Eric Clapton - The Blues

Eric Clapton earned a reputation as a blues guitarist early in his career, and while he frequently returned to the blues -- usually recording at least one blues tune per album -- he never recorded a full-fledged blues album until 1994's From the Cradle. It became one of the most popular records of his career. Not long afterward, MCA assembled a collection of Jimi Hendrix's blues recordings, and that compilation also proved quite successful. Those two releases provided the blueprint for Blues, Polygram's double-disc collection of blues highlights from Clapton's RSO recordings of the '70s. On each of those albums, Clapton dabbled in the blues, and all of those moments, along with five previously unreleased tracks (both live and studio cuts), are featured here. Given that it's a compilation spanning ten years, it's not entirely surprising that Blues lacks cohesion, but the quality of the songs and performances is better than the majority of his RSO albums. As a matter of fact, nearly every performance on this set offers proof that Clapton could still dazzle as a guitarist during the '70s, even if his life was plagued with personal problems that ultimately affected his recording career. Blues may not appeal to listeners who just want hits, but even serious fans who have most of the tunes here may find this a revelatory listening experience. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Jackson, Jr. Drums Albert Lee Guitar, Vocals Andy MacPherson Mixing Bill Levenson Mixing, Compilation Producer Bill Oakes Producer Bobby Whitlock Piano Carl Radle Bass Chris Stainton Keyboards Dave Markee Bass Dave Mason Guitar Dick Sims Organ, Piano Duane Allman Guitar, Performer Eric Clapton Vocals, Dobro, Guitar, Arranger Freddie King Guitar Gary Brooker Vocals, Keyboards George Terry Guitar Glyn Johns Engineer, Producer Henry Spinetti Drums, Percussion Jackie Stansfield Project Coordinator Jamie Oldaker Drums Jay Mark Mixing Jerry Rappaport Project Assistant Jim Gordon Drums (Bass) John Bellissimo Photography John Jansen Mixing John McDermott Liner Notes Jon Astley Engineer, Mixing Laurens Van Houten Photography Leadbelly Arranger Marcy Levy Vocals Michael Putland Photography Philip Chapman Mixing Rob Fraboni Producer Ron Pownall Photography Ron Wood Guitar Sergio Pastora Percussion Steve Rinkoff Mixing Suha Gur Digital Mastering, Digital Compilation, Mixing Terri Tierney Project Coordinator The Dominoes Producer, Arranger Tom Dowd Executive Producer, Producer Yvonne Elliman Vocals