The Blues

Eric Clapton

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 27, 1999
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Polydor / Pgd
• ASIN: B00000JNMN
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,279 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #56 in	Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Guitar Gods
  #70 in	Music > Blues > Contemporary Blues
  #100 in	Music > Classic Rock > British Invasion

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

There's a telling subtext to this retrospective of Eric Clapton blues sides. Culled from recordings cut between 1970 (the Layla sessions) and 1980 (when Clapton cut his final Polydor album, Another Ticket), these sides finds EC exploring his beloved blues while in a fragile state of mind and body. After all, he was on heroin when he concocted Layla, and though he kicked that habit in the early '70s, he continued to test his tolerance for alcohol throughout the decade. When you think of the Clapton of the '60s, you think of the fire and ice of his playing with the Yardbirds, John Mayall, and Cream. When you think of his '70s playing, it's wearier and perhaps more reflective. (It was easy to mistake melancholic for mellow at the time.) The 35 selections included on these two discs find the temporarily deflated rock superstar leaning on the blues for support as he draws on likes of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and Little Walter for inspiration. Hardcore fans will appreciate previously unreleased versions of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me," a solo take on the traditional "Alberta," a 1974 cover of Willie Dixon's "Meet Me (Down at the Bottom), and a remixed live 1976 version of "Further on Up the Road" with Freddy King sitting in. Just about anyone, however, will be able to appreciate how this music reflects Clapton's strengths as a musician... and weaknesses as a man. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Not Great Summary Of Eric Clapton's Blues From 1970-80, October 28, 2001

By	J. E FELL "boogaloojef" (Carterville, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was really excited when I heard this was being released. However I was somewhat disappointed. It is a 2cd anthology of Clapton's Polydor material from 1970-80. The first disk is a studio disk while the second disk is a live disk. The set contains 5 unissued recordings. This compilation contains some fine blues playing by Clapton. Some of the highlights include Little Walter's "Mean Old World" with Duane Allman from the Layla sessions, Muddy Water's "Blow Wind Blow", and live versions of "Drifting Blues", "Further On Up The Road" (unreleased w/Freddie King), and "Crossroads". My quibble with the set is the track selections. I can understand having two versions of "Before You Accuse Me" because both takes are unreleased and quite different. However, did we really need takes of "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" and "Early In The Morning" on both disks? I also would have omitted "Wonderful Tonight" (not really blues but included to sell the set to casual fans), "Cryin'" and "To Make Somebody Happy". Better selections would have been a versions (perhaps live unissued) of "Key To The Highway", "Mean Old Frisco", and an unissued live version of "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" from the Rainbow concert not issued on the remaster of this concert. Other possible inclusions are studio or live versions of "Steady Rollin' Man", "Last Night" the cd only studio bonus track from the "No Reason to Cry" cd, an unissed studio take of Albert King's "Drowning On Dry Land", or a live version of "Rambling On My Mind". Clapton also has performed such tunes as "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Milk Cow Blues" during the seventies. I do not know if usable versions of these songs exist in the vaults. Although this 2 cd set is good, a missed opportunity prevents it from being essential!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most of these recordings are reissues., August 6, 1999

By A Customer

Blues consists of recordings made between 1970 and1980, when Clapton's contract with Polydor ranout. It is a fairly shameless reissue ofpreviously issued material, therefore cheap tomake and pure profit for the record company. Thereis a detailed but nothing-new booklet accompanyingthe CDs. The first disc consists of studiorecordings, with four unreleased cuts. Two addnothing to the Clapton legacy; two have someappeal. The selection of the previously-issuedrecordings is hit-or-miss; the progression of cutsis not very well thought out. The second disc is areally decent anthology of live recordings, mostlyfrom the outstanding Crossroads 2 four-disc liveslow-blues concerts. Two cuts are from Just OneNight, and the final cut was originally releasedon an obscure Freddie King tribute album issued inthe Seventies. All of disc two is smokin', powerful, improvisational electric blues thatClapton does so well. It's well worth having justfor the second disc, especially if you don't already have Crossroads 2.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scorching Blues- and the Best Band Eric's Ever Had, September 29, 2004

By	Duke (New York) - See all my reviews

I've had this CD for five years now, but it wasn't until I put on during a recent road trip that I really appreciated the cohesion between each song. I own Crossroads II, I own almost all of the '70s albums, but "Blues" was still a breath of fresh air. In this album, Clapton's "honest-to-goodness" singing is far more suitable to the blues than his growling on "From The Cradle," which gives you the sense that Eric is relying on volume to mask his passion. Not so here- Eric's lazier (but more intense) singing is perfect...perhaps because he's drunk out of his mind?
Better than the "holy" "From The Cradle?" Oh yeah, no doubt. PS- What an amazing backup band Eric had in his '74-'78 band. The next group of people who played with him couldn't TOUCH Terry/Elliman/Radle/Sims/Levy/Oldaker...I don't think any band he's had since could capture the true grit of those guys.