Eric Clapton

[audiobliss]

Anybody here just totally captivated by Eric Clapton's amazing skills on the guitar (and whatever else he plays), vocals, amazing way of expressing thoughts, and wide range of styles of music? The first I heard of him was when I listened to my dad's CD Eric Clapton Unplugged. I loved (and still do) that CD. I listened to it for weeks on end. And throughout the last few years, I have never tired of coming back to it every now and then.

Slightly more recently I bought Cream of Clapton. For me, this was a totally different side of Eric Clapton. I recognized a few of the songs, but for the most part it was new. I really grew to like this side of him every bit as much as the other, though they're so different.

Now fast forward to about three weeks ago. My friend discovered and then gave me a (bootleg..:D) copy of Clapton Chronicles. This CD is much like Cream of Clapton in styles, but is slightly different. I haven't been able to stop listening to this CD for more than a day or two at a time over the last three or four weeks!

I have decided that I'm a huge Eric Clapton fan, and that I'd love to start collecting some of his better works. (Not that I imagine that he has any 'lesser' works! :p)

So, what are some your opinions on Eric Clapton? His style? The CDs I mentioned? What are some other CDs I (and others in the same boat) should take a listen to? And may even be worth buying? I don't have a SACD player (yet), but are there any good SACDS (or DVD-Audio discs) worth mentioning?

-audiobliss

[audiobliss]

Also, I meant to ask what all he plays. I forgot, lol. I imagine that he's pretty good with several different instruments. What other instruments are commonly found in his music? Just general comments regarding him and his work would be very interesting and much appreciated!

[Polkersince85]

Clapton has been around a while, mostly guitar playing. His most recent CD is Me and Mr. Johnson, it's a rendition of Robert Johnson blues. I like it. Any of his stuff is good IMO. All the way from Cream up. I saw him live on the "Cocaine" tour, will never forget it. He did a tribute to Bob Dylan for PBS about 15 years ago that was fantastic. He learned to play guitar by listening to a record player and picking out the tunes. A true great one.

[audiobliss]

To elaborate just a bit.

Tears In Heaven, Running On Faith, Layla are a few of my favorite songs from Eric Clapton Unplugged. Some of the especially 'different' songs that I've recently been introduced to include Pretending, I Get Lost, and It's In the Way That You Use It. My Father's Eyes and Blue Eyes Blue are some of my new favorites that aren't too far removed from the style of Unplugged.

What got me started on thinking about this so much and then starting this thread was I was listening to Clapton Chronicles. I was home alone and so I had it turned up pretty good. I finally got to the last track which is (on my burned copy) River of Tears. This was the first time I had really listened to it. The music is beautiful. I read the lyrics online as I listened to the song, and it was so powerful.

Music really is an amazing thing!

[Polkersince85]

He wrote "Tears in Heaven" after his small son was killed by falling out of a window. I don't know how he was able to sing it.

[audiobliss]

Yeah, I had heard that. I think the same thing every time I hear it (that I'm emotionally stable enough to think!). A very moving song. From a very sad time. One of the great deeply touching, thought-provoking songs.

[F1nut]

Congrats on discovering one of the greats. IMO, any of his works are worth listening/owning.

[Roy Munson]

If you like the blues get Claptons "From The Cradle". This is a stellar CD chocked full of classic blues!

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

yep, 'From the Cradle' is my favorite of his stuff done in the last decade or so...especially the first track...

[Zero]

Clapton is a truly great artist in every context of the meaning. Great talent that creates and plays great music !

I too bust out the 'unplugged' disc every once in awhile - always enjoyable.

[warren]

audiobliss ,Clapton has a DVD out, a tribute to George Harrison, it's great. Aloha, Warren

[Larry Chanin]

Hi,

I just got the Eric Capton Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD. It's an absolutely fantastic two-disc set featuring Eric and a collection of superb guitarists!! Its pretty recent, it was recorded live at the Cotton Bowl, in Dallas Texas and released last year.

audiobliss: Surprise your dad and get him this DVD, you will definitely earn points with him. ;)

Larry

[audiobliss]

If you like the blues get Claptons "From The Cradle". This is a stellar CD chocked full of classic blues!

Oooh! We have that! I just know it! Now I hafta find it....


audiobliss ,Clapton has a DVD out, a tribute to George Harrison, it's great. Aloha, Warren

I'll hafta look into that one. I do actually have a DVD player! :p


Larry
I was thinking, "That sounds too expensive!" But then, that'd be a great present for Dad sometime; I'd still get to watch it!!



Oh, and I assume thoses DVDs are regular DVDs and not DVD-Audio discs.

[ND13]

This shows that there's still hope for the younger generations to discover what "real" talent is. I'm very pleased to here that AB has uncovered Clapton. Listen to your father's recommendations, you'll uncover some truly exquisite music from the "glory days" of rock and roll (1965-1975 give or take). I'm not saying that the newer music isn't good, because there are some talented artists out there, just not like it was then. Almost every newer artist was influenced by or flat out copies the likes of Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Stones, The Who, Sabbath, and so on.

Kudos to you for recognizing true talent and not being scared to admit it. Alot of your generation would never publically come out and say what you did for fear that they wouldn't be cool.

[Larry Chanin]

Originally posted by audiobliss

Larry
I was thinking, "That sounds too expensive!" But then, that'd be a great present for Dad sometime; I'd still get to watch it!!

Oh, and I assume thoses DVDs are regular DVDs and not DVD-Audio discs.

Hi AB,

Yes, it was a little pricey. I paid about $22 at Walmart. It's a regular Video DVD in widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0, and DTS 5. 1 sound. The playing time is 210 minutes. I had it playing in my home theater during a birthday celebration. My guests told me that it was just like being there.

Larry

[RuSsMaN]

Forget the 5.1 mixes, get out the old table and find these classics. It might not hurt to check to see if anyone has remastered them, and released them on CD.

Derek and the Dominos, and Blind Faith. Really cool EARLY Clapton.

[RuSsMaN]

Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, Rich Grech.

Cheers,
Russ

[ND13]

Originally posted by RuSsMaN
Forget the 5.1 mixes, get out the old table and find these classics. It might not hurt to check to see if anyone has remastered them, and released them on CD.

Derek and the Dominos, and Blind Faith. Really cool EARLY Clapton.

Blind Faith ROCKS. You'll love it. Great classic rock is the only way to go.

[RuSsMaN]

It is classic rock, but I really dig the abstract stuff on this one, when they just JAM. I guess that's the Ginger Baker abstract/jazz influence. It's very cool.

[ND13]

Originally posted by RuSsMaN
It is classic rock, but I really dig the abstract stuff on this one, when they just JAM. I guess that's the Ginger Baker abstract/jazz influence. It's very cool.

