Crossroads [BOX SET]

Eric Clapton

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: April 18, 1988
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B000001FOP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,922 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Boom Boom - Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds

2. Honey in Your Hips - Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds

3. Baby What's Wrong - Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds

4. I Wish You Would - Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds, The Yardbirds

5. Certain Girl - Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds, The Yardbirds

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Anyone for Tennis - Eric Clapton, Cream

2. White Room - Eric Clapton, Cream

3. Crossroads [Live] - Eric Clapton, Cream

4. Badge - Eric Clapton, Cream

5. Presence of the Lord - Blind Faith, Eric Clapton

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Got to Get Better in a Little While [#] - Eric Clapton, Derek & the Dominos

2. Evil [#] - Eric Clapton, Derek & the Dominos

3. One More Chance [#] - Eric Clapton, Derek & the Dominos

4. Mean Old Frisco [#] - Eric Clapton, Derek & the Dominos

5. Snake Lake Blues [#] - Eric Clapton, Derek & the Dominos

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Hello Old Friend - Eric Clapton

2. Sign Language - Eric Clapton

3. Further on up the Road [Live][#] - Eric Clapton

4. Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton

5. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Including both his band work (with the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Blues Breakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie, and Derek and the Dominos) and his long, varied solo career, this four-CD set does a spectacular job in gathering several decades' worth of Clapton's best. There are the requisite classics--"Layla," "Blues Power," "After Midnight," "Further On Up the Road," "Crossroads," and "I Shot the Sheriff," among many others--some of them in previously unreleased live or alternate studio recordings. Released in 1988, when only superstars were granted the box set, Crossroads became the blueprint for what such a retrospective should be. For its scope, this box skims the cream of Clapton's large output. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great summary of Clapton's Career, November 3, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Sao Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews

From his days with The Yardbirds until his somewhat recent (1988) solo projects, these four CDs will show you what a great artist Eric Clapton is. This box-set has all of his greatest hits, lots of rare recordings, and first-rate previously unreleased material. Also here you will find the songs that were to be a part of Derek And The Dominos aborted second album, and they show that they were a band who could have gone a long way. You will also hear different versions of some of his hits, like a live version of I Shot The Sheriff, and two versions of After Midnight, one like the original but with horns, and one with a slower rhythm. Pay special attention to the song Crossroads, one of Eric's favorites, with two live versions of here: Cream's mind-blowing rock performance, with perhaps Eric's best guitar solo, and Derek And The Dominos awesome blues version. An essential item, not just for his fans, with lots of good rock and blues.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific overview up to 1988 of Slowhand's career, March 16, 2007

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

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Although this set doesn't go past 1988 (the year it was released),"Crossroads" includes some of Clapton's best material with the various bands he was a member of (The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos) and solo. While some of these previously unreleased and rare tracks have since shown up on some other reissues, this is the only place (to date) to find early versions of "Tell the Truth", "Roll It Over" (both produced by Phil Spector and one track featuring George Harrison & Dave Mason on guitar. These were produced during the "All Things Must Pass" sessions)and the tracks from the unfinished second Dominos album.

The sound quality on this set is quite good. The masters aren't as compressed (if at all) compared to the reissues of Clapton's back catalog. As a result the CD doesn't sound quite as "loud" (much of that volume on the remasters is due to the dynamic range being squashed and the masters EQ'd taking much of the musical "punch" out of the music) as the Clapton remasters. Detail is very good on most of these tracks and although with some restoration on the Yardbirds tracks at the beginning because of the fragile nature of the masters they were pulled from. Overall, Bill Levenson and his team did a terrific job here.

This is a terrific set with a nice mix of live material, songs that Clapton performed on ("Comin' Home") and recorded as a solo artist. While his guitar didn't blaze quite as hard on the studio recordings for many ofhis solo recordings, this was a phase in Clapton's development where he was developing and focusing on his singing as much (if not more)than focusing on his guitar playing. That's not to say that he doesn't play well, it just sounds different than his hot, crazed playing for Cream and the tortured blues solos as a member of Derek and the Dominos.

The booklet has notes by Rolling Stone writer Anthony DeCurtis (interesting note--Clapton was so devasted by a critical Rolling Stone article about Cream that it helped convince him to break up the band. The article was completely out of line but managed to push Clapton into something that would have happened eventually given the volatile nature of the egos in Cream). Although this remaster is nearly 20 years old, it still sounds extremely good. Unlike many remasters, this was remastered pretty flat without all the compression and goosing that many remasters feature that make things louder but worsen the sound quality.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Clapton Collection, December 18, 2004

By	Spencer Pennington (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

Eric Clapton has risen to the prominance of one of the greatest rock artists of all time with his musical roots in Blues and even dabbling with reggae, pop-rock, and soft rock since his golden age in the mid 1970's. Crossroads is the ultimate introduction to Eric Clapton and his entire career from his years with the Yardbirds to the latter days of his solo career in the late 80's as well as a crucial addition to any collection. Crossroads is quite simply the best of his entire career from his beginnings in 1963 up to the boxset's release in 1988.

The first disc contains a staggering 23 songs ranging from his start with the Yardbirds and spans into the mid-sixties through his glory days with Cream. The disc has several hits like the universal tunes "Boom Boom" from 1963 and "Sunshine of Your Love" with Cream in the mid-to-late 60's. Also present are the crucial years in between with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and duets with only Clapton and John Mayall.

Disc two has perhaps the most hits on a single disc, from his closing days with Cream and through his legendary period with Derek & the Dominoes up through the early 70's. It starts with the delightful, almost mystical "Anyone For Tennis," with Cream and contains classic dongs like "White Room," a live rendition of "Crossroads," "Badge," "Blues Power," and "Layla" make this disc an unquestionable favorite. The second disc also boasts "After Midnight" from his stint with Delaney & Bonnie and a duet with the late Duane Allman as well as a few hits from his time with Blind Faith.

The third disc is truly a gem and my personal favorite, kicking off with five previously unreleased tracks by Derek & the Dominoes as well as a few from his solo career which the disc touches the glory days of. Among these are songs like "Snake Lake Blues," with Derek & the Dominoes and "(When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too". The third disc also has a previously unreleased live version of Bob Marley & the Wailers' "I Shot the Sheriff" from 1974 and a duet with reggae legend Peter Tosh from the following year that was also previously unreleased. For a fantastic finale, the disc closes with Clapton's legendary and beautiful cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Someone Like You".

Finally, disc 4 covers his career from the 1976 "No Reason to Cry" album up through 1987, after his drift from a more Blues style to a soft and pop-rock style. The disc has several hits, three of which are indesputable: "Lay Down Sally," "Cocaine," and "Wonderful Tonight" and the first two tracks "Hello Old Friend," and "Sign Language," are amazing; the second of which pairs Clapton with fellow rock legend Bob Dylan. While the disc does show his more modern pop-rock era, only the best of this period is available here, and no fan will be disappointed. His later years are seen as having less popularity, but you wouldn't think so from this collection, in fact, you may think he's only gotten better. The fourth disc closes with a remake of "After Midnight" from 1987, leaving the listener stunned by the rock legend.

Crossroads is a testament to Eric Clapton's legacy, skill, passion, and brilliance. Any casual fan would find this to be the ultimate introduction while the hardcore listener would undeniably say that this boxset is a piece of music history, crucial to any rock & roll collection, or even, any well-rounded music collection. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed by Eric Clapton's legendary masterpiece.