Eric Clapton - Slowhand - Vinyl LP

2012 reissue

Clapton had already established himself as a guitar legend by the time he released Slowhand. His heroin habit long behind him, Clapton's songwriting mastery was fully evident on the album, particularly in the stunning ballad "Wonderful Tonight." It fully actualized all of the potential hinted at in his earlier "Promises," and Clapton trusted himself enough to slow things down. Some of his most expressive guitar work can be found throughout this album, not just within "Wonderful." Ironically enough, Slowhand is probably best known for the hit "Cocaine." Built upon a simple repeated riff, the song had Clapton's trademark smooth voice with its wear around the edges, and yet another stellar guitar solo. Flashy runs and licks were never the most integral part of Clapton's catalog, his blues background being the primary source for his sound. Slowhand, with its phrasings, both guitar and vocal, established Clapton as the possessor of one of the most extensive vocabularies in rock.

Eric Clapton has fashioned albums in many different styles and with many different themes, yet few have the sense of oneness that pervades Slowhand. Slowhand was recorded at Olympic Studios in South West London in May 1977 and was produced by Glyn Johns. Released in November 1977, Slowhand was the most successful album of Clapton's '70s studio recordings. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart where it stayed for five weeks, spending a total of 74 weeks on the American album chart.

Slowhand features "Wonderful Tonight', "Lay Down Sally", and "Cocaine" - songs that are still heard regularly on radio and at Eric Clapton's live shows. So long after its release is a great recommendation and testimony to its place in Clapton's canon. The album includes cover versions of songs written by some of his favorite songwriters (JJ Cale, John Martyn, Don Williams, Arthur Crudup) along with original compositions by Eric Clapton.

"Slowhand was the nickname given to Clapton by the Yardbirds. On this quintessential Seventies album, he mixes candlelit love songs and guitar-hero riffs; "Cocaine" and "Wonderful Tonight" are the hits, but don't overlook "Next Time You See Her," a tender melody loaded with a death threat to a lover's suitor." - www.rollingstone.com