[Slowhand] RE:Sometimes Too Cool

[darmel at sbcglobal.net]

DN,
Your points are usually valid ones, but I think that you are "stretching" a
bit here...

There is a time to showboat and a time to NOT. Eric is mature enough to know
the difference (w/MarkK or BuddyG - yes, appropriate to show-off w/BBK or in
a tribute to GeoH - no, not appropriate). I think THAT (knowing the
difference) is cool.
>>Let me add: if someone is a performer, don't we go see him or her because
>>they are showboating? That's what a performer does: showboat!

Eric has NEVER held back on EMOTION in any show I paid to see. OTOH, in his
younger days, he occasionally showed up drunk, and his performance suffered
(no show I ever saw, however). I prefer the sober EC.
>>Or, do we want to see them hold back: their emotions, their passions,
their
>>gifts, their performance?

I don't think that any of this applies to Eric. His "River of Tears"
performance on the last tour at Oakland Arena moistened my eyes a bit. There
is more emotion in his work today than in works prior. Eric is anything but
arrogant and in no way is he a "has-been." OTOH, Eric reinvents himself and
his works continuously. He'd be a "has-been" if he didn't change/evolve - if
he replayed Cream and Derek days verbatim (for "has-been," see Moody Blues,
Rod Stewart, etc.). Poor performer - No way (that might apply if he showed
up drunk and laid down on stage, an incident from his drinking days that he
related in an interview).
>>Imagine seeing a comedian who does not make you laugh. He's either
>>arrogant -- "I will hold back and not let this audience laugh" -- or a
poor
>>comedian, and cannot make the audience laugh. One is arrogant, the other a
>>poor performer or has-been.

Cheers!
Mel Boss
darmel at sbcglobal.net