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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Jeez, I don't care what kinda axe that guy plays.....it's awesome. Bought the new CD of Ol' Slowhand, simply inspired. Billy Preston, on ivories (32-20 Blues), is pretty impressive, too.
I now return you to regular programming. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I would agree. I've had this CD for several weeks. I must say that I like Keb Mo's interpretation of some of RJ's songs better but there's nothing bad on this CD. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Thanks for the suggestion, Bill. I'll have to get some of Keb Mo's stuff, too. Off to the record store, yet again. |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | What's the next best thing to playing your Ovation?
Going to the music store to buy all the music you canget your hands On! :cool: |
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Location: NJ | I particularly like Clapton's version of "Red Hot". Quite "catchy". |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | Calpton rocks with just about everything he does.
What a Great Guitarist! :cool: |
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Location: Scotland | I'm sorry, but I just cannot hear any passion or spark in anything he's done for well over a decade, and the new album is no exception. |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I'm with Paul T. I love Clapton, but the new CD is just going through the motions...it was almost as though he was too respectful to pull out the stops. Good ear candy, but I was still hungry when it was over.
Roger |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I'm with Paul and Roger. There was a time when Clapton played music. Now he just plays a guitar to entertain himself and I think he's bored. |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | He was on AOL studio sessions last night. I turn it off about 1/2 through the first song. He was that out of tune. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | To Paul T and all, I would agree that it has been a while since he's really torn anything up. Maybe back to the August and Behind the sun albums. His unplugged was, well, unplugged although what it did for the industry was large.
I find that I don't get tired of the new one like I do the recent stuff so that's why I said I liked it. Could be his choice of material, maybe it's me, maybe it's just Nathan East on bass, you can't never tell. |
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Location: NJ | I like the stuff with bb king.
I would kill for some of that man's talent. |
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Location: NJ | In as far as the "cons" go, I agree.
If your looking for drop-dead, in your face, completely "blow you away" guitar playing . . it ain't there. Hasn't been since maybe "From the Cradle" and "Ridin' with the King" (Al:-). If you're looking for "memorable" guitar playing, it probably ain't there.
I think what I like about a lot of Clapton's later work is how he's evolved as a SINGER and a producer (granted, Climey gets "production" credits, but I'm confident Clapton's had a (slow)hand in it). I agree w/Bill, East (and the rest of his band) have a lot to do with his overall "sound" (which I particularly like).
Is Clapton "God"?? No.
(Everybody knows that GILMOUR is :-)
But as far as vocals and overall production quality, I'll take the "Reptile" album (that "bombed" commercially) over ANY Cream album. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | No doubt the man can play, and I respect him alot...but these days I find him about as exciting as Kevin Costner. I think they are twin souls.
Yes, his singing has improved.
I was impressed with how he reworked Layla on the unplugged. He made it an entirely new song and had huge success with it. Whether is was better....?...but it was a very creative slant on it.
-Johnny |
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Location: NJ | Is he "exciting"?? . . . . no.
But who IS nowadays???
Vai?
Satriani??
Malmstein???
puleeeeze!!!
Those guys bore me to fucking TEARS. |
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Location: Houston, TX | The last Clapton album I really liked was "From the Cradle" about 9-10 years ago. No overdubs anywhere on the album.
As far as exciting players these days, that's a tough one, and maybe deserves it's own thread. I've been stuck on Pat Metheny, Steve Morse, and The Electromagnets (Eric Johnson's first band from '74). I've have an album of DiMeola, McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia that blows me away every time.
Speaking of DiMeola, he's touring this summer with Jean Luc Ponty and Stanley Clarke. I'll be there. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Cliff, good question.
I suppose it would depend on how you define exciting, and that could be a very personal taste thing.
For me, "exciting" is someone I would want to see live. WIth today's ticket prices, somebody better knock me the fuck over with personality on stage, and most importantly in their playing. If you can give me a reason to BE THERE for $60, I'll consider giving you my money and time. If I can watch the $15 DVD at home and see the same show, I'm not going. Similarly, if you want me to buy your cd, there better be some effing personality jumping out of those speakers.
