Slowhand

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 actualised 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 catalogue, 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. --Steve Gdula

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Customer reviews

review by: davethorn13 date: 2007-08-25 rating:
Inconsistent
I have a few of Eric Clapton's albums plus a few he's recorded in other bands and 'Slowhand' typifies how frustrating he is. Rightly regarded as one of the greatest rock guitarists, he never seems to produce an album about which you can say, 'That's the one.' Instead, what you get are a handful of brilliant gems and an equal measure of forgettable, if competent, workouts.
The three heavyweight tracks appear at the front of the album. 'Cocaine' has never been one of my favourite songs, but he does deliver it with impressive force. 'Wonderful Tonight' worked its way into the public consciousness over many years and is the kind of tender song that's difficult to pull off without sounding watery. 'Lay Down Sally' deserves more recognition, in my opinion. The playing on this is one of his more inspired acts.
After these three songs, there's a sheer drop in the quality of the material. It's professionally delivered, but mostly bland. 'The Core' needs more substance to warrant eight minutes, but relies on a repetitive, uptempo rhythm that palls after a while. 'Mean Old Frisco' features some earthy slide guitar and is well worth its place, while 'Peaches And Diesel' is a decent instrumental, but not strong enough to climax an album. Not an album I listen to a lot and if I had a compilation containing the first three tracks I wouldn't bother with it.

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review by: nova2000_uk date: 2006-10-13 rating:
Slow burner......
Although a decent album, this is a little too one dimensional to be regarded as one of Clapton's best.I agree with a previous reviewer who criticises the production as 'flat', and although Clapton has a laid back style at the best of times, it makes his singing fade into the background.
I like the overall feel of the album, with 'Wonderful Tonight' and 'Lay Down Sally' two of his best tracks, and 'Next Time You See her' a worthy contribution, but the individual parts are, on balance, a little weak.
A decent album, but not a classic.

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review by: date: 2006-07-07 rating:
don't bother
Eric is one of the all time greats, both as an artist and a man, but this really isn't that good. Sling it on the rejects pile and get a copy of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - possibly the greatest rock album of all time.

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review by: date: 2005-10-14 rating:
Young Fan
Well I'd never even heard of Eric Clapton before ( Only being 24 ) until the other day whilst driving through the Cornish lanes looking for a car I had arranged to look at, Lay Down Sally came on the radio and I was completely captivated, I then came on here a bought it straight away, its a great song, there are some other good ones on this CD but non come close to Lay Down Sally. It took me a while to find this CD because if you search Lay Down Sally on Amazon it does not show up, so if it's this song you're looking for then get this CD.


review by: the_amazing_Phil date: 2005-08-03 rating:
If you wanna hang out, you gotta take her out...
Slowhand pulls some damn fine guitaring out of somewhere with this album, Cocaine is a classic, as are most of the tracks, Clapton's style is bluesy as usual and if you're a fan of clappers you should have this album really.

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