Yes, it is indeed. Gotta love GB, SW, and Clapton on the same stage. One of the first true supergroups.

[audiobliss]

Last night after supper, all of us (the fam) went out to the bookstore. I'm usually not too fond of the idea, but pass the time avidly reading car magazines. Last night, however, I was really wanting to go to the bookstore - to look at Eric Clapton CDs. I was just so excited about it. When we walked in, I didn't immediately see the music section and asked Mom where it was, she said they don't have music. :eek: :confused: :eek: :mad: :(

Oh well. Hopefully I'll get to look for some here pretty soon.

[audiobliss]

I pulled out Dad's From the Cradle CD. I really don't like it. I guess I'm just not into blues/jazz.

However, I went to Barnes & Noble Sunday and bought Pilgrim. I've liked quite a few of the songs on that CD. Though, when just playing through the CD, it gets kinda monotonous, because several of the songs have almost exactly the same back beat/rhythm.

Hmm..Blind Faith. I'll have to look for that the next time I go to the bookstore; maybe this Sunday.

[Tide]

Originally posted by audiobliss
However, I went to Barnes & Noble Sunday and bought Pilgrim. I've liked quite a few of the songs on that CD. Though, when just playing through the CD, it gets kinda monotonous, because several of the songs have almost exactly the same back beat/rhythm.

If you like the Clapton drum machine dominated synth songs on Pilgrim, try TDF: Retail Therapy. Clapton is disguised as "x-sample." Not my cup of tea, but there's a Clapton for everybody, because he's done hard rock, album rock, soft rock, blues, country, synth, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002NCZ/ref=m_art_li_1/104-6732491-9290355?v=glance&s=music

[audiobliss]

Interesting; I don't think I saw that one at the store. However, I wasn't saying that I liked that as much as I was stating an observation. He did country?! :eek: Never would have guessed.

[ND13]

Originally posted by audiobliss
Interesting; I don't think I saw that one at the store. He did country?! :eek: Never would have guessed.

EC is an extremely well rounded musician.

[audiobliss]

Originally posted by ND13
EC is an extremely well rounded musician.

You can most definitely say that again. And not only is he well-rounded, from what I've heard (so far), he is extremely talented/dedicated/effortlessly masterful of all the different genres he has tackled.

Absolutely nothing short of an amazing artist.

[ND13]

Originally posted by audiobliss
You can most definitely say that again. And not only is he well-rounded, from what I've heard (so far), he is extremely talented/dedicated/effortlessly masterful of all the different genres he has tackled.

Absolutely nothing short of an amazing artist.


Nothing short indeed.

[Micah Cohen]

Ugh, you guys are all over the place. Clapton? Today? He's a limp wrist and you all know it. And really, "Derek & The Dominoes" is awful. Listened to it lately? It doesn't hold up. And most of the lead guitar playing on it -- the stuff that gets your attention -- is Duane Allman anyway!

Look, in seven minutes I'll give you the very best of Eric Clapton. Hunt down the remastered "Wheels Of Fire" CD (that's Cream), and slap on their version of "Crossroads." Then, if that doesn't sizzle your synapses, hunt down his later version of "Further On Up The Road" from his awful live album, "Just One Night." He's already, by that time, crocked up on bad drugs and lost his youthful talent, but that one cut is near as he ever gets to the real evil of the bluesmen he was stealing from when he was younger (I mean, Robert Johnson, et al).

Two cuts, the best of Clapton ever.

Clapton today is case of reputation preceeding actual talent. He's boring. I would encourage you to go back, go back, and find some old blues stuff, a complilation of great blues from the 40s, 50s and 60s, and you will quickly see that Clapton pales, even in relation to the other English guitarists of his ilk, Page and Beck, even. They are just more interesting to listen to.

Better yet, grab up the new remaster of The Allman Brothers' "Live At The Fillmore East," and let Duane Allman and Dickey Betts (and a smoking hot blues band) smother you in evil, devilish blues.

Clapton... Feh. :mad:

MC

[Larry Chanin]

Hi Micah,

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.;)

I guess you're not too happy with Eric's remake of Layla? I have to admit everytime I hear the remake I start to wonder.

Nevertheless, not being as critical a listener I still can enjoy Eric and his friends in live concerts.

Larry

[Micah Cohen]

not being as critical a listener

Why not be more critical? I mean, why settle for crap? Why not seek out better stuff? Why not look beyond the BS, the media hype, the rep, and find the stuff that really stands up.

How can you not be bored by Clapton? He has been putting Boomers to sleep since that early 70s "Further On..." moment. And people just buy right into it.

There's nothing there, man. It's empty and boring.

And all you really need to do to see this is listen to Cream's "Crossroads." Bingo! Amazing! Superb! All cylinders firing! Evil! What has he done since that comes even close to that? Nothing at all.

I'm telling you, check out The Allman's "Fillmore East" stuff.

Otherwise, you risk being bored to death by crap.

Don't give in, man. Don't give in!

MC

[george daniel]

If you can find it ,obtain the video "Eric Clapton, 24 Nights", its got a little bit of everything,,BTW,, Ihave a copy of the British Import, Blind Faith,,totally different album cover,, I'm not sure if I am allowed to post it,(naked girl on cover, would be glad to send offline for anyone interested) Clapton is God!!

[audiobliss]

Ok, Micah...I usually don't get involved on stuff on here.....but you've lit me up.....:p

First off, I know I asked for your opinions and your advice on Eric Clapton. However, as you can easily see, I and many others who have posted in this thread are completely enveloped within the music of Eric Clapton. Considering this atmosphere that has been set-up, I feel that your post is totally out of place. Sure you can disagree; you have every right to. And, yes, you can even state that opinion (though it's wrong...:p); however, the manner in which you did so stands out very much in this thread and not only in content.

Next, you dare to insult quite a few by saying that that which we love 'doesn't hold up', is 'stolen from other artists', and 'boring'.

Music is very much like audio equipment in that it is all preference. Because of that, you (unfortunately) are not wrong in your belief; however, neither am I. I let my ears and my heart (as emotions, I believe, do play apart in music) tell me what's good. For you to tell me that what I hear and what my heart says is wonderful, is actually crap is totally out of place, IMO.

Can you name me one artist who hasn't/didn't borrow from the other artists of his time or that he admired? (And you may possibly be able to. However, you get my point.) If artists never borrowed from their fellow musicians and built upon their accomplishments, we'd get no where (and have waaaaay too many genres...:p).

