Eric Clapton and his music

“Everybody ought to change,” Eric Clapton sang on Thursday night during his first of three concerts at Madison Square Garden. Not that he meant it.

Year to year, Mr. Clapton’s concerts are consistent. The music has African-American roots — blues, gospel, soul — and a little reggae, chugging steadily. Mr. Clapton sings with a touch of English reserve before letting his guitar slice and scream. The music holds no challenges for him, and his fans get the experience they expect. Thursday’s concert was tidy and safe.

And that was the problem. The music Mr. Clapton knows so well is built on consistent formulas: 12-bar blues, call and response. But those formulas are wide-open arenas for complex emotions: for pain, humor, anger, lust, mourning, cruelty, remorse, resentment, exaltation. Mr. Clapton’s best recordings aren’t always blues, but they tap those emotions — the anguish of “Layla,” the bad-boy knowingness of “After Midnight.”

On Thursday night he sang those songs and others as if the vocals were a stopover on the way to the guitar solos, something to be accomplished neatly, with a well-placed rasp here and there, but no deeper than that. “Motherless Children,” with its galloping beat and slide-

guitar riff, professes sympathy but came out sounding callous.

Thursday’s show could have taken place anytime in the last 30 years, give or take some songs and band members. Last year Mr. Clapton reunited with Cream, returning to a bare-bones (and bare-knuckled) trio, but apparently the minimal lineup didn’t appeal to him. He is surrounded by musicians again, including two keyboardists, Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon, and two guitarists, Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II. Robert Cray, who opened the concert with his own band, also joined them for a few songs.

It was a night of guitar excursions. Mr. Clapton’s solos often followed the same arc: terse, truncated introductory lines; a stream of eighth-notes upshifting to fast triplets; and a leap to a sustained, wailing note that might be wrenched suddenly higher, followed by a cascade of fast blues squiggles.

Mr. Bramhall’s solos leaned on question-and-answer blues phrases; Mr. Trucks, often playing slide guitar, swooped higher, with a hint of country. Neither tangled with Mr. Clapton; they just gave him a rest.

Only Mr. Cray, whose voice and playing hold a deep ache and a coiled tension as they move up high, gave Mr. Clapton a hint of competition. And in one song Mr. Trucks became experimental, delivering eerie shimmering chords and dipping into chromatic harmonies that had been off-limits all night.

There were good stretches in the despondent “Old Love” (after Mr. Cray raised the stakes) and in the fiery “Crossroads.” But musicianship, even of Mr. Clapton’s caliber, goes only so far. Most of the music was comfortable, too comfortable, in its middle ground of steady grooves and burnished solos.

Oddly enough, Mr. Clapton’s songs seem to know there’s something missing; he sang “Back Home,” about being on the road too long, and started the concert with “Pretending,” singing, “How many times must we tell the tale?” That’s up to him.

By: SHANNON WINGARD - For the North County Times

ESCONDIDO ---- Eric Clapton and J.J. Cale have put Escondido on the map.

People in the North County area know that Highway 78 or Interstate 15 will lead them to Escondido. But for the legendary musicians, the path was a creative route that ended with a 14-track CD that will hit record stores Nov. 7.

"A Road to Escondido," a blend of blues, rock, country and folk music, was produced and recorded by Clapton and Cale in August 2005 in California.Ý


Escondido is buzzing about the album, and community members say it represents their city well. Mayor Lori Pfeiler said the album's title is recognition of the "unique" city that Escondido is.

"I think it puts us on the map," she said. "Many people have come to Escondido, and have found hidden treasures. I think that is what happened to Eric Clapton as well."

She said she thinks that the album's release will spur curiosity about the city.

"If you want to make the effort to take the trip to Escondido, you are going to find something worthwhile when you get there," she said.

Clapton's publicist, Kristen Foster, said neither Cale nor Clapton were doing interviews about the album.

Although, she said, "their musical history together is lengthy," this is the first time Clapton and Cale have created a full-length album together.

Despite the album's title, Foster said none of the album's songs are about Escondido.Ý

However, Cale's publicist, Mike Kappus, said some of the songs were written near Escondido, because "Cale has lived in the area for a long time."

Although Kappus wouldn't confirm Cale's location, Debra Rosen, chief executive officer for the Downtown Business Association in Escondido, said it is her understanding that he lives in Valley Center. Ý

The album's cover image is reminiscent of Escondido, with mountains in the distance, and a dirt pull-off next to the paved road. It features an antique, red pickup truck parked near two guitar cases with a wooden slab stating "Escondido.

The album features songs written by Cale, Clapton and John Mayer. It also includes other artists such as Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks, Albert Lee, Nathan East, Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan. Ý

In a release about the album, Clapton said, "This was the realization of what may have been my last ambition, to work with the man whose music has inspired me for as long as I can remember."

