Unpopular opinion... I don't think Eric Clapton is very great.

[bluesman]

I'm not a big Clapton fan.  I only have 4 or 5 of his albums, and I haven't listened to one in at least a year.  But you don't have to like a performer (or artist or author or chef or tailor or whatever) to understand and appreciate how good that person is at what he or she does. And Clapton is both a world class guitarist and one of the leading players of the blues-rock era.

 

The elements that matter in assessing a guitarist include tone, consistency, inventiveness, mastery of the instrument and its subtleties, versatility, technical prowess, etc.  Talents of great importance include being a sensitive accompanist who complements the vocalist or soloist being supported, listening to and playing with the rest of the band rather than trying to show what he or she can do, and caring more about the music than about his or her parts and solos.  Clapton's had all that in spades since day 1.

 

In this Cream track from 1968 (which will start at his solo, just for illustration), listen to the precision of his timing, the liquid vibrato he gets with his hands alone (that's not a whammy bar adding the slight warble to his notes), the mastery of off-beat and heavily syncopated soloing, and how complete his solos sound - you can "hear" the chords over which he's improvising, even though no other instrument is playing chords & there's "only" a bass behind him.  Solos like this reflect his mastery of the music:

 

 

This tune with Mayall shows him to be the equal of the Kings and all the other blues greats mentioned in this thread.  He fills around the vocal line so well that it's almost an extension of the lyric.  

 

 

And here's a great example of his lighter touch, with sensitive backing of the vocals and a beautiful, expressive approach to the blues in a more modern vein:

 

 

I could offer a hundred examples of how and why he's a great guitarist.  I probably won't ever buy another Clapton album, and I don't emulate his playing in my own.  But he's undeniably great, and you don't have to like listening to him to appreciate what he can do.

 

FWIW, there are so many geat blues guitarists and styles that there's something for everybody.  Check out Robben Ford, Chris Cain, Joanna Connor, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Joe Bonamassa, Larry Garner, Larry McCray, Keb Mo, James Solberg, Johnny Lang, Susan Tedeschi and Coco Montoya just for starters.  

[bluesman]

12 hours ago, RHSims said:

Arguably, the British Invasion reintroduced the US classic blues players to the US where they were pretty much marginalized and ignored.

Ain't that the truth, though?  One of my favorite blues composers / singers / guitarists (and equally stellar at all 3) is a Brooklyn guy named Michael Hill.  Sadly, he's another world class guy about whom almost nobody knows.  HIs lyrics are poetry and his playing is like velvet that's sometimes burning and sometimes icy.  Among the many wonderful lyrics he's written is this gem of a line about marginalized and ignored blues greats: "Maybe some day our heroes will get paid while they're alive".

 

 

 

 

FWIW, Michael Hill is anyone's equal for prowess, taste, skill, knowledge, and musicianship.  He's one of my favorite artists in any genre - he's genuine, he's exciting to hear, and by all accounts I've heard he's a good guy as well.  Give him a listen!

[bluesman]

23 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

IMO this doesn't even sound like Blues...

 

It doesn't sound like the classic 12 bar blues you're probably used to because it's not.  The chord structure is different and the form is less repetitive.  It has many of the elements of a classical piece, including two separate movements and interessting key modulations.  That famous guitar lick is truly a leitmotif, in the manner of Glass, Bach, Lizst, Schumann, and Strauss.  But it's just another way of singing the blues. 

 

As the story goes (with pretty good corroboration), Clapton wrote it, with input from drummer Jim Gordon, to express his angst about being in love with Pattie Boyd (George Harrison's wife at the time) after reading a Persian epic poem about unrequited love called Layla and Manjun.  He wrote it to be a ballad, and it makes a pretty fine blues ballad for sure.  Although I've never heard a recording of it as a true ballad, his Unplugged version has many traditional elements of older blues styles.  The guitar accompaniment's in a classic blues vein, and even the chord changes are set in an alternative blues format.  The piano part has a lot of Pinetop Perkins in it, with an assist from Allen Toussaint and Dr John.  

 

 

It became a rock tune after the album on which it was introduced turned out to be a sales dud - Clapton's name was nowhere on the front and buried in the jacket notes on the back.  But with some massaging from Tom Dowd, it turned into the rock anthem with which you (and I, FWIW) are not in love.

 

The blues is not just a specific musical form or style - it's one of the the most basic musical expressions of emotion, and it takes many forms. For me, the essence of the blues is summed up by Pattie Boyd's comment about Clapton and his music:

 

"He's such an incredible musician that he's able to put his emotions into music in such a way that the audience can feel it instinctively. It goes right through you."

 

The classic guitar lick was added by Duane Allman (playing as a guest with Derek & the Dominos) when the song was first played by them.  Allman may have independently made it up, but it's the opening vocal line from Albert King's "As The Years Go Passing By" and that's probably where he got it - it's the exact same opening line that Albert sings (this video will open right to it):

 

 

There's an old and apocryphal story about a young Clapton that has him talking to another blues guitarist of note about his performance at a major blues concert.  BB King was the best known performer, and Clapton (like the others on the program) wanted to make a good impression on the King.  He described a major breakthrough, and major frustration, after playing his heart out for his portion of the program....... "BB came out, hit one note, and got a standing ovation!"

 

As I always say, it ain't what you play - it's how you play it.

[bluesman]

28 minutes ago, 57gold said:

Miles felt that Coltrane overplayed and hogged the stage with extended solos, playing too many notes and guessing EC felt similarly about

I’d be surprised to learn that anyone thinks Clapton’s general approach to improvisation resembles Miles’ in any way at all.  Most of his electric blues solos are filled with rapid hammer-ones, pull offs, and rapidly repetitive riffs between elegantly built lightning runs. He is far from a spare and subtle soloist.

 

Those who doubt Clapton’s blues roots, reverence, and knowledge should listen to his album “Me and Mr Johnson”.  He presents the same dichotomy as Buddy Guy, who’s best known for lightning fast flurries and a bit of a heavy hand (and would have been Hendrix before Hendrix if his manager hadn’t stopped him with a warning that no one would buy records like that).  But a listen to Guy as he backs Cotton on acoustic reveals his blues roots too.  These guys are the real deal.