Eric Clapton - The Blues

There's a telling subtext to this retrospective of Eric Clapton blues sides. Culled from recordings cut between 1970 (the Layla sessions) and 1980 (when Clapton cut his final Polydor album, Another Ticket), these sides finds EC exploring his beloved blues while in a fragile state of mind and body. After all, he was on heroin when he concocted Layla, and though he kicked that habit in the early '70s, he continued to test his tolerance for alcohol throughout the decade. When you think of the Clapton of the '60s, you think of the fire and ice of his playing with the Yardbirds, John Mayall, and Cream. When you think of his '70s playing, it's wearier and perhaps more reflective. (It was easy to mistake melancholic for mellow at the time.) The 35 selections included on these two discs find the temporarily deflated rock superstar leaning on the blues for support as he draws on likes of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and Little Walter for inspiration. Hardcore fans will appreciate previously unreleased versions of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me," a solo take on the traditional "Alberta," a 1974 cover of Willie Dixon's "Meet Me (Down at the Bottom), and a remixed live 1976 version of "Further on Up the Road" with Freddy King sitting in. Just about anyone, however, will be able to appreciate how this music reflects Clapton's strengths as a musician... and weaknesses as a man. --Steven Stolder Amazon.com

Claptons awesome blues

If you are a fan of Eric Clapton and Love the Blues this is an awesome recording that you will listen to over and over. July 2, 2008

This is the one

Wow, Eric Clapton in great form. I'm not hard core blues. I love the music. I love the songs. It is great for couples. January 28, 2008

Good, but muddled and lethargic in spots...

For the newly-minted Eric Clapton fan who wants to hear him play the blues, I would reccommend "From the Cradle" first because it's well-recorded, crisp, sober and 100% authentic. If you want "live in concert" blues, I would pick up the "Just One Night" cd which has a 1/2 dozen live blues classics including "Ramblin' On My Mind", "Further On Up the Road", "Early In the Morning", "Double Trouble" and "Worried Life Blues" along with a few hits from the period.

If you're still hungry for more at this point, try out "Me and Mr. Johnson" for a nice introduction to the work of blues partiarch Robert Johnson (one of Eric's main musical influences). But be advised that Eric's playing is somewhat buried in the mix with no extended riffing (it seems that he wants to draw attention to the strength of the songs rather than himself).

If you want to hear a more blues-rock oriented sound with some really great singing (as opposed to pretty good or competent singing) check out Eric's duet with B.B. King "Riding With the King".

For some truly incendiary electric blues playing (with some 60's psychedelia sprinkled in) try to find a Cream compilation that includes "Lawdy Mama", "Crossroads (Live)", "Spoonful", "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Strange Brew".

There were a few Clapton solo albums from the mid-to-late seventies that were truly uninspired. However, I often considered buying them just to get the few blues tracks that were available. Why?? Because the only time he seemed somewhat centered as an artist, and truly in his element, was when he was riffing on some old blues tunes...When he's playing the blues, especially live, he seems to have his own voice. He's also adept at playing contemporary pop songs written by other artists (Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, J.J. Cale, Babyface, etc.), but if you want HIS voice as an artist, live blues is where you'll most likely hear it.

I think Eric was going through a prolonged personal crisis in the 70's because he went from being an international superstar on the cutting edge of a blues revival to being a somewhat meandering retro act(occasionally descending into self-parody as Elvis did in Las Vegas). He had brief flashes of brilliance (not to mention mainstream success) with his interpretations of "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Cocaine", but he also had long stretches of mediocrity and seemed plagued with self-doubt. His well-documented alcohol problems and difficulty in finding his identity as a person were reflected in his work. The original title of "There's One In Every Crowd" was something like "Guitar Hero-There's One In Every Crowd". Obviously, Polydor was anxious to cash in on Eric's past accomplishments and insisted that he change the original title to something less deflating.

Essentially, you can get all of Eric's 70's hits on the "Time Pieces" cd, and then use the "Eric Clapton-Blues" cd as a supplement because it will give you some deep, blues-oriented album cuts from the same time period. To that end it's a much better compilation than "Time Pieces Volume 2". If you put it all together you have a pretty good summation of what he accomplished from 1970-80.

So, where does "Eric Clapton-Blues" go wrong? Well, the "Unplugged" cd has a much better version of "Alberta". The "Journeyman" cd contains a much better version of "Before You Accuse Me". Stevie Ray Vaughan's version of "The Sky is Crying" is twice as good as what you find here. The Cream version of "Crossroads" is much better than what you find here. Little Milton's version of "Stormy Monday" is probably the best ever recorded, so Clapton's version here sounds a little flaccid by comparison.

What am I really saying? Let's say you were introduced to Clapton from listening to a "Best Of" compilation like "Clapton Chronicles" and then you went back in time and discovered "Time Pieces". Now you're curious to see what else he did during the 70's but you're not ready to break down and spend $50.00 on the "Crossroads 2" boxed set. Eric's "Blues" cd is a nice alternative because it has one live disc and one disc of deep album cuts from the period, along with a couple of previously unreleased tracks for good measure. A nice collection.

June 13, 2007

Not what I was expecting

I had expected more blues. There is too much older stuff on here. He was not polished as much as he is now. I am not happy with this album. If you want to have a collection of his stuff and don't have a particular style of his that you like best, you will like it. It is a good compliation of his talents from the beginning. May 12, 2007

The blues: another way to feel and live!

If B.B. King -in his style- has over passed all the possible adjectives to become a true myth of the guitar and Jimmy Hendrix burnt his own bridges with his flaming and passionate personality, Eric Clapton has been able to remain for most of four decades at the stages, always astonishing us with his tenacity, wrought by his untiring creativity and constant study. His variegated career has allowed him to walk for so many roads, that hardly you will find a genre on which he has not left his genius trace.

What makes Clapton' splaying so admirable resides in his skillfulness to live every little piece he plays. He adds the interpretation a winged expression, hovered and spiced for a bulletproof conviction.

This compilation of blue pieces, literally claimed for emerging from the annals of his admirable artistic trajectory. And chronologically, this album carries us from the first blues works in the middle sixties to 1970 with "Have you ever loved a woman" a piece that has signed its own status with golden letters in the coveted Pantheon of Blues immortals: "The sky is crying" is another fascinating title, a theme that breathes nostalgia with sentiment, played with such intensity without abusing of great riffs and sonorous volume, discretely expressive and superbly performed. ."Crying" is an admirable and anthological piece which conveys us to the original sources of the blues. "Early in the morning" is another masterpiece, filled of innovativeness and that visible atmosphere of nostalgic mood admirably played and expressed. "Give me strength" is another formidable sample of a heartfelt blues played with such commitment level that will leave you hold at your seat. "Meet me" is an exquisite piece, full rounded of vigorous originality and feeling. County jail blues is another superb example of genius at work.

In sum this is a true state of art album that simply cannot be absent of your invaluable collection.

A must - have.
March 16, 2007

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