axlslash Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Here it is. Absolutely the best show I have ever seen. Check out WheresEric.com for more reviews, pics, etc.Tonight, I heard the voice of God. I wasn't in any state of divine or ritual purity, I was simply present for the spectacle that is Eric Clapton's guitar playing. Robert Cray's set was surprisingly short. I was hoping for at least a 45-minute set from the Cray Band. Instead, they only played for a little over a half hour. They played Cray classics such as The Bad Influence and Phone Boothe, as well as touching on Cray's last album with Poor Johnny and the album's title track, anti-Iraq invasion ballad Twenty. The Cray Band did have two noticeable absences from their set: rocker Back Door Slam and ballad Time Makes Two. Never the less, Cray was still a stellar opener. After about a half hour wait, the lights went down and it was time for the one called God to take the stage. It was the standard setlist, but an anything-but-standard show. I Shot the Sheriff was the highlight of the first section of the show, along with Old Love (for which Cray again joined Slowhand and the band). The sitdown set was very good. I could have done without Back Home and I Am Yours, but they were definitely listenable. Nobody Knows You and Running on Faith have always been two of my favorite EC songs, and hearing them was magical. I've been listening to those since I was a little kid and now, nearly 18, was quite happy to hear them live. The return to the stand-up set was a clear highlight as the band rocketed into the first incarnation of Clapton's Cale cover After Midnight, followed by a stunning Queen of Spades. Queen of Spades transitioned beautifully into another classic EC cover, Further On Up the Road. After that, it was go-time with "The Back Four" as I've seen them called so frequently. Wonderful Tonight was absolutely gorgeous. Though Slowhand can't hit the high notes anymore, the song was extraordinarily powerful and gave me the urge to simply call my girlfriend and tell her I love her. Layla......I have been waiting to hear that song since the first time my dad played the Derek and the Dominoes CD for me and introduced me to the guitarist that I grew up simply knowing as God (that was just how my dad raised me calling him). It was worth the wait for every second of it (though I would have liked more of a jam before the piano section). The transition from Layla into Cocaine was a total shock and absolutely jaw-dropping. The song was an extensive jam and really showcased the whole band's abilities. It was the quintessential closer to a perfect set. Crossroads crossed over from magnificent performance to absolutely other-worldly. All of the guitarists involved took impressive solos, with Cray singing the first 2 verses, Clapton covering the next, and the two sharing the mic for the final verse. The solos were magnificent. Trucks showcased his wonderful slide skills, but even those were eclipsed by Cray's technical ability and the voice of God speaking through Clapton's guitar. The whole show built and built, and it all came to a head with this song. I can't put into words how stellar it was. An absolutely perfect close to the night I've waited nearly 18 years for. Tonight, I heard the voice of God. He didn't speak out of a cloud or a burning bush. He spoke out of 6 steel strings and 4 fingers. Tonight I heard the voice of God. Tonight, I experienced the magic of Eric Clapton in concert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SylvesterStallone Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Cool review, glad you had a great time. I've always wanted to see Clapton in concert, his work is amazing... B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swlabr Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Awesome, bro. Glad you had a wonderful time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lagofala Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Ha. Im attending one next year. First time he's coming here in 16 years.Can't Wait. Thanks for the review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bax Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Sounds like a good show. Trucks is one of my favorites, and quite possibly the greatest slide player around. I'm sure he was pretty restrained with Clapton, because I can't imagine Robert Cray being better. Check out Derek Trucks band and then re-evaluate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ohdistortedsmile1789 Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Sounds like a good show. Trucks is one of my favorites, and quite possibly the greatest slide player around. I'm sure he was pretty restrained with Clapton, because I can't imagine Robert Cray being better. Check out Derek Trucks band and then re-evaluate.I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JONEZY Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Great review! I've only seen Clapton once, in 1990 or 91, I can't remember the exact year but it was a month or 2 after Stevie Ray Vaughn died. SRV was supposed to open for him.From what I've read, Eric is playing "Layla" the classic way as opposed to acoustic. I hope thats right, the acoustic version is good, but you can't beat the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bax Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Great review! I've only seen Clapton once, in 1990 or 91, I can't remember the exact year but it was a month or 2 after Stevie Ray Vaughn died. SRV was supposed to open for him.From what I've read, Eric is playing "Layla" the