by Mott the Dog
3
Stars ***
‘Crossroads 2’ is not to be confused with
‘Crossroads’, the first of this series of Eric Clapton’s 4 CD box
sets, which was a musically wonderful collection encompassing Eric
Clapton’s entire career from early 1963 to the present day. The rather
lamely titled ‘Crossroads 2’, however, concentrates on Eric
Clapton’s live work from 1974 to 78. (There are four very good studio
out takes that have never been released before, which top and tail this
set.)
This review comes in two parts. First let me deal with
the music. This starts out with Eric Clapton in 1974, when he has already
been a professional axe slinger with an American Blues fixation for over
10 years.
Starting out with ‘The Roosters’ with Tom
McGuinness (later of McGuinness Flint, the Bluesbreakers, and Manfred
Mann), the next port of call was ‘Casey Jones and the Engineers’
before joining the fledgling rhythm and blues band ‘The Yardbirds’,
who replaced ‘The Rolling Stones’ as the resident band at the
Crawdaddy Club in London (anything for a time machine).
Eric Clapton then found a home in John Mayall’s
‘Bluesbreakers’ for a year. The Bluesbreakers recorded the seminal
‘Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton’ album (often referred to as the
Beano album as on the front cover shows our Eric reading the world famous
kids comic). It was during this period that Eric Clapton picked up the
nickname ‘Slowhand’, which has stuck with him ever since.
But ever the restless soul, Eric Clapton did not even
last a year in the ‘Bluesbreakers’ before he joined forces with Ginger
Baker and Jack Bruce to form the first supergroup ‘Cream’. Now I am
not saying that they were successful, but Atlantic Records had to invent
the Platinum Disc award to show off how many album sales ‘Cream’ had
and all their concerts were sold out all across the world.
Another supergroup was formed with Steve Winwood (of
‘Traffic’ fame amongst others), but that didn’t keep Eric occupied
for a year before he was off again. After a stretch on the road with
buddies Delaney and Bonnie (that’s Delaney and Bonnie not Shenanigans
and Bonnie!), Eric Clapton formed Derek and the Dominoes in May 1970. They
managed one worldwide tour and the phenomenal double album ‘Layla and
other assorted Love Songs’. The inspiration for this album was
supermodel Patti Boyd, who Eric was passionately in love with even though
she was married to his best friend George Harrison. Eric’s guitar
playing on ‘Layla’ was pushed to new heights by the presence of Duane
Allman, who challenged him all the way.
After less than a year, the Dominoes imploded, and
Eric, his personal life in tatters, remained housebound with Patti Boyd
for the next three years. The first result of his “escape” was the
album ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’. In the next four years Eric released five
more albums under his own name and toured the world with three separate
touring bands, both to worldwide critical acclaim and ever increasing
sales.
What you get on ‘Crossroads 2’ is a selection of
the best of these years running in chronological order over five hours of
Eric at his absolute best. Too many highlights to name them all, but on
Eric’s second world tour he took Carlos Santana with him as support
band. Every night Carlos and members of his band would jump up and jam
with Eric and his band for an encore. This can be heard to devastating
effect on the 24-minute version of ‘Eyesight to the Blind/Why does Love
Got To Be So Sad’ medley on disc 2. Disc 2 also contains a blistering
10-minute version of ‘Cream’s ‘Badge’, which Eric co-wrote with
George Harrison. (Has the man no shame? Stole his wife and his song.)
With the possible exception of the dreadfully slushy
‘Wonderful Tonight’, the music is 5 Star all the way.
As for the second part of the review. What on earth are
Polygram trying to do regarding the price? Even with Amazon.com discounts
the 4 CD package comes in at 54 US Dollars. OK, you get a 44-page color
booklet and each CD is over an hour long, but some of the material was
previously available as ‘E.C. was here’. No costs have been spent on
studio time or re-recording anything. Surely this was a great chance to
give something back to the constantly paying punter. For this outrage I
award the record company 1 Star, which balances out at three. Great music
though.
Musicians
Eric Clapton - Guitar and Vocals
George Terry - Guitar
Dick Sims - Keyboards
Carl Radle - Bass
Jamie Oldaker - Drums
Macy Levy - Backing Vocals
Yvonne Eliman - Backing Vocals
Songs
Disc 1
Walkin’ Down the Road
Have You Ever Loved a Woman
Willie And The Hand Jive/Get Ready
Can’t Find My Way Home
Driftin’ Blues/ Rambling On My Mind
Presence Of The Lord
Rambling On My Mind/Have You Ever Loved A Woman
Little Wing
The Sky Is Crying/Have You Ever Loved A Woman/Rambling On My Mind
Disc 2
Layla
Further On Up The Road
I Shot The Sheriff
Badge
Driftin’ Blues
Eyesight To The Blind/Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?
Disc 3
Tell The Truth
Knockin’ On Heavens Door
Stormy Monday
Lay Down Sally
The Core
We’re All The Way
Cocaine
Goin’ Down Slow/Rambling On My Mind
Mean Old Frisco
Disc 4
Loving You (Is Sweeter Than Ever)
Worried Life Blues
Tulsa Time
Early In The Morning
Wonderful Tonight
Kind Hearted Woman
Double Trouble
Crossroads
To Make Somebody Happy
Cryin’
s
There
is something about a hard cover book that just adds to the enjoyment of
reading. It feels weighty. It is a proper ‘book’. This week’s review
is one of those. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and released by Doubleday
publishing last year (ISBN 0-385-50420-9) is a whopping 450 page hard
cover epic, and I enjoyed just picking it up from the shelves. It promised
so much, just from the presentation.
Mott’s CD review: Eric Clapton Crossroads 2