By: David Schultz


Although a double bill, Beck essentially acted as the opener and featured guest for Clapton’s headlining set. He’s had modest successes with “Beck’s Bolero” and “People Get Ready,” Beck remains primarily an acquired taste; many more people know of and respect him than have spent considerable time listening to him. His forty-five minute opening set gave a quick glimpse into his virtuosic predilections, utilizing a string orchestra to give proper texture to his classical minded arrangements. Much of what Beck does, going from opera to the Beatles, is daunting enough to even attempt, even more impressive that Beck thinks it’s business as usual.

As if inspired by his stint last March with the Allman Brothers Band, Clapton’s portion of the show relied more on blues standards and back catalog selections than classic rock radio fodder. Beginning with an acoustic set that featured measured and by now commonplace recitations of “Driftin’” and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out,” Clapton nodded towards his newfound status as adman finishing a fine rendition of “I’ve Got A Rock N’ Roll Heart” without being interrupted by Buddy Guy’s need to chat. Clapton’s arrangements didn’t venture far from their traditional framework, although “Key To The Highway” borrowed heavily from Jethro Tull’s “Someday The Sun Won’t Shine For You.” Clapton’s take on J.J. Cale’s “Cocaine” and Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff” provided the night’s most well-known moments and got the biggest reaction. It’s still puzzling that despite all the furor raised over Ice-T and Body Count’s “Cop Killer,” “I Shot The Sheriff” is still considered acceptable fare.

Much like Clapton’s shows with Steve Winwood, Clapton had no qualms about sliding into a complementary role, letting Beck take many of the leads over the last third of the show with Beck. Disappointingly, no guitar duels erupted nor were there of any memorable histrionics you might expect when two of the best guitarists in the world get together. Instead, the night went the other way, the two bizarrely nestling an unexpected version of “Moon River” amidst their heavy take on blues sounds they helped create forty years past. By underplaying the moment, the two effectively dispelled all of the mythic aspects of their pairing, depriving a fine performance of the defining jawdropping moment everyone seemed to want. It might have been the only way that these two could have left anyone feeling unsatisfied.

Labels: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck

By: David Schultz

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton

By: David Schultz

The Eighties proved to be an awkward era. Not only did it give us the Safety dance, purple rain, luftballons, the moonwalk, Wang Chung and Terence Trent D’Arby, it’s the decade that gave us the phrase “Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto.” In addition to cringeworthy fashion statements like suits with pastel-colored T-shirts and teased, feathered hair for both men and women, the Eighties brought us into the computer age. In the arcades, we played Pac-Man and Missile Command and at home, we slowly converted our record collections to compact disc.

The emergence of MTV, which stressed an artist’s appearance as much as their talent, the widespread incorporation of synthesized and computer generated music and the initial growth of rap drove many established and iconic acts from the Sixties and Seventies into an identity crisis as they tried to keep up with the changing times. The Eighties may have served as the birthing ground for U2, R.E.M. and The Replacements but it also marked the time that the careers of many artists from the Woodstock generation went into a tailspin.

Since Oliver Stone has decided to bring Gordon Gekko, the decade’s archetype of amoral greed, into the modern day with Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, it’s probably not a bad time to look back at the Eighties and see how it nearly dimmed some of the rock era’s brightest lights.

ERIC CLAPTON
By the Eighties, Clapton’s storied reputation as a blues-rock demigod had started to diminish as he battled drug and alcohol addiction. Where Slow Hand once dallied in the studio with the likes of Duane Allman, Steve Winwood and George Harrison, the Eighties saw him palling around with Phil Collins and releasing slickly produced albums like Behind The Sun and August. At his 80s nadir, Clapton found himself in heavy rotation on MTV with “It’s In The Way That You Use It,” his tie-in with The Color Of Money, and in Michelob commercials with his re-recorded version of “After Midnight.” Capitalizing on everyone’s need to replace their LPs with CDs, many artists had their greatest hits combined into comprehensive multi-disc box sets. Clapton’s Crossroads, which covered all aspects of his career, created the blueprint for such collections and reawakened interest in the master bluesman. Trading in the T-shirt and jeans that had become his stage wear in favor of dapper suits, Clapton stopped dabbling in 80s-style superficial blues-rock and once again found his muse.

