Clapton at the artistic crossroads (Eric meets Robert Johnson once again)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | March 21, 2004 | LLOYD SACHS ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC

[Chi-townChief]

Now that Eric Clapton has announced he'll stop playing two of his gloppiest songs, "Tears in Heaven" and "My Father's Eyes," because he no longer feels connected to the mournful feelings that inspired them (they were written for his 4-year-old son, who died from a fall in 1991), is there a chance that he'll declare a moratorium on the other easy listening tunes in his repertoire that cause noxious arrest? Like "Wonderful Tonight," perhaps?

Clapton's shelving of these popular concert staples came as no surprise. It's amazing he was able to play them, night after night, for as long as he did. But in issuing his "No more 'Tears'" warning so close to the March 30 release of "Me and Mr. Johnson" (Reprise), his new collection of songs by blues immortal Robert Johnson, could old Slowhand have had an ulterior motive? Having recently given us two of his lamest albums -- you're a better human than I if "Pilgrim" and "Reptile" didn't curdle your senses -- could it be he wanted to tell us he's gotten serious again, hallowed be the blues name?

You know Robert Johnson even if you don't remember Clapton breaking in as a lead singer with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1966 by doing his "Ramblin' on My Mind" or scoring a hit with Cream with his "Crossroads" three years later. A long list of pop artists have covered Johnson's '30s songs, ranging from "Love in Vain" (Rolling Stones) and "Hellhound on My Trail" (Fleetwood Mac) to "Come On in My Kitchen" (Cassandra Wilson) and "Stop Breaking Down" (White Stripes).

Johnson's story is also the stuff of legend. Poisoned to death in 1938 at the age of 27, he recorded only 29 tunes -- eerie, brooding performances that evoked "a world without salvation, redemption or rest," wrote Greil Marcus in his 1975 book Mystery Train. For many years, there were no photographs of him -- only one sole shot is in circulation now -- leaving generations of fans to imagine and reimagine him.

That Clapton is re-reaffirming his commitment to the blues will be met with measured enthusiasm by those who recall the imitative effects of his 1994 album of blues revivalism, "From the Cradle." Striving for the gritty authenticity of such greats as Muddy Waters and Elmore James, he strained so hard to sound authentic, trying on voices like short-brimmed hats, he nearly canceled out the rewards of his electrifying, heartfelt playing.

Happily, "Me and Mr. Johnson" isn't like that. It's a relaxed but still hard-edged performance that while avoiding the blessed excess of Clapton's days as a guitar god stays comfortably in the rock idiom. Eschewing the growling and groaning and painfully bent strings that define the styles of so many white bluesmeisters, Clapton sells the music not as a freeze-dried form, but as something with chart potential.

To hear him rise to the buoyant choruses of "They're Red Hot," one of Johnson's ungloomy classics, is to hear someone who has come to terms with his identity as a popular artist and learned to be true to his sources without imitating them -- just as Johnson did at a time when blues was not the minority interest it is now among African Americans, but a popular form that inspired all kinds of styles in such masters as Son House, Skip James and Lonnie Johnson.

In a new book of revisionism, Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues (Amistad, $24.95), Elijah Wald argues that Johnson was not highly regarded by his contemporaries -- that he was a skilled but derivative talent whose legend was constructed decades after his demise by white writers and musicians who latched onto him and his story out of a hip romanticism. As revealed by that one surviving photo, which shows him in a dapper hat and pinstripe suit, he was not some kind of dirt-road folk artist, but an aspiring young music professional.

Wald, a musician with seasoning on the Southern blues circuit, certainly is justified in saying that Johnson's contemporaries haven't gotten the attention they deserve -- a slight that the book's 23-song companion CD, "Back to the Crossroads: The Roots of Robert Johnson," tries to correct. But that doesn't make his music any less potent or his achievement any less grand. You can argue against the writing of history but you can't argue against people's ears. Let Wald try and tell Clapton that the emotional places he has been taken by Johnson's songs had to do not with their otherworldly artistry, but some kind of Baby Boomer urge to mythologize the past.

