Eric Clapton - Crossroads Guitar Festival [DVD] [2004]

Just brilliant!

There's lots of stuff (even though there are sad omissions, like Jeff Beck), and lots of styles, although blues is obviously the common link...

There's lots of interesting and amazing playing throughout, and even Clapton seems to play with a little more fire than usual...

It was a pity the old bluesmen get so little time, but I enjoyed the whole thing a lot and even those guitarists I didn't know about... made some fine discoveries too, of course...

At some point halfway through watching it, I felt Lynyrd Skynyrd would have fitted the bill just perfect, and I wished they had played there... guitar power they don't lack, that's for sure... and Rossington, Thomasson and Medlocke are all brilliant...

But anyway, even though one wishes it was a 3 DVD set, there's plenty to get one's teeth into...

First off, the bluesmen (Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Vaughan, BB King, Buddy Guy) all put on a beautiful performance and it is very clear they are enjoying themselves, which adds to one's own enjoyment...

Then it's country time!
Watching Dan Tyminski and Ron Block play "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" was pure joy... I loved their guitar styilings and they just sound wonderful.... plus, it's such a great tune... they also play "Road To Nash Vegas", an instrumental where they get to show off their interplay...

Somebody I had never heard of is Vince Gill, but his country songs, and especially the solo on "Oklahoma Borderline" left me in awe...

A nice addition is James Taylor... he gets to play some blues side by side with Joe Walsh, who just can't stop being the goof he's always been and who puts some of the best performances on the DVD, "Funk 49" and "Rocky Mountain Way"... Walsh is always great to see live...

John Mayer was another unknown for me... he's very young but classy and passionate... I enjoyed his performance...

There was also Steve Vai and his band who just floor anyone with their performance... one song is enough to blow you away... intense!

There were lots more great performances: J.J. Cale, Larry Carlton, John McLaughlin...

Highlights for me were the bluesmen... Clapton's own performances and his collaboration with Santana on a scorching "Jingo"... Tyminski & Block... Vince Gill... plus Joe Walsh... Vai... McLaughlin... and an Indian player called Vishwa Mohan Batt, who plays a veena that he built himself out of a guitar.....

Clapton's band puts the finishing touches to the show..... or so it seems because after him, comes one of the absolute best moments in the DVD, when the lights dim and a voice comes out of the speakers: "Señores y señoritas.... it's fiesta time!"

Of course, it's that "little old band from Texas", ZZ TOP!

It's such a damn shame they get so little time in the DVD, because their performance is hugely enjoyable and you can see the big Dallas crowd having fun with the band...

Yes, it should have been a 3 DVD set!

Oh and by the way, the whole DVD is magical.