The Eric Clapton album by album thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DoF, Dec 11, 2016.

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  1. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    I wanted to like this album more than I do. While certainly superior to the Slowhand At 70 live release, it seems a bit uneven. The inclusion of a number of "Layla" album cuts with Bramhall and Trucks assisting with guitar duties is a selling point, but I think EC does a better job tackling the Layla era back in 1970 on the 1972 "In Concert" album (and subsequent Live At The Fillmore collection). I don't think EC has produced a 5-star live album, so this is another one in the batch where there are some inspired moments and some others that don't quite reach the mark.
     
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  2. John Fell

    John Fell Forum Survivor

    Location:
    Undisclosed
    The J.J. Cale cuts in the middle seem to slow the momentum of the album a bit.
     
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  3. kollektionist

    kollektionist Forum Resident

    Location:
    EU
    Yet another live album ? More JJ Cale ? I've just had enough !
    All in all this one isn't too bad but my interest is only minimal in another live album.
     
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  4. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I never understood what was so great about JJ Cale. Boogie rock. No biggie, EC loooves him.
     
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  5. snepts

    snepts Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    This is a very silly comment, but I've always wished EC had used the No Reason To Cry title for the cover of There's One in Every Crowd.
    That hound looks blue and lonesome to me. Aw, poor pooch -- no reason to cry !
    Then Clapton could have called the next record Hello Old Friend or Hungry or Sign Language or Carnival or whatever else.
    And There's ... Crowd is a nice enough title. Maybe it could have been used for a live album, (EC Was Here?).

    My point is EC seemed kind of adrift at the time, and these random album titles weren't helping.
    And I really like not-commercial Clapton. I just wish at the time the release of a new EC album would not have seemed like such a casual, random affair.
    I'm not a big fan of the album Slowhand, but at least it looks like it's making a statement, and shows you can sell a product with a little thought and effort. (More on that later -- maybe.)
     
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  6. Mainline461

    Mainline461 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tamiami Trail
    Interesting, your take on the titles, makes sense. As far as the casual, random affair; The release "buzz" seemed to correspond to the amount of promotion each album got. I remember 461 getting serious promotion, and the next three (Crowd, EC & NRTC) getting zilch, or almost nothing here in the US. Then came Slowhand where they seemed to crank up the PR again. Then major PR seemed to calm again until Journeyman or right around that time. I lived in the DC area at the time, your mileage may vary.

    EDIT- The PR I'm referring to is radio promotion, where there actually have an ad for an individual album.
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2017
  7. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident

    I notice they just released Slowhand on white vinyl and Disraeli Gears on red vinyl (surely pink would be the better choice?) for the HMV/Fathers day promotion in the UK.

    Now as a Clapton fan and also a fan of coloured vinyl (yes, i know black is best but only once have i had a poor coloured pressing,) i would've been interested but £21 each is a cash grab too far. £13/14 and the maybe (my local sainsburys has several copies of Bowies Hunky Dory on gold vinyl for £14 so why £7 more for these pressings???)

    Just a comment on the latest promotion. Nothing else really.
     
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  8. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident

    Definitely adrift, different times for sure. I could see those albums titles being changed around for sure.
     
  9. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident

    I've never heard any radio ad's for the Clapton albums. I've been listening to the other thread where they post clips of 70's US radio shows and you hear the odd album slot. Would love to hear some old Clapton radio ads. If anyone knows where they can be found???? Always interested.
     
  10. goodboyfred

    goodboyfred Forum Resident

    With the passing of Gregg Allman it might be nice to hear some comments on Eric playing with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theater on 3/19 & 3/20 2009. I own both shows and prefer Clapton on the 3/20 date though both are worth owning. Key To The Highway began both sets and were played very well each show. Dreams was played each night with Eric playing very different solos. On the 19th Eric seems to drop his pick at one point but does not miss a beat using his fingers the rest of the solo. The Dreams 20th version has Eric stretching out a bit with some Cream like playing towards the end of his solo. Stormy Monday was only played on the 20th and was a tour de force for all three guitarist. Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad and Little Wing were done both nights and solid all around. On the 19th Anyday was played, Eric & Susan Tedeschi handling the vocals, very nice but on the 20th In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed was an absolute show stopper with Derek then Eric then Warren laying it all on the line for an epic performance. Layla brings the show to a close giving the crowd a chance to catch their collective breath. Both shows are must own recordings for anyone that is an Allman Brothers or Eric Clapton fan.
     
