Best Clapton Style?

[Heyen86]

I am partial to Clapton's style while he was with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and would argue that it was some of the best technical guitar recordings he has ever done.

Anyone argue that his playing was better on tape with a different group?

[Bryan]

No argument here.

[jonnyfez]

It's strange, as I only play bright, twangy guitars, that I just don't want to hear Clapton play a strat. Beano and Cream-era is the Clapton for me. When he pulled a Gibson out for From the Cradle it only reaffirmed my position.

[dmarcus30]

Originally Posted by jonnyfez

It's strange, as I only play bright, twangy guitars, that I just don't want to hear Clapton play a strat. Beano and Cream-era is the Clapton for me. When he pulled a Gibson out for From the Cradle it only reaffirmed my position.

Agreed, though I do like his country blues tweed sound sometimes. What I don't like is the pull boost on his Strats, way too compressed and artificial sounding.
The Beano sessions cannot be overlooked by any serious blues player for his tone, intensity, and especially the architecture of his solos. I point every would-be guitarist to that album AND the Greenie Mayall album, too.
Having said that, Eric would be the first to tell us to check out the original artists he emulates. THAT may be his greatest contribution, ultimately. Anyone hear much about Bob Marley before Eric cut "I Shot The Sheriff"?

[bbmyers]

I just been getting back into "Slow Hand" after a long time going off to listen to other things. Two things I noticed about my style of playing..

1) I may have stopped listening to him, but I never stopped playing "like" him. I guess he was a bigger influence on me than I realized. Going back and listening to him I see alot of my stuff he copied

2) I enjoy tunes from his first album till his latest. His profound song writing always impresses me. For a man to go through some of the stuff he's gone through and not only keep going but crank out the quality of music that he does humbles me. I found out tragedy is a great source of material, no matter how personal.

In my younger years I was big into EVH. My dad tried pushing some Clapton on me but I was too busy trying to fry my Marshall and sound like Eddie. Then I read an article about EVH where he said Clapton was a huge influence on him. I crawled back to have a listen..

Pilgram is still and will be a very personal album to me.


Bb

[elihu]

I liked his Derek and the Dominos live tone...Strat and Tweed i think...i think his playing on this was at least equal to the John Mayall era.

[bbmyers]

For those who didn't get the dog joke..

[Mike Eskimo]

It's strange, as I only play bright, twangy guitars, that I just don't want to hear Clapton play a strat. Beano and Cream-era is the Clapton for me. When he pulled a Gibson out for From the Cradle it only reaffirmed my position.

Agreed, though I do like his country blues tweed sound sometimes. What I don't like is the pull boost on his Strats, way too compressed and artificial sounding.

Too much of the "From The Cradle" record (and tour) featured Clapton playing his 335 on the front pickup, overdriven, seemingly mimic-ing his pull-boost !

Ugh...

I really prefer 461, Backless, and Just One Night w/ the naked Strat sound to any of the fuzzy/boost-y stuff.

But , even though there are some decent tones on the 70's LIVE comp, sure, I'd agree - Bluesbreakers in the studio and the bootlegs from that era : his best tone.

[tazzboy]

I always like him in Cream

[jbmando]

Cream, for me.

[telex76]

I liked him best when he was pretending to be Freddie King.
He was great when he was pretending to be J.J. Cale also.

[getbent]

backless and.... journeyman...

there.. I said it.

[pondcaster]

With Derek & brother Duane.

[Del Pickup]

This all boils down to personal preference really.

At the end of the day, EC has done more for guitar playing and the blues than almost anyone in the last 40+ years. Don't bother arguing that case, it's true!

Who else has been at the forefront of pop/rock/blues for so long and reached a wider audience over such a long period - and influenced as many other players along the way??

His style has matured over the years but his playing has been consistently way above the average even when he wasn't functioning at his best thanks to an overload of whatever substances.

I like almost everything he's done (although Cream is probably my least favourite period).

Ultimately there is no 'best' - only what individual's may prefer - like any other music or artist.

[mr natural]

Call me crazy but I really love the solo tone on Presence of the Lord off of Blind Faith starting with the wah part and going all the way to the end of the song. What a screaming, crying solo that one is!

Beano, Derek and Cream were cool too. I also dig some of the stuff he did with Delaney and Bonnie.
-Mr. N.

[tap4154]

Love all of EC's stuff since I was a kid, wearing out Disraeli Gears, on and on. 461 Ocean Blvd is one of my favorites... also Journeyman and Behind the Sun (there! I said it too!) but he does some of his his best as the rhythm player IMHO:



I LOVE this one:

[getbent]

[indytele]

Money and Cigarettes. Killer.

[czgibson]

Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek. Eric was a godlike guitar player in those days. Before Hendrix arrived he was the man to beat.

I think he might have got a bit bored with music after Layla, or maybe distracted from it. Read his autobiography - there's a lot more in there about women, clothing and drink than there is about music and guitar playing.

Still, the guy has done more for our instrument than most people, so he deserves big respect.

[adjason]

I love that wah and slide combo he does so well on tracks like I'll make love to you any old time off of Backless.