Unplugged

I bought this cd again because I'd lost my first copy and my partner had not heard it despite loving his Cream and blues cds. This quieter and more contemplative album is quite different from much of Clapton's other work but is a classic.

If you are not a Clapton fan don't be put off by his heavy Cream and blues sound. This cd is very different and will be enjoyed by people who like singer-songwriters who back themselves on guitar and with a discrete band.

The cd contains Clapton's moving hit 'Tears in heaven' about his son's death and while it would be extraordinary if any other track could reach those heights, most are worthy accompaniments, making it a great album overall.

The few Clapton fans who have not yet heard him 'unplugged' should have at least one listen of this cd to hear another facet of the great man. Unusually for Clapton, just over a third of the tracks on this cd were (co)written by Clapton.

The reviewer who noted that Clapton's songs are made fresher by being unplugged is right on! For me Clapton is one of founding fathers of electric guitar. His work in Cream is the subconscious. Here he is kinder and gentler, more subtle and, like a good wine, better than ever. I especially think this applies to the Johnson material (Malted Milk, Walkin' Blues). Let me note that the GODFATHER OF ALL UNPLUGGED events, ground zero for the whole phenomenon is also a guitar album, the best live one EVER recorded: FRIDAY NIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO (Di Meola, McLaughlin, De Lucia). Buy it now.

Many people have heard of Eric Clapton's music. Some people love him and some people don't. I believe that this CD show's his true skill in music (Eric Clapton Unplugged). Eric Clapton displays his true dominance of the modern blues genre. I believe that Clapton is the best modern day blues musician because of his master of tone.
This CD has most of Clapton's main hits such as "Layla," and "Tears in Heaven." All of the songs are acoustic, which adds a nice flavor to the CD. The songs are all of his classic, thus no new songs. So if you are a frequent Clapton listener you will not find any new material in this CD; although the acoustic guitar adds a different sound to some of them.
The MTV's unplugged series which produced this album is known for good music. Many different artists have played for the series, such as R.E.M, Rod Stewart, and Alice in Chains. MTV have obviously made some mistakes in their music choices but the unplugged series is definitely not one. I think that everyone needs to go and pick up Eric Clapton's unplugged CD. It shows his dominance of the modern blues genre. This is a must have.

I love Clapton, but of all of his albums this seems to be the purest in form. The vocals are excellent and the guitar work simple but exquisite. This may be my favorite of all the albums of his work I have heard.

First off, I'm a pretty big Clapton fan. I own all his stuff from the Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith plus the Derek and the Dominoes studio album, One More Car, One More Rider, The Cream of Clapton, and this CD. Clapton is undoubtedly one of the finest guitarists of all time, as well as one of my favorites. My four favorite guitarists are Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman, Peter Green, and Mr. Clapton. So I'm not a reflexive Clapton hater.

That said, do yourself a favor and avoid this CD unless you really want to hear some Delta-style Blues from Clapton. The essence of Clapton is emotive Chicago Blues and Blues-Rock, neither of which can be found here. Instead you'll find some re-worked Chicago Blues classics like Muddy Waters'Rollin' and Tumblin'(which can be found in a more exciting, electric version on Fresh Cream) and Bo Diddley's Before You Accuse Me and some Delta Blues Classics like "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" (which, again, can be found electrically on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs). The only original material here is "Signe" which is an interesting but inconsequential introduction and Tears in Heaven, written for his recently killed four year old son. Tears in Heaven is a fantastic song. It's an emotionally raw dirge which features Clapton's plaintive wail. But it's not the blues by any measure, more comparable to Wonderful Tonight or Change the World than any of Clapton's excellent guitar workouts that one him his godly reputation.

The record's greatest sin is the reworked acoustic version of Layla, which is stripped of its famous and fantastic riff, soaring and emotive guitar solos, and Jim Gordon's lovely piano coda- the three elements that made the song worth your listen in the first place. It is a revealing historical document however, as it shows us what the song likely looked like before Duane Allman wrote the riff and sped up the tempo.

If you're looking to start a Clapton collection, I highly recommend Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominoes, Fresh Cream or Disraeli Gears by Cream, or the Cream of Clapton if you're looking for an overview of his career.