Cale also shared similar sentiments about Clapton in the release.

"Eric and I have known each other for a long time and it was a great experience to finally make a record together," he said.

Harvey Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce, said the album's title is "a real honor" for Escondido.

"This is the kind of exposure for our community that you just can't buy in ads," he said, adding that it is a sign that "people are interested in this community."

Rosen said the title of the album makes Escondido "a destination," and mentioned that Clapton attended last summer's Cruisin' Grand event in Escondido.

"That's a big deal for us," she said. "I guess he has a real interest in classic cars."

Sue Dusharme, programs director for the Downtown Business Association, said she briefly met Clapton at the event.

"I am a big fan of Eric Clapton's," she said. "I thanked him for coming to our event. It was a big surprise and a great honor to have him."

She also believes the album's title will benefit the Escondido city image.

"It's really flattering," she said. "It puts Escondido on the map for thousands of people."

Night one at MSG was a high-energy show and the second night (Friday 29 September) was no different. Eric's new band lineup is hot hot hot! Fans are reporting that this may be the finest solo band Eric has ever worked with. Steve Jordan (drums) and Willie Weeks (bass) drive the band along with complex rhythms. Doyle Bramhall II and Derek Trucks are outstanding and are equally competent at playing rhythm guitar or stepping into the spot light to take a solo. However, it is Eric who never ceases to amaze the audience. With the support of brilliant players, his star shines even brighter.

Second night highlights were "I Shot The Sheriff", "Got To Get Better In A LIttle While", "Motherless Children", and "I Am Yours." Tim Carmon delivered a show-stopping solo in "Old Love", while Chris Stainton delivered incredible solos in both "Little Queen of Spades" and "Further On Up The Road". If you're attending the concerts be sure to listen for Doyle Bramhall's fine guitar work at the outset of "Further On Up The Road." Backing vocalists Michelle John and Sharon White are also outstanding.

Robert Cray again joined in on "Old Love" and the encore, "Crossroads" on which he shares vocal duties with Eric. As the tour continues, Cray also plays more like "part of the band" than merely a guest performer.

The full set list for this second Madison Square Garden Concert was:

Pretending
I Shot The Sheriff
Got To Get Better In A Little While
Old Love (with Robert Cray)
Everybody Oughta Make A Change
Motherless Children

sit down set
Back Home
I Am Yours
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Running On Faith

After Midnight
Little Queen Of Spades
Further On Up The Road
Wonderful Tonight
Layla
Cocaine

Encore
Crossroads (with Robert Cray)

Review #1

Great show. Same set list as night 1. Better than night one. The playing was more energetic, more precise and proficient, yet the band seemed more at ease than night one. Even a better "more into it" louder crowd. Bottom line great show start to finish. I didn't hear a missed note or view one glitch all night.

Playing differences surprisingly came from Tim Carmon on Queen of Spades and the same song Willie Weeks, both were good. BTW Queen of Spades has turned into a 14 minute song containing integrated solos from Tim, Chris, Willie, and all three guitar men, multiple leads EC.

I also think Robert Cray is scoring major points with the NY audience. His set is good and not a throw away opening act by any means. It's also surprising impressive that Eric is "letting" Robert sing the opening verse to the encore, Crossroads. 1st lead Eric, second Robert, third lead Doyle, forth Derek, final Eric and then the final verse Eric and Robert sing on the mic together. Nice touch.

Great show, start to finish, one for the books.

Review #2

What a great show! I've seen Clapton many times but this was one of his best bands ever. The band was very tight, but also relaxed. Quite often, Eric would step back and let the band members demonstrate their chops. I have to admit, at times I was watching Derek Trucks more than Eric. He reminds me of a young Duane Allman. I've seen "Layla" performed live many times, but this is the first time I heard it with Duane Allman's part played to perfection. Given Eric's recent sojourns to his past, I would have liked to see and hear more Derek & The Dominoes tunes. This band was easily up to the task. The Robert Cray Band was a great opening act and it was nice to see him sit in with Eric's band.

Review #3

OK, that's it. If there is going to be a CD or DVD of the tour then tonight was the night it should be!
Outstanding on so many levels: the same setlist as last night but many notches up in terms of quality in way I didn't think possible. First off, the sound mix was bang on from the get go - every break/solo by whoever it was was to the fore in the mix, it was the best sound I have ever seen. Perfect. Every member of the band laid it down tonight, but EC was off the scale. So fluid and challenging to the young bucks in the band. Derek shone as ever and was greated with great applause - especially on Little Queen again, but it was EC who brought the A game and reminded us all who is the master. Several times during the solo handoffs, EC laid it and then stood back and nodded in a genuine "come on then, follow that" motion.

