Word: clapton
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...quarter century ago, Clapton abandoned the Yardbirds, the group with whom he first made his reputation, because he felt them edging away from the purity of rhythm and blues in order to pursue pop success. The song which eventually gave the Yardbirds their commercial breakthrough and over which Clapton resigned was the Graham Gouldman tune, "For Your Love...
...Journeyman, "Anything For Your Love" fades out with Clapton crooning the words "for your love" over and over again. Struggling alongside friend Robert Cray, Clapton is completely overpowered by synthesizers and programmed drums. Now so far removed from his blues roots, the journeyman that Clapton has become seems willing to do anything for a song that can play on today's top-40 radio. The unfortunate link that "Anything For Your Love" provides with Clapton's past is a sorrowful, reproachful look back to what was and to what could have been...
Brighter links to Clapton's blues-based past are provided on Journeyman in the guise of three fresh covers of old blues tunes--"Hard Times," "Hound Dog" and "Before You Accuse...
...Hard Times" is a traditional blues song from 1961, and while Clapton's vocals and arrangement may be a little too close to Ray Charles' original version, the guitar licks that Clapton inserts add texture and counterpoint to the song. Overall, "Hard Times" comes across as beautifully relaxed and soulful, and contrasts nicely with a swing version of "Hound Dog," which follows...
...Before You Accuse Me" is the best song on Journeyman, sounding like something Clapton might have done with John Mayall 20 years ago. With some help from Cray and a real live drummer, Clapton concludes his newest album with this wonderful update of E. McDaniel's 30-year-old blues tune. Clapton's vocals do sound a little weak, and the song was not mixed with any particular technical insight. But "Before You Accuse Me" has lots of raw energy, and the subdued vocals and lack of mixing actually lend the track a feeling of authenticity...