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CD Review: Eric Clapton, "Me and Mr. Johnson" (Reprise)
"Me and Mr. Johnson" is Eric Clapton 's second blues-centric release since 2000, when Slowhand paired with B.B. King on the lively "Riding with the King." This time out, Clapton teams up with another blues legend: the ghost of Robert Johnson , whom he calls the "keystone of my musical foundation."
No surprise, then, that the 59-year-old Clapton takes to this material with the passion of a young man. As always, his fretwork is impeccable. But it is Clapton's vocals that really benefit from Johnson's inspiration. On "Kind Hearted Woman," "Little Queen of Spades" and "Stop Breaking Down Blues," Clapton's voice hits the deep, bluesy, low end while his falsetto is joyous and soulful.
Likewise, the arrangements here modernize Johnson's pre-war, bare-bones songs to new heights without compromising the composer's original vision. "They're Red Hot," for instance, remains a barnburner that's as cool today as it was in 1936. "Milkcow's Calf Blues" benefits from a pounding drum at the top of the mix, lending the tune a renewed ferocity.
Blues lovers will undoubtedly weep at the perfection of this set. The rest of us should be thankful Clapton considers Johnson and his music "the landmark" whenever he loses his way. "Me and Mr. Johnson" attests to the fact that Clapton owes as much to the blues today as he did in his '60s heyday--maybe more.