classic way as opposed to acoustic. I hope thats right, the acoustic version is good, but you can't beat the original.That would be sweet-Trucks and Clapton on Layla must be amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnan Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 The greatest guitar player that ever lived.I bow down to the greatness that is Clapton.I've seen him once before, but I need to see him at least 3 more times to be satisfied. Unbelievable.Good review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDeeds Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnan Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swlabr Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great.Fo sho. I'd wanna hear some Cream-esque improv though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlslash Posted September 21, 2006 Author Share Posted September 21, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great.Last night he was all smiles, dancing a bit as he played. He's not a rock player by definition - he's very blues. His playing is from the heart, not a visual spectacle. He's a top notch player (THE top notch), and as long as he plays he can do whatever the fuck he wants visually.As far as Trucks, he was not restrained. In fact, he was better in this band than with the Allmans or, I thought, with the Trucks band. He was absolutely phoenominal. Cray is just one of the top 5 greatest alive, probably tops next to EC, BB, and Buddy Guy. He's an incredible live bluesman. I recomend seeing him in concert if you know his stuff. Really great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ohdistortedsmile1789 Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great.Last night he was all smiles, dancing a bit as he played. He's not a rock player by definition - he's very blues. His playing is from the heart, not a visual spectacle.This is a common misconception. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDeeds Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I've seen some blues shows that were a jillion times more visually appealing than mosgt rock shows. Not to mention the fact that the music was also more enjoyable than rock shows. I just don't get the big thing about Clapton. I mean I'd go see him if he was giving a free show down the block, but that's about it. He's never impressed me. Whenever I've seen videos of him live, he's just stood there, expressionless. And, contrary to what a lot of people have said, I thought his guitar playing sounded quite emotionless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ohdistortedsmile1789 Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I've seen some blues shows that were a jillion times more visually appealing than mosgt rock shows. Not to mention the fact that the music was also more enjoyable than rock shows. I just don't get the big thing about Clapton. I mean I'd go see him if he was giving a free show down the block, but that's about it. He's never impressed me. Whenever I've seen videos of him live, he's just stood there, expressionless. And, contrary to what a lot of people have said, I thought his guitar playing sounded quite emotionless.Agreed on all accounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swlabr Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 I've seen some blues shows that were a jillion times more visually appealing than mosgt rock shows. Not to mention the fact that the music was also more enjoyable than rock shows. I just don't get the big thing about Clapton. I mean I'd go see him if he was giving a free show down the block, but that's about it. He's never impressed me. Whenever I've seen videos of him live, he's just stood there, expressionless. And, contrary to what a lot of people have said, I thought his guitar playing sounded quite emotionless.It's all a matter of opinion, really. You got yours and I have mine. I actually think his guitar playing is full of emotion. He's what really got me looking into the blues and just other types of music in general Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnan Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great.Fo sho. I'd wanna hear some Cream-esque improv though Clapton improvs a lot live, but the rest of the band isn't talented enough to keep in sync properly.Cream are one of the very few that could pull it off. Even Zeppelin were too afraid to improv together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swlabr Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great.Fo sho. I'd wanna hear some Cream-esque improv though Clapton improvs a lot live, but the rest of the band isn't talented enough to keep in sync properly.Cream are one of the very few that could pull it off. Even Zeppelin were too afraid to improv together.But from what I've heard, those Cream improvs went on for ages without getting a bit dull. Have you heard Im So Glad from the Cream live cd? Fucking awesome. You know how you said deserted cities of the heart showed jacks true voice (or maybe that was me) you really hear it then. fucking ace cd althought the quality is a bit, blah. nothing near horrible though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnan Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 But from what I've heard, those Cream improvs went on for ages without getting a bit dull. Have you heard Im So Glad from the Cream live cd? Fucking awesome. You know how you said deserted cities of the heart showed jacks true voice (or maybe that was me) you really hear it then. fucking ace cd althought the quality is a bit, blah. nothing near