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Eric Clapton Journeyman (Limited Edition Hybrid SACD version) Review by Gary Hill This is a new audiophile release of a classic Eric Clapton solo album. Like the rest of the discs in this series, this will play on a regular CD player or an SACD player. Also like the rest, it’s a limited edition numbered release with incredible sound. So, what about the album itself? It’s actually one of my favorite Clapton albums, but then again, I’m not a huge Clapton fan. It does suffer a bit from a 1980s sound, but that’s only really annoying on a song or two. A lot of this is pretty timeless really. Clapton assembled some amazing musicians to play at various points along this ride. The list of musical luminaries includes: Jim Keltner, Phil Collins, David Sanborn, Robert Cray, George Harrison, Gary Burton, Daryl Hall, Chaka Khan and many more. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014 Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Pretending After a bit of honky-tonk piano Clapton and company move out into this rather bluesy number. It’s a great tune that has some tasty guitar fills. There is a bit of reggae in the mix, too.

Anything for Your Love A slow moving cut, this is more of an adult contemporary number. It’s a little over-produced for my tastes, but it’s not bad. It’s definitely not one of the standouts here.

Bad Love This is really Clapton at his best. It calls to mind the Derek and the Dominoes era in a lot of ways. It’s got a great classic rock vibe with plenty of blues in the mix. The female vocals and all the rest lend a lot to the arrangement.

Running on Faith With blues, gospel, country and folk all built into this number, this is a great tune. It’s got a classic arrangement and some great hooks.

Hard Times Blues and old school jazz collide on this tasty number. It’s slow and understated. It’s also one of the sheer winners here. I love everything about this song. In fact, it might be my favorite of the disc.

Hound Dog Clapton tackles this old rock and roll classic. I like his version, but it’s not one of the best things here. I’d say, though, with the killer slide guitar and more, this might be the beset version of this piece I’ve ever heard. It’s just not as good as a lot of the other stuff on this set.

No Alibis More energized and modern in texture, this is not bad. It’s just not something that really stands out. The vocal arrangement does shine, though and like some of the soulful elements here.

Run So Far Although this is polished and has some things like Island music in it, it’s got a lot of roots sounds. I’m not extremely crazy about this one, but it does have its charms. There is a lot of country music and folk in this mellower piece.

Old Love A slower blues rocker, this is classy. Clapton’s vocal delivery seems just packed with emotion and the whole thing oozes cool.

Breaking Point There is a cool groove to this. The female backing vocals and saxophone add a lot. In some ways, though, this is really haunted by an overtly 1980s oriented sound. It’s a cool tune, though and I love the funk bass line.

Lead Me On Featuring a prominent female vocal (Linda Womack) and some nice acoustic guitar work, this ballad is a classy one. It’s also very effective. It is another favorite of mine. It has a rather jazzy arrangement in a lot of ways.

Before You Accuse Me This bluesy number is one of the real highlights. It’s another contender for my favorite. I think it probably lands in the top three, but not the first spot. That said, it’s a great choice to close the set in style.

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