For all Eric Clapton fans, his new album with J.J. Cale is something that they have waited for some 40 years. That's right?the career of each of these two giants of rock has spanned more than 40 years. Their unique new collaborative album, titled "The Road to Escondido," hit stores on November 7.
You may wonder who J.J. Cale is. He is one of the most reclusive and enigmatic rock guitarists, who has chosen to shun the media for nearly 30 years. He has made only 13 albums in his 40-year-old career, but each of them is incredibly influential. Some of his followers include Mark Knopfler, Santana, Johnny Cash, and, of course, Eric Clapton.
Also, if you thought that "Cocaine" and "After Midnight" (two of the most famous chart-topping Clapton singles) are Clapton originals, you are wrong. The man behind them is J.J. Cale. Cale's compositions also have been covered by Deep Purple, Bryan Ferry, Nazareth, Kansas, Phish, and country giants Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. An impressive list, indeed.
It is not surprising that after collaborating and admiring each other unofficially for so many years, Slowhand (as Clapton's fans call him) and Cale have decided to record an album together.
The result, of course, is nothing less than phenomenal and will melt the heart of everyone who likes blues, rock, or country ballads. "Escondido" has all these genres, often all in one song. Multi-faceted and rich, the album is something to be expected from an artist as versatile as Eric Clapton. Throughout the years, he has done blues, reggae, ballads, hard rock (with "Cream") and other genres. Not to mention, he is the only rock musican who has been part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame no less that three times.
The CD, which has 14 tracks, was recorded in the summer of 2005 in California in an extremely private environment. This shows in the album too?all the songs seem actually composed, not produced (and all music fans today know how many overproduced but poorly composed albums fill the shelves each year).
The lyrics in the background are simple?it's all music here. Cale wrote most of the material, with the exception of three songs. The sole Clapton composition is "Three Little Girls," which is one of the best tracks in the album. Keyboardist Billy Preston deserves special mention also: he is the third mastermind behind this album, balancing the riffs with his keyboard skills.
None of Clapton's personal demons shine through?the songs are relaxed and easy. The guitars are also loose. The voices of the two also have great chemistry and it all fits together in very satisfying, elegant and enjoyable performances. If you like hard rock, stay away.
The themes of the songs are also very heartfelt. They deal with war, religion, death, aging, the meaning of life, love. But it never feels heavy-handed, or over-the-top depressing. Songs that are really touching include, "When the War is Over"and "Danger."
All in all, this is one of the best rock albums that has come out in a long time. It shows that when music is written for the sake of music and emotion, it all works better. I hope all who listen to this album enjoy it as much as Cale and Clapton have enjoyed writing it. A true gem from two greats.