ERIC CLAPTON – Old Sock

Label: Bushbranch / Surfdog

Release Date: March 12, 2013

Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by: ToddStar

There are some artists that you just love. you can;t explain it to someone who doesn’t love the artist. It just is. Eric Clapton is one of those artists for me. I can pick out the songs I love and tell you why. When he started recording a ton of blues, I have to say, I fell off the bus. That said, I really dig this new disc. Eric surrounded himself this time around with long time collaborators Steve Gadd on drums, Willie Weeks on bass, and Chris Stainton on keyboards.

“Further On Down The Road” kicks this off in the right direction, with a bluesy feel that is also heavy on the reggae feel. The guitar playing is cool and the voice is as great as ever. “Angel” opens up with a cool feel and great guitar playing. The band follows tightly, including special guest JJ Cale. This is such a contrast from the previous track, but it works well as a follow-up. “The Folks Who Live on the Hill” is a great track that smacks of a classic track that is from an era gone by. This is a great song that tells a story. The instrumentation is perfect and well matched to the song. “Gotta Get Over” is another song that has Clapton’s guitar, vocals, and cool all over it. This original, one of only two, has all those key ingredients of a great Clapton track. Chaka Khan joins in on background vocals on this track. The solo is as good as any he has done. “Till Your WEll Runs Dry” has a cool vibe that digs into Clapton’s reggae influences once the chorus kicks in. The verses have cool guitar licks and riffs as well as that familiar voice and offset the chorus nicely. “All Of Me” features a rare appearance from Paul McCartney, who plays bass and duets nicely with Eric. This classic is given a new edge with these two stars putting their individual stamp on their respective parts. This has that old school feel, while sounding fresh and new. This is one of my favorites on the disc.

“Born To Lose” is twang country at its best. This isn’t something I listen to all the time, but something about the way Clapton plays it that makes it cool. The slide guitar mixed with the simple rhythm section and keyboards makes this another standout on the disc. “Still Got The Blues” has old friend Steve Winwood on keyboards. This number is all blues from opening note until the finals strands. The keyboards are part blues part jazz and nicely cradle EC’s voice during the verse and chorus. “Goodnight Irene” returns to a cool country-blues-jazz fusion that really goes over well. This is a cool spin on a classic that really shows how Clapton can take something and really recreate it while keeping the origin intact. “Your One And Only Man” is more reggae fun and excitement. This track has a groove that keeps the song song afloat and moving. This seems to be missing something, but it is hard to tell exactly what. Something in the voice helps carry the track, as does the rhythm section and harmonica. “Every Little Thing” is the second and final Clapton original on this disc. This doesn’t have that big EC sound to it, but it is definitely Clapton on top of his game. The guitars are spot on and the vocals, dripping with emotion, assist in the storytelling on this track. This song fits so well among the other tracks recorded for this disc. “Our Love Is Here To Stay” closes the disc in great fashion. This mellow track winds us down before letting us ponder after listening to this great disc, the future, musically speaking, truly is in the past.

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Category: CD Reviews