Eric Clapton - E.C. Was Here

A 1975 live album that found Clapton at--if you'll pardon the expression--a crossroads, E.C. Was Here marks the line of demarcation between the guitar hero of the past and more song-oriented player he'd become for the second half of the '70s. Clapton breaks out on a couple of old Blind Faith numbers--"Presence of the Lord" and "Can't Find My Way Home"--that reflect his soulful, spiritual side, while "Further On Up the Road" rocks out and Charles Brown's "Drifting Blues," restored to its full eleven-and-a-half-minute length on the CD's newly remastered version, presents another instrumental showcase. There are only six tunes here, but E.C. leaves his indelible mark on each of them. --Daniel Durchholz Amazon.com

Very Under Rated with Sadness Attached

Well, back in the day-when this record came out- you were trying to keep your records dust free and watching the tracking weight of the turntable tone arm. And looking for scratches!
That was the era. Cream, Hendrix, Joplin, Jim Morrison and the Doors, The Beatles (and soon Elvis and Lennon in tragedy) were all gone!

The '70's was a downright bummer trip and a prozac ride, before prozac was invented. The Eagles, came along with Linda Ronstadt and helped us get thru the decade, but with the white powder flooding the country and AIDS around the corner-the landscape was... shaky.
And so is this album. Edit splices improved the product as usual. Liner notes would have been nice. Eric was then and is today, a legend in his own mind. Incredibly popular and likeable, he can get away with the most horrific behavior by simply turning into his guitar solos, his prayers and the power of his own consciousness. He has a survival guide. Somewhere.

But these are good shows. Not as good as Cream's "Wheels of Fire LP" circa 1967-but our guitar god here is trying his best, re-inventing himself. His life mission it seems is to leave behind the 'success scars of Cream and Blind Faith' and the type casting that comes with it.
He was still hung up on Layla aka Patty Harrison. And in "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" he yells out: "Did I mention any names?" (after Harrison inspired lyric-- "your very best friend..")
It is ironic that after George Harrision's death in 2001, Eric would produce and lead the tribute concert: "A Song For George" with all the principal characters, except for Layla -Patty Harrison-Clapton would would not attend the show, and dealt with her own feelings of ending her marriage with George for Eric.
Well under rated and forgotton is melodic and minimalist bassist Carl Radle who would soon die of a kidney infection from his own heroin use-at the age of 38. The sound was getting sloppy with all the drugs and alcohol, so EC fired everyone... by telegram. Carl was heart broken, strung out and Eric aware of his condition, turned a cold business decision into the kill zone.

Eric was a wildman. Drinking heavily-smoking 3 packs a day. Finally bedding fantasy "Layla" aka Patty Harrison-he goes on tour and immediately has an affair with back-up vocalist Yvonne Elliman. Having learned to play from the heart, he is doing exactly that-but the self abuse is crippling and it will be decades before he actually settles down and finds wisdom. "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom," writes poet William Blake and for Eric he will count the costs later. Holy Mother. He's wasted and he can't find his way home. No rest for the Bluesman. Not yet. February 20, 2008

Cool blues

Missed this CD in my E.C. collection.
Astonished to hear wellknown numbers in a different way.
This live performence is pure blues, cool performed.
Refreshing duet with Yvonne Elliman. January 27, 2008

Eric Clapton

I'm 55 yrs young and have enjoyed his music since I can remember. I purchased this LP when it was released and still do not regret it. What a talent and songwriter. Does anyone remember the Yardbirds and so forth ? It is a must for any blues fan ? of course it is . Just sit down , shut up and listen . December 4, 2007

