Eric Clapton reveals this week of his declining health

Sorry to hear about Mr. Clapton.  He isn’t one of my favorite artists . . his music is played so much all over and everyone lauds him like a God.  His voice irks me somehow.  I wish him all the best regardless. 

@tomcy6 

Layla is one of the greatest studo albums in Rock.

It's Clapton's fondness for bland material (his hallmark since his first solo album) that's the biggest turn off for me. I don't care where he plays Lay Down Sally - live or in a studio or in the shower- it still sounds like drivel to me (or to use Clapton's own term, "schmaltz"). I realize he has many, many fans who prefer his post guitar hero career. Each to his/her own.They can listen to Wonderful Tonight. I prefer Why Does Love Got To Be So sad?.

Folks, the original post about 'Clapton reveals this week...' is from over 4 years ago - Jan 2018. Talking about his music is one thing, but concerns for his health based on this 'revelation' would appear to be misplaced.... 

I’ll accept Mike Bloomfield"s opinion of Clapton:

The Rolling Stone Interview: Mike Bloomfield - Rolling Stone

You were telling me that Eric Clapton was a perfect guitarist. What makes you think that?
His attack is flawless, that’s one of the things. A perfect musician is dedicated. He has ideas, attack, touch, ability to transmit emotion and abillity to transmit his ideas. His ability to transmit his ideas and his emotion logically is kineticism; he can build. Eric does all of these about as well as you can do them. It shows in the area that he plays that his attack is perfect. His tone is vocal; his ideas are superb; he plays almost exclusively blues–all the lines he plays in the Cream are blues lines. He plays nothing but blues; he’s a blues guitarist and he’s taken blues guitar to its ultimate thing. In that field he’s B. B. King cum the Freddie King and Ernie Cahill style of guitar playing. Eric is the master in the world. That is why he is a perfect guitarist. Eric plays in bad taste when he wants to. He can play crappy. But, like, Eric plays almost exclusively perfect.

No one is perfect, of course, I think that Bloomfield is talking about Clapton’s schmaltz when he says Clapton plays in bad taste when he wants to, and Clapton played many concerts that were drunken messes in the 70s and snooze fests in the 80s..

Everyone has the right to like or dislike Clapton, of course, but when people say his playing is junk, there are a lot of really good guitarists who disagree.

Again, if you think Layla is a classic album, give the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s version a listen. I think you’ll like it.

There always comes a time, but still sad to hear. Clapton's music was a mainstay on my Walkman during high school. I had a chance encounter with him in the men's washroom in the KLM Lounge in Schiphol airport about 15-years ago. But before I realized it was EC himself it was already a bit late to get an autograph. 

Without a doubt one of the most significant guitarists in rock & roll history.

-a