It's boring?! Again, it's personal preference. My ears and heart tell me it's exciting, it's stimulating, it's 'Wonderful Tonight'. Nothing you can say can change my mind. It's not about specs, numbers, popularity, others' opinions; it's about what I (the listener) hear. That's why I created this thread. I was overwhelmed by Eric Clapton and wanted to express my awe and get some advice on some good albums I should get (and, thank you to those who have contributed, I have received much such advice).

You're main premise just doesn't stand up. You say all these other groups/artists are 'more interesting to listen to'. That's all personal preference. (Yeah, I know I've harped on that a lot; it's the whole foundation here, though.)

Also, all the songs that you recommend from Clapton's career as actually being worth something (Blues), I've already said I don't like. So, I'll now know not to get anything with those songs on it.


Someone here (I forgot who) recommended 'Derek & The Dominoes' and you go on and on about how horrible it is. Again, you can disagree and you can state that. However, we are all friends here; it's not at all, IMO, appropriate to rashly and vehemently disagree in a way that very directly says "You don't have any musical taste!"



I hope that didn't come off too strong, but you kinda lit my fire.

Peace.
audiobliss

[ND13]

Ahem.

[Micah Cohen]

You're excited and stimulated by... "Wonderful Tonight"? I hope you stay in the right lane when you're driving home, because I'm listening to The Allmans jamming hard thru "Stateboro Blues," and that's so ass-kicking exciting that I'm FLYING down the left lane playing air guitar on my steering wheel. You're probably asleep in the right lane listening to newish Clapton. I hope I don't wake you.

Look, I'm just throwing stink bombs here on my old forum. So, don't take it personally of course. And don't think I didn't go thru a time when Clapton was god to me, too! I mean, who didn't learn to play air guitar to that dreadful long "Cocaine" on rock radio in the early 80s? But, have you heard it lately? It just doesn't stand the test of time, in my opinion. It's boring. Really, really boring. It's not inventive and it's not interesting.

And I'm not saying that stealing is bad. Every musician steals. I think Jimmy Page -- I mean in his heyday, when he wasn't old and hollow, as he is now -- is far more exciting and talented and innovative than Clapton (than even boring old Hendrix!), and Page stole every lick he ever played! The diff is that Page made it exciting and fun, and so his playing stands up, even stands with the playing of the great blues men he stole from! Clapton's falls flat.

It's great that you're discovering Clapton. What a rich and wonderful musical career he's had. You've obviously touched on the high- and low-lights, and I look forward to when you move on. You will have so much more fun!

FUN. It's about fun. Clapton today just seems so... Serious. So boomer serious. It's boring. There's nothing fun about him, none of the sleighride excitement of that amazing hell bent for leather guitar solo in "Crossroads," or the emotional depth and true anger of his show closing "Further On Up The Road." Man, that stuff is FUN!

"Wonderful Tonight" is a nice love song to play at your wedding. Your mom will like it. But it's no fun.

And that's Duane Allman doing all that cool stuff on "Layla." Which is boring anyway compared to what Duane does on "Fillmore East." I mean, Duane Allman is an amazing, amazing, exciting, awesomely talented guitar player. But you've missed him because you're buying the hype about Clapton.

And that's all I'm saying. One exposure to better stuff and you'll see. I know you will. I have faith. ;)

MC

[ND13]

Nice rebuttal.

[F1nut]

Clapton is still God. Micah, get a haircut, might help your hearing.

[Spawndn72]

I have to agree with Micah, I never got involved in this thread becasue it was a bunch of hero worship, but now that I have allies I will jump into the fray. Clapton is great the first 300 times that you hear him, 300-500 he starts to loose his flair, after that you just start changing the radio station whenever a song of his comes on.

That being said, most music is that way. Very few songs or artist don't become tiring after hearing them ad naseum on the radio.

[RuSsMaN]

Come on movies, sure - but good music?

Micah wouldn't know good music if it fell out of the sky and clobbered him.

XOXOXO,
Russ

[Micah Cohen]

There's this whole weird cult of personality that occurs in rock, especially around guitar players. "Clapton is god." "Hendrix is great."

I say, question authority.

Clapton and Hendrix, while accomplished no doubt, and super talented, are just boring.

I can name five other guitar players who are far more exciting and innovative than Clapton (and I'll sport you that Hendrix was very innovative, he just wrote boring songs)...

Blackmore - "Mandrake Root" and "Wring That Neck" are whiplash exercises in great guitar, and that's just "Mach I"!
Vai - Modern magic, a Les Paul for today.
Allman - In lethal combo with Dickey Betts, Duane Allman was everything a rock guitarist could be.
Fogerty - Early CCR is full up with amazing, lightening-fast riffs supported by superb songwriting.
Iommi - Nobody rocks the riffs like Sabbath. Nobody.

And I leave out a bunch with that short list. All these guys, far more fun to listen to than Clapton or Hendrix. Forget your preconceived notions and the media hype.

Most important, none of these guys get boring.

Clapton and Hendrix? Boring. Says me.

MC

[george daniel]

Now you have done it. have/did you ever see Hendrix or Clapton perform live?, I grew up with Duane and crew,listened to them when their band was called the A J's if you know what that means. T.I's guitar abilities are very good, however I have progressed from listening to groups that remind me of a Giant Phrehistoric Eggplant trying to learn how to walk. I do not disrespect you for the groups/guitarist's that you prefer, however give credit where its due, the times that I have seen Clapton and Hendrix are forever etched into my brain, they have a way of musically taking you to a different realm,, different smells, almost a different "plane of existence" music is just a different form of communication/expression, if you are ever in the atlanta area,please look me up, I have some vintage Clapton and Hendrix (cd/vhs/laser/dvd) that might interest you,and I can assure you,it ain'f***ing boring. Not to mention my collection of british import vinyl, Shine on--respectfully--Sedan Delivery

[Micah Cohen]

When you saw Clapton and Hendrix -- and I'm going to assume you saw them both before 1970 -- they probably blew your face off your skull. I mean, their bands were amazing -- amazing musicians burning up the place!

(Plus, I might assume also that maybe, just maybe, and I don't know you so I don't mean to cast aspersions, that maybe you might have, back then, you know, not NOW, of course, but back then when the world was different, maybe you had a toke or two, or something heavy to drink or... sniff... And, that also can change the nature of a show and the memory of a show. I think it has happened a lot to boomers trying to recapture "the different realm," you know?)

And I know that vintage footage of these guys is astounding. I've seen it. I've been renting a butt load of vintage stuff from Netflix recently. (I'm a baby, man. I missed everything. And I don't do "retro" tours.)

Plus, I am totally giving credit where credit is due: Hendrix was an amazing innovator. Clapton was pretty ingenius when he was young and hungry and full up with talent.

