The Eric Clapton album by album thread

I really like Clapton live throughout the 70's. Great choice of material. So yeah, I really like all the bonus live stuff. Doesn't mean I wouldn't have preferred some more studio outtakes...

 

Not clear what else there is from the Slowhand sessions. I think only outtakes of the released tracks. Seems that Glyn Johns had to work him hard during these sessions.

Not sure if anyone has heard the BBC Radio 1 Record Producers series recorded in the early 80's, there are 2 episodes featuring Johns' work, and he talks clearly about how difficult it was for him to get Eric to work during this album. In fact I did see a recent interview where Eric talks about working with Glyn on his recent album and also his views on Slowhand itself 40 years later, must find that and post.

 

For those unknowing, Marcy Levy turned up as Marcella Detroit in the late 80s/90s UK female duo Shakespear's Sister led by Siobhan Fahey. They were actually excellent, but broke up due to tension...

 

Outtakes of released tracks is what I was talking about. I'm sure some of those must be interesting enough !

 

I agree with your assessment that the packaging is clunky, big and ineffectively designed. It is actually quite a hindrance to deal with; I removed the discs and put them in individual slim jewel cases for easy accessibility. The studio outtakes are generally underwhelming; it makes sense that they were relegated to outtake status during the sequencing of the album. Still nice to have from a historical perspective. The live material was the real enticing aspect of this project. It is a good concert and a nice addition to the Clapton official catalogue. There is a bit too much Marcy Levy, but that is a nuisance to be expected from a complete live recording from the era. That is one of things that makes a set like Crossroads 2 so effective; the compilers can edit out some of the concert bloat and focus on the highlights. As far as complete concerts go, it is time for Universal to release one of the July 1974 Long Beach shows.

 

I love the way he layers all those guitars on Cocaine. JJ's version is fine but a bit bare for my taste. Clapton made the song sound cooler IMO.

 

Probably have to thank Glyn Johns for that. The album as a whole may be uneven, but it is nevertheless very well engineered and produced.

 

Terrible packaging, one of the worst i've come up against. Hate the fact it sticks out of my vinyl storage. I suppose I should be happy it actually fits as most recent ones dont tend to nowadays.

A Crossroads 3 "More Live in the 70's" could be done, agree with giving more of the July 74 shows, get some more 75 and 77 also. 78 seems well covered on Crossroads 2 but then again the show everyone mentions thats currently a bootleg wouldnt go amiss.

 

As I've stated upthread, I don't know any full albums from this period. I might have bought the Slowhand deluxe set if it had been a digital-only affair. The only CD I have of this era is The Cream of Clapton (on which Slowhand is represented with three songs), and of course I know some more tracks from the radio. I do like Glyn's production and I also like their recent collaboration on I Still Do.

Back to "Cocaine" - and this one's for the guitar experts like @Rose River Bear - I've started to realize how he uses the effect of two strings ringing against each other no less than three times (!) throughout the various solos. That's remarkable, I think.

 

The thing with Super Deluxe Editions is that surely should be the final word on any album, so any further outtakes would need to be as part of a career box set, a la Crossroads. Again, might be too later for a 3rd volume but you never know. A nice 6cd set, a mix of outtakes, alternates and live material. 3 cd's each. Could be interesting.

 

From the Cream ABA.

Slowhand by Eric Clapton

Produced by Glyn Johns
Released November 1977

"Cocaine" (J.J. Cale)
"Wonderful Tonight" (Eric Clapton)
"Lay Down Sally" (Marcy Levy, Clapton, George Terry)
"Next Time You See Her" (Clapton)
"We're All the Way" (Don Williams)
"The Core" (Levy, Clapton)
"May You Never" (John Martyn)
"Mean Old Frisco" (Arthur Crudup)
"Peaches and Diesel" (Albhy Galuten, Clapton)

Eric Clapton – lead vocals, guitar
Jamie Oldaker – drums, percussion
Carl Radle – bass guitar
Dick Sims – keyboards
George Terry – guitar
Mel Collins – saxophone
Yvonne Elliman – harmony and backing vocals
Marcy Levy – harmony and backing vocals, duet on 'The Core'

Cocaine
The JJ Cale tune. Nice boogie like riffing from Eric with some deftly picked solos. A little Motown inspired type riffing. Has become a classic for good reason. I like the voicings in the chords he uses. His solo has some double notes that ease in so subtly you can barely tell when he plays them. Great song.

Wonderful Tonight
Some fans think the song is corny but I like it. Eric has the ability to play with a fine touch on all types of songs including this R and B inspired ballad. He creates some beautiful textures on his Stratocaster. A fine vocal performance too. I like the organ work.

Lay Down Sally
A Tulsafied boogie. Another example of how Eric can play at such a laid back volume but still sound great and convincing. Awesome understated solo that really is a rhythmic marvel.

Next Time You See Her
A simple tune with an ominous lyric. Blues based with a folky touch in the vocal melody.

We're All The Way
A cover of the Don Williams tune that fits like a glove with the rest of the songs on the album. Some great legato lines from Eric's Strat.