GRATEFUL DEAD
Defying all logic, the Grateful Dead had a run of success on MTV. In 1987, The venerable jamband titans released In The Dark, easily their most accessible album and, in line with the times, made . . . shudder . . . a music video for its lead single “Touch Of Grey.” In between Peter Gabriel and Dire Straits videos, the shaggy manes of Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir played interchangeably with animatronic skeletons while Deadheads watched on with bemused horror. In line with the chorus of “Touch Of Grey,” the Dead survived the Eighties by persevering and simply outlasting the nonsense until it came full circle. Whatever fair-weather fans they attracted through their MTV exposure quickly fell to the wayside as the Dead remained on the road, paving the way for the modern jamband scene to flourish. Always a mighty live draw, the Dead toured regularly up until Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. By that point, the brain cells in which Deadheads stored their memories of the Dead’s brief 80s flirtation with mainstream popularity had long been killed.

LOU REED
With classics like “Walk On The Wild Side” and “Street Hassle” a distant memory, the former leader of the Velvet Underground spent most of the Eighties churning out albums like Legendary Hearts and Mistrial, filled with formulaic, barely inspired three chord rock songs. Never the most harmonious singer, Reed got in into his head that he should be acknowledged as one of the originators of the burgeoning rap scene, insinuating as much on “The Original Wrapper.” At the end of the decade, Reed turned his razor-sharp intellect on two subjects on which no one would doubt his expertise, New York City and Andy Warhol. With the release of New York in 1989 and his collaboration the next year with John Cale on Songs For Drella, a eulogy for Warhol, their former mentor and patron, Reed found relevant topics to apply his blunt, streetwise poetry to, reemerging as one of America’s most prolific and outspoken songwriters. Like he had for the decades before, he continued to sort-of rap most of his lyrics but once Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch released “Wildside,” Reed seemed to lose all interest in drawing comparisons between himself and the world of hip hop.

GENESIS
Next to ZZ Top, there was no more unlikely MTV superstar than Phil Collins. Looking more lecherous old man than video icon, Collins worked ahead of the curve; his slick videos for “Sussudio” “Take Me Home” and “In The Air Tonight” defining the early 80s Miami Vice influenced video era. As a solo star, this was fine. However, as the de facto leader of Genesis, one of the titans of progressive rock, this influence resulted in the band that created The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway being represented by Spitting Image puppets on “Land Of Confusion” and hawking Michelob beer with “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight.” Unlike many of the other artists on this list, the Eighties didn’t almost kill Genesis, they put the band six feet under. After the unbearable We Can’t Dance, the band went dormant with Collins officially leaving in 1996, relegating them to a cult status amongst those who would flock in droves to see a reunion with Peter Gabriel. However, like all bands from the Seventies, there is always one word that generates gobs of cash: reunion. The 2007 Genesis reunion tour touched on their forgettable 80s success but wisely kept things focused on their pre-80s majesty.

DAVID BOWIE
David Bowie's descent into Eighties inanity didn’t take place during that decade – although some would be pressed to call shenanigans on “Blue Jean,” “China Doll” and his mincing prance with Mick Jagger on “Dancing In The Streets.” Rather, in 1997, Bowie engaged in the type of Wall Street chicanery that made Michael Milken the poster boy for Wall Street greed: junk bonds. Coming up with the novel idea of selling securities backed by royalties on his pre-1990 recordings, Bowie Bonds were initially greeted with optimism and an A3 rating. Coupling Bowie’s retirement from the stage with the digital revolution and its crippling effect on music sales in any medium, the lack of a sustainable interest in Bowie’s back catalog has resulted in the Bowie Bonds being continuously downgraded, reaching a level just a touch above junk bond status.