"Me and Mr. Johnson" probably shouldn't be played alongside Johnson's landmark "King of the Delta Blues Singers." The originals are so deep -- scary deep, with bottomless possibilities for discovery -- while offering up pleasures that are so much on the surface that they singe and stroke your senses simultaneously.

Clapton's renditions have a more churning kind of impact. He has spoken of needing a second guitarist to capture the complicated arrangements Johnson pulled off by his lonesome. But so what? In the end, purity is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

Not that Clapton ever needed to be plugging into someone else's vision to flex his own extraordinary power. As he demonstrated in the '70s with the searing expression of loss on "Layla" and the spiritually pared-down essence of "461 Ocean Boulevard," he can be a visionary in his own right. Time will tell whether his new release will be another breakthrough or mark time between more commercial efforts. What's more important, perhaps, time will tell whether it will give the blues the kind of boost that Clapton has given it in the past.

As much as "Me and Mr. Johnson" has grown on me with repeated listenings, I'm not ready to declare it a masterpiece. I am ready to say, though, that if PBS' Martin Scorsese-produced "Blues" documentary series of last year had me reaching for a blast of punk rock with its bookishly proper presentation, the Clapton album has me eager to go out and hear the blues live. Especially while there's still time to attend to a bunch of living masters who call this lucky city home before they shuffle off to history.

[Chi-townChief]

"You know Robert Johnson even if you don't remember Clapton breaking in as a lead singer with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1966 by doing his "Ramblin' on My Mind" or scoring a hit with Cream with his "Crossroads" three years later. A long list of pop artists have covered Johnson's '30s songs, ranging from "Love in Vain" (Rolling Stones) and "Hellhound on My Trail" (Fleetwood Mac) to "Come On in My Kitchen" (Cassandra Wilson) and "Stop Breaking Down" (White Stripes)."

Somehow, Sachs missed the most famous cover of a Johnson tune - the great electric slide guitarist Elmore James' early 50s stomp-style rendition of "Dust My Broom."

I saw Clapton's "Nothing But the Blues" tour Chicago show at the United Center in the mid-90s. It was fantastic; Eric must have changed guitars a dozen times at least during the show and always took the time to introduce each song, its author, and a little history before breaking into it kind of like Sinatra used to do ("Here's a beautiful number from Mr. Cole Porter with a wonderful arrangement by Billy May.")

As the title said, the show was all blues and every song was great; no lame remakes of "Layla" or "After Midnight" or anything like that. So I am looking forward to this "Me and Mr. Johnson" album (in spite of the double entendre in the title.)

[Mr. Mojo]

is there a chance that he'll declare a moratorium on the other easy listening tunes in his repertoire that cause noxious arrest? Like "Wonderful Tonight," perhaps?

I sure hope so.

EC is at his best when playing either straight blues or blues-based rock (like with Cream).

[Tijeras_Slim]

I was listening to the Fire and Fury recording sessions of Elmore James just the other day.

[Mr. Mojo]

"Stop Breaking Down" (White Stripes)."

The Stones also covered "Stop Breaking Down" on Exile on Main St., and it's a scorching version.

[Rocko]

Robert Johnson

[Mr. Mojo]

Elijah Wald argues that Johnson was not highly regarded by his contemporaries -- that he was a skilled but derivative talent

[jocon307]

"The Stones also covered "Stop Breaking Down" on Exile on Main St.,"

YES! My fave Stones album! Hubby having recently discovered White Stripes (much to the impressed approval of the kid, I might add) I would love to hear their version of this great and true tune.

[Mr. Mojo]

The interplay between the two Micks - Taylor on slide guitar Jagger on harmonica - is what makes that tune. And yep, Exile is probably my favorite Stones' album as well. .....with Beggars and Bleed not far behind. ......and Sticky too.

[Buck W.]

"is there a chance that he'll declare a moratorium on the other easy listening tunes in his repertoire that cause noxious arrest? Like "Wonderful Tonight," perhaps? "

IMO, the WORST Clapton recording ever.

