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Eric at 80

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Clapton turned 80 at the weekend….quite a while since he did anything of note but back in the day….

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    • I was a nipper during the Cream years, and DATD had called it a day by the time I started buying records, but early on I heard this song at a mates house and I was hooked. Never tire of hearing it.

    • I played that song t’other day only from the live D and D album. Given the George / Patti thing at the time, it was absolutely on point. And he played and sung it with all the passion of the circumstances.

  2. I watched the BBC doc at the weekend. Yes, plenty to like in early career. Odd moments, but relatively dull and familiar since early 80s (and the same riffs re-used).
    Is it wrong to say The Very Best Of Cream was their best album?
    But … Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs is a superb piece, and Blind Faith has Benn given a fresh (and very enjoyable listen).
    Presence of the Lord is up there with his very best work

  3. Clapton is my 60s blind spot. Not the team, obvs., they’re just bad at playing football.

    Don’t like him.
    Don’t like any “musicians’ musician”.
    Don’t much care for the Beano album.
    Don’t much care for Cream.
    Blind Faith… oh yeah?
    Yadda, yadda.

    Aside from the racist bit (I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it), my abiding thought of him is the joke where John Major is so boring he left the circus to join a firm of accountants.

    Clapton was so boring he left The Yardbirds to join John Mayall.
    Much worse, surely?

    He’s been 80 for half-a-century. Happy 30th!

  6. I was never a true believer in Eric is God but I’m really surprised at the general indifference these days. A body of work that includes Mayall, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominoes, then at least half a dozen solo records (Ocean Boulevard is an absolute belter) which are mostly a treat surely deserves more? His later work leaves much to be desired but in that respect he is far from being alone. Doff your caps, you miserable bastards….

    • I’m slowly going through Junior’s radio shows on catch up and he played Got To Get Better In A little While from the Dominoes Live at The Fillmore album. Christ, what a good album! I’d never listened to it before for some reason, but it’s bang on the money, excellent playing throughout. He really was (is) an exceptional guitarist.

    • His political opinions are of no interest when considering his musical career.
      I really like his Unplugged album, the Blind Faith album was good and 461 Ocean Boulevard is perhaps my favourite.
      Really didn’t care overly for either Cream or his Blues albums – listenable but not essential

  8. I’d not heard anything by Cream since I saw the RAH concert film in the early seventies, I had an album of Cream at one point but hadn’t listened to it since then.

    Last year I went to see Sons of Cream with Kofi Baker the son of Ginger Baker, and Malcolm Bruce the son of Jack Bruce and Rob Johnson (guitar) is Clapton’s nephew. I didn’t know what to expect and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Doesn’t make me want to listen to any Clapton though.

  9. The 12 Bars documentary does him few favours, which is odd as it is obviously him telling the story, but you have to admire his candour. He is/was clearly an arse, but I always liked most of his stuff.

    Quite how he has made 80 with what he injested in his younger life defeats me – just luck I guess.

  11. I bought this as a single in I think 1968. It’s still great, Clapton’s lines “answering” the vocal from the second chorus (about 1.20) on are so melodic and fit in perfectly.

    Layla is a great song and the album is excellent. After that it was all laid back JJ Cale cod reggae and it didn’t have the same magic.

  12. Whilst his later stuff does sometimes tend to the bland, there is still some good stuff in there – the blues albums he did ( Me & Mr Johnson), the one he did with JJ Cale….

    One of my favourites by him that is always overlooked is the soundtrack for Edge Of Darkness (still one of the best BBC dramas) with Michael Kamen….

    • Agreed. I like a lot of Eric’s stuff from the Yardbirds on. For my taste, the quality became more variable from the mid-’70s but this soundtrack fits the (excellent) programme really well.

  13. Without doubt, one of my favourite singers. Fab control of all kinds of covers and his version of Rockin’ Chair ( Hoagy Carmichael) is terrific. As a singer he has good range and is always utterly authentic. I have aways admired the musicianship of his bands and the unfailing quality of his live performances. As a guitarist, it has been great to watch him reinvent himself as an acoustic player in the 90’s after playing a Gibson and Fender Strat throught the 60s and 70s.

    It’s not always inspiring and its never been angry which seems to be a problem for the punk and post punk audience. For me, as a musician , his dedication has been inspiring. His 70’s records after 461 tend towards a yacht rock groove – but the simplicity of the organic instruments have always provided me with great pleasure. I liked the blues albums very much. I dislike the rather wet aspects of his songwriting which is his weakest aspect despite having hits.

    I continue to be bothered by the ease with which many make casual asides about his character. He is ( present tense deliberate) a recovering addict and alcoholic. He had a wacky, weird disturbing childhood. He was, likely is, chronically, insecure. For 25 years or more he has been responsible ( alongside many others ) for Crossroads Festival. He has regularly been a sideman and promoted other artists.

    He once made a publicly racist remark which he made as a drunk man on stage to an audience. He has apologised ( many times) describing it as unthinkable and unforgivable – which many of you seem to prove.

    It is remarkable that he is 80 given how close to death he came. He still owes his fellow addicts gratitude for pulling him back on stage in 1973.

    I think “I Still Do” is a lovely album – 2015.

    • I agree with everything you say other than I can’t think of a single yacht rock track, if that is supposed to be a West Coast/smooth lite jazz flavoured thing. He went very Tulsa vibe for a bit but by the 80s (where he suffered from the same awful sounds as more or less everyone) he was very bluesy you the Nathan East et al band is my least favourite. Then he did the live acoustic album and then From The Cradle and rediscovered his mojo. Journeyman is a solid album.

      He makes mistakes – his Christmas album is terrible!

  16. Eric’s solo on this old chestnut it a beauty, dripping with emotion and leaves the widdle fest by Squiggle in the dust. I do find these events silly though, all those drummers and acoustic guitarists with their meaningful looks on their faces despite being completely inaudible. And bloody Ray Cooper.

  18. Read today that another 80 year old guitar hero is in the wars…Richie Blackmore has suffered a heart attack and had six stents fitted….also suffering from gout and severe arthritis apparently.

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