Summary - not sure how they will top that, but everything is set up for night 3 and we'll see....:)

Review #4

Him, being Eric. I was so thrilled to be there. And truly impressed with the humble way in which Eric let the younguns' Shine. Doyle Bramhall II and Derek Trucks blew me away, as did Robert Cray. I was truly impressed with Robert in concert too. These guys show you how much they love to play...
Great Night!


Review #5

I've know EC on a professional and personal basis since 1978 and been a fan since '68, so I don't know how many times I've seen him perform. I can tell you that Doyle and Derek pushed him to dizzying heights last night at MSG in NYC!! I've seen him perform 'Cocaine' on every tour since his release of 'Slowhand'. Last night's rendition was undoubtedly the best I've ever seen. This band is very very good .. They compete with any entourage he's taken on the road.

Review #6

I have been attending Eric Clapton concerts since the old Cream days, all the way to the present time. All of these concerts were events in their own right. What I mean is all Eric had to do was SHOW UP., and in some cases, especially in the seventies that is all he DID do! Things are different now; Eric has, as I say, gone through all the “crap” in his life and has reached his “cruising altitude”. Everything is cool, everything is nice, nothing to prove, just go out there and have fun!

Last night (29 September) proved my point, Eric and his latest band had fun and it showed. Clapton doesn’t have to “wail” for 10 minutes anymore to remind everybody who he is. All he has to do (and does) is treat us to a few bars per song of the guitar wizardry that has labeled him the premier guitarist of our time, END OF STORY!

I always walk away from his concerts saying to myself, “Who is really better” than Clapton in his genre of music? I’ve seen or listened to every “hero” out there since the sixties (here I go showing my age again) and I’m still hard pressed to believe anyone has been more influential to all the other guitar heroes that started playing after Eric Clapton arrived on the scene. Yes, I know, Jimi Hendrix, but I’m talking about people from this planet (I mean this in a good way Jimi.)

OK, now about last night, this was one of the better produced shows in recent years, the set list was well balanced and you always felt like Eric was aiming to please. The opening act, Robert Cray Band, was the perfect lead in to the main event. Roberts soulful voice and smooth bluesy guitar licks was a welcomed throw-back to the old order, ala Buddy Guy, Albert King, B.B., etc.

Doyle Bramhall was the best I have ever seen him, and Eric gave him plenty of time to shine. Derek Trucks, the second coming of Duane Allman? He just might be, because his slide work on “I am yours”, “Everybody Oughta Make a Change”, and “Layla” was nothing short of magnificent. The audience really went crazy after most of his solos.Like most Eric Clapton devotees, we loved seeing Nathan East (Bass) and Steve Gadd (Drums) in recent tours, but Steve Jordan (Drums) and Willie Weeks (Bass) certainly made you forget about Nathan and Steve for the night. They were THAT GOOD! Now, just when you were thinking about how great Derek and Doyle were playing, Eric always joins in just long enough to remind everyone WHO the master really is.

Yes, I am partial to Eric Clapton, but this doesn’t diminish the fact that this was one of the best shows he’s given us in years, END OF STORY!

Review #7

I'm a huge classic rock fan and a huge EC fan. I've seen them all in the 70's, in their prime, but now my thoughts about all my old heroes is "show me". Well, Eric and the band showed me, the concert was phenomenal. I've seen EC with various bands over the years, live and on TV or DVD, and I can easily say that this was the best band
he's played with since Layla. Clapton let them all shine, they all took numerous solo turns on various songs, and there wasn't one time that I wanted them to wrap it up and get back to the song. Highlights were "I Shot The Sheriff", "Motherless Children", "Layla", "Little Queen of Spades". Actually I can honestly say that every song was a highlight. There were no dead spots at all, even in the sit down portion. All I can say is, THANK YOU ERIC!

Eric Clapton wrapped up his three consecutive night stand at Madison Square Garden on 30 September with a killer two-hour performance. From the moment the lights went down, it was obvious that the musicians were feeding off the energy of the New York audience. Taking the stage shortly before 9PM, the band tore through classic songs like "Motherless Children", "Layla", "Cocaine" and managed to inject new life into "Wonderful Tonight," which is always a crowd-favorite. Although the setlist did not vary from night to night, each song was developed differently along improvisational lines making each song seem fresh. For example, during "Old Love", Tim Carmon chose to develop his solo around the riff of "Sunshine Of Your Love" while Robert Cray also edged out the other guitarists with his solo during the song.

Entirely deserving of mention is the "sit down set" in the middle of the show. Opening with "Back Home", the title track from Eric's most recent CD, the band moved into classic Dominos' territory with gorgeous renditions of "I Am Yours" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out". The latter is akin to the 1992 version from "Unplugged" and it is just one of the spots in the show where vocalists Michelle John and Sharon White shine. It concluded with an acoustic "Running on Faith" (from 1989's "Journeyman").

