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Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival


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I watched a great deal of this when it was webcast. Beck stole the show imo. The sounds he gets out of his guitar are just other-worldly.

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Looked like she could jam - Mr. Beck seemed to be enjoying her playing. And I think he is not an easy guy to please.

I watched this on PBS here tonight, with a very nice soundsystem taboot. I think my initial impression (from the webcast) was the same. JB did seem to be having a good time and Tal's bass playing was quite good. Definitely on the list for Christmas DVDs.

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  • 5 years later...

We went to see opening night of Clapton's tour lasting night and it was a solid show. Clapton has assembled a fine band these past few years, far better than the smooth 80s sheen when he used Phil Collins' band several decades ago. Having longtime Clapton sideman Chris Stainton on piano and surprisingly Paul Carrack on Hammond B3 created a rich and full classic R&B sound, there is something so nice about the way those two distinct keyboards blend together. Steve Jordan on drums and Willie Weeks on bass makes for a tight and spare rhythm section with just the right groove to give a true Southern authenticity to the blues and soul songs. Doyle Bramhall Jr. on second guitar and Greg Leisz on pedal steel and mandolin were the rest of the front line and the ladies on backing vocals helped contribute to the soulful sound.

 

Paul Carrack was really great and he took the spotlight on lead vocals for songs he’s helped make famous, Squeeze’s Tempted and the delicious slice of mid 70s radio pop, How Long by Ace (with a bonus of having the guitar solo played by EC!). That guy can rip a Hammond solo as well, I had no idea he was that good on the keyboard.

 

Highlights for me were a ripping version of Tell The Truth with Bramhall on slide guitar (and Leisz on pedal steel behind him) that had the band riding the groove hard, one of my Derek and the Dominos faves Got To Get Better In A Little While and the show closing Joe Cocker cover, High Time We Went with Carrack on lead vocals again complete with a classic false ending and another go-around on the chorus. Clapton showed he’s a master not just of electric guitar but also acoustic guitar and blues singing on the acoustic Delta blues of Driftin’ Blues and Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out and later showed his utter mastery of electric Chicago blues (ironically) in the Robert Johnson section, particularly on Little Queen of Spades that had me proclaiming “And THAT is why they say Clapton is God!” Bramhall did a fine job, taking some nice finger-picked solos and slide runs, but it was a hard to not compare his playing to Derek Trucks, who I’d just seen absolutely tear it up a few nights earlier with the Allman Brothers Band and find Bramhall’s to come up a little short of the staggering brilliance of Trucks. Still, hearing Layla with this band was a true pleasure, especially Stainton’s beautiful piano playing on the second half.

 

There are a ton of songs I’d have loved to hear (half of the Layla album seems like essential Clapton to me) but I knew that wasn’t gonna happen and I was more than satisfied with the performance and the setlist for what will probably be my last time seeing Clapton play live. I’m so glad I went, even if it was in an awful arena with a lethargic and sedate Phoenix audience (again a stark comparison to being in the Beacon Theater with an enthused New York crowd just a few nights earlier).

 

 

Hello Old Friend

My Father's Eyes

Tell the Truth

(Derek and the Dominos song)

Gotta Get Over

Black Cat Bone

(Albert Collins cover)

Got to Get Better in a Little While

(Derek and the Dominos song)

Tempted

(Squeeze cover) (Paul Carrack on Lead Vocals)

I Shot the Sheriff

(Bob Marley & The Wailers cover)

Driftin' Blues

(Johnny Moore's Three Blazers cover)

Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out

(Jimmy Cox cover)

Tears in Heaven

Goodnight, Irene

(Lead Belly cover)

Wonderful Tonight

How Long

(Ace cover) (Paul Carrack on Lead Vocals)

Stones in My Passway

(Robert Johnson cover)

Love in Vain

(Robert Johnson cover)

Crossroads

(Robert Johnson cover)

Little Queen of Spades

(Robert Johnson cover)

Layla

(Derek and the Dominos song)

Cocaine

(J.J. Cale cover)

Encore:

Sunshine of Your Love

(Cream song)

High Time We Went

(Joe Cocker cover) (Paul Carrack on Lead Vocals)

 

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Technically proficient he may be, but I've always considered Clapton overrated, too sterile and, worse, boring.

His songs, other than a couple of Cream tunes, have always been uninspired generic faux blues. To be honest though, I've always loathed the whole white boy blues hero thing. It's all just so...similar.

Not that the originals (R. Johnson, Son House, C. Patton, etc) deviated much from the form, but at least it was authentic. I'll take that any day.

 

This is all just my opinion, btw. Not trying to piss anyone off. To each their own, y'know?

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Technically proficient he may be, but I've always considered Clapton overrated, too sterile and, worse, boring.

His songs, other than a couple of Cream tunes, have always been uninspired generic faux blues... 

