Nowhere Man

Click on the orange link below to read a review of Clapton: The Autobiography by Eric Clapton.

http://josephsreviews.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/nowhere-man/

Early Warning: An upcoming release from two of rock's Super-stars...

On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, a two-CD live music concert set Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden will be released. The concert, which is also being released on DVD, features songs originally recorded by Blind Faith, Traffic, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, and the Buddy Miles Band; as well as songs off of Clapton's and Winwood's solo efforts.

I'm looking forward with excitement to hearing the live versions of Traffic classics like Pearly Queen and Dear Mr. Fantasy. Winwood's live version of Split Decision is also included on this 21-track collection, which closes out with Clapton's high energy anthem Cocaine.

On the 19th, we'll be able to truly say that there's good rockin' tonight!

Only He Knew & We Knew... (a retro album review)

The year 1970 was a great one for rock music, a topic that we may re-visit later. One of the albums released that year, Alone Together, was the first solo album released by Traffic's former singer-songwriter-lead guitar player, Dave Mason. Not everyone came to know and enjoy Mason's later releases, but on AT - as allmusic acknowledged - "everything (came) together perfectly."

The AT recording sessions brought together a collection of musical all-stars including Leon Russell, Delaney & Bonnie, Rita Coolidge, bassist Carl Radle, and two drummers: Traffic's Jim Capaldi and the highly talented Jim Gordon.

Before examining the eight tracks on this long player, one note is needed. This review is based on the Original Master Recording CD (pictured), which features A to A+ quality sound; and nicely approximates the tone of the original vinyl recording. If you're seeking a bargain, the more recent Hip-O Records/UM re-release provides 85 to 90% of the sound quality at a much lower price.

Only You Know and I Know (4:05) - Mason's Top 20 single opens the album with a lot of energy and excellent sound dynamics enhanced on the CD. Gordon on the high-hats! In tribute, Phil Collins later wrote a song with the same title. Yes, there are hints of Get Back in the beat but it didn't seem so obvious back then.

Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving (3:02) - There's a soft and humble quality to this love ballad, which may be why Mason got along so well with George Harrison. It virtually tip-toes to an ending.

Waitin' On You (3:05) - This rocker sounds even more like the Beatles; you half expect to hear Paul shout, "Get back, Loretta!" Leon substitutes for Billy Preston. Great gospel-style background vocals from the three girl singers.

Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave (6:00) - It starts like a song left off of Traffic's Dear Mr. Fantasy before speeding up, letting Dave showcase his impressive wah-wah skills. You think that Peter Frampton may have studied this track? Well, do you feel like we do?

World In Changes (4:30) - A track I've always loved but that still manages to completely confuse me. Mason left Traffic because he couldn't get along with Steve Winwood. Yet the featured organ on here is a 100% Winwood knock-off. Was it a back-handed way of saying he could survive without SW? "I've got a lot to learn about you/ You've got a lot to learn about me, too." All in all, this is the best Traffic song never recorded by Traffic.

Sad and Deep as You (3:35) - Leon Russell's gorgeous piano work underlies this ballad that sounds a bit like early Elton John (Your Song), early Rod Stewart (Gasoline Alley), and Cat Stevens (Trouble).

Just A Song (2:59) - "I'm tired of calling you when things go wrong/ Just take my hand and make me feel like I belong/ Just one more day and I will turn from you and run/ Although you're all I do, all I've ever done." A nicely written mid-speed track with fine mandolin work. Maybe Mason was returning the favor as this sounds like a Frampton ballad.

Look at You, Look at Me (7:22) - Needing even more wah-wah firepower, Mason turned to a guitarist who had earlier played with a band named Cream. Some guy named Eric Clapton. "I miss you like I miss the sun/ I need you every day/ As I turn around to look at you/ And you look back no more..." When this track hits its peak, it sounds like Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs had melded with Traffic and Delaney & Bonnie to produce the perfect stage band.

Some of Slowhand's best work closes out the final 2:45 of this classic album. "Wooh!" shouts Dave near the fade... Indeed.

Joseph Arellano

Another retro record review...

Eric Clapton and his band released a live album back in the early 70s that was then entitled Derek and the Dominoes: In Concert. It was recorded at the Fillmore East in New York City and has now been re-titled Live at the Fillmore on the CD release.

The following review was written in late 1971 or early 1972 by Roger J. "Ram Jet" Ruby. It was then published in The Pacifican student newspaper at the University of the Pacific. With thanks to Mr. Ruby, who now lives with his family in El Dorado Hills, California.

Eric Clapton has a new album out entitled Derek and the Dominoes: In Concert. It consists of live material from a 1971 Fillmore East gig with the majority of the music coming from the Layla album. Any similarity between these two albums ends at this point. The material loses its freshness on this live album, which is definitely a disappointment.

The remainder of the group includes Jim Gordon on drums, Carl Radle on bass, and Bobby Whitlock on keyboards. Clapton, of course, is in the spotlight with lead vocals and guitar. Unfortunately, his potency as a live performer is lacking here. His guitar work has too many loose ends, sometimes bordering on sloppiness. Let It Rain and Tell The Truth are both songs that are diluted by their excessive lengths on the live versions. Clapton's image as a flashy guitar player needed a new paint job at this point in time.

There are a couple of songs, though, that come to life on the album. Blues Power and Bottle of Red Wine are given a new accent as Clapton gets the whole band moving together. Bobby Whitlock's piano could have used more volume on Blues Power. For you blues freaks, Have You Ever Loved A Woman has Clapton shining as he plays the pure unadulterated blues. It's nice to know that he hasn't forgotten what he had learned from his short association with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.

I think it is fair to say that Eric Clapton is capable of some of the tastiest guitar work in the business. The Layla album was a masterpiece with the late Duane Allman enhancing Clapton's trademark sound. The absence of Allman may have been one of the reasons for Clapton's mediocre delivery on this live album. Maybe the forthcoming release of Eric Clapton Live at the Rainbow Theatre (in London) will resolve this question once and for all.