To busy working for a Respectable Financial Institution to do much of anything here anymore I'm afra...
To busy working for a Respectable Financial Institution to do much of anything here anymore I'm afraid.
Member since:16.07.2000
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Eric Clapton really shouldn’t need any introduction from the likes of me. Starting off as guitarist in The Yarbirds before forming one of the first super groups ‘Cream’ before moving onto form Derek and the Dominoes where he wrote what is possibly his most famous song, ‘Layla’ (That’s the widdly one used in the Vauxhall TV adverts ooh, however long ago it was – trust me, you know this song), before finally moving onto a solo career.
This MTV Unplugged album sees Clapton stay very true to the blues, rarely stepping outside straightforward blues. The album opens with the beautiful instrumental ‘Signe’, it’s a song that brings images of an quiet evening somewhere hot. I’ve no idea why, but it does!
Next up is a traditional blues style cover of ‘Before You Accuse Me’, originally written by someone credited as ‘mc.daniel’. I’ve no idea who he is, sorry. The song takes a wry look at attempting to reconcile a relationship and should raise a smile.
Following on is another blues cover of ‘Hey Hey’, originally by ‘Big Bill Broonzy’ – you just have to smile don’t you! It’s a laid back piece with a nice little sliding guitar riff (Though not actually done with a slide).
Now we have a Clapton Classic (TM), ‘Tears in Heaven’ – written about his son who fell out of a sky scraper. It’s a very emotional song that benefits the striped down approach it gains from being part of an unplugged session. There’s more song to it than the original.
There’s not really much that could top that, but one track still to come does! The next track though, ‘Lonely Stranger’ is a highlight of the album as well as being a Clapton original. It stands out as unique on the album, which is always impressive on unplugged albums.
‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ is another wry tale, this time about only having friends when you’re in luck and money. Lyrics stand out, but the music in this Jimmy Cox cover doesn’t.
Now we come to ‘Layla’, the best track on the album and more Clapton Classic (TM) – the furious rock blues of the original is replaced by a swinging blues vibe, which totally transforms the song. It’s not as good as the original (Apparently a lot of people think THIS is the original, it’s not!) but still good in it’s own right.
At this point I’ve covered all the album’s great songs so I’ll just discuss it in general. Why? Well, the album suffers from being quite samey. It’s all swamp blues guitar, the sort of thing you’d expect to hear being played by a guy in a rocking chair on a porch. While none of the songs are bad, it can drag a bit from time to time. You very much have to be in the mood for this album, though if you’re having a late night game of cards in a dimly lit room with a beer or four, you won’t find a better album.
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Clapton caught the "unplugged" trend just at the right time, when the public was hungry ... more
to hear how well rock stars and their material could hold up when stripped of elaborate production values. Clapton himself seemed baffled by the phenomenon, espe...
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Clapton caught the "unplugged" trend just at the right time, when the public was hungry ... more
to hear how well rock stars and their material could hold up when stripped of elaborate production values. Clapton himself seemed baffled by the phenomenon, espe...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Mar 27th, 2001
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