Any Other Live Clapton Disc Is Better Than This

Flash back to mid-1970's, where record companies began releasing live albums regardless of the quality, a problem that would get worse after the unforeseen success of 'Frampton Comes Alive'. At this time Clapton had covered a reggae song, Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff". Similarly, he had recorded what can best be described as laid-back versions of songs such as Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and the traditional "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". So the powers that be decide that since he is (some would argue "was") first and foremost a blues guitarist, Clapton needed to release a live recording to burnish his blues credentials. So far, so good. Unfortunately the concert that was picked for this release, a 1974 summer stop in Long Beach, California, was very weak. In his autobiography, Clapton himself said that he would have preferred to have played small venues on this tour, which as others have noted was his first tour after 2-3 years of a serious drug addiction, but his management had committed him to an arena tour instead. Clapton's singing voice is weak, in fact I don't understand why others have lauded the inclusion of two Blind Faith songs ("Can't Find My Way Home" and "Presence Of The Lord") on this disc since they are basically sung by Yvonne Elliman. Now don't get me wrong Elliman is a good singer with a fine voice but we're paying for Eric Clapton here, right? Clapton is better on the slow blues numbers such "Driftin' Blues" and "Ramblin' On My Mind". "Further On Up The Road" is also a good song for Clapton's vocal style, but there are three other versions available from 1976-77 (one on the 'Crossroads' box set, another on 'Crossroads 2', and the third on the 2-CD compilation 'Blues') that are all superior to the version on 'E.C. Was Here'. In fact Clapton is in much better form in the late 1974 London leg of this tour and in 1975 -- in hindsight these are the shows that should have originally been released in '75 instead of this disc. If you want to hear Clapton live, 'Just One Night', '24 Nights' or even the live Derek and the Dominoes disc are better choices. There is also a complete concert from December, 1974 on the Deluxe Edition of '461 Ocean Boulevard'. These are all much better alternatives. October 29, 2007

classic live Clapton

Even though I read a bunch of reviews before investing in Eric Clapton's 1975 live album, I wasn't sure whether the sound and style would be closer to late 70's Clapton (the softer, more commercialized period of his career) or the heavy bluesy jamming days with Derek and the Dominos (which rules). Turns out the album overall is closer to the early days. Good!

I'm a big fan of Clapton's guitar playing. I think he's able to take a guitar solo and elevate it to a whole other world. He just has that special something that makes his playing unique and adventurous. Thankfully, this album is loaded with plenty of guitar jamming.

The version I have is the one released in 1990. The sound quality, despite not being remastered or anything, is pretty fantastic. By 1975, the sound of live rock music was starting to get better anyway (thanks to recording technology). Not just Clapton, I mean everyone. This is simply a really good live album if you like Clapton's guitar style.

"Have You Ever Loved a Woman" opens the live set. It's a slow, bluesy type song. Normally these kind of songs are boring, but guess what? Clapton's talent for taking guitar solos to extraordinary heights drastically improves what would otherwise be a typical, forgettable song. That's what makes this song probably the best song on the entire album.

"Presence of the Lord" features both the softest AND the hardest moment on the entire disc. What I do mean, you ask? The 2 minute vocals that open the song are really soft and delicately beautiful. And then, BAM, the song turns into a borderline heavy metal jam for a few minutes. It's a surprisingly enjoyable twist.

"Driftin' Blues" will make you drift, alright. It's an 11 minute and 30 second blues jam, for the most part. Yes, I believe all versions of this song are over 11 minutes long (in case you're worried you might be getting the shortened version). I say the song will make you drift because the guitar jams slowly and beautifully catch your attention, similar to the Allman Brothers and their famous jam titled "Dreams". The two songs are sort of alike.

This version of "Can't Find My Way Home" is probably the best one I've ever heard. Clapton doesn't sing the vocals alone- he has a female partner with him (Yvonne Elliman). Together, they not only maintain the spiritual atmosphere of the original, but they might even surpass the old Blind Faith classic.

"Ramblin' On My Mind" and "Further On Up The Road" are more enjoyable blues tunes with excellent guitar soloing scattered neatly throughout each song. They are probably the weakest songs here, but it's not really a problem seeing as how the entire live performance adds up to one great listening experience.

A must own for Clapton fans. October 11, 2007

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