Clapton [CD]

Eric's new album "Clapton" is a rather unlikely mix of old blues songs, original modern songs and standards from the 30s/40s. The record features old pals like J.J. Cale, drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Willie Weeks, guitarists Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall (who also produces), with keyboard player Walter Richmond being outstanding throughout. Don't expect any guitar pyrotechnics from Clapton, as with most of his recent records this is very much a band record, where he often leaves solos to Trucks, Bramhall or others but the solos he does play are typically tasteful and succinct. As someone who first came to Clapton with the Yardbirds I love to hear him playing with harp players, and there are few better than Kim Wilson, I liked all the blues tracks here but then again we know Eric can do blues. However, I was worried when I heard the album also featured standards but by-and-large I thought the standards worked OK, with a couple being really nice - although I did think that Eric's voice struggled on a few of them. I was less keen on the modern songs, which in the main seemed fairly ordinary to me.

Overall the album is quite a pleasing mixture - rather than going down the route of a whole album of standards (a la Rod Stewart) Eric leavens the mix by including the blues and modern tracks. In particular I thought that the more jazzy tracks worked very well and that is an area I'd like to see him pursuing more in future, with his guitar working along with the horns.

Blues - The album opens with Lil' Son Jackson's `Travelin' Alone' a typical laid-back Clapton blues, we also get the old Snooky Prior song `Judgement Day' featuring doo-wop backing vocals and rather restrained blues harp from Kim Wilson. Kim makes up for this with dirty electric harp on a very authentic sounding version of Little Walter's `Can't Hold Out Much Longer', which even features a brief blues guitar solo from Eric. `That's No Way to Get Along' by Robert Wilkins sounds like the Stones `Prodigal son', with Clapton and Cale swapping vocals but leaving the guitar solos to Doyle Bramhall. The final blues Lane Hardin's `Hard Time Blues' is like an outtake from `Eric Clapton Unplugged', a great semi-acoustic loping blues with mandolin and a lovely slide guitar solo.

Standards - The standards start with a nice relaxed reading of Hoagy Carmichael's `Rocking chair', with a great, lyrical Derek Trucks slide guitar solo and the whole thing sounding positively modern. `How Deep Is The Ocean' by Irving Berlin and `My Very Good Friend The Milkman' are done very sensitively but for me don't really go anywhere, apart from Wynton Marsalis's beautiful trumpet and (Sir?) Alan Toussaint's piano. I did particularly like Fats Waller's `When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful' with its Dixieland jazz sound, again featuring Wynton Marsalis on trumpet. Finally Johnny Mercer's `Autumn Leaves' is done very traditionally with an orchestra and surprisingly a subtle restrained blues guitar solo that fits in very well.

Modern songs - I wasn't so keen on the J.J. Cale songs `River Runs Deep' and `Everything Will Be Alright' which were very tasteful and typically laid-back but which we seem to have heard many times before. Doyle Bramhall's ballad `Diamonds Made From Rain' where Clapton is joined by Sheryl Crow on backup vocals, is the most modern sounding song and will apparently be the single. The rocking `Run Back To Your Side' by Clapton and Bramhall is like something from one of Clapton's Tulsa-inspired 70's releases, complete with backing singers and all three guitarists adding licks.

Why does he keep doing this? Eric Clapton remains among the best guitar players on the planet when he wants to be, but he's also among the laziest. This album is a well-made collection of largely old standards. Nothing wrong with that, but there's no attempt here by Clapton to put his own stamp on them or create something of interest by actually using his guitar. And I don't just mean endless solos Santana-style, but rather using the guitar to arrange an original or diverting take on it all, turn the listener's head once in a while. He just kinda runs through each song, I suspect more or less as it is on the original 78. All the effort seems to have gone into the horn (and trumpet!) arrangements. It's frustrating that live, these songs will probably inspire a lot of fiery playing. It also seems to me that his voice - for long one of the strongest and most under-rated in rock - isn't quite what it was in places. I love the guy, and I'll always buy what he puts out, but it's increasingly disappointing that his albums these days are so deliberately and defiantly pipe and slippers. Get his recent live CD/DVD with Steve Winwood if you want to find out what he can sound like when he has to make an effort.

Being a BIG clapton fan I brought this album the day it came out and it is what one expects from 'studio' eric clapton. The album is very bluesy, very laid back and very easy listening. It is the best album since 'ridding with the king.' Great songs, great grooves with a large number of the songs sounding like his 70's studio albums such as 'ocean balavard' 'every crowd','no reason to cry' which is great.

The album has been playing in my cd player non stop for the last five hours, and it is growing on me. There is even some big band jazz songs going on which works really well. A vast improvment on on his last few albums, and thhis one will probably become an eric clapton classic.

However, i enjoy clapton because of his guitar playing, which as on most 'studio' albums he never 'lets rip on guitar' but i expected that and as on all 'studio' albums they never do his guitar playing skills justice, which is a shame and as much as i like doyal bramhall's guitar playing, and i have some of his cd's, I buy an eric clapton album to listen to eric clapton play guitar and not his backing guitar players taking the solos (as good as they may be).

to conclude: a good album, better then his last works. very bluesy, very laid back and very 70's sounding eric clapton. this album has put a smile on my face all day.