Eric Clapton - From the Cradle

The full-tilt blues album that Clapton had been promising for years, From the Cradle proves the guitarist's enduring devotion to a form he had long relegated to merely a flavor in his music rather than the main ingredient. Clapton's singing on the album is somewhat mannered; he tries to compete with original versions of these songs by Muddy Waters, Charles Brown, and others, and there's no way he's going to win that battle. Still, you can feel the emotional connection Clapton has with these songs, and guitar aficionados will swoon over his fretwork on songs such as "Third Degree," "Someday After a While," and the incendiary "Groanin' the Blues." --Daniel Durchholz Amazon.com

A Return To Form !!!

lets admit it,clapton is not the man he once was,but here he really puts his soul into this project. as should be done with the blues clapton really works feeling into this songs more than we've head in 15 years.though he doesn't have the vocals of a bluesman and he will never come across as completly authetic his take on songs like "third degree", "hoochie coochie man",and "it hurts me too" are spectacular and second to none.

so in conclusion i wholeheartdly reccomend this to any clapton fan or fan of the electric (not necesarily pure) blues. November 24, 2008

WEAK

First, let me say I have nothing against white blues guitar slingers. Love Bloomfield and Jonny Winter.

Second, as a "classic rock dude" Clapton can't be beat. Layla, and all that other stuff- its seminal classic rock. The guy almost defines the genre.

However, as a blues player, and especially as a blues singer, he is way overrated. People float him five stars because of the above classic rock god status. "Clapton? I love Clapton. Five stars."

The licks are ok, the solos are ok when he keeps them short. When he tries to go gonzo on a slow blues, he just sounds silly. Everything after Bluesbreakers was downhill for the guy blues-wise.

And the singing. Terrible. Imagine the whitest dude you know- Nay, the whitest BRITISH dude you know, trying to sing blues. Some can pull it off: Robben Ford, Jonny Winter, NOT Clapton. He sounds awful.

In summary: as classic rock dude: wonderful. As gut bucket blues stringer: emberassing September 5, 2008

Not a big clapton fan, but I love this album

I am a huge blues fan. I love artists like Peter Green, SRV, BB King, Muddy, Buddy guy and so on. I wouldn't rank Clapton up with any of these guys by any means, which most people would agree with me, would be a unfair comparison anyway. I am not a huge Clapton fan, I liked the stuff he did with John Mayall, but after that, I hadn't really heard a Clapton song I really enjoyed. I do agree with alot of people, Clapton doesn't have the phrasing the true greats have, but he does have some chops and a very good understanding of blues music. Its nice to see him go back to his earlier roots. This album is by far my favorite album of his, and I would rank it as one of the top blues albums i've ever heard. His phrasing on this album is exceptional, and his tone is just killer on EVERY track. His voice is fairly soulful on this album as well. But this is definately not your typical Clapton fan's favorite album. This sets Claptons prime for me. GREAT ALBUM! Now go listen to some Peter Green and enjoy the true British blues experience :). July 21, 2008

A guitar fan's album

Anyone who appreciates the blues, especially from a guitarist's paradigm, will enjoy this recording. Clapton is always a delight. However, on this album you get to enjoy a cornacopia of Slowhand riffs and solos throughout every track.
If you do "air guitar", you'll want this disc.
July 2, 2008

King of the Blues

"Clapton is God" used to be scrawled on the subways and phone booths of England in the 1960s. From the Cradle shows why. A tour de force of blues solos and techniques, Clapton shows why he is the master of rock and blues guitar, without ever sounding derivative. From the opening slide licks of Blues Before Sunrise through the incendiary riffs of Five Long Years and down to the syncopated jangling of Motherless Child and the choogling grind of Drifting, Clapton lays out the entire blues vocabulary in one tight, very listenable CD. Knowing that every song on here was done in one take with only minimal overdubs only makes this album all the more legendary. A must-have for any student of the blues. June 17, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...