Although "I Shot The Sheriff", "Got To Get Better In A Little While" (which now features a bass solo from Willie Weeks) and "Little Queen of Spades" have established themselves as nightly highlights, there is still plenty of guitar action on other numbers. "After Midnight" segued into "Motherless Children" which featured some wicked slide from EC on the final night at MSG. "Crossroads" - with a new funky arrangement - was again the encore number. EC, Robert Cray, Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II all took solos that thrilled the crowd one final time.

The set list was:

Pretending
I Shot The Sheriff
Got To Get Better In A Little While
Old Love (with Robert Cray)
Everybody Oughta Make A Change
Motherless Children

sit down set
Back Home
I Am Yours
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Running On Faith

After Midnight
Little Queen Of Spades
Further On Up The Road
Wonderful Tonight
Layla
Cocaine

Encore
Crossroads (with Robert Cray)

Review #1

I hadn't been to a concert at the Garden since many years ago in the 70's. Not being a regular concert goer, the one performer I've always wanted to see live was Eric Clapton. I've loved his music since the Cream days, have all of his concert DVDs and always admired the classy way he carries himself on stage. He did not disappoint with tonight's performance.

At 61, he can still dazzle an audience with his ability. As others have said, the band he has put together for this tour is very tight and I feel lucky to have seen some of the greatest guitar players in the world perform live. No long haired assholes and overly dramatic stage moves here, just tight, impressive, kick-ass, jammin' for two non-stop hours. Each musician taking their moment in the spotlight and just knocking the crowd on their asses with their ability.

My favorites were After Midnight, Cocaine and Pretending. Robert Cray also showed what a talent he is, with a
strong stage presence along side Eric when he joined in on Old Love and Crossroads. After finally seeing him in person, Eric Clapton is still the one performer I want to see in person (again).

Review #2

Night 3 brought no surprises in setlist, unfortunately, although there were a couple of notable teases thrown in for good measure. Overall, Night 2 is the high water mark of the run. Night 3 probably came in second, with EC not quite reaching the heights with the guitar. Guitar-wise, Derek stole the show tonight with some crowd pleasing breaks that brought several standing ovations in my section.

Old Love had been tempting to take a detour with Tim's solo for a while and tonight he threw in the signature from Sunshine Of Your Love. Pleasingly, EC joined in and we had a few bars before Tim's solo took off. Nice. Other minor detour was in Crossroads where EC threw in some Squeeze My Lemon lines from Killing Floor towards the end. Smiles all around as the band was having fun bouncing off each other. In summary, solid night but Friday was THE ONE.

Review #3

Night three at New York's Madison Square Garden proved to be a great show. At times, TEN musicians graced the stage at once ! … including up to 5 guitars at once (counting Willie Weeks on wonderful, inspired bass) The lady singers beautifully enhanced the Gospel / Soul / Blues flavor of the music... the heart of Eric's roots.

The "Pretending" opener was nicely played and then on to "I shot the Sheriff" where Eric first let it fly - HARD !! . Eric's band has jelled to an intense level that really does justice to the Clapton classics and the newer tunes. Both Doyle and Derek can really bring it and are top rock n roll guitarists. Derek deserves additional mention as he brings some incredible licks which had many in awe; His slide work is right there with EC's ! Some things Derek does with a guitar are his only !!

The long single set performance was divided into the three segments. The middle being the "Sit Down" set ...
But this was no "strictly acoustic" portion of the show. Only Eric played acoustic throughout it. Keys, percussion and acoustic & electric guitars accompanied the master here. An excellent groove permeated "Running on Faith", closing out the sit down portion.

The final segment of tonight's show included some of EC's most known, loved and anticipated songs (see Setlist)
"Further on Up the Road" then "Wonderful Tonight" into "Layla" and then on to a really slammin' version of "Cocaine" had the Garden crowd in a frenzy. All players then walked off for several minutes returning to finish
the night off with the encore of "Crossroads".

This was a very impressive performance on many levels - Eric's strong voice throughout, the girls perfect vocal harmonies and incredible guitar work all around. The two keyboardists delivered great rock N roll chops and some incredibly funky electric stuff. Robert Cray's voice and guitar added additional sparkle to a thrilling performance.
Even the stage lighting was cool and different. The backdrop was comprised of various reflective materials which
illuminated the stage brightly yet softly often silhouetting the band with deep colors. This version of EC's band is one not to be missed !!

Review #4

I have mixed feelings about last nights show. On one hand, I am always looking forward to hearing Eric play (and have been a diehard fan since since 1989), and in fact, was very excited to hear that he had two other guitarists beefing up the sound, especially the amazing Derek Trucks, who I have seen in concerts several times with the
Allman Brothers Band.

