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71 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Barenaked blues., March 28, 2003
The debate whether, when learning to play the guitar, you should begin with an acoustic or an electric instrument, is probably as old as the history of the electric guitar itself; regardless which event you associate most strongly with its invention, and which of the enterprising souls who began experimenting with the amplification of the six-string sound way back in the 1930s you most credit therewith. Many find the sound of an electric guitar more impressive than that of an acoustic; and I'll freely admit that few pieces of music make my inner membranes resonate as instinctively as those featuring a really well-played e-guitar solo. Purists, however, argue passionately in favor of the acoustic guitar, and maintain that you're simply not going to learn to play "cleanly" if you don't start out that way. And there is definitely something to be said for that, because it is much easier to conceal a sloppily-played chord behind an electric guitar's amplified volume or a clever-sounding solo (or behind both) than in the unadulterated sound of an acoustic guitar. The discussion about the early 1990s' trend towards "unplugged" recordings centers around similar arguments. Some pieces of music are of course simply not meant to ever be played on an acoustic guitar. Others, however, live from their amplified soundeffects more than from their intrinsic musical values, and they simply fizzle when reduced to their core and performed acoustically.
And then there is that rare category of pieces which sound equally fantastic both ways, and that rare category of players who manage to dazzle you regardless what type of instrument they're playing. Eric Clapton is such a musician, and some of the songs on the playlist of his "Unplugged" album are such pieces of music. Most notable among those, of course, is "Layla," Clapton's intensely personal dedication to one-time wife Patty Boyd; written in 1970 and at a time when he saw no chance of ever winning her for himself. From the memorable opening riff of the song's original recording to its guitar solos, screaming with despair, it is extremely hard to imagine how this song could ever work in an acoustic version. Yet on a whim and at the last minute, Clapton decided to include it in the "Unplugged" playlist. And transposed by a full octave, reduced to a languid and almost upbeat, somewhat jazzy blues rhythm, it works out wonderfully; and Layla/Patty finds herself miraculously transformed from an object of desire to one of reflection instead. In fact, that track alone, which won the 1992 Grammy as Best Rock Song, turned out to be responsible for a good share of the enormous popularity of this album which (together with 1989's "Journeyman") reestablished Clapton as an artist to reckon with, after his career had threatened to slump over the course of much of the previous decade. And similarly responsible for the success of "Unplugged" was the inclusion of another and more recent piece performed from the bottom of Clapton's soul, the triple Grammy winning "Tears in Heaven;" dedicated to his son Conor who had tragically died after falling from the open window of a 53rd floor apartment in New York City the preceding year. (The studio version of the song is contained on the soundtrack of the movie "Rush," likewise released in 1992.)
But "Unplugged" is to large extents a classic blues album, from the twelve-bar rhythm of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me" (featuring only Eric Clapton himself and one of the most modest and supremely talented living guitarists, Clapton's trusted friend and touring partner Andy Fairweather Low) to Jimmy Cox's "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" (the second cut besides "Layla" from the famous album recorded under the name Derek and the Dominos), Delta Blues king Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues" and "Malted Milk," Jesse Fuller's upbeat "San Francisco Bay Blues," and the traditionals "Alberta" and "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (the latter, here attributed to the great Chess blues man M[cKinley] Morganfield a/k/a Muddy Waters, who made it famous). Three more of Eric Clapton's own compositions stand out among the songs which round up the album's playlist: the introductory lighthearted "Signe," which reflects his love of Brazilian music, the melancholic "Lonely Stranger" and finally "Old Love," a cut from 1989's "Journeyman."
