Slowhand at 75

Eric Clapton turned 75 this week [March 30^th].  It seems like he’s been in the music game forever.  Since he made his first record with the Yardbirds in 1963, for somebody my age it has been forever.  He made his fearsome God-like reputation by the age of 25, and he had all the music from since the days of John Mayall, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek & the Dominos behind him.  Then he fell in love with another man’s wife, fell into a heroin habit and dropped out of sight.  Pete Townshend getting him to play a concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre really was an act of altruism.  That one act alone didn’t awaken EC from his drug-induced fog, but it was a first step.  This week Guitar World magazine did an article on what they thought were the best things he’s done under his own name.  As musically-opinionated as I am, I think half their list is wrong. 

Comin' Home [Delaney & Bonnie w/ Eric Clapton, 1970] – Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett were the opening act for Blind Faith’s only tour of the US.  EC tired of the star trip in Blind Faith and sought anonymity while playing with Delaney & Bonnie.  Even George Harrison went on the road with them in Europe after Abbey Road was finished.  This song was the beginning of EC’s recorded collaboration with the duo.  Good stuff.

Easy Now [Eric Clapton, 1970] – Long before he Unplugged in 1991, EC played this acoustic gem from his solo debut.

Let It Rain [Eric Clapton, 1970] – The solo debut featured players who would become the “Dominos” to EC’s Derek.  This is a song from EC’s solo debut that I will never tire of hearing, unlike Layla or I Shot the Sheriff.  A true story – the first time I saw EC at Red Rocks in 1983, he sang this song an it immediately started raining. He really is God… 😊 By the way, that’s Stephen Stills playing the solo.  EC would later return the favor on Stills’ eponymous debut.

Motherless Children [461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974] – After lying low for three years with a heroin habit, 461 Ocean Boulevard is Slowhand’s comeback record – and it’s a pretty good one.  I overlook I Shot the Sheriff because it’s one of those songs I can go the rest of my life without ever hearing again, and I’d be ok with it.  Motherless Children is a traditional blues that comes storming out of the gate to begin 461 Ocean Boulevard.  It’s a great concert opening number, too [as I saw and heard for myself in 1985 at Red Rocks].  EC is no Duane Allman on electric slide, but he’s good enough here.

Let It Grow [461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974] – This is a love song for the ex-Mrs. George Harrison.  Once you get past the mushy “love is lovely” bit, there’s some fine playing here.  EC plays a very tasty dobro solo.

Steady Rolling Man [461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974] – Look! A Robert Johnson song!  And a very well-done version of a Robert Johnson song to boot.

Mainline Florida [461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974] – Clapton’s second guitarist George Terry wrote this one.  Sometimes it’s best to save your best song for last to have your public wanting more.  This song fits that description.  Check out EC on the talk box.

Better Make It Through Today [There’s One in Every Crowd, 1975] – This song is about as laid back as Clapton could get without being boring.  That said, organist Dick Sims plays a wonderful Hammond B-3 solo.  It’s all about the song and the spirit, and Sims brings it home.

I Found a Love [There’s One in Every Crowd outtake, 1975] – I first heard this on the Clapton boxset Crossroads [1988].  This has more energy than all the songs from There’s One in Every Crowd put together.  That’s probably why it wasn’t included on that album – it would have stuck out too much.

County Jail Blues [No Reason to Cry, 1976] – In 1968, EC heard The Band’s Music from Big Pink, and according to him it changed his life.  He wanted to quit Cream and join The Band.  The problem was The Band already had a pretty hot guitarist [and a better songwriter] named Robbie Robertson.  In 1976, The Band joined him to make No Reason to Cry.  Ron Wood joins the fun with a nasty acoustic slide.  Richard Manuel’s piano adds the right touch; gives the song a more bluesy edge. EC doesn’t sound too bad, either. It’s a fine song on an otherwise forgettable album.

The Core [Slowhand, 1977] – Slowhand’s post-Layla output was usually very laid back.  This song is an exception.  Instead of another guitarist, EC duels with saxophonist Mel Collins.  Twice during this eight-minute workout [3:53-4:46 and 7:29-8:45, if you’re curious] EC reminds us there’s a guitar hero hiding in plain sight.

Mean Old Frisco [Slowhand, 1977] - EC demonstrates he’s a pretty decent acoustic slide player.

After Midnight [Just One Night (live), 1980] – EC has recorded this JJ Cale number three times – once for his solo debut, another time for a beer commercial.  This one recorded live at Tokyo’s Budokan absolutely smokes.

Double Trouble [Just One Night (live), 1980] – This one is a fine Otis Rush blues originally released on No Reason to Cry.  There’s loud and there’s very quiet, thanks to the polite, reserved Tokyo audience.  At times it’s so quiet you can hear Slowhand gently picking Blackie during the solo.  The studio version is good – this version is better.

Cocaine [Just One Night (live), 1980] – This one borders on having been heard too much.  This version from the Budokan is twice the length of its studio counterpart. Both EC and Albert Lee get the chance to stretch out.

Everybody Oughta Make A Change [Money & Cigarettes, 1983] – This blues from Sleepy John Estes sees Slowhand playing with Ry Cooder on slide guitar.  It seems EC doesn’t really push his playing unless somebody like Duane Allman is pushing him.  Since Duane was dead for 12 years by the time this was made, Ry Cooder was a suitable substitute.