But unfortunately, Eric seemed to be on auto-pilot tonight. In fact, at times, he seemed to get lost in the mix. Don't get me wrong, the band was tight, professional, they obviously know what they are doing, yes, the band's playing layered quite well, somewhat jelled, but the vocals were very much in the back ground, and the guitar solos seemed much too short and restrained.

The background set lighting was very colorful and pleasing. The setlist was the same as the other two nights, although, I understand and sort of welcome changing things up to keep them fresh or what have you, I would have to say I didn't care for many of the arrangements of songs. I hadn't heard him play live before such as "Everybody Oughta Make a Change" or the other musicians solos or time in the spotlight (except for some too brief moments for Eric and more too brief moments for Derek Trucks, who as I stated before was outstanding). As for personnel, I was glad to see/hear Chris Stainton again on keyboards he is always reliable and a cut above the rest.

Highlights included, the energetic "Got to Get Better In a little While", the fun, foot tapping acoustic "Nobody Knows you when you're down and out.", "Motherless Children" which was spot on and the rousing "Further on up the Road", EC did come alive (too briefly) and Derek really shone on (not surprisingly) the blues number, "Little Queen of Spades".

His setlist was a bit predictable but I know that lots of people come to hear "Cocaine", "Layla", "Wonderful Tonight", and"I Shot the Sheriff", they've become staples of his act, and its always good to hear them. Though I doubt it will ever happen my one true wish is that he would perform "Same Old Blues" live in concert.

Overall, the concert was good but not great. In conclusion, I did enjoy parts of the show, and in fact, will be seeing him one more time in Philadelphia, and, hopefully, he'll be off auto pilot, and I won't have to ask, as I did at tonights show, "Where's Eric?"

(Madison Square Garden; 17,400 seats; $154.50 top)

Presented by Live Nation. Opened and reviewed September 28th, 2006. Closed September 30th, 2006.

Band: Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II, Willie Weeks, Steve Jordan, Chris Stainton, Tim Carmon, Michelle John, Sharon White.

By DAVID SPRAGUE

There was a time when Eric Clapton's name was synonymous with sonic excess -- an era when the wildly extended solos he delivered through overheated amps inspired the painting of "Clapton Is God" graffiti on many a bathroom wall. In recent years, however, Slowhand has largely been the personification of restraint in concert, prone to parcel out his riffs with more concern to their tastefulness than their tastiness.
At this, the first night of a three-gig stand at Madison Square Garden, Clapton seemed intent on turning the clock back, not so much by concentrating on vintage material -- although he did trot out a good bit of that -- but by applying a vintage approach, namely rolling up his sleeves and giving his instrument a bruising workout.

The 61-year-old guitarist didn't waste much time getting into the groove, coloring "I Shot the Sheriff" in darker tones than usual -- a mood that was amplified by the ominous rhythm laid down by bassist Willie Weeks and drummer Steve Jordan.

The pair stayed in lock-step, even when -- as on "After Midnight" -- Clapton abandoned familiar arrangements in favor of uncharted waters.

Clapton's always been evenhanded when it comes to sharing the spotlight with his fellow guitarists, which meant plenty of showcase time for both his regular sparring partner Doyle Bramhall II and new addition Derek Trucks, the latter of whom set off some of the set's most spectacular fireworks.

Trucks did a remarkable job of channeling the spirit of Duane Allman -- Clapton's foil in Derek and the Dominoes -- on a manic version of the short-lived supergroup's "Gotta Get Better in a Little While," as well as a bluer-than-blue solo that capped off "I Am Yours."

Now and again -- as on a hoary run-through of "Wonderful Tonight" -- Clapton seemed to click on the automatic pilot, but those moments were isolated. Even the now-standard "sit-down" set that cleaved the two-hour perf seemed a bit more animated, thanks in part to sharp song selection and in part to an unusual display of warmth on Clapton's part.

There's seldom room to quibble about technical prowess when Clapton takes the stage, but the conviviality he added to the mix here made for a show that affirmed as much as it entertained.

Eric Clapton Crossroads 2006 MSG 9/30/06 NYC

http://www.fender.com/blackie/

In November, the Fender Custom Shop will issue "Blackie" in the company's continuing tradition of "replica series" guitars. Fender has an online "countdown clock" running until the limited edition guitar debuts. In the next issue of Where's Eric! (due in November), we will give guitar afficionados and Eric Clapton fans a behind-the-scenes look at Fender and the story of how the new Blackie came about.

<-- Eric Clapton performs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006.

Eric Clapton rethinks playing 'Cocaine'

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Eric Clapton is playing "Cocaine" in concert again. The recovering drug addict and alcoholic, who founded the Crossroads Centre addiction recovery center on the Caribbean island of Antigua, stopped performing the song written by J.J. Cale when he first got sober.

