Eric Clapton

Me & Mr Johnson

Mixed Reviews For This Blues Master..??

Review Score:

(8/10)
Before I specifically address this CD, I feel compelled to respond to a few comments I've read re Clapton's "qualifications" as a bluesman.

One reviewer went so far as to compare Clapton's tribute to his hero, Robert Johnson as comparable to Pat Boone and his version of Little Richard's Tutti Fruiti.

Another "purist blues fan" essentially implied that white British guys couldn't possibly compare to Muddy Waters or the other great, black bluesmen.

C'mon - what nonsense! When asked what he hoped to accomplish with his music, the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan said that he wanted to be remembered for taking the colour out of the blues.

Eric Clapton is a bona fide bluesman who is on a par with ANY of the blues greats. You can't survive and thrive in an environment as fickle as the music business for five decades without doing something very, very right. We're talking about a man here who is only one of two other artists - Billy Preston being the other - who actually played and recorded with the Beatles..!!

Having said this, I partially share some of the sentiments voiced by others here that the album lacks something - "energy" perhaps. There's no question that technically, Clapton sounds great. His guitar playing is as good as ever and vocally, Clapton sounds better with each passing year.

And after paying his dues for 40 years now, Clapton no longer has to feel "self conscious" about putting out an entire album of Robert Johnson tunes. This blues giant obviously had a very profound impact on a young Eric Clapton and despite all of his musical accomplishments, I don't believe that a younger Clapton could have made this album. However, this 57 year old man is much more comfortable in his skin now that he has been in the past and I'm pleased that he took this step.

And after the "blues" he's experienced in his own life - the death of his son, substance abuse problems, etc - he's certainly earned the right to sing the "blues". His playing and singing reflect a maturity that didn't exist years ago.

In many respects, this album is much like his stage persona. In concert, Eric will never be mistaken for Gene Simmons of Kiss or Elton John. You're never going to see any major pyrotechnics or lavish staging at a Clapton show. You're not even going to get too much stage banter from Eric either.

All you'll ever get at an Eric Clapton concert or on his CDs is great music.

I've sat and listened to this album dozen's of times while driving to and from work. And I thoroughly enjoy it. "When You've Got A Good Friend","If I Had Possession over Judgement Day" and "Hell Hound On My Trail", for example, are great arrangements of Robert's songs.

Perhaps Eric makes it look so easy - his performances are so effortless looking that we mistake it for lack of "energy". Or perhaps I'm subconsciously comparing it to Eric's other tour-de-force blues album "From The Cradle", which just exudes pure energy and raw blues, both vocally and from his Strat.

However, having said all of the above, though, this is still a CD that every blues listener and Clapton fan should have in ther collection. It's a wonderful tribute from one blues giant to another.!!

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