[Cruising Speed]

I'd take Jack Bruce over Eric Clapton every time.

[Reagan Man]

Without Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker would have been minor footnotes in RnR history and forgotten long ago.

[TalBlack]

For my money EC's solo work on "Crossroads" is as propulsive as it gets! He nailed it!

[Reagan Man]

Crossroads is a classic.

Clapton has never been satisfied playing one type of music over his career. Hence his shifting from bluesrock to hardrock to poprock and back again. Clapton is a true master of the guitar and remains loyal to the founding influences of what was once the artform called American rocknroll. Today American rocknroll and all its offshoots are basically a dead form of musical expression. Sad indeed.

[Mr. Jeeves]

I've heard a lot of Clapton over the years, and frankly, I don't understand the hero-worship he attracts. It seems that you are expected to say, "Oh, Eric Clapton, he's a god!" when his name comes up, but I don't hear anything in his playing to elevate it above the mundane blues/rock idioms that everyone else plays. I'll admit I don't care much for blues or blues/rock, but guys like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck played that style a whole lot better than Clapton ever has.

Call me a heretic, but I don't get it.

[tallhappy]

Robert Johnson I like. He is amazing.

Eric Clapton? Let's be serious...

[Chi-townChief]

Nah, no popular culture people are gods. Many years ago, I once thought Chuck Berry could have been a god but he turned out to be a real a-hole although his music is still great.

It's that, if you're into blues music, Clapton like Beck and Vaughan are great exponents of it. Hendrix is more like an psycho-electric Dylan. And it's a matter of preference. If speed is what you're into Beck and Vaughan have it all over Clapton. However, Eric is probably more "expressive", for lack of a better term, than they are.

And, if you don't care for blues music, than I agree that it all becomes pretty mundane.

[nobdysfool]

For my money EC's solo work on "Crossroads" is as propulsive as it gets! He nailed it!

I would really love to hear the 20-minute plus version that the released record was edited from. The edit job was great, no doubt, but I have to wonder what didn't make it to the released version. As it is, that version is a textbook example of how to play a guitar lead in a rock song. I have tried to figure it out, and I've seen transcriptions of the complete solo. It is without a doubt the quintessential guitar lead, bar none!

And Jack Bruce's blistering bass counterlead is nothing short of amazing!

[justshutupandtakeit]

Robert Johnson bump. I like Clapton but he doesn't compare to the greatest guitar player I have ever heard, John McCaughlin. You are right about Elmore James, too.

[philo]

I got some old 45's of him on the Sphere Sound label. What's curious is some 45's have him as Elmo James.

[Chi-townChief]

Hey, what happened to you yesterday? RedWing and I couldn't find you after the first hour.

This sounds dumb but I still prefer old Chuck because, although far from being any techno whiz kid, he fused together a few different styles to pretty much write the book on rock guitar.

As far as pure ability, I'd go with Leo Kotke although I'm not fond of his style and (this sounds dumb again) Roy Clark who could really hit it when he wasn't in his cornpone Hee-Haw mode.

[Guvmint_Cheese]

I think the hero-worship initially stemmed from his earlier work in the mid-60s with John Mayall, when the "Clapton is God" thing originally came out. Probably in 1965-66, when he was with the Bluesbreakers, he was the best "known" guitar player out there. When Jimi came along, even he knew that wasn't the case anymore.

I think Clapton's big appeal is not necessarily that he's the most talented guitar player out there, but that he had a major role in bringing blues guitar into the mainstream. Yeah, I think Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray are far more skilled, but neither of them were able to have the commercial success that Clapton has had.

[philo]

what I find interesting is that the man who replaced him in the BluesBreakers may have been the best of them all.

Peter Green

[Rick Deckard]

Someone here actually knows who Peter Green is? All right! Fleetwood Mac's best years were when he was with them.

[philo]

I whole heartedly agree.

