Did Clapton peak with Steppin' Out

adampeter

Did he ever play better with better tone?

AlexC

Although I agree with you that that is a great piece of early blues rock it’s over 50 years old. He’s done quite a lot since then. And it’s pretty crude. Compare it to Edge Of Darkness, for example. Okay - I get that a LP through a cranked valve gets some people hard, but subtle it ain’t. 

ICBM

No, with Derek And The Dominos.

I think he's done some good stuff since, too - but nothing that tops that.

bbill335

ICBM said:

No, with Derek And The Dominos.

I think he's done some good stuff since, too - but nothing that tops that.

yep, it's "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad" for me

adampeter

ICBM said:

No, with Derek And The Dominos.

I think he's done some good stuff since, too - but nothing that tops that.

Never really listened to much Derek and the Dominoes stuff aside from the obvious ones, will dig a little deeper 

ICBM

adampeter said:

Never really listened to much Derek and the Dominoes stuff aside from the obvious ones, will dig a little deeper 

Just get the Layla album - it's the best thing he's ever done in my opinion.

bbill335

adampeter said:

ICBM said:

No, with Derek And The Dominos.

I think he's done some good stuff since, too - but nothing that tops that.

Never really listened to much Derek and the Dominoes stuff aside from the obvious ones, will dig a little deeper 

that whole post-Blind Faith period of Delaney & Bonnie, D&TDs, All Things Must Pass, and then the early solo EC stuff is my favourite stuff. 

not_the_dj

You need to Derek and the Dominoes live album. Originally released as “in concert” then expanded as a 2 CD (remember them?) Live at the Fillmore. 

richardhomer

Behind the Sun features some exceptional playing - as does From The Cradle. His version of Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright at Dylan’s 30th Anniversary show at Madison Square Garden is perhaps the most ‘committed’ his playing (and voice) has ever been. I’d have loved to have been there:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/ximopq

Jalapeno

bbill335 said:

adampeter said:

ICBM said:

No, with Derek And The Dominos.

I think he's done some good stuff since, too - but nothing that tops that.

Never really listened to much Derek and the Dominoes stuff aside from the obvious ones, will dig a little deeper 

that whole post-Blind Faith period of Delaney & Bonnie, D&TDs, All Things Must Pass, and then the early solo EC stuff is my favourite stuff. 

461 Ocean Boulevard, Slowhand, Backless, Money & Cigarettes, before "Armani" Eric are my faves. (Don't get me wrong Behind the Sun is a tour de force)

mudslide73

bbill335 said:

adampeter said:

ICBM said:

No, with Derek And The Dominos.

I think he's done some good stuff since, too - but nothing that tops that.

Never really listened to much Derek and the Dominoes stuff aside from the obvious ones, will dig a little deeper 

that whole post-Blind Faith period of Delaney & Bonnie, D&TDs, All Things Must Pass, and then the early solo EC stuff is my favourite stuff. 

The breaks on I'd Have You Anytime on ATMP are wonderful tbf. The whole record is "off the scale" good though imo.

axisus

For me Clapton is a tale of two halves, everything before he went solo and everything after. Generally I love all the former and don't love all the latter

ICBM

axisus said:

For me Clapton is a tale of two halves, everything before he went solo and everything after. Generally I love all the former and don't love all the latter

I like a lot of his solo stuff too, although mostly the unfashionable 'drunk period', unfortunately! But the strange thing is that his first solo album - the one with 'Slunky' and 'Blues Power' on it - was before D&TD, and also had Carl Radle, Jim Gordon and Bobby Whitlock on it, but which I really dislike.

brooom

I'm not a fan of the guitar tones on the Layla album. But if you like Derek and the Dominoes, Live at the fillmore is definitely worth a listen.

bbill335

ICBM said:

axisus said:

For me Clapton is a tale of two halves, everything before he went solo and everything after. Generally I love all the former and don't love all the latter

I like a lot of his solo stuff too, although mostly the unfashionable 'drunk period', unfortunately! But the strange thing is that his first solo album - the one with 'Slunky' and 'Blues Power' on it - was before D&TD, and also had Carl Radle, Jim Gordon and Bobby Whitlock on it, but which I really dislike.

that's a funny one, coz it has a couple of killer tunes on - 'Let it Rain' is up there with 'Badge' for me - but also a preview of the lazy JJ Cale clone stuff that would come in the late 70s. D&TD at the Fillmore really does work to encompass the very best of that period, even if some of the guitar work is sloppy and some of the soloing overlong. 

EricTheWeary

not_the_dj said:

You need to Derek and the Dominoes live album. Originally released as “in concert” then expanded as a 2 CD (remember them?) Live at the Fillmore. 

I blow hot and cold both with Clapton and guitar jams but the sheer groove, dynamics and energy on this takes things to another level.

As for the OP - the Beano album is a hard sell, you have to pretty much ignore Mayall on it and there are much better blues albums ( Clapton took so much from Freddie King you really are better off listening to almost anything from his catalogue and Freddie's voice was sublime unlike Mayall's, possibly odd for a man who made his mark playing instrumentals). 
But Steppin' Out is an electric guitar standard, walk around the Guitar Show in Birmingham next February and at some point you will hear someone playing/ mangling some version of it. But probably important early work rather than defining statement. 

ICBM

Forgot to say - as it happens, I'm going to see John Mayall in November. He's 85!

Blueingreen

It's the early stuff - Have You Heard, Double Crossing Time and Stormy Monday with Mayall, the solos on Badge and While My Guitar Gently Weeps - that represent peak Clapton for me.

After that something went missing - I think the belief that what he was doing as a guitarist was valid and could continue to be developed into something new. He stopped taking risks and oscillated between the bloated (D&TD) and tastefully anodyne.   

EricTheWeary

ICBM said:

Forgot to say - as it happens, I'm going to see John Mayall in November. He's 85!

I saw him about eight years ago. I thought he was great, better than the records. Buddy Whittington was on guitar and I love his style ( his guitar style, his sartorial style leaves a bit to be desired). No idea who is in the band now. 

scrumhalf

If you're going back to the Beano era stuff then the single Telephone Blues is as good as anything on that album.

I loved Clapton's earlier stuff, but after D&TD I couldn't really say I enjoyed any of the solo stuff. He still had the fire on the Carl Perkins tribute thing, and he's regained it on a few occasions since then but give me the Yardbirds, Mayall, Cream and Blind Faith stuff any time.

adampeter

Had another try with the Layla album, its alright i guess, but a little "tame" for my tastes
Will keep trying to see if something sticks
I guess the older stuff, beano, cream, etc just does it for me