the Road (05:43) 2 Angel (03:54) 3 The Folks Who Live on the Hill (03:46) 4 Gotta Get Over (04:36) 5 Till Your Well Runs Dry (04:42) 6 All of Me (03:22) 1 Born to Lose (04:03) 2 Still Got the Blues (05:54) 3 Goodnight Irene (04:23) 4 Your One and Only Man (04:30) 5 Every Little Thing (04:34) 6 Our Love Is Here to Stay (04:11) |
| Old Sock : Allmusic album Review : Switching from a major to his own Bushbranch imprint on Gary Hoeys independent SurfDog label is, to the say least, a little unexpected from Eric Clapton, but now that hes reached the ripe old age of 67, the guitarist isnt so concerned with proving himself. On Old Sock, his 20th studio album, he sounds downright happy to be slowly dropping off of the mainstream radar, not bothering with any music that could conceivably be called pop, or even writing his own songs. Only two of the 12 songs on Old Sock are new, and he didnt write either himself; theyre co-writes between his longtime right-hand man Doyle Bramhall II, Nikki Costa, and Justin Stanley, and the vaguely propulsive blues-rock of "Gotta Get Over" and cheerful lite reggae bounce "Every Little Thing" fit neatly into the sunny nostalgia offered on the rest of the record. And "sunny" describes Claptons sound, mood, and styles here, as he favors reggae over the blues, turning both Otis Reddings "Your One and Only Man" and Taj Mahals "Further On Down the Road" into lilting bits of sunsplash, covering Peter Toshs "Till Your Well Runs Dry," and getting so besotted with good cheer on "Every Little Thing" he brings in a bunch of kids to sing the closing chorus, a jarring addition that treads the border of good taste. When Clapton does dip into the blues, its on a grandiose "Still Got the Blues," a tribute to the late (and somewhat underappreciated) British blues guitarist Gary Moore, so its clear his heart now lies elsewhere, namely shuffling along with Paul McCartney to "All of Me" and knocking out Leadbellys "Goodnight Irene" as a front porch singalong. Clapton indulged in this shameless, warm-hearted celebration of the past on 2010s Eric Clapton, but that album bore all the hallmarks of a carefully considered major-label effort: the sound was immaculate and the song selection had the well-considered thrust of a history lesson. Here, he leaves all those classy trappings behind, picks up his guitar and plays a bunch of songs he likes, maybe even loves. Its not an especially compelling reason to make an album but its not a bad one, either, and the same can be said about the experience of listening to Old Sock: its a pleasurable way to while away the time. | ||
 | Album: 41 of 43 Title: The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale Released: 2014-07-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 51:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 They Call Me the Breeze (03:04) 2 Rock and Roll Records (02:18) 3 Someday (03:46) 4 Lies (03:06) 5 Sensitive Kind (05:15) 6 Cajun Moon (02:26) 7 Magnolia (03:41) 8 I Got the Same Old Blues (03:02) 9 Songbird (02:54) 10 Since You Said Goodbye (02:59) 11 I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (02:36) 12 The Old Man and Me (02:55) 13 Train to Nowhere (04:50) 14 Starbound (02:02) 15 Don’t Wait (02:45) 16 Crying Eyes (03:30) |
| The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale : Allmusic album Review : In a sense, nearly every album Eric Clapton recorded after 1970 has been a tribute to J.J. Cale. On that first solo album, Clapton cut a cover of Cales "After Midnight" and while he was under the spell of Delaney Bramlett for that album, soon enough Slowhand began drifting toward the laconic shuffle that was Cales stock in trade. Clapton never hesitated to credit Cale, dropping his name in interviews, turning "Cocaine" into a modern standard, even going so far as to record an entire duet album with the Oklahoma troubadour called The Road to Escondido in 2006. In other words, E.C. owed J.J. little but after Cale passed at the age of 74, the guitarist decided to pay a full-scale tribute in the form of the 2014 LP The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale. Working with most of his regular band, Clapton also invited a host of friends who share a soft spot for Cale, including Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, and the Oklahoma-based singer Don White, whose vocals are within the range of the departed Cale. All of these musicians dont distract from E.C.s version of J.J.: everybody slides into an exceedingly laid-back, pristine roots groove, one that barely rises above a steady simmer -- only "Ill Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" boogies, but "Cajun Moon" skips along, too -- and one thats executed with the precision of old pros. Occasionally, a personal stylistic quirk stamps a track with a signature -- theres no mistaking Willies idiosyncratic phrasing or Knopflers Strat -- but otherwise, everybody is operating at the same relaxed pace, differences between the musicians disappearing alongside the distinctions between songs. Its all perfectly pleasant and a convincing testament to what Clapton learned from Cale, although its silvery monochromatic shuffles suggest J.J. was a little more one-dimensional than he actually was. | ||
 | Album: 42 of 43 Title: I Still Do Released: 2016-05-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Alabama Woman Blues (05:07) 2 Can’t Let You Do It (03:50) 3 I Will Be There (04:37) 4 Spiral (05:04) 5 Catch the Blues (04:51) 6 Cypress Grove (04:49) 7 Little Man, You’ve Had a Busy Day (03:11) 8 Stones in My Passway (04:03) 9 I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (04:02) 10 I’ll Be Alright (04:23) 11 Somebody’s Knockin’ (05:11) 12 I’ll Be Seeing You (05:02) |
| I Still Do : Allmusic album Review : Reuniting with producer Glyn Johns, the steady hand who guided Slowhand back in 1977, doesnt provide Eric Clapton with much of a jolt for his 23rd studio album, but it does provide the veteran guitarist with no small degree of nicely weathered warmth. Such mellowed good vibes are the calling card of I Still Do, which otherwise proceeds along the same path Claptons records follow in the 21st century: he blends covers of well-worn blues standards with a couple of J.J. Cale tunes, a few old pop standards, a Bob Dylan chestnut, and original songs that draw upon aspects of all of these. "Spiral" and "Catch the Blues," the two EC originals that anchor the middle of the album, are handsomely crafted tunes that complement the rest of the record; they dont draw attention to themselves but rather show how hard "Cypress Grove" swings and how "Alabama Woman Blues" crawls, and reveal the lightness of "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" and "Little Man, Youve Had a Busy Day." Although "Ill Be Seeing You" ends I Still Do on a bit of a wistful note, this album is neither melancholy nor some kind of summation. It is simply Clapton being Clapton, enjoying the company of his longtime band and songs hes loved, and here hes fortunate enough to be produced by Johns, whose expert touch gives this weight and color absent from the otherwise amiable Old Sock. Thats enough to give I Still Do some resonance because Johns focuses not on the songs but the interplay: its not a vibe record so much as its an album about the interplay of old pros who still get a kick playing those same old changes years after theyve become second nature. | ||
 | Album: 43 of 43 Title: Happy Xmas Released: 2018-10-12 Tracks: 2 Duration: 06:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A Little Bit of Christmas Love (02:43) 2 You Always Hurt the One You Love (03:56) |