All I'm saying, is that the stuff is boring now and I'm surprised at how many people still get something out of it. It's turned soul-less or its weaknesses (as, for instance, the fact that Hendrix, while playing great guitar, really couldn't write SONGS) have become glaringly apparent. Meanwhile, if you slap on, say, Sabbath's "Vol 4," it really does sound like it was made last week. It does. It's still full of fresh, innovative, fast moving stuff. I mean, it's what all the hip young kids are trying to copy today and it outpaces every attempt to copy it!

That's all.

Just as it heals all wounds, time shakes out the real innovation.

Is all I'm saying.

Shake it up, baby! Micah's back! Heh heh! :cool:

MC

[Roy Munson]

Dude, you blew your whole argument when you claimed Sabbath was fresher than Clapton and that Hendrix wrote bad songs!

[Danny Tse]

One thing that I really enjoy about Clapton is his guesting on other artists' songs and performances. One of the more enjoyable one is the below CD....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/soundboy/pt1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/soundboy/pt2.jpg

You guys probably recognize some of the faces there. Clapton (and Mark Knopfler) served as house guitarists and backed everyone from Rod Stewart to Dire Straits. The video (laserdisc and DVD) of this concert is even more enjoyable.

BTW, "Concert For George" should be a 'must buy" for every DVD collector.

[Micah Cohen]

you blew your whole argument when you claimed Sabbath was fresher than Clapton...

Hello? No I didn't. Sabbath does sound FRESHER and more exciting than anything Clapton's done in ages. (Well, since that live "Crossroads." 1968.) It does. It's faster, hotter, more innovative and a lot more fun.

See, you are not thinking this thru. You think, "Oh, Black Sabbath, lumbering dinosaur of heavy metal..." and you stop there. But that's because you have not listened to Black Sabbath since the last time you heard the overplayed "Iron Man" on the radio. (Stop listening to adult rock radio!) Fact is, Sabbath is fast and hard and fun and exciting!

You're thinking "reputation" instead of "reality."

And the proof that Hendrix was no song writer comes when you listen to Hendrix do cover songs, like "Red House." Holy smokes, he's amazing! But the song is great, and he didn't write it. His stuff is boring and poorly written. Not poorly played, says I, just poorly written. He was not a good song writer. He tried, but he failed consistently. And that's why his own music is sort of boring. But when Hendrix covered other, more well-written songs, he shines.

Also, Clapton is GREAT at junking up collaborations with wimpy, boring guitar playing. It's like he's trying to hide in the crowd. (Mark Knopfler is a better, more exciting guitar player than Clapton is now; if I were Clapton, I'd want to stand over by Knopfler and make it look like we were playing "together," too!) Some of the worst, most boring and outright bad Clapton playing can be found on Roger Waters' first awful solo album, "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking." Having Clapton try to take the place of Gilmour as the electric guitar voice of his pained music was a MISERABLE failure. That's because Gilmour is (was) a far more expressive guitar player.

Don't forget, these are just my opinions. But they're correct.

MC

[george daniel]

Has a Mr. Roy D. Mercer called or visited you yet?

[Micah Cohen]

I'm not answering my telephone, and I've baricaded myself in the basement.

Don't touch that trip-wire, either, or we're both in big trouble.

MC

[george daniel]

INCOMING !!!!

[Roy Munson]

Micah, You certainly are entitled to your opinion but I have to tell you that it [your opinion] doesn't carry much weight when you or anyone else for that matter compares Black Sabbath to Clapton or Hendrix! I might remind you that Hendrix recording career only lasted about three years and his best may not have been attained by the time he died.

As far as Clapton goes I will admit that he had a couple of times during his very long career that he seemed to be sleepwalking through some performances but he is unquestionably one of the best guitar players of his generation and that's saying something!

How anyone could listen to Black Sabbath play nothing but power chords and have to suffer through Ozzie's slobbering vocals and then claim they are fresh is beyond me!

FRESH...how can Ozzie be considered fresh when he's been dead for the last twenty years!

btw..how can you be right when I'm never wrong? lol

[Micah Cohen]

how can Ozzie be considered fresh when he's been dead for the last twenty years!

LOL! :D

Dat's funny.

I dunno, man. I honestly don't know. It just so happens that three years of Hendrix produced nothing of sustainable quality song-wise, and the early Sabbath albums just flat out ROCK. (It's much more than just "power chords," and anyone who hears it knows that.)

Okay, maybe Sabbath is not a great example. How about another "guitar god"? Let's talk about... Ritchie Blackmore. Nah, you guys are all too prejudiced to talk about Blackmore. You'll say, "Another heavy metal band..." and ignore the reality of their musical genius, which was a bunch of classically trained guys playing everything from straight blues to space music. You're not sophisticated enough for that, yet. (Altho, I will say, one listen to "Wring That Neck" and you'll be like, "Eric, who?")

How about... Stevie Ray Vaughan. Now I gotcher attention, right?

The guy idolized Hendrix, right? So everyone here can feel smug and happy about Hendrix. But SRV's recordings, his own short span of output, stand up better than Hendrix's output -- SRV's stuff is much more fun to listen to -- because SRV was a better songwriter, and had a better songwriting team behind him. (And it goes without saying that when he covered a song, a la "Red House," he tore it up and made the quintessential version of whatever song that was, including... "Little Wing.")

What I'm saying -- which I've been saying all along -- is that SRV's music is much more fun to listen to than Clapton or Hendrix. It fills you with a real sense of explosive passion and innovation and excitement, and that has not lessened in the years since he died. Yet, the output of Clapton & Hendrix, even the "newish" Clapton, has aged badly and lacks a lot of so-called excitement that the boomer press generated about it when it was new.

So, now that I'm comparing Clapton and Hendrix to SRV, does my opinion carry any more weight? (It's sure getting heavy over here, so I certainly hope so.) I'd rather listen to bad SRV than Clapton or Hendrix any day. Anything SRV has done is more fun than "Wonderful Tonight." Snooze.

Right? I'm right! Right right right! I am! :mad:

MC

[ND13]

SRV's rendition of "Little Wing" is probably the best cover ever done,IMO. You have got to hear on some SDAs, it's "Wonderful Any Night".;)

[Micah Cohen]

Actually, in keeping with the spirit of this thread, I'd say that Cream's cover of "Crossroads" may be the best cover ever made because it alone is the germ of pretty much all rock music that followed from hard rock and metal to modern electric blues to southern rock to...

It's the moment when "rock" collides headlong and at high speed with "hard" and "heavy" and "blues."

But then, we could argue this for ages, too. You know, Fogerty and CCR did over a dozen covers in the 4 year history of that great band, and each of their covers is amazing and overpowering (even while staying true to the original in great ways).