Few white artists understand as well as Eric Clapton that the blues thrives, first and foremost, on a live atmosphere - preferably in a smaller setting like the one used for this recording, which allows for plenty of spontaneous interaction between stage and audience. And few artists are as unafraid of the gaffes that are almost invariably associated with a live appearance, even in the case of Clapton and his outstanding backup band; and manage, time and again, to turn them into a light moment. The garbled beginning of "Alberta" is an excellent example here; you can almost hear Clapton grinning when he says "Hang on, hang on, hang on" and simply starts over. Similarly, "Layla" is merely introduced with the words "See if you can spot this one" - and instantly greeted with the enthusiastic cheers of an audience which doesn't even need to hear the famous five notes of the song's introductory riff to recognize it.
Asked whether he, too, would ever consider an "unplugged" appearance, e-guitar legend Jeff Beck, who with Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page forms the trinity of "guitar gods" that emerged from Great Britain's famous Yardbirds, reportedly once responded that he couldn't imagine such a thing because it would make him feel "naked." And listening to Eric Clapton's "Unplugged" album, you can't shake the impression that Beck does have a point. These are pure, naked blues songs, supremely performed - and a pure joy to listen to.
Also recommended:
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert
Crossroads
One More Car: One More Rider (CD & DVD Set)
Riding with the King
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Already Great Songs Become Fresher With "Unplugged", January 22, 2003
Clapton plays guitar. His fingers dance across the strings in "Signe," with the kind of virtuosity fans of his rougher bluesy stuff might not get to hear.
Every one of these songs has new life breathed into them. While songs like "Layla" from Clapton's 'Derek and the Dominos' days hardly lacked life, his unplugged versions seem to recreate the songs anew. For as good as the original versions are, Clapton shows, just as Bob Dylan often captures in his concerts, an old classic approached a new way can be a worthy thing.
This a CD that is best enjoyed with headphones. Fancy stereo tricks aren't the element of beauty, but careful finger picking in the midst of a tight steel string guitar bring out the notes like salt on an already tasty meal. The whole thing is enhanced when the listener gets a chance to sit down and hear all of it.
My personal favorites "Hey Hey" and the contemplative "Tears in Heaven," but, here at my keyboard late some evening, I'm finding "Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out" makes for great grooving as I write a few reviews. Get down low with "Walkin' Blues" and his slide guitar, and sadder still with "Malted Milk," a song that pierces the heart until it hurts.
"Alberta" is the weakest of the tracks, sounding like he's trying to hard. "San Francisco Bay Blues" is a cool tune, but could've used a little better mixing. He seems to struggle grabbing a couple notes in the difficult, slightly Spanish-and jazz influenced "Old Love" but he pulls it out.
The sum of it all is an album that's better with each year. It is among my favorites. I fully recommend "Unplugged" by Eric Clapton.
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The single best album I have ever heard in my entire life., November 2, 1999
This album was the first I'd ever heard of Eric Clapton's and it instantly turned me into a fan, so much so that that it inspired to pick up the guitar. I bought the video and I searched for and found the sheet music and can now play every song, apart from the solo to Old Love, the best solo in the history of the world.It stands up to repeated listenings, too. Songs which I had originally dismissed as boring blues trite now seem complex, meaningful and, having read some of the literature on Him and His career, instrumental in His formative years as a blues guitarist. The album displays a whole range of emotions, from the heart-wrenching Tears In Heaven to the pleading of Leyla and the torment of Old Love.Contrary to some other reviews, I think His reworked swingbeat version of Leyla is far superior to the original and the toned down version allows the listener to see (or hear) more clearly Clapton's frustration.His songwriting ability is fabulous, with Tears in heaven, Old Love and Layla in particular standing out, and He can even write a fabulous instrumental piece, Signe. He is joined by amazing musicians, with Andy Fairweather-Low, who plays excellently with Him on Malted Milk, and Chuck Lavelle, whose improvised solo on Old Love is incredible, putting in superb performances.His technical dexterity is amazing too, with him playing loads of different styles, but he never milks it or takes it over the top. The guy is quite simply a God and has produced a beautiful, touching, exhilarating, stonking gorgeous CD that you simply must buy.
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by Eric Clapton 
