Guitar legend Eric Clapton’s new album “Reptile” marked at number five on the Billboard charts last week. Jazz, blues and pop are all tied together in the album, however compared to much of Clapton’s earlier work, the album was a major disappointment.
“Reptile” is Clapton’s first solo work album released since 1997. His last solo attempt, “Pilgrim” also drew grimace from fans and listeners, but was arguably better than “Reptile.”
Was “Reptile” pop influenced? Definitely. It seems as though the songs were written for the radio. Better yet they could be attempts at radio hits. Whatever the reason for the poor marksmanship Clapton has produced, this album is in no way an indicator of the great songwriter and musician Clapton truly is.
Clapton composed songs such as “Layla,” “Wonderful Tonight,” and “My Father’s Eyes;” and worked with bands like Derek & the Dominoes and Cream. Clapton seems to have temporarily forgotten what it’s like to be the best in his field, despite the pop influence.
Since his past album, which included efforts with B.B. King on “Riding With the King,” Clapton and producer Simon Climie have created one of Clapton’s worst albums to date. Clapton is a god of blues and soulful music – not pop. Overall, “Reptile” left me with a disgusted feeling, knowing that Clapton could do much better.
Tracks on “Reptile” include a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It,” as well as James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight.”
Mixing in a faint `80’s and outdated synchronized sound, the audience will find themselves hitting the `skip track’ button on their CD players in hopes of finding a listening-friendly track.