I love fighting with you guys. It's FUN!

MC

[Roy Munson]

Micah, I'm as big a fan of SRV as most but if it weren't for Hendrix there wouldn't have been a SRV! Listen to Stevie and sometimes you would swear that you are listening to Hendrix..the reason being that Stevie copped most of Hendrix licks! Also when Hendrix released "Are You Experienced" it started a boom in Fender Strat sales that is still going strong today! While SRV has influenced many he didn't have anywhere near the impact that Hendrix had. Before Hendrix the only people playing Strats were country players, after "Are You Experienced" every guitar player in the world wanted to own a Strat! And I don't think that SRV's commercial success was as good as Hendrix either and he was here for a much shorter time. As far as Stevie being more fun to listen that's a tough call but I think you should go put on a copy of "Are You Experienced" and then decide if the song writing is bad and when you are finished and you haven't had any fun...well then I guess you just don't like Hendrix!

Oh btw..there isn't anything wrong with heavy metal as a matter of fact the term was first coined by a British music writer...after hearing Hendrix he wrote that his music sounded like "heavy metal falling from the sky".

[ND13]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
Actually, in keeping with the spirit of this thread, I'd say that Cream's cover of "Crossroads" may be the best cover ever made because it alone is the germ of pretty much all rock music that followed from hard rock and metal to modern electric blues to southern rock to...

It's the moment when "rock" collides headlong and at high speed with "hard" and "heavy" and "blues."

But then, we could argue this for ages, too. You know, Fogerty and CCR did over a dozen covers in the 4 year history of that great band, and each of their covers is amazing and overpowering (even while staying true to the original in great ways).

I love fighting with you guys. It's FUN!

MC

My top five covers of all time, no particular order:

SRV's "Little Wing"
CCR's "Heard It Through the Grapevine"
Cream's "Crossroads"; I'll agree wholeheartedly on this one
Van Halen's "Pretty Woman"
Clapton's "I Shot the Sherriff"

[Micah Cohen]

but if it weren't for Hendrix there wouldn't have been a SRV

I dig that, man. I agree. I know the whole historical thing you're laying down. And I believe it. But it doesn't mean that Hendrix was a good songwriter. He wasn't. I think he'd even admit that.

Maybe it just comes down to what moves you, and I'm fascinated by people who are moved by things that strike me as boring.

Simple as that.

I'm fascinated that people still listen to stuff that is boring. The Rolling Stones are about to tour again. The "You Thought We Were Dead But We're Still Making Payments On Our Swiss Ski Chalet Tour." Or, maybe it's the "You're Sucker Enough To Pay That McCartney Bloke $200US A Pop To Bore You, So We Thought We'd Have A Go At It Again Tour." Or, whatever. Are you going to pay $100+ or so to hear the Rolling Stones on tape with 20,000 of your closest boomer friends? I'm fascinated that this stuff is still relevant, and still any fun.

Plus, I just love stirring it up here on my old forum. :D

If I can one soft mind to avoid buying "AXIS Bold As Love" and instead pop on Deep Purple's "Made In Japan," I will feel like I have done a good deed.

MC

[Micah Cohen]

Come on. Compared to the original, Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff" has about as much soul as I do.

And I have no soul.

It's a prime example of Clapton at his most boring, most white-bread, most exhausted.

Just listen to the original again, and you'll be like, "Eric, who?"

I'm TELLING you!

MC

[ND13]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
Come on. Compared to the original, Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff" has about as much soul as I do.

And I have no soul.

It's a prime example of Clapton at his most boring, most white-bread, most exhausted.

Just listen to the original again, and you'll be like, "Eric, who?"

I'm TELLING you!

MC

I never said it was better than Marley's version. I'm a rastaman at heart.:D

[Micah Cohen]

Then it can't be one of your "top five covers." It just can't.

Too much else to chose from.

I'm disappointed in you, mon.

MC

[ND13]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
Then it can't be one of your "top five covers." It just can't.

Too much else to chose from.

I'm disappointed in you, mon.

MC

It's hard to think about them all, write up a car deal, appraise a car and type at the same time. Not all covers are better than the original, BTW, but that doesn't mean they don't hold water.

I was in the middle of thinking about the covers, when two salespeople came to me to work deals. I haven't had to work two deals at a time in months.

[Roy Munson]

Well Micah, you and I are in agreement when it comes to the Stones, they should have quit touring long ago and they are in danger of becoming a caricature of themselves which for some has the effect of diminishing what was a great band! What motivates people to spend the big bucks to go see McCartney or the Stones is nostalgia and reliving the past. With age this will becomes more apparent.

[ND13]

Originally posted by Roy Munson
Well Micah, you and I are in agreement when it comes to the Stones, they should have quit touring long ago and they are in danger of becoming a caricature of themselves which for some has the effect of diminishing what was a great band! What motivates people to spend the big bucks to go see McCartney or the Stones is nostalgia and reliving the past. With age this will becomes more apparent.

+infinity

They should have stopped touring after the Steel Wheels tour.

[Micah Cohen]

they are in danger of becoming a caricature

They were a caricature in 1968. And then they were irrelevent.

Nostalgia tours are sick and idiotic. Anyone who buys into this scam should be ashamed. (And I include even guys like Springsteen and The Eagles the elderly Fleetwood Mac, too.)

But I think that the boomers who do buy into this stuff have lost their capacity for shame. Probably in 1968, as well.

Personally, I'm ashamed for them.

MC

[audiobliss]

Look, I'm not arguing that Ericl Clapton is the greatest/most innovative/most talented/'most funnest' artist out there. I'm not even saying he's better than Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughan. (I can't comment here, 'cause I can't say that I've heard any of their work, unfortunately. I'll definitely make sure I buy some of their stuff.)

What I am saying is surprisingly akin to what you're saying. You say several times that Eric Clapton's older stuff is pretty good. You say that it is all about having fun. You even admit that it all comes down to what moves you.

I have yet to mention whether or not I'm caught up in Eric Clapton's older or newer stuff. In fact, I've made reference to Cream of Clapton, which is (I do believe; correct me if I'm wrong) some of his older stuff. So it seems we're actually in agreement in part.

A few posts back you say that it's all about having fun. That stands out as being in complete contradiction with the post right before it in which you repremand another member for 'settling for less' and not listening to his music critically. Well, if it is really all about having fun, and he's having fun not listening to his music critically (or just maybe he is listening to it critically and just knows what good music is and so is having fun), why would you jump up and down about it? He's having fun! (And so am I!!)

It all comes down to what moves you? What have I been saying all this time?! It's personal preference. It's emotional. It's all opinion and is different for every set of ears. Thus, you can't tell anyone else what is boring; you can just say what you hear as being boring. You can't tell someone else what moves them.