The Core
The Eddie Cochran meets Texas inspired rocking tune that has a first on the album...some guitar distortion! Anyway, it is a great riff and immediately sticks in the brain. The cadence after the chorus is a killer as only Eric can write them. A cool sax solo starts off the break and then the guitar solo comes roaring in like a freight train. The first few notes mimic the sax. Trademark bends and pulloffs follow to form some great melodic lines. Marcy Levy does a super job singing along with Slowhand. The sax solo in the outro is another fine one as is EC's.

May You Never
Another cover finely rendered. Eric stays close to its folk roots in the arrangement.

Mean Old Frisco
Cover of the blues classic with some burning slide from Slowhand. Eric throws in a little repeating blue note triplet that weaves in and out of the song and provides a nice hook. Good stuff.

Peaches and Diesel
A beautiful instrumental. Some shimmering suspended fourth chords in the intro leads to a more standard sounding R and B based "verse" section. A fine closer to the album.


Bonus cuts from Deluxe Version

Looking at the Rain
Awesome. I wish it had made the album. Beautiful guitar figurations in the somber descending line. Wonderful texturing in the chords with just the right voicings to my ears. A fine vocal performance loaded with drama and pathos. The organ swirls are perfect. One of my favorite songs by EC. One of His finest cover songs IMO. One of my favorite vocal performances from him.

Alberta
Trad blues tune done sounding a little folky in the 12 string guitar . Not bad at all in its stripped down sound.

Greyhound Bus
Dylanesque tune that has some nice percussion and harmony vocals.

Stars, Strays and Ashtrays
Country based tune that is pretty good with fine bass playing from Carl Radle.

I enjoy this album a lot. It has a Texas feel throughout. The arrangements are stripped down and Eric plays very laid back but still plays with conviction IMO. The Deluxe Edition live show is from a show from the No Reason to Cry tour and is great but seems out of place on the Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition is worth owning for the bonus cuts.

So just where did the nickname originate?

 

I knew you'd say something about them

 

I wonder how many "alternate" outtakes exist. Some of these tracks post Derek & The Dominos seem like they were built from the ground up, with layers of overdubs, and possibly just one master vocal. I would not be surprised to hear that there are not complete alternate takes of songs, rather alternate backing tracks, alternate guitar passages, and alternate solos. It would be cool to hear alternate guitar parts, or at the very least, alternate mixes of the master recordings, but I don't think it will happen.

 

This thread made me listen to this song today. What a beautiful rendition by EC. My favorite cover by him.

 

Slowhand Super Deluxe box is about an inch and a half too wide. Still annoys me.

 

I would have picked Looking at the Rain over his cover of John Martyn's May You Never for the final tracklisting. Out of the two LATR is a better cover for me.

 

Yes, knew about that. They were pretty decent as a pop act, Marcy or Marcella looked nothing liked she had 15/20 years earlier. But again her voice, whilst it is very good in its range can be a tad annoying.

 

Soon be time for Backless i'd suggest.

 

Is the book Cream: In Gear worth chasing after for?

 

Yes, definitely. Check this thread out, I did post some pics from the book

Cream - In Gear

 

Eric Clapton - Backless (1978)






Release date: November 1978
Producer: Glyn Johns

A Side:

1."Walk Out in the Rain" (Bob Dylan, Helena Springs) – 4:16
2."Watch Out for Lucy" (Clapton) – 3:26
3."I'll Make Love to You Anytime" (JJ Cale) – 3:23
4."Roll It" (Clapton, Marcy Levy) – 3:42
5."Tell Me That You Love Me" (Clapton) – 3:31

B Side:
1."If I Don't Be There by Morning" (Dylan, Springs) – 4:38
2."Early in the Morning" (Traditional arranged by Eric Clapton) – 5:32 on vinyl / 7:58 on cd
3."Promises" (Richard Feldman, Roger Linn) – 3:04
4."Golden Ring" (Clapton) – 3:32
5."Tulsa Time" (Danny Flowers) – 3:28


•Eric Clapton: guitars, vocals
•Dick Sims: keyboards
•Marcy Levy: vocals
•George Terry: guitar
•Carl Radle: bass guitar, vocals
•Jamie Oldaker: drums, percussion, vocals
•Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle: backing vocals on "Golden Ring"

 

Thanks. Another one for the wishlist!

 

Good, solid album, very much in the vein of Slowhand, but never exceptional. No outspoken favorites or duds as far as I'm concerned. Not an album I pull out as much as maybe I should...

 

I assume this is a poster that came out for the 1978 tour. I dont have mine framed at the moment but took a few photos:

 

Backless is a Clapton record that continued in that laid back Tulsa vein. Favorites of mine are Watch Out For Lucy which swings along nicely, I'll Make Love To You Anytime which has some nice wah wah slide playing by EC and the radio favorite Promises. Roll It is one song which sounds like filler to me. Walk Out In The Rain sounded good live when Clapton played it in concert around ten years ago. Tulsa Time was a show opener during the 1985 tour. B+