From the Cradle. Eric Clapton.
Best Cut: "Groaning the Blues"
Worst Cut: "I'm Tore Down"
Must be the eighth wonder of the world. How can a white guy from England can play the blues like this? Legendary guitarist Eric Clapton goes back to his roots with his lastest offering "From The Cradle." He Draws on blues greats like Willie Dixon, Freddie King, Lowell Fulson and Elmore Hames for what could be a tribute to thier writing on this CD. From Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Groaning the Blues" to Fulson's classic "Reconsider Baby", Clapton puts on a remarkable preformance of blues standards. This recording was essentiallly done live in the studio with very few overdubs and gives the listener the feeling of being in a late-night Chicago blues club. It was American blues that was making its presence felt in England that Clapton heard as a teen-ager and inspired him to pursue a life of living and playing the blues. The bent note, an electric lead guitar stule of playing by artists such as Freddie King and B.B. King, is what sealed his interest. As an 18-year-old in 1963, Clapton woke up a lot of folks around London's emerging R&B club scene with his blues-tinged playing with supergroup The Yardbirds. The group soon wanted to veer off into psychedelic, chart-topping singles and television appearances, wanting no part of that, Clapton split. His dedication to the blues and the substantial club following he had established with the Yardbirds led him to be recruited by another white British bluesman of that period - John Mayall - for his band, The Bluesbreakers. At age 20, he jumped at the chance to join such a prestigious unit. Clapton did some of his most fiery playing of the blues on the 1966 album entitled "John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clatpon. "Many consider this effort to be one of the pinnacles of Claptons career and like "From The Cradle," much of it's basis is drawn from the Delta Blues genre, with numbers penned by the likes of Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson and Luther Allison. Both releases were done with minimum overdubbing, indeed, the Bluesbreakers session was recorded in a single day and had that live feel. An understanding of where this talented musician has come from illuminates the direction and tone of "From the Cradle." A listing of subsequent bands Clapton played with reads like a Who's Who list of blues-rock music. He formed the critically acclaimed power trio Cream with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker that lasted from, 1966-68; teamed up with 16 year-old Steve Winwood in Blind Faith which lasted just 11 months after its formation in early 1969; Derek and the Dominos in 1970 which produced probably his most recognized song "Layla" and a string of successful solo releases throughout the 1970s, '80s and early '90s. This all has laid the foundation for his relentless pursuit of the blues. The 16 tracks on this CD are quite a seminar from one of the masters.