JETHRO TULL
When a band that’s made their career on English blues, sprawling progressive rock suites and flute-based epics becomes fascinated with the synthesizer, nothing good could result. In the case of Jethro Tull, nothing good did result. Instead of flirting with Bach compositions and mandolin solos from a prior century, Ian Anderson attempted to give the band a new wavish Eighties feel on albums like A, Under Wraps and their most Spinal Tappish effort, Broadsword And The Beast by including electric violins and decidedly non-rustic synthesizers. The extreme divergence from medieval acoustics and progressive rock digressions alienated all but the most loyal of fans. Tull came to its senses by the end of the decade but at that point it’s unclear if anyone was still paying attention. It surely baffled everyone when they won the inaugural Grammy for Best Hard Rock Album for the mostly acoustic Crest Of The Knave.

AEROSMITH
This is the band from the Seventies that proves to be the exception to the rule. Already in trouble at the start of the decade, the band was on the steep path to nostalgia tours and obscurity when Run DMC helped resurrect Aerosmith’s career with rock and rap music’s original mash-up, “Walk This Way.” Being associated with the groundbreaking rap trio and the emerging genre of music hardly hurt Aerosmith, nor did it do Run DMC any harm to get the rub from one of the hardest rocking bands of the previous decade. In the era before gangsta rap and Kanye West egos, a classic rock act reaching across the aisle in this fashion seemed more revolutionary than conciliatory or opportunistic. Once the singles from Permanent Vacation started to make their way into heavy rotation on MTV, Aerosmith became one of the first bands that actually was saved by the Eighties.

NEIL YOUNG
As if the success of Buffalo Springfield was an albatross hanging around his neck, Neil Young found himself a Vocoder and a synthesizer and let the world know what “Mr. Soul” would have sounded like if it had been recorded by robots. Embracing the new technology a bit too eagerly, Young released Trans, an album chock full of Eighties-style robotics and unlike anything Young had ever done before. Geffen Records, who released Trans, hated it so much, they skipped constructive criticism and sued him for making it. Young’s dabbling in computer rock was thankfully short lived but it sent him into a downward creative spiral and he spent the decade making the weakest music of his career, getting banned from MTV in the process for glibly mocking the network and its advertisers. Fortunately, the first Bush era awakened the rocker; when Young released Freedom and the incendiary “Rockin’ In The Free World,” the past decade faded blissfully into the ether and Young took his rightful spot as the flannel clad Godfather of Grunge.

THE WHO
The world’s loudest band presciently sat out the decade, saving the world from finding out what other synthesized epics Pete Townshend had in mind when he wrote “Eminence Front.” Instead, we got sappy fluff like “After The Fire” from Daltrey’s Under The Raging Moon and Townshend succumbing to the urge to rap on “Face The Face” and to the need to adapt The Iron Giant into a misfire of a concept album. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tommy, The Who reunited and embarked on the first of many, many reunion tours. Always a reliable draw, Townshend, Daltrey and, until his death in 2002, bassist John Entwistle, kept The Who’s legacy alive, waiting until the oughts to put out any new material bearing The Who’s mighty trademark. Daltrey’s voice may have lost its once-mighty power and Townshend battled tinnitus, but once they launch into “Won’t Get Fooled Again” or “Baba O’Riley,” people don’t seem to care, mainly cause Townshend remains one of the best guitarists alive.

ZZ TOP
In the Eighties, ZZ Top performed the nearly impossible task of transforming themselves from a gruff, rough-and-tumble Southern-rock trio into neo-lecherous, bearded purveyors of synthesized blues. It’s hard to begrudge them the success they found by reinventing themselves as it resuscitated their flagging career . . . but at what cost? Nowadays, when ZZ Top enters the conversation, it’s impossible to extricate the images of the three of them mysteriously appearing with a bevy of hot, leggy women to offer up the keys of their cherry red vintage Ford to some deserving soul. Beguiled by the synths, ZZ Top turned the blues into a cartoon wonderland, stripping the music’s back door man ethic of every ounce of its menace.

Happy Thanksgiving. The daily Earfuls will return after the holiday.