That doesn't mean that you have to blow my mind with incredible guitar wizardry, but put some life and energy into your performance, and with competency of some level.
I saw Yngwie this year, and my jaw was on the floor. I could really appreciate the level of musicianship and ability this guy has, but his ego makes him choose to go overboard which bores the shit out of people with the redundancy and his lack of taste. The blurry of 32nd notes becomes tiresome after 10 minutes. You can get the dvd and "get" him.
By contrast, Neil Young, alone with an acoustic guitar can be very exciting. He gives a very personal performance, as simplistic as his playing may be. Every show is different and has it's own unique vibe. His playing has a innate level of "life" in it...whether you like it doesn't matter...it's genuine, honest and has organic energy to it(in general)...whether it's in tune is another story!
I'm not saying one is better than the other, just making the point that, for me, one of those guys can really keep me hanging on every note during a show more than the other...and that I find exciting, and thus worth seeing live.
Clapton just won't get my money. I'm not even driven to buy the cd. He's a great player, just doesn't grab me. |
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Location: NJ | I would pay $600 a ticket to see clapton, jack bruce and ginger baker for a gig. |
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Location: NJ | With $600, you could probably buy enough acid to where you WOULD see 'em. :D
Johhny; I've been touting this guy's name so much that I KNOW some people are probably sick of hearing me say it, but . . . .
. . . . Willy Porter . . . "High Wire Act - Live"
Buy the CD, if by chance you DON'T like it, I'll BUY it off you! (That goes for anyone else . . . except cwk2 ;) . . . buy it, if you don't like it, send it to me with the receipt, I'll buy it from you and give it to someone as a gift). |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Cliff, I love mine!! He's great. |
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Location: Houston, TX | Cliff,
Just listened to some clips of Willy Porter. I look forward to hearing the whole thing. You may also want to check out Kelly Joe Phelps. Out of his stuff, Shine-Eyed Mister Zen is my favorite. |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | FYI: Clarke, Di Meola & Ponty did an album in 1995 called "The Rite Of Strings". |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Jeez, take a few days off, and see what happens! Great discussion, guys. I have to give the nod to Eric for staying alive long enough to become boring. Same thing for Ol' Stringbean. James probably supported the Right Coast distributors, singlehandedly, for quite some time.
I'm probably feeling my own mortality a bit more acutely, and appreciate where these artists have been, and what they have contributed.
I saw BB King last year. He was helped onto, and off of, the stage, played about 50 minutes, and that was it. Playing was not terribly inspired, but hell; it WAS BB King, and I was grateful for the experience.
And, Al, I'm with you; I would strike a bargain with The Devil for a pittance of that man's talent.
Thanks for the artist reviews. I will check out some of these guys. |
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Location: Converse, Texas | I think Eric is just putting out records to put out records. He needs to pad his IRA -- and we know the British government is taxing him to death. |
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Location: Waurika OK | Is Clapton exciting? For me he is, I watch my DVD of One More Car One More Rider repeatedly. But, I am not much of a player, so anyone who can play "good" is exciting to me.
I have another perspective that also influences how I think about players of his stature.
I am a preacher. I do five "gigs" a week, Sunday morning class, then worship, then again on Sunday evening, then tues. ladies class and finally Wed. evening class, in addition, funerals and weddings. I do this for the SAME audience in the SAME venue EVERY time! I have been in this location for over 15 years, can I be exciting every time? You know it ain't gonna happen! But I can go to a place where people have not heard me and they might think I am exciting, well at least, new and refreshing.
The same is true of entertainers. Those who have great talent, but are not well known have literally thousands of different places and audiences to excite. Those who are well known and very successful, basically are now playing in the same venue, the world stage, to the same audience who knows everything they have ever done. They wind up having to compete with themself.
Just my observation and opinion.
Noel |
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Me & Mr. Johnson
