ERIC CLAPTON Vinilo y CD

Review: Released in 1999 and now reissued on black and white splatter vinyl, Clapton Chronicles gathers Eric Clapton's output from the late 80s through the 90s, pulling from albums Journeyman, Unplugged, and Pilgrim to map a period defined less by raw blues and more radio polish through to balladry. Staples like 'Tears In Heaven', written after the death of his son, and 'Change The World', from the Phenomenon soundtrack, trace a turn to introspection and soft-pop crossover. Otherwise, 'Forever Man' and 'Bad Love' preserve flashes of guitar fire. Two new songs, 'Blue Eyes Blue' and '(I) Get Lost' - both slick, adult-contemporary fare - round out the set. If Chronicles leans heavily on mellow moods, it's also a snapshot of Clapton navigating middle age, arena success and personal grief.

Review: From 1989 to 1999, and again from 2000 to 2009, MTV Unplugged hosted and broadcast some of the greatest live rock performances of all time. Eric Clapton's 1992 appearance on the late-night show was the *sine qua non* of the Unplugged format before Nirvana and Mariah Carey, with the corresponding live album released through Reprise going on to sell over 26 million (!) copies worldwide. From the contemporaneous 1992 hit single 'Tears in Heaven' eviscerated in bare live bones, to an acoustic version of the endurer 'Layla' and later album tracks 'My Father's Eyes' and 'Circus', us pro musos do certainly recommend this one for new Clapton fans: start here, and see where the obsession takes you.