Search - Eric Clapton :: Complete Clapton

Great Companion CD's for the Book

George McAdams | Alabama, USA | 10/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Clapton's "Complete Clapton" is an outstanding double CD collection that I would give anyone who had heard of Eric Clapton, but didn't have any of his music. It is an economical collection that is fairly representative of his music, but it is nowhere near a comprehensive collection of his music. With music from his work with Cream, Blind Faith, Derek & the Dominos, and his solo work, including tracks with B.B. King and J.J. Cale, I found this a great CD to have in my car in addition to all the other Clapton CD's I have.



What I enjoy about it most of all is a sense that this is what "he" wanted out on the streets when his autobiography was published. Looking through my collection of Eric Clapton CD's, I am amazed by the sheer amount of work he has issued, with a copy of "Cream of Clapton" and "Clapton Chronicles" serving as chapter dividers around 1995 and 1999.



But, what if you are a true fan of Clapton and you really want to have a definitive collection of his work, what CD's can you purchase now that will give you a true sense of the groups he played with and how his music evolved over the years? Personally, I would have "CrossroadsCrossroads," a four CD Boxed-Set compilation of his earlier work with heavy doses of his work with the Yardbirds, Mayall, and Cream, and later solo work up to the mid 1980's. Another collection, that I don't have, but it has more of his earlier work with groups you never knew he performed with, and several tunes he played with Jimmy Page, is "Clapton is God," Clapton Is God: The Cream of Early Eric Clapton a four CD collection that is an import from England.





A second box-set I would have would be the Derek and the Dominos 20th Anniversary one, The Layla Sessions : 20th Anniversary Edition that has an extra 2.5 hours of recordings that feature Eric playing along with Duane Allman. This is a great set of recordings. The third CD collection I would have to be representative of his work would be either the "Clapton Chronicles" Clapton Chronicles - The Best of Eric Claptonor "Complete Clapton" because they both have two of his better commercial successes, "Forever Man" and "It's In the Way You Use It" along with several of his "unplugged" work, "Layla" and "Tears in Heaven."





All-in-all, "Complete Clapton" is a great double CD for someone who doesn't have any Clapton music, and I wouldn't hesitate buying it to have in my car or as a gift for those in your life who are musically challenged."

Hardly "complete"

Galley | Greenville, South Carolina United States | 10/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you're a compilation producer and your next project is Eric Clapton, the first thing you gotta ask yourself is "Do I go for a complete career retrospective including all of the bands Clapton has worked with, or do I stick to only the solo recordings?" The smart money is on the former, but to truly do justice with that approach you would need a boxed set. An excellent boxed set, Crossroads was released many years ago which fills that need, but perhaps it should've been updated. If it were me, I would choose the latter approach. I would fill two discs with all of Clapton's solo work since any self-respecting classic rock fan will already own The Very Best of Cream or Gold, along with Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Since that frees me up with quite a bit more room, I would select "Willie & The Hand Jive", "Watch Out For Lucy", "Blues Power", "Tulsa Time", "The Shape You're In", "Tearing Us Apart" and "Before You Accuse Me" to truly make a collection that is "complete"."

Complete??

Shaun Navis | Milwaukee, WI | 10/19/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To quote Otto the bus driver (from "The Simpsons"), "That is totally false advertising!" Many here have taken exception to calling this collection "Complete Clapton." Maybe calling this "Complete Hits Collection" would've made more sense, though even that's not entirely accurate. "Essential Clapton"? Closer to the mark, though no two people are going to agree on what's "essential" Eric.



But looking at this collection for what it is -- a "hits" album -- it's one of the better ones out there. It surpasses the old Timepieces and Clapton Chronicles collections (for less money), though both contain a few songs you won't find here. Still, just about every hit from EC's solo years is here. So are a number of key album tracks.



Where it falls a bit flat is the lack of pre-solo stuff. I don't think the exclusion of the Yardbirds is a big deal. The only hit from that time was "For Your Love," a pop song that caused Eric to leave the band! His guitar is barely heard on that track. Most of that early Yardbirds stuff is really watered-down pop-blues anyhow. More Cream ("Strange Brew" and "Spoonful," for instance) was needed. No tracks from his stint with John Mayall? Criminal! Both "Hideaway" and "Ramblin' On My Mind" (the latter being the first time he sang lead on a record) are essential. Couldn't go wrong with a little more Blind Faith, and this set just scratches the surface of Derek & The Dominos as well.



The remedy for this easy. Skip this collection, and pick up the old Crossroads boxed set instead. It came out back in 1988, but nearly 20 years later it's still the best Clapton collection out there. Most of the hits are there, but it's also loaded with a lot of great album tracks, live jams, and other rarities. Even outtakes from Blind Faith and Derek & The Dominos! You really can't go wrong with it.



I think most of EC's 80's and 90's output was pretty weak stuff, glossy pop that emphasized synths and drum machines over his guitar playing, so disc two suffers a bit. But there are still some gems to be found. The "Unplugged" stuff got overplayed, so it's easy to forget how good it was (and still is). After that, he turned out the excellent, and highly recommended, blues album From The Cradle. Sadly, only "Motherless Child" from that album made the cut here. My dream collection would replace those 80's pop songs (such as the wretched "Forever Man" and "She's Waiting") with stronger material like "Before You Accuse Me," "Five Long Years," and "I'm Tore Down." If all you really want is Clapton's biggest hits, however, this is a perfectly good set. And the price is right!"