Confessions of a Fanboy

There are dozens of great tracks from Clapton’s more than four-decade career and I’ve spent some time listening to a few of my favorites. My favorites might not be yours and I am certainly not going to tell you these are the best, but here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve listened to today to honor one of the icons of our time on his 63rd birthday:

• Derek & The Dominos — Layla & Other Assorted Lovesongs: I’ve been listening to this great, great record again this afternoon and I’m still bowled over by just how completely great it is. I can’t believe I didn’t buy this before this past January. That’s a criminal oversight on my part. I can’t believe this album got middling reviews upon its initial release and that it was something of a commercial flop for years. Staggering. I guess I wasn’t the only one late to the party on this record. Also worth noting: check out some of the jams from George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass record. ATMP, in some ways, gave birth to Derek.

  The songs that have particularly inspired me today are “Layla” (Yeah, I know it’s an obvious choice but it sounds fuckin’ great every time I listen to it), “Bell Bottom Blues,” “I Looked Away,” “Tell The Truth,” “Key To The Highway,” and “Keep on Growing.”

• “Badge:” This is a great tune from his days with Cream, written with George Harrison and — according to legend — some comic help from a drunken Ringo Starr.
• “White Room”
• “Sunshine Of Your Love:” Classic rock treasures that stand up all these years later.
• “Motherless Children:” I can’t hear this song without thinking of Keith Larson, a former radio colleague of mine who has used the intro to this song as bumper music for his show for years; some seriously stellar slide work.
• “After Midnight:” Yes, the BEER COMMERCIAL version. Fuck off! I know the production is far too slick, but Clapton’s guitar screams in spite of that and the rhythm section is atomic clock precise.
• “It’s In The Way That You Use It:” This is probably my favorite slick-ass ’80s single from his discography.
• “Tears in Heaven:” You know those movies that would seem to be too cheesy if they weren’t true? “Tears in Heaven” reminds me of that in that it’s so impossibly heartbreaking that you’d almost gag… if it weren’t true. It is a devastating song and has lost none of its potency in the years since its release.

That’s one hell of a list and any 63-year old would be able to look at that array of songs and feel good about a life spent making music. Now… think of all the great songs I haven’t listened to (yet) today. Think of all the great songs not on that list. I hope he’s enjoying his birthday as much as I am.

Filed under: Tags: Eric Clapton