Record Reviews

ERIC CLAPTON ~ NOTHING BUT THE BLUES REPRISE 093624906452 (Barcode: 093624906452) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1994 Released: 2022 Almost thirty years after the filming the documentary “Nothing But The BluesFind albums with this title” in 1994, which tells the story of British guitar superstar Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist and his affiliation with Blues Music, capturing his live performances at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, the soundtrack and the film are finally released on CD, DVD and other formats for us to enjoy. The CD presents seventeen Blues classics, performed by a band, which includes, in addition to Clapton on guitar and vocals, also guitarist Andy Fairweather LowFind albums by this artist, harmonica player Jerry PortnoyFind albums by this artist, pianist Chris StaintonFind albums by this artist, bassist Dave BronzeFind albums by this artist, drummer Andy NewarkFind albums by this artist and the Kick HornsFind albums by this artist horn section. There are no surprises herein, which is to be expected. Clapton feels like a fish in the water within the Blues idiom and his deep love of the music is evident all the way through. His vocals are steady and strong and his guitar work is as genuine as they come. Most of the material is close to the Blues tradition, more Blues than Blues-Rock, which finds Clapton reverting almost thirty years back in time to his legendary stint with John MayallFind albums by this artist. The sound is somewhat a bit too dense for a true Blues experience, and a smaller lineup might have served the purpose more accurately, but let’s be honest, Clapton is a Master of the Trade and his understanding of the Blues is truly astounding, which guarantees complete satisfaction to his many fans and followers. Overall, this is a feast to Blues and Blues-Rock lovers the world over, with the right man in the right place to make sure everything works like clockwork. A bit too loud for me, but hay, I must be getting old... Enjoy!

Updated: 23/12/2022Posted: 23/12/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

ERIC CLAPTON ~ THE LADY IN THE BALCONY (LOCKDOWN SESSIONS) MERCURY 602438711529 (Barcode: 602438711529) ~ UK ~ Blues Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by iconic British guitarist / vocalist / songwriter Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist, recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic, following the cancellation of his live concerts. He is accompanied by veteran British keyboardist Chris StaintonFind albums by this artist, American bassist Nathan EastFind albums by this artist and drummer Steve GaddFind albums by this artist, all seasoned and well respected musicians. The album presents seventeen tracks, eight of which are songs written or co-written by Clapton, spanning his entire career, two are classics written by Peter GreenFind albums by this artist and the rest are American Blues classics. The music was recorded almost completely acoustically and has a distinct “unplugged” feel about it. Clapton plays some beautifully tasteful acoustic guitar and sings confidently, accompanied amicably by his cohorts. The resulting music is pretty straightforward, mostly classic Blues oriented, which is a delightful listening experience, unpretentious, straight to the heart, relaxed and honest. Overall, this is a wonderful, nostalgic but not sugary retrospective of one of the greatest British guitarists and songwriters, regardless of what some people might think. It is a soundtrack of my generation, when a great melody and skillful, intelligent instrumental performance meant something. I absolutely loved every second of this album.

Updated: 19/03/2022Posted: 19/03/2022

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ THE LAST PUFF REPERTOIRE 1073 (Barcode: 4009910107324) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2005 4th album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, led by vocalist / pianist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, which was the last recording by the original lineup of the band, soon to be disbanded. Following the recording of the band´s previous album, the bold and ground-breaking "CeremonyFind albums with this title", a Rock Mass recorded with French Electronic Music composer Pierre HenryFind albums by this artist, which turned out to be a source of major controversy among the band´s members, the original superb lineup of the band started to break up, with bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist leaving to join another epic British band Humble PieFind albums by this artist and vocalist / organist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist (who was the band´s main songwriter) leaving to start a solo career. Harrison brought aboard three excellent British musicians, who were previously the core of Joe CockerFind albums by this artist´s support band The Grease BandFind albums by this artist: multi-instrumentalist Chris StaintonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Henry McCulloughFind albums by this artist and bassist Alan SpencerFind albums by this artist in order to expand the lineup, and these musicians participated in the recording sessions that resulted in this release. Since there was no resident songwriter aboard, Harrison decided to record a series of arrangements / adaptations of existing Rock repertoire. His choice of material is impeccable and the bands interpretations truly inspired, resulting in an excellent piece of music, different from the original incarnation of Spooky Tooth, but nevertheless highly satisfactory and worth listening to. The overall sound is quite similar to the band´s previous incarnation and any Spooky Tooth fan will find this album most enjoyable. Warmly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend