The problem Eric Clapton long faced was that he accomplished so much during his first six years as a recording artist that everything afterward sounded like an epilogue. Unlike his contemporary, Jimi Hendrix, Clapton survived not only into middle but old age and continued making music that echoed his advancing years and the good sense accumulated over a long life.
Slowhand at 70: Live at the Royal Albert Hall documents his 2015 birthday celebration at the esteemed London venue where he has performed periodically for half a century. A well-chosen album of memories, Slowhand at 70 encompasses two CDs and a DVD. Represented are his blues roots (“Key to the Highway”), Cream (“Crossroads”), Blind Faith (“I Can’t Find My Way Home”), his solo debut (“Let it Rain”), Derek and the Dominoes (“Layla”), his J.J. Cale period (“Cocaine”), his reggae excursion (“I Shot the Sheriff”) and the years after (“Tears in Heaven”).
Ably supported by a talented ensemble, Clapton performs at a measured pace and remains more than capable of knocking most rock guitarists off their feet through the carefully joined and measured craft of his playing. For the most part, as has been true for years, Clapton keeps the fire of intensity near enough to warm his fingers but far enough not to burn them. The “Layla” of Clapton at age 25 was a blazing bonfire of agony; at 70, it’s the recollection of times long gone.
