Amazon.co.uk Review: Amazingly, given his weighty reputation as a blues guitarist, Eric Clapton has previously released only one all-blues collection in a solo career spanning 30 years. That album, 1994's From the Cradle, may have topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, but Clapton certainly betters it with this interpretation of 14 Robert Johnson classics. The reason for this is primarily in the vocals. Clapton's voice has always been too soft, too undamaged to convincingly tell such tales of woe. Now though, veteran of various personal catastrophes, he can give a fair impression of a man who has seen too much. Surrounded by an impressive musical team including Andy Fairweather Low and Billy Preston, with Jerry Portnoy playing a blinder on blues harp, Clapton delivers a deep, pulsing "When You Got a Friend", a searing "Little Queen of Spades", a boogilicious "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and a bucking "They're Red Hot". "Come on in My Kitchen" and "Me and the Devil Blues", meanwhile, are tough acoustic efforts, more in keeping with the legend of Johnson at the crossroads at midnight. Clapton fans will love this--it's his best in ages. --Dominic Wills
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Me and Mr Johnson
'Me and Mr Johnson' has some solid playing from EC and his love and mastery of Robert Johnson's musics is pretty evident on this album. I think the reason why this album gets slated as much as it does is because the terrible Simon Climie production relegates it to the 'elevator' music described by other reviewers. The music and playing are pretty good (although without the fire and passion of 'From the Cradle') but the production is yet again flat and uninspiring. When will EC learn everyone hates ... Read More
Rating: - "god" plays the devil's tunes quite well.
This is another one of those albums that to me just begs a review, if only because of the wide gulf that exists between some of the criticism attached to it on these very pages and the sheer enjoyment that come with listening to it.I mean if this is mall music as one reviewer wrote, then i must be shopping in all the wrong places.
Now I'm no Eric Clapton fan, this being the only album of his i own, and purchased only for its association with the legendary Robert Johnson, but i can certainly appreciate ... Read More
Rating: - Don't play it outside of a shopping mall.
I heard this music playing in a shopping mall. And thought, "how horrible, someone has recorded a tepid, bland, muzak version of some great blues songs." Then I listened harder, to the singing, and realized to my horror it was Eric Clapton, who in prior decades did more than anyone to spread the word about Johnson's great music.
Not to be played unless in a shopping mall, as that is where this sugary swill of watery pop belongs. Yuk!
Rating: - Johnson's a tough act to follow!
This recording doesn't do it for me, seems like The Blues has been filleted here. If you're familiar with Robert Johnson's recordings ('King of The Delta Blues Singers' is a great single-CD set, or get Columbia's complete set of 41 tracks) then it's tough to listen to them done as Clapton does them here. Whatever 'The Blues' is, Johnson's work wreaks of it, Clapton's doesn't (in this CD). Maybe it's just that "Robert Johnson IS The Blues", which has been said. As far as homages to Johnson go, I prefer Peter ... Read More
Rating: - Elevator music.
This one surprised me. Clapton has been almost over-reverential of his feelings towards Johnson in the past, and admitted the strong influence on his own work. So for him to toss off this sloppy batch of insipid bar-band covers really disappointed me. It smells like a speedy cash-in for the money, and a kick in the ankle to his former idol. One to be avoided, as you'll hear more inspired and soulful music playing in shopping malls, elevators and dentists' offices.
- 
- 
- 
-