[Guvmint_Cheese]

Agreed. Peter Green was smoooooooth. It's too bad that he had to go fry his brain. If you haven't bought it, there's a box set out with the first six Fleetwood Mac albums "without the girls." It has additional studio takes in there as well. Some primo stuff!

[philo]

You mean all the Blue Horizon recordings? I have it. That's just terrific stuff.

[Rick Deckard]

Early FM is my fave. The first I ever heard of them was after they put out "English Rose". The Christine Perfect/McVie stuff is good for pop music. After Buckingham/Nicks joined they got into the sappy garbage. When I mention FM, most people think "Rhiannon". I'm thinking more of "Hellhound on my Trail" or "Albatoss". Fleetwood Mac has gone through almost as many changes as The Jefferson Airplane/Starship.

I saw Peter Green a few years ago at the San Diego Street Scene. Sorry to say, I saw kind of disappointed. I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of his older blues stuff.

[nobdysfool]

Someone here actually knows who Peter Green is? All right! Fleetwood Mac's best years were when he was with them.

Peter Green was the founder of Fleetwood Mac. He named the band after his rhythm section, an act of faith because John McVie wasn't in the band when Peter started it with Mick Fleetwood. They made some great music!

Did anyone catch Peter when he toured North America in '98? My band was the opening act for him at the first stop on the tour, in Cleveland at Wilbert's. I got to meet one of my heroes, and hang with him backstage! A dream come true!

[Chi-townChief]

Peter Green's guitar solo on "Black Magic Woman" still kicks ass.

[philo]

The Peter Green of now is nothing like the late sixties version. Drug abuse does take it's toll.

[TalBlack]

The Crossroads solo was edited by someon with good ears no doubt.

The thing about "great" musicianship is knowing how much silence and how much sound to allow to go by at any given time. It is NOT being phisically practiced and accomplished at moving around the fretboard, although if you have something to say THAT will allow you to say it.

My test of "musicianship" is wheen I FIRST hear the artist and I don't know who it is Do I (or did I) say : Wow, who is that!

Happened with

Hendrix

Clapton

Les Paul

Dickie Betts

On the other side I think "Satch" (for instance) has a GREAT lyrical ability but beyond that he leaves me cold, although there is probably no one alive who can tell him anything about playing his guitar in the technical sense.

[Liberty Valance]

Please tell me that rock and roll is coming back! I've got a hankerin' to go out and buy a Telecaster and twin reverb amp :^)

[Guvmint_Cheese]

Yup. The wife got it for me as a gift before we got married. That was when I knew I chose well ;-)

[gscc]

"Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck played that style a whole lot better than Clapton ever has."

Amen

[nobdysfool]

The thing about "great" musicianship is knowing how much silence and how much sound to allow to go by at any given time. It is NOT being phisically practiced and accomplished at moving around the fretboard, although if you have something to say THAT will allow you to say it.

I agree. Silence can be just as musical as the notes. Technical ability will only take you so far. The rest is from the heart. Juidicious use of space, varying speed, and attention to the song itself are what separates the men from the boys, IMHO. That's why someone like BB King can say more with one or two notes than Eddie Van Halen can say with 1000, 2000, or 20,000 notes. I have love of lyrical playing, which is why I love a lot of Clapton's work. Another guitarist whose playing is very lyrical is Phil Keaggy. He was influenced a lot by Mike Bloomfield and Clapton, but he has taken it to places that are amazing, and yet so "right".

[Keltik]

>>>
. For many years, there were no photographs of him -- only one sole shot is in circulation now -- leaving generations of fans to imagine and reimagine him.
<<<

There are TWO existing photographs of Robert Johnson.

One ("Smiling") was posted by Rocko. The other ("Cigarette") can be seen at this site:
http://www.tuckersmallwood.com/images/robjonb2.jpg

I hope someone better versed than I in HTML will post the "Cigarette" photo here.

BTW, what do Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Elmore James, and John Lee Hooker all have in common?

That's right, they're all from MISSISSIPPI.

[Rocko]

"Smokin'" Robert Johnson