The Road to Escondido

---

---

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
JJ Cale penned two of Eric Clapton's career-defining solo hits, "Cocaine" and "After Midnight." And since Clapton has often fashioned his persona in a WWJD manner (what would JJ do?), this collaboration is long overdue. But despite the rather slick production and long list of guest backing musicians (including four bassists, four drummers, five other guitarists, and three percussionists), The Road to Escondido is still dominated more by Cale than Clapton. The relatively reticent Okie wrote 11 of the 14 tracks, and it's his low-key soufflé of blues, jazz, and country that shapes and directs the disc's tone, with Clapton along for the ride. The opening "Danger" sets the dusky mood as the duo rides a typical Cale swamp groove that gives way to a tightly wound Slowhand solo. They trade lead vocals on a lovely version of the after-hours jazz blues classic "Sporting Life Blues," and the ubiquitous John Mayer makes an impressive appearance on the subtle blues of "Hard to Thrill."

Clapton hasn't sounded this relaxed or involved in his own material for years. The traditionally laidback, if not quite snoozy, Cale responds with a comparatively energized performance, likely due to the high-profile company. When the two harmonize on the mid-tempo foot tapper "Anyway the Wind Blows," the result is so natural and spontaneous it's a shame these two didn't join forces earlier. On paper, it appears that Cale has the most to gain from partnering with an established superstar, but the fact is this collaboration yields Eric Clapton's most engaging and contagious roots-rock release in a long time. --Hal Horowitz

---

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-11-30 rating:
Cale and Clapton
I really looked forward to receiving Cale and Clapton's cd. Quite frankly I was disappointed with this cd. Maybe I expected too much from this ace guitarist. I found its content flat, repetative and uninspiring. Would I buy it again? No. It just sounds like a Clapton jamming session which doesn't push any perameters especially the vocals. Yes, Clapton is a superb guitarist without doubt and this cd just doesn't inspire me at all.

---

review by: Bill Peter date: 2008-03-28 rating:
Slippers and pipe music
Eric will be 65 in about three years. When I was a boy, old-age pensioners tended to stay at home wearing slippers and smoking a pipe.

Unfortunately the words to a song on this album - "Hard to Thrill" - say it all; "Nothing really moves me any more".

This is slippers and pipe music; pleasant enough, but nothing to get worked up about. For me, it's music to play whilst pottering on the Internet - reading the news, browsing Wikipedia, writing Amazon reviews, etc.

---

review by: date: 2008-02-17 rating:
Over Produced
Why on Earth does this project need 4 guitarists, 4 bass players, 4 drummers etc...surely Eric and J.J. can handle ALL of the guitar work by themselves? Wasn't Eric's idea to get the J.J. Cale sound and feel for this album? The fantastic sparse feel of the classic track from 'Naturally', 'Any Way the Wind Blows' is totally destroyed in the re-make here. It's so bad it will make you want to weep. Eric plays totally inappropriate solos all over the place with that horrible processed tone that he has been using for years and years..it's a crying shame...and let's not even talk about the dreadful 'Three Little Girls' (his new 'Tears from Heaven').
The album is good in places, and thank God that J.J. wrote nearly all the songs, but it a wasted effort as a collaboration.

---

review by: date: 2008-01-06 rating:
The Road To Escondido
'The Road To Escondido' is the brilliant collaboration between JJ Cale and Eric Clapton, and like his previous album with BB King, this is a match made in heaven. The playing is smooth, relaxed and yet full of the flair that makes them both so highly respected. I found particular tracks, such as 'Hard To Thrill' and 'Don't Cry Sister' stood out first listen, and 'Who Am I Telling You?' has a wonderfully laid back feel to it, that soothes me ever time I hear it. 'Ride The River' is a superb album closer and leaves you smiling at the end of a Cd's worth of top music. This album gets better with repeated listening and after EC's slightly lack lustre 'Back Home' album, this is a welcome tour de force. The playing is sharp, the songwriting is spot on and the blend between JJ and EC is pretty unbeatable. A great album and well worth a listen.


review by: finovski date: 2007-04-08 rating:
Thank God for JJ Cale...
I've been a fan of JJ Cale for 20 years and am just so happy that he is still alive! Together JJ Cale and Eric Clapton bring a great balance to the laid back brand of music that they each define and evoke in very different ways. Eric Clapton is undoubtedly a legend but somehow playing with JJ Cale brings out the soul in his music in a way that his corporate leanings have robbed him of for so long. All in all a really good album - makes you wonder why it has taken them so long to do it!

---

Similar products

Modern Times
My Name Is Buddy
Anyway The Wind Blows
Raising Sand
Dylanesque

---

Similar categories

Music . Special Features . Bargain CDs
Music . Styles . Pop . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Pop . General AAS
Music . Styles . Rock . General AAS
Music . Styles . Adult Contemporary . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Adult Contemporary . Pop Rock
Music . Styles . Adult Contemporary . General AAS
Music . Styles . Blues . General AAS
Music . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . CD . CD Album

---