  11. Umbari

    Umbari Strange Member

    Location:
    Indonesia
    How do you rate In Concert and Live at the Fillmore??
     
  12. Mainline461

    Mainline461 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tamiami Trail
    I don't know if it was just a US thing or not, or just a large market thing. They weren't that interesting, at least not enough for them to be on youtube. Basically cuts would be playing in the background to a large voiced announcer saying something like, "He's back, buy Eric Clapton's new release, 461 Ocean Blvd" or "This Tuesday get Eric Clapton's new album, Slowhand". Maybe a 15 second type of thing ... but they did get your attention. Add to that heavy airplay of say I Shot The Sheriff, Cocaine, or Wonderful Tonight and you all of sudden have a hit. IMO with the same PR, Crowd, EC Was Here, NRTC could have been just as big, or at least close.
     
  13. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    Highly. I think they are his best live albums. I don't view them on the level of The Who's Live At Leeds, the Allman Brothers At Fillmore East, John Coltrane's Live At The Village Vanguard, the Grateful Dead's Live Dead, etc., hence the reason I don't consider them 5-star albums, but they are good.
     
  14. Umbari

    Umbari Strange Member

    Location:
    Indonesia
    Better than Cream? :shh:
     
  15. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    Yes, I do like the Dominos' live albums better than Cream Live Volumes I and II. Don't get me wrong, there are some incredible performances on the live Cream albums, but I give the edge to the Dominos' albums. That said, I consider Cream separate from EC's other work, and tend to lump the Dominos in with the rest of his solo catalogue even if that is technically not correct.
     
  16. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    The acoustic Layla is very popular here, I just heard it a few hours ago. The radio plays it a lot. I like Clapton's solo in there, very tasteful - the original version may be better but I don't feel like rating one over the other.

    I Still Do is a good album, I really enjoyed listening to it the last time I did. The only song that annoys me is "I'll Be Alright", sorta superfluous. But stuff like "Spiral" is really good. I prefer CLAPTON from 2010 but not by a wide margin. I even like the accordion :)
     
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  17. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Stones In My Passway, Can't Hold Out Much Longer, Judgement Day and That's No Way To Get Along are sublime as well IMO
     
  18. kolive

    kolive 6070rock enthusiast

    Location:
    geneva
    I remember when I first heard the acoustic version of Layla, I loved it.
    Brought tears to my eyes. I still like it. But I like the original 100 times more. (maybe 10, 100 was rather arbitrary).
     
  19. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Is there any vinyl release of Live At Hammersmith Odeon, April 27, 1977?
     
  20. kollektionist

    kollektionist Forum Resident

    Location:
    EU
    Not that I know. I only know of a blue vinyl bootleg 1LP.
     
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  21. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Thank you.
     
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  22. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
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  23. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident

    Really? You don't like the Give Me Strength set? I love it. Superb IMO. What exactly don't you like about it?

    I haven't seen that 461OB cover before. Is the tracklisting the same? The only alternate i'm aware of is the late 80's cd pressing which had Better Make It Through Today added, i think at the expense of Give Me Strength.
     
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  24. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Simon I like this set Eric Clapton - Give Me Strength (The '74/'75 Studio Recordings), it sounds fantastic, love the outtakes. There's also a vinyl box named Eric Clapton - Give Me Strength (The '74/'75 Recordings). That's the one I dislike. I was misled by the similar name, it is totally different remaster, sounds dead as a corpse.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2017
  25. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Simon, here's the tracklisting:

    [​IMG]

    It's regular.

    I think the cover is the same, I put the insert in front.
     
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