Labels: Aerosmith, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Genesis, Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, Lou Reed, Neil Young, The Who, ZZ Top

By: David Schultz

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced their slate of nominees for the Class of 2010. Without question it's an eclectic group of artists that consists of The Stooges, Kiss, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, Darlene Love, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Hollies, Donna Summer, ABBA, Laura Nyro, The Chantels and LL Cool J. As far as who should get the nod, I'm going to apply the Billy Bob Thornton theory and suggest that the ones who deserve entry into the Hall are the ones who we will talk about a hundred years later in 2110. Notwithstanding the Broadway revival of Mamma Mia that will surely win Tonys in the next century: LL Cool J shattered the conception that rap can't be done live or that stick deodorant leaves no traces on MTV Unplugged; The Stooges were punk rock when everyone else was basking in the Summer of Love; Donna Summer's credibility survived the Disco era she presided over as its Queen; you can forgive the pop maven era of Genesis because they practically invented progressive art-rock and that picture of Peter Gabriel dressed as flower will never disappear and Jimmy Cliff can share credit with Bob Marley for popularizing reggae outside of Jamaica. Kiss, likely deserving, but they'll accept the merchandising rights in lieu of an actual nomination.

HAVING ALREADY BROUGHT THEIR STAR power to Japan in 2009, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck will play a one off show at London's O2 Arena on February 13, 2010. Slow Hand has been dedicated to reestablishing himself in his homeland: in May of 2009, after a three year hiatus, he returned to the Royal Albert Hall, the home of his storied month long residencies, for an eleven night run. Given the excitement (and profitability) of the Clapton/Winwood shows, it's just a matter of time before this comes to America.

WITH THE REPUTATION OF FELLOW folkie John Phillips taking a Chuck Wepner style beating at the hands of his daughter, Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey restored some class to the bygone folk era with a tribute to the recently departed Mary Travers. Making a surprise appearance in Central Park as part of NY Parks Week concert that included Jose Feliciano, Carole King and Alison Krauss and Union Station, the two surviving members of Peter, Paul & Mary eulogized their friend and led a singalong of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land."

Labels: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Rock Hall of Fame

Last February, Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood rewarded people's blind faith in rock and roll with three sold out shows at Madison Square Garden. Close friends, the two have always enjoyed played together and will spend a good part of the Summer of 2009 setting tongues awag with a brief U.S. tour.

June 10: East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
June 12: Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
June 13: Washington, DC - Verizon Center
June 15: Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
June 18: St Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
June 20: Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
June 21: Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
June 23: Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
June 24: Houston, TX - Toyota Center
June 26: Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
June 27: Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Arena
June 29: Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
June 30: Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl

Labels: Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood

A couple Yardbirds of a feather will return to the nest this February when Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, two of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument, will headline a pair of shows at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Although the two each got their start in The Yardbirds, they weren't in the legendary British band at the same time. Rather, Beck replaced Clapton after the latter left the band.

Clapton has made interesting reunions a near annual event, helping reform Cream in 2005 and pairing up with former Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood in 2008. Unlike Clapton's previous efforts, he won't be letting out New York City's Madison Square Garden for the occasion so anyone wanting to see Clapton and Beck battle it out on the same stage better start brushing up on their Japanese.

Labels: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck

By: David Schultz

Nobody plays the blues as well as Eric Clapton without experiencing them. Now out in paperback, the blues legend’s autobiography provides a nice bit of insight into his life and the events that have shaped it. Clapton tells his story in an easygoing, direct manner. Anyone looking for a classic rock tell-all or a compendium on the ins-and-outs of Clapton’s music will be sorely disappointed. Given the amount of time he spends on those topics, it’s not a subject that seems to interest him. Rather, Clapton tells a briskly paced story. With the exception of his battle with alcoholism, a subject that occupies a large portion of the tale and incorporates the tragedy of his infant son Conor's death, Clapton doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on any one topic. He dedicates only a handful of pages to The Yardbirds and Cream era and even less to Blind Faith.

Depending on your level of Clapton devotion, the factual nuggets and anecdotes about the origin of the “Slow Hand” nickname, the “Clapton Is God” phenomena, the story behind “Wonderful Tonight” (it wasn’t exactly meant as a love song) and how his wedding to Pattie Boyd nearly reunited The Beatles will have varying affect. In amiably discussing his relationship with Boyd, the inspiration for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, and its effect on his relationship with George Harrison, he doesn’t guild any lilies but he also doesn’t step into the confessional and bare his soul. Despite the lack of depth, Clapton proves himself an effective storyteller, succinct, honest and to the point

With the exception of the epilogue in which he discusses the bluesmen whose music had a profound influence on his playing and his life, Clapton is about the guitarist’s life apart from his music. In fact, he hardly discusses his playing other than casual mentions that he knows he’s kind of a big deal. While he discusses his influences and mentions some details about the recording sessions, Clapton doesn’t provide a dissertation on his view of rock and roll like Bob Dylan did in Chronicles: Volume 1. Given his surprising preference for being a sideman, his reluctance to gush effusively is very much in character.

