After a bit of enjoyable Clapton-related discussion with the Voodooman this afternoon, I thought it was about time our guitar forum had a thread somewhere that paid tribute to a man who not only is a legendary player in his own right, but whose body of work is basically a resume' of some of rock music's most assertive & esteemed accomplishments. As a matter of fact, it is my firm belief that it's only a matter of time before Webster's puts a short footnote under the definition of guitar: *see also - Eric Clapton.
Oh yes, there are many colossal figures in the world of guitar, some of whom are every bit as deserving when considering their accomplishments. However, one would be hard-pressed to find a guitarist with as diverse a style, or one who has been part of as much of rock history as Clapton has.
My recent foray into the world of Clapton has uncovered many jewels. Being an avid fan of the blues, it is hard to overlook some of EC's landmark work in the early to mid 60's. As the lead guitarist for the Yardbirds, Eric set the UK on its ear with his scorching blues style. Shortly thereafter, he parlayed his phenomenal style into England's premier blues group, The Bluesbreakers, who were fronted by the multi-talented John Mayall. Although Eric's stint with the band was brief, the material that evolved from that union shook the very foundations of the rock music. The songs. The tone. The feel. All unmistakably driven by the genius of Clapton's guitar mastery. But there were more lands to be conquered.
After his departure from The Bluesbreakers, Clapton, along with drummer Ginger Baker, and bassist Jack Bruce, formed Cream, and once again set the rock world on fire with their unique blues-meets-psychedelia style. Clapton's Cream-era tone would eventually evolve into the modern rock style, its roots noticeably evident in the music of bands such as Led Zeppelin, Free, and the Allman Brothers to name a few.
Although the aforementioned is but a blip in a monumentally successful career, I didn't want to have this thread start out, or continue as a Clapton biography. If you're interested in that, Wikipedia has the perscribed vital stats:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Clapton#Blind_Faith_.26_Delaney_and_Bonnie_and_Friends
Although the waters of the Nelskie guitar style run very deeply along the ZZ Top & Led Zeppelin tributaries, I cannot deny that my recent "re-discovery" of Eric Clapton has led me to some very fertile lands as far as playing goes. And perhaps that's what I have found to be so interesting during this particular "go-round". What I mean is that each of us, as guitarists, may be only too familiar with the music from some of our favorite artists and players. Often times, if we dig deeper, we can find new treasures - maybe even ones that we didn't even think existed. For me, this is one of the most satisfying parts of playing guitar - when the old becomes the new. And by that same process, we are once again as players re-connected to where we came from.
But where it really gets interesting is when you take that re-discovery one step further, i.e. roll it into something entirely new, and wholly different. Yeah, it's cool to have a sound just like Clapton, or SRV, or whomever. But how cool would it be to have your own tone, and have it be "Clapton-esque", or "Cream-ish", or something along those same lines - you know - tap into the mojo, but put your own stamp on it?
Such are the things I am wrestling with today. And what a glorious predicament it is turning out to be!!
Oh yes, there are many colossal figures in the world of guitar, some of whom are every bit as deserving when considering their accomplishments. However, one would be hard-pressed to find a guitarist with as diverse a style, or one who has been part of as much of rock history as Clapton has.
My recent foray into the world of Clapton has uncovered many jewels. Being an avid fan of the blues, it is hard to overlook some of EC's landmark work in the early to mid 60's. As the lead guitarist for the Yardbirds, Eric set the UK on its ear with his scorching blues style. Shortly thereafter, he parlayed his phenomenal style into England's premier blues group, The Bluesbreakers, who were fronted by the multi-talented John Mayall. Although Eric's stint with the band was brief, the material that evolved from that union shook the very foundations of the rock music. The songs. The tone. The feel. All unmistakably driven by the genius of Clapton's guitar mastery. But there were more lands to be conquered.
After his departure from The Bluesbreakers, Clapton, along with drummer Ginger Baker, and bassist Jack Bruce, formed Cream, and once again set the rock world on fire with their unique blues-meets-psychedelia style. Clapton's Cream-era tone would eventually evolve into the modern rock style, its roots noticeably evident in the music of bands such as Led Zeppelin, Free, and the Allman Brothers to name a few.
Although the aforementioned is but a blip in a monumentally successful career, I didn't want to have this thread start out, or continue as a Clapton biography. If you're interested in that, Wikipedia has the perscribed vital stats:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Clapton#Blind_Faith_.26_Delaney_and_Bonnie_and_Friends
Although the waters of the Nelskie guitar style run very deeply along the ZZ Top & Led Zeppelin tributaries, I cannot deny that my recent "re-discovery" of Eric Clapton has led me to some very fertile lands as far as playing goes. And perhaps that's what I have found to be so interesting during this particular "go-round". What I mean is that each of us, as guitarists, may be only too familiar with the music from some of our favorite artists and players. Often times, if we dig deeper, we can find new treasures - maybe even ones that we didn't even think existed. For me, this is one of the most satisfying parts of playing guitar - when the old becomes the new. And by that same process, we are once again as players re-connected to where we came from.
But where it really gets interesting is when you take that re-discovery one step further, i.e. roll it into something entirely new, and wholly different. Yeah, it's cool to have a sound just like Clapton, or SRV, or whomever. But how cool would it be to have your own tone, and have it be "Clapton-esque", or "Cream-ish", or something along those same lines - you know - tap into the mojo, but put your own stamp on it?
Such are the things I am wrestling with today. And what a glorious predicament it is turning out to be!!
Here's a link:
I'll use it next time.
