EC "461 Ocean Boulevard"

Original released on LP RSO 4801 (US) / RSO 2479-118 (UK)

(July 1974)

If there is one artist in the world who has put out more then his share of great songs, and more then his share of amazingly terrible songs, it’s Eric Clapton... who rose from the incendiary ranks of the blues/rock based Yardbirds, Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blindfaith, and then Derek and The Dominos... and has probably played with more, and on more artists releases then any single musician of all time. While Eric was touted as a “Guitar God,” he was far from that, yet those musicians who cast a shadow over him today, will always acknowledge the place Eric held in their development. Having just quit heron and living in Florida in 1974, Eric was determined to prove to not only the world, but to himself that he was still on top of his game. Around him he gathered a who’s who of session musicians, who at the time were little know to the public at large... though with this release they would be highly sought after. Some of these greats included Albhy Galuten on organ, synthesize and electric piano, Dick Sims on keyboards, Jamie Oldaker on precessions, Carl Radle on bass, George Terry on guitars, and the amazing Yvonne Elliman shoring up the whole project with vocals.

Out of the ten songs on the original album only three of them are credited to Eric, and on the original release, one of the songs had to be removed, as it was credited to Eric without him having penned the song. Never the less, this is hands down my favorite album by Eric Clapton, as it reflects Eric at his finest... he’s out there on his own for the first time, making it or breaking it on the strength of his own abilities, and he scored perfectly in my opinion. His choice of traditional songs, and those written by others was flawless, reflecting a steady rolling sound, that began slowly, setting the mood with “Motherless Children,” and finishing in blistering fashion with “Mainline Florida.”  While Eric did not invent Reggae, he certainly, more then any other white artist, was responsible for bringing the vib to the forefront of the musical scene with “I Shot the Sheriff,” his first number one single... causing many, including yours truly, to go out and search for the source of this material. Slowhand has had his ups and downs, ins and outs, but when all is said and done... "461 Ocean Boulevard" is such a consistent body of work, one that has not bleached on the beach over time, an album that will remain a true classic for generations to come. (streetmouse)