As with any classic rock icon, there’s a wide gap between the myths and legends that surround them and the actual facts. Without acknowledging too many of them, Clapton does a fine job debunking many of those wild stories simply by relating the true one. In relating his life’s story, Clapton is unflinching about his own mistakes and how they affected others. It may not be the definitive narrative on the last forty years of rock and roll but it is an extraordinarily fascinating read and make the blues Clapton has played for years that much more genuine.

Labels: Eric Clapton

By: David Schultz

From the moment Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton took the stage together this past July at Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago, Illinois, visions of a Blind Faith reunion started dancing like sugarplums in the heads of Baby Boomers everywhere. For those coming into the game a bit late, once upon a time (i.e. 1969), Clapton and Winwood partnered up with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Ric Grech to form Blind Faith, one of the first supergroups of the modern rock era. The post-Cream project burned brightly but quietly dissolved after a brief U.S. tour in support of their one self-titled album. Over the next 40 years, classic rock radio would help keep Blind Faith’s legacy alive and “Can’t Find My Way Home” and “Presence Of The Lord” would sporadically appear in various forms as part of Clapton and Winwood’s live shows.

Last week, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood headlined three shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, returning to the venue where Blind Faith made their first U.S. concert appearance on July 12, 1969. For those who fancy reunions, Winwood and Clapton faithfully played many of their old band’s songs, including a marvelous rendition of “Can’t Find My Way Home.” However, without Ginger Baker or Grech, who passed away in 1990, this wasn’t Blind Faith and neither Clapton nor Winwood seemed inclined to pass themselves off as such. To the contrary, these shows had the feel of two musicians, whose careers have crossed paths on many occasions, finding a reason to play some old songs for an appreciative audience and make a boatload of cash in the process. The dream team of Clapton and Winwood was hardly a bargain: even before the ticket scalpers . . . er, brokers got their hands on them, tickets were officially listed for as high as $254. Putting aside the debate as to whether any concert is worth such a steep price (e.g. Led Zeppelin reunion); in this case, Clapton and Winwood didn’t disappoint.

The three Madison Square Garden shows varied slightly from night to night and the fact that Clapton, Winwood, bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Ian Thomas and keyboardist Chris Stainton wore the same outfits each night might indicate that a video release of the event might be in the works. Their set list held few surprises with many of the songs from their recent Crossroads set and their performance at the 1973 Rainbow Concert finding their way onto the Garden stage. Undoubtedly, the music was solid and it’s hard to downplay the distinct thrill of seeing Winwood and Clapton join forces on songs like “Little Wing” and “Cocaine,” but in the whole their polished performance was more professional than inspired musicianship. Fortunately, when you are as accomplished as these two though, that can easily carry a show for nearly three hours.

Once the boy genius of the Spencer Davis Group, it’s easy to forget that Winwood, who turns 60 later this year, is only a couple years younger than Clapton. If you were unfamiliar with their pedigrees, the professorial looking Clapton and the slightly gaunt Winwood hardly looked like rock and roll royalty. If they didn’t dress the part, they offered subtle reminders of their significant contributions, touching upon all phases of both superstars’ lengthy careers. In addition to mining their respective solo efforts, they also delved into the songbooks of Derek & The Dominos (“Tell The Truth”), Traffic (“Glad,” “Pearly Queen”) and of course, the impetus for much of the evening’s excitement, Blind Faith.

