Amph [The Worst] Eric Clapton

This is the thread for Darth Guy and myself to post to each other the Clapton related stuff that we usually send by PM. Of course other Clapton fans are more than welcome to join in the discussions too.

No doubt the thread will occassionally be punctuated by the usual predictable trolling that Guitarist X is/was better / faster / louder / more innovative than Clapton. He or she probably is, in your opinion. I don't really care. And yes, he is old. Early 60s. He still plays better guitar than you and the horse you rode in on.

Official Site

Eric's blog (mostly photos)

Best fan site "Where's Eric"

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I'll use this thread to post cool YouTube finds, live concert links (Wolfgang's Vault etc) and other such goodness. And maybe have some discussion on the man and his music.


Eric's latest release is an [link=http://www.whereseric.com/news/2006/09/guitar-legends-jj-cale-eric-clapton-cd-release-the-road-to-escondido.html]album recorded with long-time influence[/link], the sparce coutry-blues rocker JJ Cale (who has been kept in good money over the years by Clapton's covers of After Midnight and Cocaine).

He's just wrapped up the Japan leg of his world tour (I'm due to see him play for the 2nd time ever (first time was on his last visit to New Zealand 16 years ago) in late January). His setlist by the end of the Japan tour contained not a single track from his latest solo album "Back Home", but had [link=http://tinyurl.com/ygglu4]SEVEN[/link] tracks from the seminal Derek & the Dominos album [i]Layla and other Assorted Love Songs[/i].

[b]Darth_Guy[/b], the batsignal's up...

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BXTrmwQuSZQ

 

Guitarist X is/was better / faster / louder / more innovative than Clapton.

 

Point me to some of Clapton's greatest material. Because the only music of his I own is a ten-track greatest hits and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, on there that makes me say "Wow". As such he is currently at the top of my list of most overrated guitarist ever. Please prove me wrong.

 

Um... albums focusing on his guitar skills?

Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton
Fresh Cream
Live Cream Volumes 1 and 2
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Live at the Fillmore

...and pretty much every other live material he's recorded.

 

When he comes to Memphis, he goes to Rum Boogie and jams with B.B.

 

What / who are you into, will give me a better idea of what in Clapton's repertoire might push the same buttons. Though if you can download Derek & The Dominos "Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs" from iTunes (or, I dunno, go buy the CD) that pretty much covers the best studio work of his career. Blues, rock, R&B, pop. And blistering guitar work from him and Duane Allmann. Also, his vocals on that album are stunning, and work so well with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock.

 

I've seen him play with BB

 

Eric Clapton is awesome. He is getting on a bit though. Still a great musician.

 

Thrill is Gone!

 

B.B. has his own club that I think where they've played together mostly. But I saw it at Rum Boogie. I was at a corporate sales meeting on the Memphis Queen, we went to Rum Boogie after the boat ride and it was packed. We didn't realize what was going on, but it was standing room only. While we're at the bar, lo and behold, who walks in but Eric Clapton (along with 5 or 6 body guards, and entourage and Sheryl Crowe). After a bit they announce that B.B.'s there and they're going to jam. It was awesome.

 

BB is one of the most genuine, down to earth people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.... good guy.

 

Sweeet. He was dating Crow for a while. Where did you see them Harps?


Darth Guy, check out Bobby Whitlock's new version of Layla on his Myspace. Bloody good except where it speeds up and matches the Dominos arrangement coming out of the choruses, then it just sounds stupid. Wish they'd kept the slow blues feeling throughout...

 

Early August 2000-ish... West coast...

I hear they've got dates booked for early 2007

March - ish, I think...

 

The the US North-West leg is going on various presales about now. Here's the info here.

 

Here's?

*looks*

Wha?



Woah....three months from now.... so there!

 

This is one of my guitars, and my favorite.

[image=http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/2861/gibsones335tdkn7.jpg]

For nearly all my life, I was jonesin' for one of these, until I was finally able to get one several years back. Why this particular axe?

[image=http://www.vintagegroove.co.uk/graphics/cream.jpg]

 

Nice Gibson!

You seen the crazy Blackie replica Fender have got? Err, sold out of?

Edit: just noticed the intricate detail of the replicas, but they left the freakin' tremelo arm in.

 

I actually played the one they had at Matt Umanov Gtrs here in NYC a while back through a genuine '59 Twin, since I know the owners pretty well. No big deal, and certainly not better than some of the better custom distressed vintage Strats that lots of folks make these days...and defintely not worth the money. Matt at 30th Street Vintage was making dead-on SRV replicas back in the early 90's, worn finish and all. 'Course I had to have one! Here it is:

[image=http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/8043/num1rx3.jpg]

 

I can play a few clapton songs, they are great to just start playing to get girls attention and stuff at partys...

 

I am going to see Clapton live in February 2007 Looking forward to it very much.

 

Tickets for his March concert at the Pond go on sale to the general public in 2 days.

 

[image=http://www.jctroy.com/Artists/Clapton%20is%20God.jpg]

 

I like Clapton okay. I like his approahc to guitar playing, in that he focused more on the little things, like being able ot bend and vibrato properly before he tried anything fancy, and he's got great precision, but at the same time I think his blues guitar is overrated. His rock is awesome (see: Cream) but his blues is lacking in soul for me. Technically, he's got it going on, but other than that I find that Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Vaughan, B.B. King, Son House, and Robert Johnson all bury Clapton as bluesmen.

And he seems to have a superiority complex too.

 

He's no Tupac.