[Micah Cohen]

And, just to be fair, I include current tours by 70s and 80s metal bands like Judas Priest and Def Leppard and LA Guns and whomever.

GO HOME.

Stop making me hate you!

MC

[audiobliss]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
Come on. Compared to the original, Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff" has about as much soul as I do.

And I have no soul.

It's a prime example of Clapton at his most boring, most white-bread, most exhausted.

Just listen to the original again, and you'll be like, "Eric, who?"

I'm TELLING you!

MC


There you go again!! You are telling someone else what moves them! You can't do that! Ya hear me?! LOL You just can't do that! I can't tell you that you like vanilla and you don't like chocolate. I can't tell you that you like Eric Clapton and you don't like Stevie Ray Vaughan.

In the same way you can't tell ND13 (or anyone else) that they don't like a certain song! It's about what moves them. And you crrtainly can't dictate for someone else what moves them!

[Micah Cohen]

Thus, you can't tell anyone else what is boring;

Sure I can. I've been doing it for three pages of posts already, and I'm eager for some other sucker to post something about some other band I think sucks so I can get into the ring then, too!

You have to be both critical and listen for fun. The two are not necessarily independent. You have to be critical of your fun. You have to take your fun seriously, or you will have crappy fun.

Good for you, exploring Cream. Great band. Stick to the live stuff and you'll have fun. (The studio just never did them justice.)

Get some Hendrix. But don't go overboard cause you'll be selling the CDs back soon. Get "Experienced."

Then get some SRV. Anything, really. It's rollicking good stuff. You'll hear Hendrix, and you'll hear the difference.

Then get The Allman Brothers "Live At The Fillmore East." Deep Purple's "Made In Japan." "Creedence Cronicles." Blah blah blah, etc etc.

We're all waiting for you to catch up.

Be critical. Be fun.

Play air guitar with PASSION!

MC

[ND13]

Bliss, definitely get the Allman Bros "Live At the Filmore East", because MC is correct in that respect. It's great stuff.

As far as the older bands still touring, I don't have a problem with them doing a short, large city tour, I have a problem with paying $150 a ticket to see them. We all weren't old enough or even born in some instances, to enjoy alot of these bands. With that being said, though, they do need to know when enough is enough(Stones, Aerosmith). Oh, and Bruce Springsteen SUCKS!!!

[audiobliss]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
Sure I can. I've been doing it for three pages of posts already, and I'm eager for some other sucker to post something about some other band I think sucks so I can get into the ring then, too!

My bad. You're right. That's exactly what you've been doing. However, you still can't do it. It's not possible for you to dictate what is boring to someone else. Sure you can tell them, but all it is is a waste of breathe and a lot of meaningless words.

It's just like when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Constantinople. You can't make someone be a Christian. Or when the Muslims made their victims convert to Islam. You can't do it. It's not genuine that way.

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
You have to be both critical and listen for fun. The two are not necessarily independent.[/B]

You're right that they are not mutually exclusive. However, they are also not mutually inclusive. For someone like me with a very non-critical ear, crappy equipment (a receiver, for crying out loud), and very little experience (so far) dedicated to developing a taste and knowledge of music, I can listen very noncritically and still have great fun.

Great fun gained from listening to music isn't always derived from saying 'ooh, I can see the guitarist standing in that corner; he just played an awesome (insert some kind of sequence here); that drummer sure knows what he's doing!; man, the vocals are so pure!!' I get enjoyment out of my music, 99% if not 100% of the time, by letting the ensemble of the whole masterpiece envelope me, take me to the place that led the artist to write his song, and reliving the artist's experiences. Just like reading is thinking someone's thoughts after him.


If you don't get my point after reading the two previous sentences, then you just won't ever get it (at least not by something I say).

audiobliss

[Micah Cohen]

First of all, lookit:
because MC is correct
I'm correct. Got that?

Second of all, make sure you get the correct version of The Allman Bros "Fillmore" set... It's been remastered a couple of times, and one time it got all botched up by bad production and crap. Get this version (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000ADY9I/qid=1121543837/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/103-6476426-2959022?v=glance&s=music).

Third of all, hey man, I can tell you want some guidance, that you have "very little experience." I'm here for you. I will guide you.

Stellar equipment is not a requirement. Even having "an ear" is not so important. I got neither. I'm tone deaf, in a small house, working with second tier equipment. The problem with "listening noncritically" is that you end up with a lot of crap that doesn't stand the test of time. I won't stop you from doing it, tho.

I just know fun when I hear it, and I'm happy to share. I want YOU to have fun, too.

G'head. Ask me anything.

MC

[Vr3MxStyler2k3]

Sit back and relax, because Micah is back.

If you want to have some fun, look up Micah's old SN...

Which is - Micah

[audiobliss]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

That's what he meant by "Micah's back"!!


I certainly didn't know who I was dealing with! A legend is as close as I've ever come to the man. And to think I've been arguing with him!



It's such an honor to meet a man whose reputation extends so far before him, Mr. Cohen.

[Micah Cohen]

What's a "SN"?

(Gad, am I pathetic or what?)

MC

[Vr3MxStyler2k3]

Screen Name

[Micah Cohen]

Wow. So you can look me up, and see what I done, huh?

Scary.

Hey, I frigging helped BUILD this forum and I didn't know about that. Shoot.

Bliss, where you from in NC?

MC

[audiobliss]

And that's why you keep calling it 'your' forum. Well, it all makes a little more sense, now.

I'm right dead in the middle of the triad. You familiar with NC?

[Micah Cohen]

I was born there.

MC

[audiobliss]

Ah, indeed? Where exactly? I take it that you moved off when you got the chance. Why come? And where are you now?

[ND13]

Originally posted by audiobliss
Ah, indeed? Where exactly? I take it that you moved off when you got the chance. Why come? And where are you now?

The murder capital of the USA

[Vr3MxStyler2k3]

He lives at the home of Polk Audio & Definitive Technology ;)

[Micah Cohen]

I was born in Hickory. I have a lot of family down there. So, you have to listen to me and take my advice and admit that I'm right because I'm from there, see?

"Definitive Technology"? Never heard of them. :D

MC

[F1nut]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen


Stellar equipment is not a requirement. Even having "an ear" is not so important. I got neither. I'm tone deaf, in a small house, working with second tier equipment.

And there in lies the problem(s) with your arguements. Clapton is not a "in your face" kinda player, his genius is in the subtleties, the fine details of which you'll never hear given the above.

BTW, that recording of the Allman Bros. Band is glaring and harsh. Try this one, http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/1531

[audiobliss]

Originally posted by F1nut
And there in lies the problem(s) with your arguements. Clapton is not a "in your face" kinda player, his genius is in the subtleties, the fine details of which you'll never hear given the above.