"I thought that it might be giving the wrong message to people who were in the same boat as me," Clapton recently told The Associated Press.

"But further investigation proved ... the song, if anything, if it's not even ambivalent, it's an anti-drug song. And so I thought that might be a better way to do it, to approach it from a more positive point of view. And carry on performing it as not a pro-drug song, but just as a reality check about what it does."

Clapton's band shouts out "dirty cocaine" during the song.

"It's one of those songs that you can take it any way you like," Clapton told the AP. "But it very clearly says in the opening verse, `If you wanna get down, down on the ground,' I mean, that's, I think, the focal point of the song. That's what the song's about, is that, you know, there's a price."

Clapton also said he missed playing "Cocaine," with its signature guitar riff, "just purely from a musical point of view."

Clapton, 61, is on the North American leg of his world tour. His duet CD with Cale, "The Road to Escondido," is scheduled for release Nov. 7.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061002/ap_en_mu/people_eric_clapton;_ylt=AvZwNDr9KyhizrCF3...

Tue, Oct. 03, 2006
AP Exclusive: Eric Clapton on fame, blues and lost friends
JEFF BAENEN
Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Graffiti to the contrary, Eric Clapton is not God. And he's OK with that.

Clapton's agile fingers famously inspired a rash of "Clapton is God" spray-painted messages in London in the 1960s. Clapton says he enjoyed it at the time, but at age 61 age is taking its toll.

"I think I'm definitely on the decline," Clapton said in an interview here, a few hours before kicking off the North American leg of his world tour.

He recalled recently seeing video of his 1997 blues tour and being "shocked by how much more proficient I was then than I am now."

"It was a good thing, in a way, because I get the reality of what my life is like," Clapton said. "I can't do what I used to be able to do, with my hands or my voice or anything."

Still, the guitarist dubbed "Slowhand" isn't conceding much to age. Five weeks after touring Europe, Clapton opened his tour of the U.S. and Canada Sept. 16 in St. Paul. It wraps up Oct. 23 in Miami. Clapton then moves on to Japan, China, New Zealand and Australia before an anticipated return to the western and southern U.S. next March.

Wearing a workshirt, blue jeans and tan shoes - similar to his concert outfit - and with his gray hair cropped close, Clapton appeared relaxed in an interview with The Associated Press before his St. Paul show. But he confessed to some nerves.

"Most people would probably say, `Oh, he sounds OK,' but we know, you know, that it will be a little bit lumpy," Clapton said. (Clapton and his crack band were in fine form that night, blazing through a two-hour set heavy on such hits as "I Shot the Sheriff," "Wonderful Tonight" and "Layla.")

For a guitar hero, Clapton comes across as quiet and gentlemanly in person. His rimless spectacles and salt-and-pepper stubble give him a rumpled, bookish air. Between sips of mineral water he spoke openly of everything from his recovery from drugs and alcohol to coming to grips with the 1991 death of his 4 1/2-year-old son, Conor. (Doubleday plans to release Clapton's memoirs - still untitled - in 2007.)

In his more than 40-year career, Clapton has amassed numerous honors: a "minor planet" or asteroid named after him, the first musician inducted three times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream and as a solo artist), 18 Grammys. He says he takes it all "with a pinch of salt."

"At the end of the day, it doesn't add up to much. It's just media backslapping. But if I can be friends and get admiration from the people that I admire - musicians and artists alike - that's how I kind of gauge my well-being, in that arena," Clapton says.

Songwriter J.J. Cale, whose "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" were hits for Clapton, said he became friends with Clapton while making their joint album "The Road to Escondido," due Nov. 7.

"He's a very nice man. You would think a guy who's been as well-known as him, and as famous, would be very egotistical. He's not egotistical at all," Cale told the AP. "I have a great respect for Eric as a human being."

Cale said Clapton is generous to other musicians, and that was evident in his St. Paul show, when he let the young guitarists in his band, Doyle Bramhall II and Derek Trucks, take center stage.

"When they're playing freestyle, it sounds to me like they're actually composing when they play. I play much more from instinct. It's almost like I've got, you know, a nice little sack of cliches and I delve in and try to stick them all together," Clapton says.

"And that is, to be honest, pretty much true of my style. I try very hard to focus my head on what I'm doing. But a lot of the time I just throw my head out of it and just go from the heart"

Clapton says it was his work with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers that made him an underground hero in his native England in the '60s, in reaction to the burgeoning pop scene.

"And because we were just playing blues and we were just playing clubs - we weren't making pop records, we weren't on TV ... it was like someone with a spray can (who thought) all these famous people should know about this guy," Clapton says.

Clapton says he was puzzled by his notoriety - `I wasn't doing any earth-breaking stuff," he says - but says it also gave him a chance "to swagger a little while in those days, which I liked to do." Later, the reputation became a burden.