Winwood spent nearly half the show playing the guitar. Despite considerable chops, he never challenged the mighty Slow Hand and the two traded complementary licks rather than engage in any clash of the classic rock titans. They enhanced each other’s 80s material to great effect. On “Forever Man,” Winwood filled out Clapton’s rocker, adding vocals and powerful organ fills and Clapton returned the favor on Winwood’s often overlooked track from Back In The High Life, “Split Decision,” with a couple expertly crafted guitar solos. It was when they stepped into their old roles as master purveyors of English blues, especially on Blind Faith’s “Had To Cry Today” and “Sleeping In The Ground,” that the music rose to another level. One of the night’s more inspired efforts was their cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Voodoo Child.” During an extended run through the electric blues standard, Winwood and Clapton skillfully reverted back to their roots and offered revelatory interpretations of the blues.

On the Blind Faith numbers, Ian Thomas had the thankless role of trying to reproduce Ginger Baker’s mammoth drum bursts. Given Baker’s mythic stature, it’s unlikely there’s anything Thomas could’ve done to avoid coming up on the weak side of the unfair comparisons with the usually unintelligible drummer. Likewise, Chris Stainton left the heavy lifting on the keyboards to the star of the show, waiting until Winwood was playing guitar to make his presence felt.

If there was anything close to a star turn, it took place just past the halfway point of the show. On Thursday night’s show, Clapton took the stage alone with an acoustic guitar and slipped into his Robert Johnson master bluesman mode for an understated rendition of “Kind Hearted Woman.” In contrast, Winwood’s use of the Hammond B3 on his solo take on Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind,” overwhelmed the delicateness of the song while simultaneously giving it a magisterial aura.

Clapton’s presence altered Winwood’s customary delivery of Traffic songs that have long been part of his solo shows. “Glad,” which normally seesaws between Winwood’s jaunty melody and the jazzy response from the rest of the band, turned into a more communal effort. Before it segued into a gritty cover of Buddy Holly’s “Well . . . Alright,” Clapton offered a different take on the Traffic classic giving it a bluesier feel, leaving his own indelible mark on the song. The biggest difference occurred during their encore of “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” Winwood generally needs no assistance to blow the doors off any arena when he plays the tune but in deference to his esteemed colleague shared the guitar leads. The song is so intimately ingrained into Winwood’s psyche; it marked the only time during the evening that his guitar skills reigned supreme as even Clapton couldn’t surpass Winwood on this one song. It was a fine way to end the evening but knowing what it could have been, it felt somewhat incomplete.

At the present time, there aren’t any plans for Clapton and Winwood to take this show on the road or expand the lineup to include Ginger Baker. You never know though, sometimes Blind Faith gets rewarded.

Labels: Blind Faith, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood

Eric Clapton is looking to cash in on his rock legend status. This month he is releasing both a greatest hits double disc and an autobiography. In the book, he "writes about hanging out with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, working as a guest musician with the Stones and the Beatles." Those are some heavy names to toss around. But, hey, he did it so he's got every right to relive the good old days. He even spills on his stealing Patty Boyd from George Harrison and reportedly blames it on "sibling rivalry." Sure it wasn't just booze and hormones?

Clapton is a guitar hero with few peers. That fact is on display all over the 17 track set that, along with the book, drops on October 9th. The collection - Complete Clapton - spans his entire career and includes work from his great collaborations with B.B. King and J.J. Cale. When an 18 time Grammy Winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame triple inductee puts out a greatest hits style offering you can bet there will be some cool offerings. I've railed on these types of collections before, particularly if you've been a long time fan and already have most of the tunes. But, for the younger set this sounds like a great introduction to Clapton's impressive catalog.

Labels: Eric Clapton

Claiming that he invited Steve Winwood to play at his second Crossroads Festival in Illinois because he has "unfinished business" with his one time band mate, Eric Clapton has stoked the rumor mill with hopes of a Blind Faith reunion. A true reformation will be impossible as bassist Ric Grech died in 1990, but should Ginger Baker appear, Clapton will have been instrumental in reforming yet another supergroup from the Sixties with Cream having played a series of shows in the fall of 2005.

Blind Faith's brief but memorable career began at a free concert in London in 1969; their entire catalog consisted of one self-titled album containing the classic rock staple "Can't Find My Way Home."

