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Hey Zak,

Do you like Eric's acoustic solo's? He ain't Robert Johnson but he's one of my favorite's. Eric Clapton

Sorry, not my kinda thing.
A little too "polite" for my tastes...then again I've never really been a fan of millionaire rockstars trying to play blues.

zak wrote:Sorry, not my kinda thing.
A little too "polite" for my tastes...then again I've never really been a fan of millionaire rockstars trying to play blues.

Zak, you surprised me. First of all, I'm not sure I understand your post. If you take away millionaire rockstars trying to play blues, there's not much left on a National Known Scale. And when you said 'trying to play the blues,' am I to understand you mean only a certain brand of blues or ? Eric (Slowhand) is considered one of the most influential musicians of our era (and no, I'm not one of those freaks who consider him "GOD" LOL). But yes, his roots and background have come from the blues going all the way back to the EARLY 60s when he was in a group called the Roosters. I don't really count the Yardbirds as a Blues Band although they were considered a Blues influenced Rock and Roll Band. When he left them, he joined John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Clapton was influenced by Freddie King, Chicago Blues, B.B. King,
and others as well. So yeah, I'm not sure I understand your "trying to play blues."

p.s. I wander how many of us know that he actually is an accomplished Classical Player as well, although he doesn't push it ...............and no, this is not Mason Williams.............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55A9H-PqOvY

Dennisthe Menace wrote:I'm not sure I understand your post.

What's not to understand? I don't like Clapton.
He took the music I love, and defanged and declawed it for mass consumption by people who would probably run in horror if faced with the likes of Big Joe Williams.

Dennisthe Menace wrote:If you take away millionaire rockstars trying to play blues, there's not much left on a National Known Scale.

National Known Scale"?? What the...?
It never occurred to me that mainstream commercial success was a prerequisite for being a credible blues act.

Dennisthe Menace wrote:Eric (Slowhand) is considered one of the most influential musicians of our era

Yeah, well some people like Elton John and Phil Collins too.

Dennisthe Menace wrote:Clapton was influenced by Freddie King, Chicago Blues, B.B. King,
and others as well.

Yeah, he took their music and NEUTERED it, so that baby boomers who wouldn't be caught dead listening to Earl Hooker could digest it without any difficulty.

Dennisthe Menace wrote:So yeah, I'm not sure I understand your "trying to play blues."

Go listen to T-Model Ford for an hour and tell me if you understand.

Well, I guess I won't make that mistake again. Seems like music is apparently on par with politics and religion.

I might be stirring up a mess here, but my opinions of players like Eric Clapton are aversely affected by the legions of insipid fans. These are people who speak of "da blooz" and not "the blues" and spend more time worrying about looking the part or making the right faces when they play guitar than having any feeling or understanding of the music.

Personally it took me a long long time to be able to appreciate popular blues players like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn because I kept running into idiots who would sing their praises as the definitive blues without any knowledge of the history of the genre let alone ever even listening to the players who inspired Clapton or Vaughn. Clearly, not every fan of Clapton or Vaughn fall into this category, just the voiciferously obnoxious ones who ruin it for the rest of us.

Not to sully Clapton by this comparison, but it's similar to the react I had when I ran into people who thought Tiffany wrote "I saw him standing there" and had no idea or interest in knowing about the Beatles. Not Tiffany's fault, but boy did that make my blood boil.

dubtrub wrote:Seems like music is apparently on par with politics and religion.

I don't give a darn about politics and I'm an atheist.
Music, on the other hand, is important to me.

So what's the point of having a discussion forum when having a difference of opinion is a social faux pas? Why not do away with the "Music Related" section entirely, since no one can possibly be expected to agree on something as subjective as music?
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" is a policy that makes for one lousy and limited way to exchange ideas.

Sorry, don't like Clapton.
He's "blues" for mainstream rock fans who don't like Magic Sam or Robert Nighthawk or Pee Wee Crayton.
They can dig Clapton, though, because it doesn't sound that far removed from the mainstream rock they're used to listening to, and that's always going to be more commercially viable than actual blues. I've had countless opportunities to play Clapton fans the original versions of the songs he has castrated in the past and the reaction is usually one favoring Clapton's slicked-up, dumbed-down, "square" rendition. It's pointless for me to debate Clapton with people who've never paid much attention to the real stuff, besides...I'm not out to convince anyone of anything.
Listen to whatever makes you happy.

This guy will never be even remotely as well-known as Clapton, but I'd rather listen to him any day...just to make sure that we're clear that my dislike for Clapton has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he's white...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAlVchj4q1I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoEsCQ36uVs

zak wrote:
I don't give a darn about politics and I'm an atheist.
Music, on the other hand, is important to me.

My statement was strictly a matter of speech, not directed towards your personal convictions.

zak wrote: So what's the point of having a discussion forum when having a difference of opinion is a social faux pas? Why not do away with the "Music Related" section entirely, since no one can possibly be expected to agree on something as subjective as music?

No one expects everyone to agree on the various genre's of music. I truly thought you would appreciate my acknowledging your interest in blues by sharing the link to Eric Clapton's acoustic performance. Didn't consider it having such an adverse impact. I too have an extensive background in the history and research of blues music, and I too have my opinion. I'm just more reserved in pointing out a negative opinion to others. I didn't just wake up one day and decide that I was an authority on blues.

zak wrote: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" is a policy that makes for one lousy and limited way to exchange ideas.

True. However there are tactful ways to express oneself on a pubic forum without offending other's. And, I don't mean myself.

zak wrote: Sorry, don't like Clapton.

Had I known how strongly you dislike Eric Clapton, plus hold so much disdain for those that do, I assure you I would not have brought the subject up on a public forum. This is what I meant when I said "I won't make that mistake again". Most everyone on this forum are friends or are at least friendly towards one another and realize as well as appreciate the diversity of human interest between various age groups as well as language barriers, and as such, approach each topic with others interpretations in mind. Often times there is more to consider than a knee jerk reaction to someone's idiolect response to a given topic.

zak wrote: Listen to whatever makes you happy.

True statement.

Not a huge fan of his acoustic solos, though they are great, more prefer his days in Cream and Yardbirds. I guess I prefer the rock blues style so anything he's done (even his 90's stuff) I like.

I dont think he was born a millionaire though, I tried to google 'great blues guitarists + silver spoon' but came up with nothing

Gotta jump in here. For ages I was waiting for Clapton to do a real blues album after all the 80's-90's MOR stuff. So he finally does a blues album and you know what.....I did not like it. It was kind of "polite" if you will. It was not anything like hearing the "Beano" album with all it's raw, youthful intensity.
I watched the "Key to the Highway" clip. It is a good performance and technically very good - a lot better than I could ever hope to do - but nowhere as down and dirty as maybe Lighting Hopkins doing acoustic blues.
Clapton is a great student of the blues, but not an innovator(re:blues) and certainly not one of it's originators. He's put out great music, no question, but nothing he's done in the last 30 years even approaches his 70's work.
But Clapton's done it all and he can now do what he likes. He doesn't have to please you or me. I'm guessing he's happy doing what he's doing so hats off to him.