Clapton...

poopot

Danielsguitars said:

F off crapton and that rodgers bloke too, everyone knows Jimmy's the best 

Somerville? He had a great voice.

Funkfingers

Can Blue Men Sing The Whites?

HAL9000

To answer the original question...

1. When the Beano album came out, most of us had never heard anything like it before - distorted guitar, controlled aggression, plenty of memorable licks, etc. It might all sound a bit old hat (and even a little sloppy) some fifty-ish years on, but at the time it was groundbreaking.

2. One thing with EC is that he tends not to overplay. He serves the song rather than lots of pointless widdling. The lack of showiness quite possibly means he doesn't get rated as highly as some more flashy players.

3. He came at a time (and he admits this himself) when anyone with three chords and a sense of timing could form or join a band. Also, until then the guitar was mostly - but not exclusively - used as an accompanying instrument. Clapton was quite possibly the first guitar god.

Fishboy7

He was good in the late 60s early 70s when he was drug addled and drunk (ignoring the nazi/racist stuff).

Kittyfrisk

Funkfingers said:

Can Blue Men Sing The Whites?

They can if they're playing on my pink half of the drainpipe.

Barnezy

WHAT!!! 

You know he's in his seventies now. His stuff has been around for over 50 years and people, even young people, still listen to it and find it relevant.

The guy was an innovator in his time. He came before nearly every other "guitar hero" and you can guarantee all those that came after him, learnt guitar playing his stuff.

This is blasphemous. 

poopot

The Bonamassa of his day!...

Bridgehouse

poopot said:

The Bonamassa of his day!...

Couldn’t have been - he didn’t have anywhere near enough Gibsons - and the ones he did have he lost/gave away/got nicked

randerson

Fishboy7 said:

He was good in the late 60s early 70s when he was drug addled and drunk (ignoring the nazi/racist stuff).

His nazi racist stuff is seriously underrated too. His emotive treatment of 'Deutschland Erwache' and 'SS Marschiert in Feindesland' is up there with Wagner. 

poopot

Bridgehouse said:

poopot said:

The Bonamassa of his day!...

Couldn’t have been - he didn’t have anywhere near enough Gibsons - and the ones he did have he lost/gave away/got nicked

I mean they are the same in the sense that it’s insipid paint by numbers corporate blews...

Fifty9

For me he’s probably the ‘best’ all-round guitarist of all time. Can’t think of another who has achieved what he has wrt the guitar over such a period.

stonevibe

He had a great 'tone' using his four knobs apparently.

soma1975

I mean yeah sure if you judge him by his recent Christmas album then he's awful and bland, but Bluesbreakers/Cream/Derek and the Dominoes/August all fantastic and era defining. 

Funkfingers

During his stint with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, the infamous graffito read, Clapton Is God. He was replaced by Peter Green. Unfortunately, almost fifty years ago, Peter left the building. 

Danielsguitars

Still gets boring pretty quick, i try and listen to more new music than old

bloomer

Clapton was Clapton when he played Gibsons, the tones he got and the way he melted licks together added up to a very unique sound. When he moved to strats I think he lost some of his distinctive style. Plus his personal life was all over the shop. But for his work in the mid-late 60s he's rightly considered one of the greats.

ronnyb

Fifty9 said:

For me he’s probably the ‘best’ all-round guitarist of all time. Can’t think of another who has achieved what he has wrt the guitar over such a period.

Knopfler?

soma1975

ronnyb said:

Knopfler?

Not even close. Knopfler has what, 5 well known songs? 

Romeo and Juliet
Sultans
Money for Nothing
Walk of Life
Brothers in Arms. 

Lebarque

Someone said it earlier: fluid and melodic. Makes playing the guitar seem easy. Inspiring.

richardhomer

If you’re not into bluesy guitar playing, he probably won’t do it for you.

If you are, listen to Five Long Years, Someday After a While and I’m Tore Down from From The Cradle, Just Like a Prisoner and Same Old Blues from Behind the Sun, the outro solo from Holy Mother from August, the live version of River of Tears from One More Car One More Driver - and you may get an idea.

I saw him at Hyde Park last Summer - even at 73 he had a tone and touch to die for. I’m entirely partisan - I love him - but objectively I reckon even those who don’t would think he’s done enough to be considered one of the greats....