Labels: Blind Faith, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood

Three years after Eric Clapton organized his first Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas, Texas to benefit his Antigua based rehabilitation clinic, Slow Hand will gather some friends together for another go-around. The 2nd Crossroads festival, which will take place in Chicago, IL will include B.B. King, Robert Cray, Albert Lee, John Mayer and Jeff Beck, country stars Willie Nelson and Vince Gill as well as Clapton's former girlfriend Sheryl Crow.

We can only hope that the fact that Britney Spears spent only one day of a rehab stint at Clapton's facility isn't a motivating factor behind the benefit.

Labels: Eric Clapton

Without offering an explanation, Russian officials withdrew Eric Clapton's permit to perform an August 3 concert in Moscow's Red Square. Adjacent to the Kremlin, the Krasnaya Ploschad has served as the venue for one of 2005's Live 8 shows as well as a memorable 2003 Paul McCartney concert. Expected to play for close to 20,000 people, tickets for Clapton's show, featuring Derek Trucks, were selling for as much as $370.

Of course, banning Clapton from their country does nothing to repair Russia's image as a Godless country.

Labels: Eric Clapton

Colorblind, Robert Randolph & The Family Band's follow-up to Unclassified, their 2003 studio debut will be released on Warner Bros. Records on September 26. Randolph describes the album as a "mix of rock, R & B, country, blues, and gospel inspired by repeated listenings of albums by Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Stevie Wonder." The album features a guest appearance by Eric Clapton on "Jesus Is Just Alright." Randolph first incorporated The Byrds classic, popularized by The Doobie Brothers, into his live act about one year ago, highlighted by a Mountain Jam performance with host Warren Haynes.

The record is being produced by Mark Batson (Dave Matthews Band, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani) and Drew & Shannon (The Temptations, India.Arie, Johnny Lang, Marc Broussard), as well as top gospel producer/songwriter Tommy Sims (Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton).

Currently on tour with the Black Crowes and Drive-By Truckers, Randolph & The Family Band will join their friends in the Dave Matthews Band for a series of August dates out west. Once Colorblind drops, look for Randolph to headline a series of shows in support of the new album.

Labels: Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph, The Family Band

Eric Clapton has sat down to write a book about his career and has a bit of writers block. But, its not the usual kind that fiction writers encounter. Clapton's is a memory block.

It seems Eric may have lost a few brain cells back in his party days and can't remember some of the good old days. He's reportedly reacing out to friends and colleagues to help fill in some of the memory gaps. Clapton has even asked his ex-wife Patti "Layla" Boyd for help.

Patti says she may help to ease his worried mind.

Labels: Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton has always felt at home at London's Royal Albert Hall, often taking residence at the venue for weeks at a time. In 2005, Clapton's stay at Royal Albert lasted only 4 days, but since he was joined by Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, the historic significance of the Cream reunion made up for the relatively short stint. Shortly after the first anniversary of the power trio's reunion, Clapton will return for a seven night run spanning May 16 through May 26. The London shows will come at the beginning of a three month tour that will take "Slow Hand" to practically every European country.

Guitar enthusiasts can rejoice as Derek Trucks (Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks Band) and Doyle Bramhall II (Arc Angels) will back Clapton, challenging the legendary bluesman with their own guitar wizardry. The touring band will also include keyboardists Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon, bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Steve Jordan (Blues Brothers, Late Night Band) and the Kick Horns: Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer and Tim Sanders.

More dates, including shows in the U.S., should be announced in the future.

Labels: Derek Trucks, Eric Clapton

Last night in Los Angeles, the groundbreaking blues power trio Cream received the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. With Eric Clapton otherwise unavailable and Ginger Baker unable to make the trip from South Africa, bassist Jack Bruce accepted the honor on behalf of the legendary sixties group.

Cream commandeered headlines in 2005 with two sets of reunion shows at London's Royal Albert Hall and New York City's Madison Square Garden. Bruce announced yesterday that Cream will reunite again for a series of shows in select cities. "We will play more, but where and when I'm not at liberty to say," announced Bruce. When pressed, Bruce jokingly avoided providing further details, claiming he would "get chopped" if he said more.

