Eric Whitacre Contrast

A compendium of Eric Bibb's best recordings from the past decade. 50 tracks, 3 CD's, three hours and twenty minutes of outstanding music. Considering the high level of quality that any Eric Bibb album has, one can imagine how exciting a collection of his favourite tunes, recorded between 2003 and 2013, would be! Here it is - The crown jewels indeed! As a bonus, Bibb re-recorded three especially cherished songs : a brilliant conclusion to the third CD.
New York singer/songwriter and guitarist at the forefront of the 1990s country-blues revival.
Eric Bibb is an American roots music singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose sound exists at the crossroads of Delta blues, American folk, pre-war gospel, and retro-soul…

The Historic Classic Recordings are from the early years of The Yardbirds. The double CD features studio and live recordings from the London Marquee Club and the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, Surrey. Not only Eric Clapton, but also the legendary Sonny Boy Williamson, with whom the band toured in December 1963, were involved in the fantastic recordings. Also, the contributions of Jimmy Page in some pieces are unmistakable. With For Your Love, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Shapes Of Things, Draggin 'My Tail (with Jimmy Page), Evil Hearted You, I Is not Got You, A Certain Girl, Got To Hurry, Too Much Monkey Business, Mr. You're a Better Man Than I, Choker (with Jimmy Page), Honey In Your Hips, West Coast Idea, I Wish You Would, Freight Loader (with Jimmy Page), Snake Drive, Jeff's Blues and others, a total of 36 titles.

This release has much more in common with a previous solo acoustic offering, ‘Devil Moon’. The material is often low key, with just McFadden’s picked guitar and whispered vocals weaving a dark narration. Album opener ‘Headed for the Light’ and ‘Long Way Down’ are typical; and later the country-speckled/Carole King-like ‘I’ll Be Anything for You’ pulses through a similar vein.

Eric Clapton's eponymous solo debut was recorded after he completed a tour with Delaney & Bonnie. Clapton used the core of the duo's backing band and co-wrote the majority of the songs with Delaney Bramlett – accordingly, Eric Clapton sounds more laid-back and straightforward than any of the guitarist's previous recordings. There are still elements of blues and rock & roll, but they're hidden beneath layers of gospel, R&B, country, and pop flourishes. And the pop element of the record is the strongest of the album's many elements – "Blues Power" isn't a blues song and only "Let It Rain," the album's closer, features extended solos. Throughout the album, Clapton turns out concise solos that de-emphasize his status as guitar god, even when they display astonishing musicality and technique.