Eric Clapton "Just The Blues"

[Chevelle]

I didn't know that Clapton was having hearing problems but I did hear Ted Nugent say in an interview that his hearing is completely gone in one ear and is very bad in the other.
I'm sure many of the musicians (and fans) from back then are having some kind of hearing problems.
My good friend, Michelle Penn is an Indie singer/musician/songwriter and she told me something I had never known. Playing the acoustic guitar is also bad for your ears since you are usually sitting down and leaning over the guitar. That puts your ears directly over, and a few inches above the sound hole and eventually that will start causing problems.

 

[LG]

I never thought of that Chevelle, standing in front of the stack of Marshall's for years would undoubtedly cause damage but acoustic guitars sound so relaxed and laid back that surprised me.

The Sound made a good point a while back the horns in a symphony orchestra cause problems for the strings who sit in front of them during concerts. Another facet of hearing loss I never considered.

 

[Chevelle]

Clapton, like some of us, is getting up there in years and it is safe to say that he has played electric guitar a lot more than I have but even now I don't use ear protection. I guess I'm too stubborn and set in my ways.
I've thought about this since yesterday and I wonder if anyone back in the day used earplugs. You can't tell from photos because everyone had long hair back then.

 

[Chevelle]

Getting back to Clapton, I have the CD package Sessions For Robert J that includes a DVD of the session and some interviews.
Eric talks about studying Robert Johnson's music and says that it is not possible for one guitarist to reproduce Johnson's guitar playing (I'm paraphrasing from memory). In the unplugged songs on the DVD Clapton is playing acoustic guitar and singing and there is another guitarist playing along with him.
So, what do you think, was Johnson really that good or is Clapton just keeping the "Crossroads" legend alive?

 

[Sox]

^^^I think Keith Richards always said something like "listening to Robert Johnson was like listening to two guys playing."

 

[Chevelle]

Well, there you go. Two well known and well respected guitarists with the same opinion of Johnson's playing. Very interesting indeed.
I'm going to listen to Johnson's box set this weekend and specifically concentrate on the guitar playing.
I'm really curious now.

 

[Sunny]

Love this version of Wonderful Tonight!

 

[E-Z]

On 13/10/12 BBC radio 4 featured in there FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY series Eric's recording of his UNPLUGGED album from the early 1990s.

Eric claimed in the programme that it was a good a recording but it came as a surprise to him that this album became so popular and a big seller.

 

[Sox]

Seeing how Eric's hero was mentioned here is his uptempo take on Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues".

Cream - Crossroads


This is why Eric will always be up there for me, he has plenty in the tank if he needs it. With those early-mid career blues tunes his playing was up with the best around at the time.

 

[nikval]

Eric has a instinctive guitarist, and i love his way to play strata, but I think he's also a very good singer, day by day he has improved his tecnical vocal and from the "Unplugged" album his voice is mature and complete, like his sound guitar