The Shape You’re In [Money & Cigarettes, 1983] – Instead of Ry Cooder pushing him, Albert Lee does the honors on this one.  Newly sober, EC had written this as a warning to his wife Pattie, who was a bit of a wino herself then.

Forever Man [Behind the Sun, 1985] – This one is a sentimental favorite.  This was written by professional songwriter Jerry Williams.  The production screams “1980s”, but it has one standout feature; Clapton’s Black Stratocaster “Blackie” had not screamed like this since the Layla era.  When fist hearing this I thought “Eric, where have you been all these years?”

Before You Accuse Me (Take A Look At Yourself) [Version 1] [Blues – 1999] – Eleven years before he released this song on Journeyman, EC recorded two versions [electric and acoustic] for his 1978 album Backless [or as I like to call it, Spineless].  This song is better than anything you’ll find on Backless.  It’s better than the version from Journeyman, too.

Five Long Years [From the Cradle, 1994] – Clapton always claimed to be a blues guitarist.  He always kept one foot in the blues by including at least [at most, usually] one blues song on every album he made.  In 1994 he finally jumped in the deep end and finally mad an album of nothing but the blues.  From the Cradle was recorded live on the floor, but it suffers from one thing – Clapton’s singing.  Some white men [Gregg Allman comes to mind] can sing the blues and convince you he’s living them.  Eric Clapton, English white guy, is not one of them.  That being said, the playing is superb. 

It Hurts Me Too [From the Cradle, 1994] – See my comments for Five Long Years.

Riding With the King (w/ BB King) [Riding With the King, 2000] – There’s no pretense at playing the blues here – just Eric Clapton and BB King getting together on a John Hiatt song and having a great time.  I love it.

If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day [Sessions for Robert J, 2004] – EC actually made two albums dedicated to Robert Johnson – Me and Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J. [both 2004].  Like From the Cradle, these were recorded live.  But this version was caught during a rehearsal for one of EC’s Crossroads guitar festivals.  Bassist Nathan East is caught saying “this sounds better than the record.”  Indeed.

Milkcow's Calf Blues [Sessions for Robert J, 2004] – see my comments on If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day.

I will end my list here.  Slowhand has had some good moments.  Unfortunately for those of us who love his playing, he has nothing to prove.  It’s as if he’s been sleepwalking in Adult Contemporary Hell since he quit heroin.  Most of this list sounded almost too laid back at the time those songs first appeared.  Now, compared to his output since he “unplugged” [he emasculated Layla! - unforgivable], this output between 1974-83 is golden.  He was a drunk then, but his music was better.  Sometimes I miss the old Slowhand.

A post-script – there are two sessions EC did with other people that are just as godly as what he did with Cream and Derek & the Dominos.  One session is well-known – the other is not.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps [The Beatles, 1968] – This is a no-brainer.  Slowhand’s solo is nothing if not iconic.  One never heard soling like this on a Beatles record.  John and/or Paul usually gave George two bars to make a short musical statement, then get out so the singing would resume.  But since this was George’s song, he wanted the other Beatles to take it seriously [they hadn’t, yet].  He didn’t mind having a better guitar player on his song.  Whatever was good for the song was good for George.  Once George brought Slowhand to the studio, everyone was on their best behavior and this song got the attention that it deserved.

Go Back Home [Stephen Stills, 1970] – Stephen Stills’ eponymous album debut has the distinction of being the only studio album [not a compilation] to feature the playing of both Jimi Hendrix [Old Times Good Times] and Eric Clapton [Go Back Home].  Legend has it that Slowhand was warming up while listening to a playback of the song so he could become familiar with the piece before recording.  Unbeknownst to Slowhand, Stills recorded the practice run-through, and when it was over, he said to Clapton “we got it”.  Clapton thought he could do better, but having listened to the final product, Stills’ instinct was the right one. Ordinarily I would say that, nine and a half times out of ten, Hendrix would blow Clapton’s doors off.  But given what Clapton played for Go Back Home and what Hendrix played for Old Times Good Times, I can make the apples-to-apples comparison and I declare Clapton the winner, just this once.

2 Nights with the Allman Brothers Band – Between 1992 and 2014, March meant only one thing to Allman Brothers Band fans – their annual homestand at their home away from home, New York’s Beacon Theatre.  The band usually had guests sit in with them.  In 2009, they dedicated their Beacon run to Duane Allman and their 40^th anniversary as a band.  The band wrote a letter to EC, and Derek Trucks delivered it.  It was simple – “We’re the Allman Brothers Band.  We’re celebrating the legacy of Duane Allman – please come.”  On March 19 & 20, EC joined the Allman Brothers Band.  The songs they played over the two nights included: Key to the Highway/Dreams/Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad/Little Wing/Anyday/Stormy Monday/In Memory of Elizabeth Reed/Layla.  I have both nights – they were beyond great.  When it was all over, EC was heard to whisper to Derek Trucks that he hadn’t played like that since 1969.

Now I’ll leave with a taste of Eric Clapton at his best. This is a clip of him playing a Derek & the Dominos song that didn’t see an official release in completed for until 2010 – Got to Get Better in a Little While