« Back to Top Level | Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton - From The Cradle (1994)

Track listing:
  1. Blues Before Sunrise 2:57
  2. Third Degree 5:08
  3. Reconsider Baby 3:20
  4. Hoochie Coochie Man 3:15
  5. Five Long Years 4:47
  6. I'm Tore Down 3:02
  7. How Long Blues 3:08
  8. Goin' Away Baby 4:01
  9. Blues Leave Me Alone 3:37
  10. Sinner's Prayer 3:21
  11. Motherless Child 2:57
  12. It Hurts Me Too 3:19
  13. Someday After A While 4:28
  14. Standin' Round Crying 3:38
  15. Driftin' 3:08
  16. Groaning The Blues 6:07

Notes

For years, fans craved an all-blues album from Clapton; he waited until 1994 to deliver From the Cradle. The album manages to recreate the ambience of postwar electric blues, right down to the bottomless thump of the rhythm section. If it wasn't for Clapton's labored vocals, everything would be perfect. As long as he plays his guitar, he can't fail — his solos are white-hot and evocative, original and captivating. When he sings, Clapton loses that sense of originality, choosing to mimic the vocals of the original recordings. At times, his overemotive singing is painful; he doesn't have the strength to pull off Howlin' Wolf's growl or the confidence to replicate Muddy Waters' assured phrasing. Yet, whenever he plays, it's easier to forget his vocal shortcomings. Even with its faults, From the Cradle is one of Clapton's finest moments.