Eric Clapton - Me & Mr Johnson
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Free Music Notes for Me & Mr Johnson
Free Music Review: An Essential blues recording
Hit: 5 Stars
On this outing from Mr. Clapton, we find him sounding his most enthused about music than we have in years. As Eric and his band easily glide through these obscure (to most music fans) tunes, we see him bring all of his experiences in blues and meshing them all together to give us a very unique blues experience.The first thing I noticed when I put this cd on was his voice, it's very strong and full of energy. You can definately tell that he is completely enjoying himself on each track as he sings his heart out. I can honestly say that this is the best that I've heard his voice in quite a long time.
The production on this album ended up terrific. I was very impressed how Simon Climie (Producer) fused the instruments together. Not only that, but the musicians on this album definately need to be commended because they did not overplay one second on this album. Everything was intentionally kept true to the artform they call 'the blues'. The backing instruments were recorded and mixed just right to make them sound as 'vintage' as possible without losing the current modern 'sound'. (Did that make sense..?!?) Overall, with the intensity and passion of Erics vocals and the production and instrumentation of the album makes this a definate keepsake for any blues enthusiast.
This is a great blues gem, and I definately suggest it to any fan! And if I dare say so, I believe that in the near future that this album will someday be reguarded as a "blues essential" to anyone who comes across it.
All the best, -AndyMan-
Free Music Review: Blues is to be interpreted, Not Copied
Hit: 5 Stars
I've read too many bad reviews of this CD, mostly from self-proclaimed "purists." I don't believe very many people complained when Clapton recorded Crossroads with Cream, and also solo. They were too busy calling Clapton "god." I love to listen to and play blues with friends. I bought original blues recordings mostly because of people like Eric Clapton, who pointed them out. Other than Clapton, I can't think of one individual pointing out the original composers for us to do our record hunting any better. Now I'm a fan, but I also play with a few friends every now and then. Now when I started playing back in the early seventies, had you handed me the Original Johnson recordings, I'd have put them aside and not understood them for quite a while. Had you handed me this latest release by Clapton, I would have paid attention, as I did when I heard all the blues and R&B from the 60s and 70s. In other words, let the purists have their Johnson boxed set, and all the other originals they want (I've got them too). I like to hear good interpretations. Sometimes, guess what, the interpretated recording is actually BETTER than the original. And this is what we have here. A great interpretation of the original Johnson. If you want to begin getting into the blues, this is a great place. If you are looking for new ways to perform Johnson's blues with a contemporary sound, this is also a great place. I thoroughly enjoy every track, and look forward to jamming with my friends on some of these.Free Music Review: Sheer bliss for a fan of both EC and Mr. J...
Hit: 5 Stars
How many fifteen-year-olds get to grow up and pay tribute to the artist who once set their souls on fire? In addition to the fact that excesses in Eric Clapton's earlier life make it a bit of a miracle that he's still with us, this CD is a work of love and passion that enriches the legacy of Robert Johnson as well as the lucky listener.Clapton notes that rather than viewing Robert Johnson's work as an obsession, he prefers "to think of it as a landmark that I navigate by, whenever I feel myself going adrift." Music lovers who knew Johnson primarily because of his work by other artists, such as the Rolling Stones' cover of "Love in Vain," will get to enjoy fourteen of his songs performed with respect and reality. Clapton's licks are a little ragged here and there, which only adds to the intimacy. You can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself in a Delta juke joint.
My husband and I once made a side trip from Memphis down to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to visit the Delta Blues Museum near the "crossroads" where Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the Devil in order to play the devil's music. We ate hot tamales at Abe's in Clarksdale, a memory lovingly revived by Clapton's rollicking, "They're Red Hot."
Thanks, EC. Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: Woefully Underrated
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't know what you guys want out of Eric. But if you want to hear him in his strong suit (Blues/Rock), you got it right here.
A spotlight reviewer claimed he "Isn't playing like his life depended on it." Listen to the intensity of tracks like Milkcow's Calf Blues, Kind Hearted Woman Blues and Hell Hound on My Trail - he is. That same reviewer said Eric's been bored for the last ten years or so. No. Take They're Red Hot, an uptempo, fun, piano-driven blues song. Same with 32-20 Blues. Billy Preston plays a mean piano, and this album is no exception. Traveling Riverside Blues packs a mean punch, being the best. Stop Breaking Down and Love in Vain have been used by the Rolling Stones already, but Eric puts new life into them. Eric's vocal performance - slightly drunken, barely intelligable - fits perfectly for Little Queen of Spades. The only weak track: If I Had Possesion Over Judgement Day. My only problem is he left some good Robert Johnson tunes untouched: Dust My Broom, Sweet Home Chicago (although he isn't from Chicago, so I'll forgive that), Stones in My Passway and Crossroads (Which he played with Cream in the first place).
If you're looking for something like, say, 461 Ocean Blvd. or Cream's Disraeli Gears, buy those. But stop being so harsh towards a good album.
Free Music Review: These are NOT covers.
Hit: 5 Stars
Let's get one thing straight: THERE ARE N-O C-O-V-E-R-S ON THIS RECORD. A cover is NOT a recording of a song you didn't write: a cover is a recording of a song intended to smother (or COVER, hence the term) another recording of the same song in concurrent release--if, that is, and only if, both are released as singles.This is how the practice arose: Federal law says that once a song has been published or commercially recorded anyone may re-record it without permission as long as he pays the standard royalty fee also set by federal law. Since that royalty fee is absurdly low (if a record sells a million copies, the composer gets about $5,000), professional song writers typically negotiate a hefty one-time payment for the first recording. A cover is a sneaky way to circumvent that hefty one-time payment; you let someone else record the song first, then you COVER that recording.
I'm sorry if that explanation sounds complicated or involved or abstruse to you, but the term is strictly an inside industry term, and the moral is: if you aren't an inside industry person (or at least if you aren't a person who wants to trouble himself to find out how the industry works), then don't pretend to be one.
By the way: this is a very good record.