Clapton on Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons really blew me away, especially Every Stranger's Eyes. I love the way Clapton plays on that track and on the rest of the record. So naturally, being unacquianted with his stuff, i hunted down some records from the local library, Pilgrim and Reptile. I wasn't really impressed, since none of the songs have the sort of unstructured bluesy improv stuff i was looking for. Any suggestions from Clapton fans out there as to which of his records a Pros and Cons fan would like?

Pilgrim and Reptile are his two newest releases. You can really appreciate them only if you have followed Eric's growth over the years (as I have) ... For a first outing, they will be dissapointing.

You should look for..

1) 461 Ocean Boulevard
2) Slowhand
3) Layla and Other Love Songs (by Derek and the Dominoes)
4) From the Cradle
5) There's One in Every Crowd
6) Just One Night (Live in Japan 1977)


That'd be good foundation to build on..

Also.. Look for "The Concert for George" DVD or soundtrack CD..
It was a tribute concert for George Harrison after his passing. Clapton put it together with many of George's friends attending. Clapton just tears it up on many of Harrisons classics, and reprises his solos on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" magnificently.

thanks, listening to From the Cradle now. Sounds promising to begin with. It seems less you know, track one, track two-ish, if you know what i mean

FANTASTIC concert. I constantly watch the video (taped it off PBS, but I plan to buy the DVD soon) and listen to the soundtrack whenever I need a Harrison/Clapton/Fairweather-Low fix.

Anybody else notice that Roger Waters was the first name on George Harrison's lips when discussing the "replace John and go out on tour as the Beatles" scenario on the Beatles Anthology video? Immediately followed by David Gilmour?

OR... you could just invest in the Clapton: Crossroads boxed set...

this is the best you'll ever hear from Clapton in my opinion and thanks to Roger's creativity no doubt

another great work of Clapton's (very much reminiscent to his playing on 'The Pros...") is the soundtrack to the movie "Rush".

On that note, what do you expereinced folks recommend in terms of blues artists that are also good lyrically and conceptually. I've tried a couple so far and the "had me a woman..." thing doesn't do much for me. I know that's the prevailing theme most of the time, but are there any *shudder* pseudo- blues concept albums as lofty as Floyd?

I don't know about blues artists lyrically and conceptually, but...

If you like Gilmour and Clapton's stuff then you'd really enjoy Jeff Beck. Blow by Blow, Wired, and There and Back are great for that spacey, jazzy, bluesy improvisational guitar playing. Gilmour and Page have noted him as their favorite guitarist and in fact the Floyd approached him and asked him to join after Syd left but he said no(Just as he had said it to The Rolling Stones as well!).

Truth is also a good album, but that has more of a Zeppelin/Hendrix/Cream feeling, though Truth and Blow by Blow are great starting points for Jeff Beck-ism. My favorite is There and Back though. I like that more smooth, jazzy feel, in an almost DSotM kind of way.

When I heard this story, it was that they were GOING to ask Beck to join Pink Floyd but couldn't work up the courage for fear of rejection...

Yes, that is an amazing concert, however I haven't seen it yet, but the CD is excellent.

It's great, everyone is having such a good time, onstage, backstage and in the audience. I've never seen so many people so genuinely happy. And the Monty Python segment is priceless...

Don't know much about Jeff Beck, but i'll check him out. Wasn't he with the Yardbirds for a time,(who wasn't) or am i wrong?

He was.

true dat

I wouldn't recommend Jeff Beck to anyone. He is a good guitarist, but not a good composer.