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Eric Clapton’s music “mediocre”?


Baxlin

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I was interested to read comments by Phoebe Bridgers about Clapton, (maybe less said the better about her accusations of his racism) that he produced extremely mediocre music -  and also calling ‘tears from heaven’ the dead baby song, apparently.

Music is very much a matter of choice and opinion, and there’s some of his music that I can take or leave, but it’s always well performed, and professionally presented/arranged, surely?  Certainly not mediocre, with the likes of Nathan East and Andy Fairweather Lowe featuring at times in his live band?

And, tbh, is Phoebe Bridgers someone I should have heard of, because I have to admit, I haven’t.

Edit: having googled her name, I see she’s (been?) involved with someone called Conor - same spelling.......

Edited by Baxlin
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Mediocre means “of average quality, not very good” and I think it’s fair to apply that to the last 30 years or so of his music. I find it bland and dull, albeit immaculately played. Eric’s fans and customers disagree and vote with their wallets so the joke is on me and Phoebe, I suppose 🙂

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The thing I have always found with EC is how dull he is until he straps on a Gibson, and suddenly he's superb.

I do confess I have always been uneasy about Tears In Heaven (given the subject and background). It's a beautiful song but I like to think that the multi-millionaire me would have felt a great sense of satisfaction with it and kept it for myself rather than make yet more money out of it. I fully appreciate that others will think differently, it's just my view that monetising a personal tragedy seems a little 'off'.

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Just because something is technically brilliant or even genuinely innovative doesn't mean that it can't simultaneously be incredibly boring to listen to.

It's all down to personally taste of course and for me there are far worse offenders than Clapton in that department. The solo work of Vai, Satriani and  most of the other 'guitar heroes' of the 90s springs to mind.

Edited by Cato
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Can't say i'm a fan of EC. I find most of his more recent material a bit bland compared to some of the classic hits he's had over his long career.

I would never criticise the quality of musicianship but not enough interest in it for me. Its generally not my style of music to listen to.

On the other hand my wife really likes EC.

If i need to learn any of his songs for a band i find the bass lines can be interesting tho and i quite enjoy playing them.

Dave 

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EC without a doubt, has been among one of the most influential musicians this country has produced in the last 50 odd years.

The only problem is that a lot of his material post "461 Ocean Boulevard" has sounded pretty much the same. I think the only good album he did in that period was "From the Cradle", where he went back to his roots in the Blues.

This is just my opinion, but his best work was with John Mayall, Cream, Blind Faith, and the Derek & the Dominoes period.

And I have absolutely no idea who Phoebe Bridges is...

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IMHO there are elements of genius in Clapton's music. They're usually shown in some fantastic solos. Well, they move me anyway.

The problem for me is I can listen to complete albums (more recent ones) and be disappointed in the over all, result. Yes the solos are great, but the song isn't all that. The best songs probably are the ones from the Cream era and  the "Ocean Boulevard" album.

All a bit like McCartney really - did some great songs in the past, but now we have the co-writer of Sgt Pepper and The White Album, is now writing "Silly Love Songs" and "The Frogs Chorus"!!

Maybe they get complacent and don't really care, or maybe the passion has gone and it's now about the bank account maintenance.

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2 minutes ago, Grangur said:

All a bit like McCartney really - did some great songs in the past, but now we have the co-writer of Sgt Pepper and The White Album, is now writing "Silly Love Songs" and "The Frogs Chorus"!!

Maybe they get complacent and don't really care, or maybe the passion has gone and it's now about the bank account maintenance.

Agree. I wonder if the "creative juices" just get lost in the need to churn out material to either keep the bank balance going, or to satisfy the record companies...

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We all have opinions on music and everyone is entitled to their's. Over the years, some of my musical opinions have chopped and changed. There was a time I didn't like Tom Waits or Radiohead.

I can see why she would be bored by an aged, multi-millionaire's music.

His solo stuff is all a bit easy listening, frankly. Not exactly cutting edge by today's standards.

I liked his covers of JJ Cale stuff and I have the album he recorded with him, just before he died.

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2 hours ago, Baxlin said:

I was interested to read comments by Phoebe Bridgers about Clapton, (maybe less said the better about her accusations of his racism) that he produced extremely mediocre music -  and also calling ‘tears from heaven’ the dead baby song, apparently.

Music is very much a matter of choice and opinion, and there’s some of his music that I can take or leave, but it’s always well performed, and professionally presented/arranged, surely?  Certainly not mediocre, with the likes of Nathan East and Andy Fairweather Lowe featuring at times in his live band?

And, tbh, is Phoebe Bridgers someone I should have heard of, because I have to admit, I haven’t.

Edit: having googled her name, I see she’s (been?) involved with someone called Conor - same spelling.......

 

well, it's Phoebe Bridgers after all...

"who?"

exactly

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He has had a couple of flashes of brilliance with Cream, then Layla, Bell Bottom Blues, but hes also knocked out some entire albums of dirge, such as Money and Cigarettes, August, etc.

As for Phallic Badger, I've never even heard of him, so I guess they're compensating for something with such a comment.

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1 hour ago, Grangur said:

All a bit like McCartney really - did some great songs in the past, but now we have the co-writer of Sgt Pepper and The White Album, is now writing "Silly Love Songs" and "The Frogs Chorus"!!

I'll give you the Frog Chorus and much of his output after Wings but Silly Love Songs is a masterclass in pop song writing/arranging/production.

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49 minutes ago, ClassicVibes said:

Regardless of how 'great' Clapton's music is, he is a racist and I don't have time for racist musicians.

Do you not think it would be ‘was a racist’? I also have no time for racist musicians, but the racist incident was over 40 years ago when EC was on a drug and booze fuelled downward spiral that nearly killed him. He has since spoken of how ashamed he is and apologised for his comments. This doesn’t condone his behaviour but does show how he realises how wrong it was. He speaks of this in the recent ‘Life in 12 Bars’ documentary.

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Some people have different tastes to other people ? Get to feck...really ?

I tell you what, I'll call Reuters, you give Associated Press a shout.

 

As it happens, I don't mind the song in the video, it's nothing exactly new (it reminds me of Liz Phair or Juliana Hatfield)....very Radio 6. I'd rather listen to it than some of Eric Claptons more MOR stuff.

The video's a bit annoying though, but very trendy with its VHS-style video FX.

 

 

Edited by ahpook
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