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Thread: New Clapton Tune

  1. #1
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    New Clapton Tune

    Last year, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison teamed up to produce "Stand And Deliver," what some are referring to as a protest song against the COVID restrictions spreading faster than the actual virus itself. Perhaps with some justification, as Clapton has shared his harrowing experience with the vaccine.

    Now, Clapton has issued a follow up, a song called "This Has Gotta Stop." Now 76, Clapton has been suffering from a number of debilitating ailments, some perhaps age-related, some perhaps not. He's claimed his hearing is going, his fingers are no longer able to speed across the fretboard, and he was photographed being wheeled through an airport by an aide a few years ago.

    Whether or not you agree with Clapton's take on the issue, I applaud him for putting it to music rather than standing on a soapbox.

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    Re: New Clapton Tune

    He's not wrong!

  3. #3
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: New Clapton Tune

    I'm a huge Clapton fan, and I really don't care one way or another about his views about vaccinations. I think this song is a miss. He reminds me a lot of Springsteen: grouchy old schmuck who can no longer write anything worth a penny.

    Protest songs/anthems are difficult. Everybody might think Lennon's "Revolution," "Imagination," the Christmas tune are proof of how great his protest songs were. Even the mighty JL only got it right 1/2 the time. Listen to the album Sometime in NYC and get back with me. McCartney, my hero, tried with the 9/11-prompted "Freedom" and the recent song about bullies, and he failed both times. I like the funkiness of his "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," but it was also a miss. The lyrics in this Clappy song are about as inane as "We're not going to take it, no, we ain't gonna blahblahblah". The backing track sounds a lot like the tepid stuff he did with Babyface. The leads are his generic licks.

    Clapton should have learned from Bob M's "I Shot the Sheriff"-it's a protest song, but it protests within an imaginative framewok. Joni M's "Woodstock" is a protest song about what's happening with the environment, but it has so much great imagery and unique thoughts that you have something substantial in the lyrics. Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine." "Won't Get Fooled Again." "Taxman." "Hard Rain's Going to Fall." "Revolution." "Fortunate Son." "Okie from Muskogee. "San Quentin." --all of these use original phrasing or images, things that contribute emotion to a song, and protest songs depend on emotion to keep the listener hooked. And here's Clapster's newest song, offering purile and unskilled lyrics and stale, predictable music and melody. I love Clappy, and I wish the song were better, even if it expressed starkly opposing views to my own.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  4. #4
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: New Clapton Tune

    Clapton is free to do whatever he wants within the confines of whatever he's still physically able to do.

    Far be it for me to obstruct his creative endeavors.

    But IMO he hasn't done anything new since Layla.

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: New Clapton Tune

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    But IMO he hasn't done anything new since Layla.

    That's pretty harsh. Layla only charted as high as #10 in the U. S. He's had more successful songs since.

    They may not be up your alley, but he's grown quite a range in songwriting and singing as well as guitar playing.

    When talking guitarists, I claim that Jeff Beck is the better overall guitar player.

    But only Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times.
    Striving to be ordinary

    Proud to be a TFF Dumbass!

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