The Cream of Eric Clapton
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List Price: $9.95
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• NTSC
In Theaters : 23 January, 1990
Video Release : 01 July, 1991 |
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The Cream of Eric Clapton Customer Reviews
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our forever man
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'Eric Clapton: The Cream of Clapton' features 17 tracks, reaching back to the mid-1960's for a black and white Yardbirds performance (the feisty 'Louise' from BBC television), and pouring out a fairly generous helping of Cream before turning, for the most part, to Clapton's prodigious 1980's video productions. Unfortunately I've yet to see any footage of Clapton's years with Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos, and have all but concluded that there simply must be none, of any desirable quality, to avail ourselves of. I suppose everyone was thinking "we'll get around to it sometime", but once Blind Faith disbanded without producing a film record, someone should have had the foresight to commit Clapton and his Dominos to tape. Perhaps the closest we'll get is 'The Concert For Bangladesh' which featured Clapton and the Dominos backing George Harrison and friends.
The larger portion of these live recordings are exquisite and/or unusual performances of Clapton classics. The live concert segments from Cream, though slightly edited, are rather extraordinary, especially the dynamic performances of 'Crossroads' and 'Sunshine of Your Love'. All three members of the band are simply mesmerizing in their intensity. 'White Room' is a bit more bluesy than the pulsating studio version or even the cut offered on the 'Live Cream Vol. 2' album, but who's going to complain about another chance to witness this track live? Unfortunately 'I Feel Free' and 'Strange Brew' are lip-synced television performances, and Jack Bruce has to be one of the poorest lip-syncers around. At one point he simply sticks his tongue out while the vocals continue unabated, mocking the artificiality of the situation. Since Cream was certainly a talented live band one must assume the lip-syncing was a television producers regretable call. Unexplainably, Clapton lip-syncs to 'Strange Brew' (the track is sung by Jack Bruce) while sporting an unbelievable upswept permed hair-do, and in both songs bassist Bruce is playing a standard six-string. It's really best understood as comic relief.
One other captivating track is drawn from Clapton's appearance on the BBC 'Old Grey Whistle Test', as Eric emotes on Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' with Yvonne Elliman (who first gained fame cast as Mary Magdalene in 'Jesus Christ Superstar') adding back-up vocals. This 1977 performance is the only 1970's track the video offers, giving us a glimpse of Eric as he battled through years of drug abuse and depression. It's refreshing to see the vitality Clapton regained in the 1980's, but this 1977 performance has an undeniable depth and feel to it, most probably produced by Eric's struggles.
Of the remaining tracks, 'Badge' is the earliest (from 1985), and the MTV video of 'Forever Man' (from 1988) is the latest, so this is where the bulk of the footage is drawn from. There are some interesting performances, including an overheated duet with Tina Turner ('Tearing Us Apart'), and a gently seductive rendition of 'Wonderful Tonight' featuring Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. Clapton is supported by an unending procession of back-up bands, including a reggae outfit underscoring 'I Shot the Sheriff'. And needless to say there is a wealth of guitar virtuosity on display, all of it of the electric variety. There isn't a single occasion where Eric picks up an acoustic instrument. He meanders effortlessly from blues-rock ('Louise') to psychedelia ('Strange Brew'), to electric-blues ('Worried Life Blues'), to classic mainstream rock ('Layla', presented as a video collage from 3 seperate performances), to spiritual ballads ('Holy Mother').
Although this 1989 video was predictably 1980's top-heavy, and although some of the more historic footage is edited, it remains a compelling video documentary of Eric Clapton's amazing career. Along with Neil Young and Bob Dylan, he is unquestionably one of the few 1960's superstars whose talents have proven to be timeless. 'The Cream of Clapton' is an admirable testament to that talent and perseverance. A new copy can be had for $2 plus shipping, so there is no excuse not to own this rewarding piece of rock and roll history.
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