Eric Clapton- I Still Do (2016)

Eric Clapton- I Still Do (2016)

By: Ghost Writer

Clapton knows his blues perfectly well, he has been old slowhand for decades and has no intention of changing that, he knows how to make those guitar strings burn slowly and how to deliver those despairing lines with more grace than most "neobluesists", and precisely trying to bring back that 70s warm vibe might be the intention of Clapton behind bringing his friend Glyn Johns, the producer of the classic 77 record Slowhand, and producer of great guitars records by people like Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller, The Who and Joe Satriani.

I Still Do is a monumental musical declaration, is Clapton enjoying enormously what he does more than anything else, is Clapton fully embracing the blues idiom with sheer abandon, he is not up to change the world, this is a love letter to music, as Clapton loves the blues and that's the only thing that matters on this, his 23rd solo album.

Check out the overwhelming cover of Leroy Carr song Alabama Woman Blues, an old 30s recording from a legendary Nashville blues pianist who had a big influence on future greats like Ray Charles, here Clapton sings and plays wonderfully on this tune, with a commanding guitar wailing all over a thunderous drum beat, in classic blues fashion, for a British man, Clapton surely knows what true blues is all about.

Cocaine wasn't enough for Clapton, so here he picks up again another song from one of his favorite composers, the great JJ Cale, here represented on Can't Let You Do It, a great grooving number giving the change to Clapton if removing the dust and bring some foot stomping guitar lines to the dance floor, Clapton performance here is superb in this surely infectious classic.

A mystery surrounding I Still Do is the apparition of Angelo Mysterioso on the song I Will Be There, a beautiful slow tune, for those not familiar with Clapton, I must remind you that Angelo Mysterioso is the pseudonym used by legendary Beatles guitarist George Harrison whennhe played with The Cream on the recording of their classic song Badge, Clapton and his crew declined to reveal who is playing in the song using that name speculations go to Harrison's son Dhani to be the mysterious guy in playing guitar and singing along Eric.

Spiral is a beautiful intimate blues with Clapton delicate guitar lines thrown in perfect succession, while on Catch the Blues, Clapton walks back a little bit, giving a chance for his wonderful musical companion to take the spotlight, letting drummer Henry Spinetti roaming around with his powerful drum fills while keyboardist Chris Stainton throws amazing piano lines in a passionate blues jam like none we have heard in recent times.

Clapton might not be a blues purist, but he surely knows what he is doing in I Still Do, covering with equal fervor blues legend Robert Johnson's fiery Stones in My Passway and master songwriter Bob Dylan's beautiful tale I Dreamed I Saw St.  Augustine, then to return again to his loved JJ Cale on the slow crunch of. Somebody's Knockin.

The title of the record is no mere coincidence, as Clapton shows here with astonishing mastery that he still does the blues better than any other white guy this powerful, a perfect celebration of the 40th anniversary of his classic Slowhand record, proving that time has no effect on his superb guitar playing, Clapton might not be god, but if god plays guitar, he would surely ask Clapton for a lesson or two, the master still does the blues, yes he does.