"It kind of followed me a little while, and then, you know, when I started to get into the dope and the drink ... I stopped playing lead. I was just really getting lazy. I think I deliberately, at some point, tried to undermine, get rid of it, you know. Because the guitar legend thing was big, in the early '70s. And it became a shackle, you know."

Clapton says he likes living in England, where he can feel anonymous, but loves the "musical atmosphere" of America, birthplace of the blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll and country music he listened to as a boy.

"The first time I heard music that really, really made sense to me, and meant something than just being entertaining, was when I heard people like Leadbelly and Big Bill Broonzy and Robert Johnson," Clapton says.

Like other British rock musicians, Clapton says he was attracted to the blues made by American musicians.

"When I started coming here in the '60s, it was almost like I could taste it when I got off the plane. I could feel this kind of tension, you know, that created the music. And I don't even think it's a racial thing. It's just something about a world in change, you know," Clapton says.

While on tour in the U.S., Clapton says he'll relocate his family to Columbus, Ohio, where his wife's parents live, and commute from there. (Clapton and his 30-year-old wife, Melia McEnery, have three daughters - Julie, 5; Ella, 3; and Sophie, 1. Clapton also has a 21-year-old daughter, Ruth, from a previous relationship.)

Clapton's life has been touched by the deaths of fellow musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

It was Clapton's longing for Harrison's wife, Patti Boyd, that inspired Derek and the Dominos' "Layla," now a Classic Rock staple. Clapton eventually married Boyd - Harrison attended the wedding - and later divorced her.

By the time of Harrison's death in 2001, Clapton says, "I hadn't seen him for so long that it was almost like we'd resolved that part of our relationship."

But Clapton says it was the death of bluesman Freddie King that hurt him the most.

"He was only 45 or so when he died, and I thought this man was the cutting-edge of guitar-playing and singing, and he really was one of the greats. And I'd love to be able to think about, `Well, he's probably in Texas, I'd like to visit him,' you know what I mean? Where are they now? Wouldn't it be great if they were around? Especially the great players," Clapton says.

And Clapton says it was the death of Conor - his son by Italian TV actress Lori Del Santo - that probably was the hardest for him to get over. The boy fell to his death from a New York apartment building. Clapton poured his grief into the ethereal "Tears in Heaven," a Grammy winner for record and song of the year of 1992.

"For a good deal of the time I was in just shock and not able to really look at what took place or even look at how I felt about it," Clapton says of his son's death. "I didn't consciously go into denial about the loss of my son, but I wasn't able to really assimilate it for a long time. And now I'm a fairly good place to be able to understand all of that."

While he has lost some colleagues, Clapton says he's heartened that others in their 60s are flourishing.

"I went to see Bob Dylan in Columbus and just, you know, watched him with this fantastic band making great music, and I loved every minute of it. I really love the way he approaches his life," Clapton says.

Clapton, who overcame heroin addiction in the 1970s, then battled alcoholism, underwrote the Crossroads Centre, an addiction recovery center on the Caribbean island of Antigua that opened in 1998. He says he's sold most of his guitar collection at auctions to raise money for the center and estimates he has 15 to 20 guitars now.

He says he maintains his own sobriety with the help of friends. He says he's found he can enjoy life, without the need to take a drink or a drug.

"I mean, there was a time when the first thing I'd look for in a hotel room was the minibar. And I'd empty it within half an hour. And then, `What am I gonna do now?'," Clapton says.

"When I compare that kind of thinking to what I have today, I'll probably go into the minibar and get the nuts, you know. And then I'll eat all the nuts and think, `What am I gonna do now?' "

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/state/minnesota/15668914.htm

After three successful concerts in New York City last week, Eric Clapton and his band moved north to Boston, Massachusetts. At the Bank North Garden, the band presented 17 songs in the 2 hour concert. In addition to traditional blues like "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" and "Further On Up The Road," the show featured numbers from Eric's extensive back catalog including "Motherless Children" from "461 Ocean Boulevard" (1974), "Pretending" from 1989's "Journeyman" and "After Midnight" from his self-titled 1970 debut. The band performs at the venue again today (October 4). The Robert Cray Band opens.