BTW, that recording of the Allman Bros. Band is glaring and harsh. Try this one, http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/1531

Though you may never hear those subtleties, you can still enjoy the music. I'm proof of that, as I'm quite convinced neither my equipment nor my ear are up to properly expressing and hearing them.

Though we've been going back and forth about Clapton, I'll probably look into some of those artists and albums mentioned here; they just could be pretty good.

audiobliss

[Micah Cohen]

Here's the problem with that version of the remaster of the Fillmore shows: It's fake.

Tom Dowd effed it all up on the original 2-disc remaster set. He pasted new versions over old versions, and combined song sets from different nights. All the stuff we knew by heart from when we were kids -- the stuff we air guitared to -- was changed. It pissed everyone off. It was a bad thing to do. He even got rid of Gregg Allman saying, "Putcher hands together," you know? Read the reviews of the disc online. (Plus, having it as SACD seems like overkill.)

The original double LP vinyl was sort of "harsh." The single disc original CD issue was also "harsh." The nature of the show was sort of harsh. It was a harsh show. (Altho, I say you are wrong. It's not harsh at all. It's live blues.)

Tom Dowd died soon after doing the horrible patch-up remaster, and someone went back and remastered THE ORIGINAL SHOW TAPES, restoring Gregg's immortal "Putcher hands together" as well as the complete original show set, without tampering with the versions or patching bits from other shows. The "Deluxe Edition" is THE SHOW, the way it was on vinyl, with no patches, edits or deletions.

Don't argue with me, man. I'm in charge here. :cool:

MC

[Micah Cohen]

I'll probably look into some of those artists and albums mentioned here

[Climbs on his white horse, and begins to ride off into the sunset...] Looks like my job here is done.

:D

MC

[audiobliss]

Micah, does that live Deluxe Edition you recommend have clapping, audience noise, etc. and all that in it? If so, I can't stand that. I'd rather have a version with just the music. I much prefer the studio stuff over live.

What would you recommend in that case?

[TroyD]

oy vey

BDT

[Roy Munson]

A good Allman Brothers CD is the MFSL's Ultradisc gold version of "Eat A Peach" if you can find it. It's long been out of print.

I think what has been missed here is the context of the time in which acts like Hendrix performed. Before Hendrix Rock music was defined by groups like The Stones, the Beatles and The Beach Boys! If you lived in that time this is what the music sounded like. Then along came Hendrix and he was the innovator, no one sounded like him! It was a shock and people couldn't believe what they were hearing! So fast foward to today and have someone in their twenties listen to Hendix for the very first time and they are likely to say "this guy is ripping off SRV". A comparision might be like listening to Elvis. Most people would say that Elvis is passe and they remember the "white jump suit" era, that isn't the real Elvis. The real Evis was the guy that came along and changed the music just like Hendrix did, he was the Hillbilly Cat and those early Sun records are some of the best Rock and Roll of that era! But to listen to it today some would say that it is boring! Boring it's not, Hendrix like Elvis was never boring!!!!!

Micah, I think you could add Sabbath to the list of bands that should have quit touring long ago, they probably should have quit around the time of "Faries Wear Boots"! I believe Ozzy was semi conscious at that time! :D

[audiobliss]

Ooh; I'm gonna hafta get out my Elvis CDs, now!

[F1nut]

Yo Hobbit Pimp!

The SACD release is done from the master tapes, includes "Putcher hands together" and has zero harshness unlike the "Deluxe Edition."

Don't argue with me, you can't win.

XOXO,
The grumpy old guy

[Micah Cohen]

1. Some bands, and The Allman Brothers are one of them, didn't do well in the studio. Some bands, Black Sabbath is one of them, didn't do well live.

The studio just could not capture the sheer power and energy of an Allman Bros show circa 1972. But the Fillmore concert recordings did. It's a testament to a band at the very height of its power, playing live the way it was meant to be played. (Deep Purple's "Made In Japan" is another live set that captures a band at its most awesome, head-exploding best. Nothing Purple did in the studio could ever match it.)

Sometimes you can whittle a band's "greatness" down to simply ONE MUST HAVE album, the one moment when everything worked perfectly, when the planets aligned and the band was PERFECT, and sometimes you luck out and those moments happen on live albums that are so perfectly, richly produced they sound like studio albums. "Fillmore East" is one of those moments. (Others include Purple's "Made In Japan," Little Feat's "Waiting For Columbus," both of these albums have great new remastered 2-disc editions, and Jethro Tull's "Bursting Out." Etc.)

But Sabbath live was a mess. They were all effed up, all the time. In the studio, they were able to harness whatever evil was driving them, and they wrestled five astonishing albums out of it. Live Sabbath sounds like shit. (And if they are still touring, they should be ashamed of themselves, too.)

2. If the SACD of "Fillmore East" is untampered-with, then it's great. I doubt that audiobliss, just getting started, has an SACD player. How's that? So, he's gotta get the "Deluxe Edition" CD. Look, how I know from SACD? I never got into that. That's for audio geeks, old man. :D

3. Pre-Army Elvis is the absolute end-all-be-all. Wanna hear the sound of every rock musical style ever? Check out pre-Army Elvis. Songs like "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" and especially "Mystery Train," "One Night With You" and "Baby I Don't Care" are so damned amazing that you can't believe it. It's not even worth listening to anything else. You could listen to pre-Army Elvis forever and never get tired of this stuff. The army, tho, sucked all the evil outa him, made him sort of lame.

I RULE!

MC

[janmike]

To each his own. Clapton has been one of my favourites for years.

[Micah Cohen]

Wait wait, I got more. Sitting in front of my computer on a Saturday night, what a FUCKING LOSER!

Hendrix like Elvis was never boring!

Ah, crap I can't even do this anymore! Hendrix is boring because his songs suck. "Crosstown Traffic," "Purple Haze," "Manic Depression," "Dolly Dagger"... They are just poorly written songs and don't stand up to the test of time. Cool at parties, every once in a while, when you hear them played to death on the radio. But not great songs. (GREAT GUITAR PLAYING! Okay! GREAT! Often groundbreaking!)

But Elvis... First off, he was mostly singing covers, so he picked phenomenal songs. And then, like Sinatra, he did them perfectly. He DID THEM. And, plus, the band he had at Sun was amazing, and just near as innovative as Hendrix was a decade-plus later. Elvis's band was an amazing rock and roll band. Simple, talented and tight as a drum. You can't beat it. And it's a lot more fun to listen to than serious old Hendrix all fucked up in the studio. Scotty Moore!

