Eric Clapton - Eric

 

While I don't care for much of the man's solo work, I am a big fan of Clapton's earlier days, so when I found this book in a thrift store, I decided to go ahead and pick it up.

Eric writes pretty chronologically here and first thing we learn is that he was a bastard son - I had no idea! But, despite that, it sounds like he had a pretty good childhood - better than many his age, as he was fairly ok financially and somewhat spoiled by his grandparents who brought him up. Similar to a lot of his peers, he was interested in both art and music but became disillusioned with art when he mistakenly took commercial/graphic art lessons instead of the more creative fine art and was eventually booted out of school. That cemented his decision (ironic choice of words, as he worked with his grandfather as a bricklayer for a while in between school and music) to become a musician and, after a few missteps, he hooked up with the Yardbirds. Obviously, this time period is the most interesting of the story, as an up-and-coming musician playing in the same circuit as bands that became superstars. His disdain for the Yardbirds becoming "commercial" by covering "For Your Love" (written by Graham Gouldman, master songwriter at the time and later of 10cc) led to his departure from the group.

Eric is fairly well known for being a bit problematic and even in his own version of his story he comes off as a total pretentious twat (not that I haven't been guilty of that at times myself, and with far less success at the same time). His time with the Yardbirds is classic, but I think that they were actually better off letting him go. Of course, he wasn't without a band for long, as he soon joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and eventually formed The Cream.

Cream didn't last long, either, due to egos and tempers and while he was slowing working up what would become Blind Faith - and while he was in love with George Harrison's wife, Pattie - Eric had a 16 year old girl move in with him! In some ways he seems to know that this is sick and wrong, and that he was taking advantage of a literal child who was practically half his age, but he did it anyway. He really does not come off very well in any way in this book and this makes the Blind Faith album cover even creepier.

Drugs became a heavy part of his life at this point and it took him years to get over them, although he did some classic work with, among other projects, Derek and the Dominos and the Bangledesh and Rainbow concerts and even his first solo album. He eventually did get off drugs but turned to alcohol but still recorded one of his most financially rewarding (although far, far from his best - in fact, it is the start of his decline, artistically, from which he never recovered) records with 461 Ocean Boulevard and the hit single, "I Shot the Sheriff". He did finally split from the teenager and get together with Pattie Harrison at this point, after years of pining for her.

Par for the course for him, once he had her, she didn’t matter much to him and he didn’t work very hard in their relationship, as he traded his heroin addiction for alcoholism and generally made a mess of his life. The road to recovery is always a depressing story and Eric was pretty lost at this point, both musically and emotionally.

Also by this time, his music lost its appeal to me so a lot of the following story is much less interesting. He does clean up for good (funnily, his "rock bottom" was breaking a fishing pole! Hardly the rock bottom that most people end up at!), and after more dalliances, falls in love with another woman literally half his age, but at least he's old enough that it's not as creepy as his previous endeavors. They have children, they vacation, he plays some more music (I admit that I do like his Me and Mr. Johnson record of Robert Johnson covers), tours occasionally and not a lot is all that compelling.

As is his way, he complains continually, even as he is touring and recording successfully, comfortably, and with musicians he cares for and respects, it's never enough for him and he just wants to put it all behind him (and he is not particularly old at this point) while many would give anything for what he has.

But that is Eric, a complainer no matter what the circumstances, whether spartan or comfortable, but regardless, he's not a bad writer and at least half of the story is worthwhile. Seeing as I almost didn't even bother with the book, I suppose that's pretty good. Not great, but not bad.