We've Got Tickets!
To see Eric Clapton on April 2nd! There's something so very endearing about Eric Clapton. His music is timeless, his talent seemingly endless and his ability to communicate through his instrument amazing. He's one of my favorite musicians.I wasn't always a fan. I remember hearing his hard living song Cocaine as a teenager and being turned off. Unlike many Clapton fans back in the 70's, I was a goody two-shoes and preferred listening to Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and Bread. And that's if I listened to music at all. I don't think I cared much for music until after graduating from high school. Mostly I watched Leave It To Beaver and Gilligan's Island on the teevee and called it good. So to say I've been a fan from the beginning would be an overstatement. I probably didn't come to love, really love, Clapton until he released Journeyman (my first Clapton acquisition) and then Unplugged, which I think some might say single-handedly "changed the world" (to quote the master himself), or at least significantly influenced "our" preference for acoustic over electric guitar. For me, Unplugged cinched the deal. At that time, I was barely familiar with the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream or Blind Faith, all bands which benefitted from Eric's involvement during his early career. But by then, I had come to appreciate the blues and what Clapton had done to fuse blues with rock 'n roll. And it is this blues influence that I love the most about his music. From The Cradle is almost exclusively blues, as is another favorite of mine, a collection of duets with B.B. King, entitled Riding With The King.
I just love his humble stage presence and his aging voice, not to mention his musical abilities. I'm looking forward to seeing him again. He's a real gem.
This reminds me of a meme that Jaynee started but I never completed, to list all of the concerts you have been to in your life. For many of the blues festivals I've been to, it is hard to remember all of the performers we might have seen in a particular weekend, but I plan to do this just for fun. I would love to see your list if you want to participate in the meme.
Labels: Music
posted by Gwynne @ 7:56 PM
6 Comments:
My interest in Clapton mirrors yours: I started off liking the earlier, harder Clapton ("Strange Brew", "Layla") and lost interest when he mellowed ("Lay Down Sally", "Wonderful Tonight"). As I've mellowed myself, though, I've come to appreciate the subtlety of a lot of his work and what a great guitarist he really is.
I saw an interview with him once, in which he explained how--like other greats, such as B.B. King--he tries to sing with his guitar in a way that emulates the human voice. I'd never thought of it that way.
Have fun at the show!
Hope you have a great time! When I was barely cognizant, I had a chance to see Clapton when the short-lived Cream were tooling around. Not really worth all of the hoopla, IMHO, at the time.
Didn't get to see him in the other Mass Of Egos band, Blind Faith, 'cause of the bad taste left by Cream. Did see him when he first started his solo act back in the day of 461 Ocean Boulevard. Still recall with fondness his extended solos on "Motherless Children" and "Willi and the Hand Jive". Jim Gordon was the drummer at that concert. Mr. Gordon, the drummer on "Layla", shortly afterwards went off the deep end.
I think your meme suggestion about concerts is a great one! Time to fire up all the synapses and see what I can come up with.
Foo, I've thought that about good guitarists emulating the human voice with their instruments also...probably heard B.B. King say it once and grabbed onto that idea.
Boy, Darko, you ain't kiddin' about Jim Gordon going off the deep end...in a bad way! Whereas normally, I admire people who live in the Deep End, I pity this one. Now for the real weird twist on that story...both my step-father and my ex-husband were prison guards (protectors, if you will) for Jim at the CA Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, CA. How's that for weird?!
It's down to 3 Degrees of Seperation, Gwynne, from you to Mr. Clapton (an to Dwayne Allman, another guitar god, sadly departed).
We love Clapton!
I love Clapton... the intro to "She's Gone" is one of my all-time favorites! I am sure you'll enjoy him. He like many of us... has had some transforming life events. To the folks who still let drugs real their lives... I say, "There but for the GRACE of GOD... ~ jb///
Post a Comment
<< Home