ELVIS! Everything is nothing without ELVIS!

Aw, Hendrix is crap. Aren't you just TIRED of hearing the same songs played over and over on the radio, "Hendrix's Greatest Hits"? They are so boring.

That's all I'm saying.

Saturday night, in front of the computer. Don't let this happen to you. :mad:

MC

[audiobliss]

That's right; I don't have an SACD player. Maybe I will go with something live, then. However, can you hear clapping and such in the background? Eric Clapton's Unplugged is like that, and it's really hard for me to get around it (though is amazing renditions of the powerful songs on that CD make it easy enough).

Man, oh man am I surprised. I love Elvis, and I've never even heard of those songs you named. I'm familiar with Always on My Mind, Suspicious Minds, A Fool Such As I, There Goes My Everything (really good!), Kentucky Rain (equally good), Make the World Go Away (ok...so it's all good! lol), You Asked Me To (yup..you guessed it), Too Much, All Shook Up, Stuck On You, and Guitar Man. That's the Elvis I know...and love.

audiobliss

[audiobliss]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
Saturday night, in front of the computer. Don't let this happen to you. :mad:

Too late. It happened.

[Micah Cohen]

"Guitar Man," that's an amazing song. Look to early Elvis. Early is best.

And don't be afraid of live stuff. When it's done right, as in those things I mentioned, it puts you in the middle of the action, where you should be in rock and roll, and is secondary to the action happening on the stage. The audience never gets in the way on those recordings.

MC

[Polkersince85]

I to went college at Milledgeville, GA, about 35 miles from the "Brothers" in Macon. In the very early 70's. Met some of them at the clubs. Took a class at "Statesboro". In my professional opinion, MR. Cohen is off base on who's the best. They are all good, I bet any of them can play circles around him on a guitar. So STFU.

[Zero]

Steve Kimock band would be something you may be interested in audiobliss.

Oh shit - saturday night - on the PC... just like most other nights for the past 4 years......


damn

[Vr3MxStyler2k3]

Originally posted by Micah Cohen
"Definitive Technology"? Never heard of them. :D

MC [/B]

Yeah yeah yeah, F U pal! ;)

I have a few Clapton CDs - dosnt do anything for me. Sorry. Way way way to laid back for me.

[audiobliss]

Ok, I'm never talking to you again, Sid!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

























:p :D

[F1nut]

The Fillmore SACD is a hybrid, meaning it has a 2 channel redbook layer too. Of course, I've never listened to it.......why should I?

[Roy Munson]

Originally posted by Micah:
Aw, Hendrix is crap.

Dude, you are to brutal!

Have you heard the news, there's good rockin tonight!

Scotty Moore is the bomb!!!!!!!

Some early Elvis:

Little Sister
Milkcow Blues Booge
One Night with You
Reconsider Baby
Good Rockin Tonight
Mystery Train
That's Alright Mama
Paralyzed
Heartbreak Hotel
Lawdy, Lawdy, Miss Clawdy

[shack]

I've stayed out of this tread because Micah can hold his own and unfortunately I sorta agree with him (about Clapton) and that bothers me. As a point of reference...I own more versions of The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East (5) than I do Clapton (solo) albums (2). Filmore is the best live rock album of all time IMO.

461 Ocean Boulevard was a stellar effort by Clapton even though I never really liked his version of "I Shot The Sheriff" (agreeing with Micah again :(). Later in his career Journeyman came close to generating that "fun" again. Nothing else has ever been worthy of purchase IMO. His work with Cream, The Yardbirds, Derek And The Dominos, Delaney and Bonnie and the Bluesbreakers was very good stuff. I guess Clapton is better being part of a band than a solo artist.

Sabbath and Deep Purple are "fun" to listen to from time to time (in fact Made in Japan just got some play last week). I never really liked Ozzie - then or now.

I listen to SRV a lot more than JH and have more SRV albums. That said...Electric Ladyland is a fantastic studio album and most of the stuff never gets any "classic rock station" airplay. Nothing "boring" here. The same can be said for Band Of Gypsys which is Jimi's best live album. And yes...he was a musician...not a writer.

Most "Nostalgia Tours/Bands" are bad. I think the Eagles are the exception because they don't try to be the Eagles of the 70's...They act like the 50 something muscians that they are who have honed their craft and are probably better musicians now.

Guys....Don't let Micah define YOUR fun. Hell, Micah's fun is probably only legal in certain South East Asian countries and parts of rural Arkansas.... Find your own fun.

I wish I had more to disagree with Micah about...as he is a worthy adversary and arguing absolute truths would be....FUN.

[Loud & Clear]

Clapton is a good guitar player who's contributed to a lot of good music over the course of ... forever. He's not the greatest, imo, but I have to laugh my ass off at Micah's self-assured condemnations of Eric Clapton. Christ, let the young man enjoy his effing Clapton already. Hell, be happy about it; after all, he's not extolling the virtues of Will Smith's musical catalog.

I'm more a Richard Thompson guy myself, to use a reasonable example, but Clapton's fame isn't entirely without merit. One listen of the Derek and the Dominoes 'Layla' recording should put that into perspective.

A little respect, and in this case fanfare, isn't out of line for a pretty damned good musician.

Christ, Jesus.

[george daniel]

Great job Micah,, let them run with it,,reel in the slack and then,,,Set the hook!!!

[Micah Cohen]

Yeah, Elvis may be The King, but I'm the Pope of this forum!

Audiobliss, send me a private message with your address and I'll send you a 2-disc set of remastered pre-army Elvis that has all this stuff that Roy just mentioned. (Good Roy, good!)

And I still say that "Layla" is as boring as an episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" would be to an adult, and it's Duane who does anything exciting on that, anyway.

Now I wish (a) that someone would bring up something else to talk about, or that I would go find some other thread to bother, because when Shack agrees with me it's definitely time to move on :D, and (b) that I could sleep later on a Sunday morning and not end up on the garshdarn Polk forum at 8am. What a LOSER.

MC

[ND13]

Originally posted by Loud & Clear
Christ, let the young man enjoy his effing Clapton already. Hell, be happy about it; after all, he's not extolling the virtues of Will Smith's musical catalog.
[/B]

Exactly, at least one young mind isn't going to be wasted on today's sorry excuses for music. And no I'm not ignorant enough to proclaim all of today's music as crap, just a major share of it.

[nellis8166]

Here's my two cents on EC. I love his music, I think he changed the modern era of rock music.
I have to say that I was very dissapointed with his live show. I saw him last year on the 4th of July. He was all business, almost like it was a chore to be up on stage. He only played 1.5 hours. I guess I just expected more. I think he said two words all night. Maybe it was just and off night for him, not really sure.