The set list was:

Pretending
I Shot The Sheriff
Got To Get Better In A Little While
Old Love (with Robert Cray)
Everybody Oughta Make A Change
Motherless Children

sit down set
Back Home
I Am Yours
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Running On Faith

After Midnight
Little Queen Of Spades
Further On Up The Road
Wonderful Tonight
Layla
Cocaine

Encore
Crossroads (with Robert Cray)

Review #1

'Wow' was all I can say while driving back to Maine from the Boston gig tonight. EC was on fire tonight and he was having a blast on stage. It was clear that he is having so much fun this tour. Tonight was an "on night" for both Clapton and Derek Trucks. Trucks absolutely nailed the end of GTGBIALW with a short 15 or 20 second solo that just took the breath out of everyone in the Garden. Trucks came back in Little Queen of Spades with a phenomenal solo in his traditional "building up" style. I think the Derek Trucks Concert in Boston at the end of the month just sold some more tickets after tonight's show. Chris Stainton was dead on as well with a great solo during Old Love. The crowd was great and gave frequent standing ovations to Trucks. My one issue with this tour is the lack of diversity in the set list. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed every song and if the artists are bored playing the same songs for the 51st show then they are not showing it. But with the added talent of Derek Trucks, Clapton could really pull out new songs every night. It would be great to hear Tell the Truth or Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad. Aside from that, phenomenal concert. I'm still amazed and envious of everyone else who will be attending future shows in this tour.

Review #2

Decent show. This is my second EC show and it was better than the first on 6/11/01. I would have like to see longer more sophisticated solos by EC, but I felt he really tried to sing and make an impression. DB and DT are phenominal! It seemed as if every song had a planned solo by each guitarist which made every song better than the last.

Everybody Oughtta Make A CHange was brilliant when EC and DT dueled each other with synchronised solos and the lead in to three slide guitars for Motherless Child was incredible.

Kudos to Steve Jordan, no offense to Steve Gadd, but Jordan pushes the Tempo and makes the boys play.

You can tell the band is having fun, EC smiling at least twice during Got to Get Better bore the impression that all the guys knew they were making great music!

Eric Clapton and his band performed for a second consecutive night at the Bank North Garden in Boston on 4 October. Bandmembers for this leg of the tour are Doyle Bramhall II (guitar), Derek Trucks (guitar), Chris Stainton (keyboards), Tim Carmon (keyboards), Willie Weeks (bass), Steve Jordan (drums), Michelle John (backing vocals), and Sharon White (backing vocals).

The set list featured the title track from Eric's most recent CD, Back Home, along with gems from the back catalog. Blistering guitar work thrilled concert-goers on numbers like "Got To Get Better In A Little While," "Little Queen of Spades" and "Cocaine". For the first time since the US Tour began on 16 September, there was a change in the setlist!!! "Anyday" replaced "Everybody Oughta Make a Change," and "Let it Rain" replaced "Further on up the Road". As fans left the venue, the road crew was hard at work preparing to move the gear to Uncasville, Connecticut. Eric Clapton performs there on Friday and Saturday.

The set list was:

Pretending
I Shot The Sheriff
Got To Get Better In A Little While
Old Love (with Robert Cray)
Anyday
Motherless Children

sit down set
Back Home
I Am Yours
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Running On Faith

After Midnight
Little Queen Of Spades
Let It Rain
Wonderful Tonight
Layla
Cocaine

Encore
Crossroads (with Robert Cray)

Review #1

I saw Eric in Chicago two weeks ago, then again last night, Wednesday, for the second of his two Boston shows. To my surprise, he switched up the setlist as follows: Anyday replaced Everybody Oughta Make a Change, and Let it Rain replaced Further on up the Road. While I thought the Chicago show was good, last night's was tremendous. Eric was firing on all cylinders: his solos had a lot of passion and fire, and he was up on his tiptoes (as he has pointed out in the past) during many of his solos. Derek and Doyle were outstanding as well. It's a real treat to hear Allman Brother Derek playing all the Duane parts so well during Anyday, Layla, and I Am Yours.

Review #2

I attended both EC shows in Boston. Both were great but, where Tuesday's show was an 8 out of 10, Wednesday night was an 11!! It was a nice surprise to hear "Anyday", however what made the night special is the whole band was in exceptionally good form ... when Eric smiles at the end of each song, you know that is happening. The entire evening was fantastic with "Got To Get Better", "Motherless Children", Little Queen of Spades", "Cocaine" and "Crossroads" all containing incredible solos from Eric and company.

It is an old cliche by now, but Eric seems to just keep getting better!! I hope a live DVD from this tour will be released because it is an incredible band!

Review #3

I have two words for Eric and His Band: Thank You!

Once again he (they) blew us away with his magic. Eric really made great choices with his band, as he always does, but Doyle, Derek, Willie, Steve, Tim, Chris, and the ladies, Michelle and Sharon; everyone individually and all together put on a phenomenal show/evening of absolute entertainment. At one point, I just sat back and looked around the arena and everyone was just so enjoying themselves. I appreciate the opportunity to once again witness a wonderful show that only EC & Company can put on. And personally I admire and respect where Eric has been, where he came from, where he is now and how much he adores where he is and appreciates it. He has a beautiful and loving family only comes out through in his music and singing and smile.