[Slowhand] Minneapolis - St. Paul Review

[Almighty Geetarz]

Lounge Blues? What's Lounge Blues? OUCH!-------Review: Clapton plays up artistry of blues -- period Jon Bream,  Star Tribune July 19, 2004 CLAPTON0719 

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Who thinks Eric Clapton wimped out?

C'mon, raise your hands.

Who prefers Clapton's quieter, more contemplative stuff like "Tears in Heaven,"My Father's Eyes" and the unplugged version of "Layla"?

Raise your hands.

If you were in the latter group, you probably would have been disappointed by Clapton's concert Sunday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Not only did he not play "Tears,"Father's Eyes" or "Change the World" but he returned to the original rockin' rendition of "Layla."

On Sunday, Clapton was mostly the born-again, bespectacled, bearded, blue-jean wearing bluesman, who also flexed his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame heavyweight guitar credentials. The king of economic virtuosity on guitar was assertive and generous this time. It was a quite exceptional, often emotional, sometimes stirring and remarkably energetic two- hour performance -- better than anyone had the right to expect given Clapton's laid-back approach (let's not say wimpiness) for the last few decades. At 59, Clapton is still a guitar monster.

Since his most recent CD is a tribute to blues pioneer Robert Johnson, it was not surprising that Clapton had his blues mojo working. (Blues is his first calling as a musician, he has said.) In fact, with seven backup musicians and singers, the frontman came across as the leader of a democratic big-band lounge-blues group, allowing the sidemen substantial solo opportunities, occasionally at the expense of his own time in the spotlight.

During a sit-down, five-song mostly acoustic set of Johnson tunes, Clapton suddenly became possessed, with the blues inhabiting his singing like never before. The high-pitched moan, the low-down slurs, the liberating shout. His singing sounded otherworldly on the ferocious "If I Had Possession over Judgment Day," with his stinging slide guitar matching the overpowering emotion of his voice.

Clapton carried on with electrifying fervor with his rave-up rock guitar on Derek & the Dominos' "Got to Get Better in a Little While," and then he made the 15,613 fans feel the pain of longing for a lady -- with his voice and soaring guitar -- on "Have You Ever Loved a Woman?"

The superstar switched to joy for the sweet "Wonderful Tonight," Clapton's concession to cuddlers. "Layla," during which he coaxed both joy and pain out of his guitar, was Clapton's concession to second guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, who got too many of the guitar solos. By contrast, opening act Robert Randolph (who was an exciting gospel showman with Hendrix-like chops and bravado during his own set) on pedal steel guitar was a welcomed addition on Clapton's encores, turning Cream's cluttered "Sunshine of Your Love" into a raucous roof-raiser and inspiring the frontman on Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Workin' " to get his guitar mojo working overtime.

Jon Bream is at 612-673-1719 or popmusic at startribune.com.



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