Not that the originals (R. Johnson, Son House, C. Patton, etc) deviated much from the form, but at least it was authentic. I'll take that any day.

This sums up my feelings quite nicely. It's too bad, because Clapton himself seems like a genuinely nice guy, and I actually like some of his more well-known popular songs. I even kinda like Lay Down Sally! But when he tries to be Buddy Guy, he just comes across like a poser. He's done a lot of good (his rehab, getting people like Buddy more publicity, etc., etc.), but I just don't rate him in the pantheon of guitar heroes like so many people do.

That being said, looks like a pretty solid set list...he's done worse sets in the past, that's for sure.

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Technically proficient he may be, but I've always considered Clapton overrated, too sterile and, worse, boring.

His songs, other than a couple of Cream tunes, have always been uninspired generic faux blues. To be honest though, I've always loathed the whole white boy blues hero thing. It's all just so...similar.

Not that the originals (R. Johnson, Son House, C. Patton, etc) deviated much from the form, but at least it was authentic. I'll take that any day.

 

This is all just my opinion, btw. Not trying to piss anyone off. To each their own, y'know?

+2. I will add that I enjoy some stuff from Derek+Dominos in addition to Cream but most solo work is a bit anemix to my ears. I kinda blame the strat (as sacrilege as that sounds). Should've stuck to the Gibsons.

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Clapton has released a lot of shitty material.  Especially in the 80s and 90s, but he belongs in the all-time pantheon.  His moves from Yardbirds to Cream to rootsy blues in the 70s helped shape a lot of the music that followed.  He is brilliant technically and is capable of playing with as much emotion as anyone.

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EC was my all-time favorite artist for a while when I was a kid. Not that big a fan, now.

Nonetheless, I cannot deny the greatness of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. It's a straight-up classic and damn-near perfect record.

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+2. I will add that I enjoy some stuff from Derek+Dominos in addition to Cream but most solo work is a bit anemix to my ears. I kinda blame the strat (as sacrilege as that sounds). Should've stuck to the Gibsons.

I blame the Strat, too, to some extent.  Clapton's work pre-Strat is mostly good stuff.   The Strat has a way of sounding kind of thin and crappy, and they aren't very good blues-rock guitars unless you beef up the sound with effects, or you're a genius liike Hendrix, Richard Thompson, or Jeff Beck.   They sure feel good to play, though.

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No doubt EC's put out some very "blah" songs/albums in his career.  But I am equally of no doubt that Layla is one of the greatest albums put out by any artist (or collection of artists) at any time in any genre.  I don't think it's damn near perfect, I think it is perfect!  To this day, I still find Clapton's guitar playing brilliant.  Not just technically proficient, but emotional.  He's one of the few who make the guitar speak and sing.    

 

I don't see him live that often.  The last time I saw him on stage was when he played with the Allman Brothers for the first time ever at the Beacon on 3-19-09 during the Duane tribute run.  And they ripped on all those Layla tunes.  One of the top concert moments of my life. (I've got a very good dvd of that set).  Prior to that, I last saw him when he was touring with Derek Trucks in his band.  Another night that dropped my jaw.

 

So I'm looking forward to Crossroads.  Hope to get another chance to hear Clapton play with the Allmans, and catch a number of guitar players that I'm looking forward to hearing.

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I understand the comments about Clapton's many weak albums in his later years, that he can be boring/too smooth/lacking aggressive playing at times and I feel similar to those who bemoan his switch from fat-sounding Gibsons to thin Fenders, but the whole notion of him not being an authentic blues player I find ridiculous. The man has spent his entire life absorbing, learning, and virtually worshipping the original blues masters with Robert Johnson at the top of the list. Clapton has talked a lot about his reluctance to play the blues because he somehow feels inadequate to live up to the originals that he has a lifelong dedicated passion for, but that is just his own insecurity/humility. In my view, music is a medium to convey emotion and being good at it has nothing to do with ethnicity or who did a certain style first. When Clapton plays the blues, it is clearly as a loving tribute, even if he is reluctant to do so. Of course, each person's emotional response (or non-response) is valid and their own, but for me he is just as much a master of the blues and blues-based rock as anybody ever. If the only things he'd done was Cream and Derek, he'd belong in the rock 'n' roll hall of fame. Here's a few examples of what he's capable of.

 

Someday After Awhile 1994 (note the nice sounding Gibson)

 

Further On Up The Road with The Band - the Last Waltz

 

Don't Think Twice Its Alright - a staggeringly brilliant guitar solo

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/ximopq_dylan-s-30th-eric-clapton-don-t-think-twice-it-s-all-right_music#.UUc80Tej6C4

 

The Core 1978 -after the vocals are over about 6 minutes in, blazing away on a Strat

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Very stoked to be seeing him live in a few weeks in Charlotte.  One of my lifelong musical hero's, and one of the few original rock/blues guitar greats still living.. (despite some of the negative comments I have read in this thread which have left me completely astonished)

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