Artist: Clapton, Eric
Label: Polydor Records
Release: 1976
Eric Clapton was very active musically in the seventies, maybe even too active for someone so weighed down by an identity crisis. Despite a constant, self-destructive pile-up of problems and other related tangled situations, brought on by excessive consumption of opiates of every type and caliber, the guitarist’s career, with the exception of two more-or-less (sub)par albums, managed to keep in touch with the level of quality from the now-forgotten days when Clapton picked up, among other things, the nickname God. So rather than following any plan, his career developed by instinct, in all sorts of directions, and along the way we caught Eric getting excited about reggae influences that many of his faithful worshippers found downright unacceptable. This time Clapton distances himself from those tempting Jamaican aromas and flavors for the first time, though not from covers of other “anti-blues” material, which, under the watchful baton of Rob Fraboni, is strictly lorded over by an extraordinary rendition of a blues gem.
In musical and lyrical terms, No Reason To Cry comes closest to being some strange crossbreed between the laid-back feel of 461 Ocean Boulevard and the playful nature of “Layla’s love confessions“. Eric kicks things off with the beautifully melodic Beautiful Things, a softly dreamy glide through unmistakable slide playing that, as per tradition, gives the whole instrumental piece an especially seductive touch. Sign Language is an interesting but sadly forgettable duet with the great Bob Dylan, where we find the last remnants of the annoyingly monotonous melancholy that was so typical of the previous There’s One In Every Crowd. Calmer and, most importantly, noticeably more confident is the fantastic All Our Past Times, whose delicate, unpredictable nature is mirrored in Otis Rush’s exceptional Double trouble, definitely the most impressive moment of the album. The pleasant mood gets spoiled by the country-flavored Hello Old Friends and Carnival, with which Eric fails to convince this time. The simple Innocent Times and Hungry are fresh examples of Eric’s flirtation with seductive female voices, once again handled by the convincing Yvonne Elliman. The color of Yvonne’s voice blends incredibly well with the minimalist guitar sounds in the sensitive Black Summer Rain, which, together with the “drunken blues” of Last Night, occasionally conjures up magical moments.
Taken as a whole, No Reason To Cry is a compact affair that, just like its predecessor, still suffers from a chronic lack of innovation and freshness. Highlights worth special mention are therefore not exactly abundant here. So No Reason To Cry may not be a spectacular return to form, but it is a document of the gradual recovery of a great musician, and it remains essential reading for every last Claptonista.
Lineup
Eric Clapton: vocals, guitar
Bob Dylan: backing vocals
Georgie Fame: keyboards
Billy Preston: keyboards
Ron Wood: guitar
Yvonne Elliman: vocals
Chris Jagger: vocals
Levon Helms: drums
Jamie Oldaker: drums
Carl Radle: bass
Production
Rob Fraboni
Tracklist
1.Beautiful Thing
2.Carnival
3.Sign Language
4.Country Jail Blues
5.All Our Past Times
6.Hello Old Firend
7.Double Trouble
8.Innocent Victims
9.Hungry
10.Black Summer Rain
11.Last Night
Album length: 45:48