horrible though."Spoonful" on the live disc of "Wheels of Fire" is unbelievable. Plus, there are some jams on bootlegs which weren't released that went on for about 20 minutes and stayed perfect right through, I think it was this great "Four Until Late" version which had about 10 minutes of them jamming together, as well as about 3 minutes for a bass solo, drum solo, and guitar solo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlslash Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great.Fo sho. I'd wanna hear some Cream-esque improv though Clapton improvs a lot live, but the rest of the band isn't talented enough to keep in sync properly.Erronious on all counts. This band is one of the sickest I have ever seen. Trucks (whose day-job is being Duane Allman in the Allman Brothers) is a wonderful foil to Clapton (which makes sense-Duane played with Clapton in Derek & The Dominoes). The drummer and keyboardists are really great (though none will ever replace the late Billy Preston in that role). The third guitar player was very good, but not to the level of EC or Trucks. The bassist is absolutely sick as well. The band are not as good as Clapton (no one is), but they fit Slowhand like a glove and really compliment his abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlslash Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 Also, for those interested, last night's show is now available on DimeADozen.org: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=113202 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnan Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 I always heard Clapton sucks live, and just judging by DVD's, I would have to think he's quite a bore.Clapton sucks on record, but lets loose live.If you mean the actual visual experience rather than the audio one, then yes, it's not the greatest live show, but his guitar playing live is great.Fo sho. I'd wanna hear some Cream-esque improv though Clapton improvs a lot live, but the rest of the band isn't talented enough to keep in sync properly.Erronious on all counts. This band is one of the sickest I have ever seen. Trucks (whose day-job is being Duane Allman in the Allman Brothers) is a wonderful foil to Clapton (which makes sense-Duane played with Clapton in Derek & The Dominoes). The drummer and keyboardists are really great (though none will ever replace the late Billy Preston in that role). The third guitar player was very good, but not to the level of EC or Trucks. The bassist is absolutely sick as well. The band are not as good as Clapton (no one is), but they fit Slowhand like a glove and really compliment his abilities.You mistook me my friend. I know this backing band, and yes they are immensely talented, but musicians like the three in Cream are very, very rare, and they may just be the greatest of their kind ever. It's not about how well you play your instrument, it's about how well you understand it. Cream were immense musicians, so they were able to improv together. Not only is Clapton's band too complex and large to jam together quarter as well as Cream, but they are also not as in touch with their instruments as others. Derek and Clapton are the only two who are really strong enough to do the whole freeform jamming thing together, the rest, especially Doyle Bramhall have clearly shown that they are not quite capable of jamming with the rest of the band, sure, the keyboardist, drummer, and Doyle, plus the rest could come up with a good sounding solo right on the spot, but none of them could jam with Clapton and Derek for 15 minutes without getting stale after a while.Cream could do it, because they were all equal as musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlslash Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 Oh, I don't mean to say that this band is better than Cream. That would just be stupid. Cream were possibly the greatest band that is, was, and ever will be. As far as jam music goes, I see no question that they are the top of the heap. Derek and Slowhand certainly make for a great team. Doyle is not really cut out to be in this band. He took a great solo on Little Queen of Spades, but otherwise, he is quite out of place. He seems to be more metal-ish than Derek and Slowhand, who take on a much more musical, blusey tone. The black keyboardist is very good (I appologize that I don't know the keyboardists' names, so I have to refer to them by race). He's no Billy P, but he was very good. The white one......not such a fan. He was good, but his solos on jams seemed off-beat and out of place. This band would be comparable to Cream, in my oppinion, if you cut the white keyboardist and trade out Doyle for Robert Cray. I have never seen a chemistry like that between Clapton, Trucks, and Cray before in any band I've seen. Obviously I'm 18 and didn't have 2,000 to spend last year to fly to NY and see Cream, so I'm NOT comparing them to that group, but when those three jammed out Crossroads......greatest performance of that song I have ever heard. While as a band they may not be better than Cream, that song certainly was better than the version on the Cream reunion album.I suggest that you check out the boot to this show. I think you'll enjoy it quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swlabr Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 Speaking of the late Billy Preston, his Piano solo on Have You Ever Loved A Woman on the Crossroads dvd is awesome. He looked like a really mellow, kind guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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