eric clapton: blues

My father's what? For any Eric Clapton fans who were slightly dismayed by God's descent into electronic pop-rock on Pilgrim, there is new hope. Clapton's latest album, simply titled Blues, is a two-disc compilation of Clapton doing what he does best: playin' the good ol' stuff. Devoid of any "hit" songs—a live version of "Wonderful Tonight" excepted—Blues is not about to get airplay on KC-101 any time soon.

Blues consists of two discs—one studio and one live— each containing rare and unreleased takes recorded from 1970 to 1980. The tracks run the gamut of blues sub-genres, from Mississippi Delta-influenced acoustic songs like "Cryin'" to Chicago-style electric numbers ("Driftin' Blues"). Like his previous all-blues album, From the Cradle, this is Clapton's testament to those who came before him, his homage to the gods of blues guitar. He covers Robert Johnson, whose "Crossroads" was a punctuation mark in Clapton's career, as well as songs by lesser-known masters such as Eugene McDaniel and Joe Medwich Veasey.

The album is heaven for guitar lovers, with searing solos punctuating nearly every track. The earthy sound of raw, electric blues is in full effect, without any apparent electronic augmentation. Some of the high points: the fantastic eight-and-a-half-minute "Further On Up The Road," which features a blazing extended solo; both versions of "Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself)," which respectively rock and jazz up a Clapton standard; and the poignant acoustic reworking of "Alberta." Like all the best blues, Clapton's latest release does nothing but attack, so if you're not a fan of the genre, you probably shouldn't bother. But for the purists, Blues delivers the goods. (Polygram)

—Jared LeBoff

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