Labels: Eric Clapton

By David Schultz
(photo from JackBruce.com)

Befitting a show that drank deep from the well of classic rock nostalgia, Ginger Baker closed out Cream's triumphant return to New York's Madison Square Garden with a 15 minute drum solo. That's right, the show concluded with a drum solo. Conjuring up the ghosts of the most stereotypical arena rock artifact, Baker delighted the awestruck crowd with his percussion prowess during the set closing "Toad," while band mates Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce watched from just offstage. Clapton and Bruce returned to the stage for the closing riff, but Baker surely closed one of the unlikeliest reunions in the most unexpected of fashions. To no one's surprise, the audience rewarded rock's pioneering blues-rock power trio with waves of adulation.

Regrouping its original lineup of Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, Cream sounded as fresh as they during their celebrated run in the late 60s. Without employing any gimmickry or stage tricks, Cream produced a thunderous explosion of sound that other bands today struggle to achieve on their own. Eric Clapton may have brought more star power to the current mix, but no charity work was being practiced here. Clapton easily slipped into his old role of lead guitarist while bassist Jack Bruce stepped up front handling the majority of the vocals. Though an unfamiliar sight to see Clapton figuratively sharing his stage, he asserted himself often, offering unsubtle reminders that the "Clapton is God" graffiti that adorned England's walls so long ago did not overstate the matter.

Despite the long layoff, the trio seemed quite comfortable on stage. Much more at ease than when clad in the suit and tie of the master bluesman, Clapton strode the stage in jeans and a T-shirt while Baker pushed the merchandise by wearing a snazzy new Cream concert-T. In fine voice throughout the evening, the wild-haired Bruce belted out traditional blues standards with the same fervor as Cream's classic rock radio standards. Clapton has never shied away from playing his Cream hits throughout his career, making Bruce's turns on "White Room" and "Sunshine Of Your Love," initially disorienting. However, Bruce's voice, as well as his demonic thundering bass on "Sunshine," brought a refreshed authenticity to extraordinarily familiar material. Clapton came front and center for an incendiary rendition of "Crossroads" and delivered an inspired guitar solo during "Badge." Those two songs, especially "Badge," which Clapton stretches out considerably during his solo shows, seemed criminally short given the fire power Bruce and Baker can supply.

But for the inclusion of Disraeli Gears' "Tales Of Brave Ulysses," the Garden set lists did not vary significantly from those of last May's Royal Albert Hall shows. Cream’s predilection for the blues loomed large throughout the evening and they played old favorites like Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday." The opener, "I'm So Glad," retained every bit of its bluesy psychedlia but, for sheer 60's hippieness, it paled in comparison to Ginger Baker's rendition of "Pressed Rat and Warthog." Always fun to let the drummer sing a song, especially one with goofy, stoner lyrics like this one. If the song selection didn't show the band's age, it came closer to the forefront when Clapton made no effort to hit the pseudo-falsetto verses of "White Room."

Until earlier this year, the possibility of a Cream reunion, much less one occurring in America was remote. A major roadblock to this three night October run at the Garden involved clearing up Ginger Baker's immigration issues so that he could obtain a U.S, visa. Without overstating the matter, this late October, three night run at Madison Square Garden qualifies as historic. Other than a brief set at 1993's Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction and their Royal Albert Hall run earlier this year, these are Cream's only gigs since breaking up in November of 1968. Unfortunately, the palpable excitement over a Cream reunion transformed the event into a corporate boondoggle. The majority of the seats, including the entire floor, were long gone by the time the tickets were made available to the general public. Unless you had connections with a beer distributor, real estate title company or other corporate outlet, you were not getting anywhere close to the floor. Once the ticket booths opened, the only available seats were in the upper reaches of the Garden and located behind the stage.

The knock on this show will be that Clapton, Bruce and Baker are too old and, like other classic rock dinosaurs, are raping the corpse of their musical legacy for one more gigantic payday. The astronomical ticket prices, floor seats sold at the box office for $350, provide fine grist for many a detractor's mill. To dwell on the cost of these shows is to miss the point completely, especially in light of the fact that the upper level seats were a relatively reasonable $65. Reunion shows like Cream's work because music is not a sport. Unlike athletes, musicians don't necessarily wear down with age. In fact, sometimes they get better.

Labels: Eric Clapton