FDF Vol 3 Issue 361 - Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard.



Album – 461 Ocean Boulevard

Artist – Eric Clapton
Key Players -Yvonne Elliman – vocals. Dick Sims – Keyboards. George Terry -Guitars and vocals. Carl Radle – bass. Jamie Oldaker – drums. Albhy Galuten – syth, piano and clavichord. Eric Clapton – vocals, guitar, dobro.

Produced By – Tom Dowd

Release Date – July 1974

Overview - This is the second solo studio album from Eric Clapton. Clapton was coming off heroin addiction at the time and holed up in a home studio (the name of the record) near Miami Florida. Mostly inspired by a demo tape he was passed from former Derek and The Dominoes bassist Carl Radle. One of the members of Claptons band at the time was listening to Bob Marley's “Burnin” record and, with some pressure Clapton decided to record and release it. It would become his only Billboard #1 single. The album it self features many cover songs and re-arrangements.

FDF Comments (aka the songs) – The 11 track 43 minute album opens with an uptempo take on

“Motherless Children”. Clapton is in fine form and the backing band is up to the task holding down the groove. “Better Make it Through Today” is a quiet stroll while the Johnny Otis penned “Willie and the Hand Jive” still has its fun funky blues riff, but the vocals and overall tempo are held in check.  “Get Ready” features strong work with Clapton and Elliman vocally. Its the first track you can really hear her in more than just a backing vocalist role. “I Shot the Sheriff” is the cover you can still hear pretty regularly. Clapton then takes on the Elmore James track “I Can't Hold Out”. Its no denying the blues are, and were a huge part of Claptons influences. “Please Be With Me” has some nice harmonies with Elliman and dobro playing. “Let it Grow” is another track that still finds it's way on to classic rock radio today. “Steady Rollin' Man” is the bands take on the Robert Johnson tune and again the organ and “Mainline Florida” ended the original LP and it is full of long organ runs. “Give Me Strength”was an additional track added to the cd release. Another track with some organ an slow dobro playing by Clapton.

Where are they now? -Elliman, who was well know for the song “If I Can't Have you” stepped back from the music industry to focus on herself and family. She released a record in 2004. Terry worked as a producer and released a record in 2004 as well. Radle passed away in 1980 at age 37. Oldaker would continue to work with Clapton for much of the 70's and get back with him again in the 1980s. He's worked as a producer and session musician. Eric Clapton continues to write, and tour. He is slated to do a residency in England this May to celebrate his 70^th birthday.

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting Off? - I have to admit that I am a very VERY casual fan of Eric Clapton. What I like and find interesting I really like. There is no denying he is a spectacular guitar player. That being said I'd reach for a Cream or the out takes disc from the Derek and the Dominoes box set first. This album isn't that bad, you can recognize a few of the tunes easy enough and it is not so terrible you wouldn't toss on from time to time.

Links, find out more, follow em and buy!

Official Site

Buy It!

Disclaimer – I am just a music fan. Feel free to comment about something that may be written incorrectly about the band/members etc. I strive to have a fun and enjoyable site. This site used to post mp3s but ran in to many issues. The audio clips provided are usually from YouTube. No copy write infringement is intended. Please alert me if something should be pulled. Finally, support the artist featured, or your favorite artist by purchasing their music, seeing their shows if possible and saying hi. They need your support.

Favorite Records of 2014.

Spent the last few weeks getting my favorite records of 2014 posted. If you'd like to see/read about some of the new albums that caught my fancy in 2014 check out this link.

I'd expect to be back to the "forgotten discs" next week.

Hope you enjoy!

FDF Volume 3 Issue 360 - Hum "Downward is Heavenward"

Album – Downward is Heavenward

Artist - Hum
Key Players – Matt Talbott – guitar, lead vocals. Bryan St Pere – drums, backing vocals. Tim Lash – guitar, backing vocals. Jeff Dimpsey – bass, vocals.
Produced By – Hum and Mark Rubel

Release Date - January 27, 1998

Overview - This was the final studio album released from the Chicago band Hum. Coming off the heels of the bands biggest success with the track “Stars".  It wouldn't sell as well, or push the band as far as they'd expect and this would bring the curtain down on them as band.  Since that time this record has slowly grown a following and many consider it their best, most complete record.

As a side note I try to not repeat bands, but this is the third time we've checked in with Hum.
Electra 2000 here and  "You'd Prefer An Astronaut” here

FDF Comments (aka the songs) - When you start the record it doesn't take long for the big ring of the gutiars to hit you. “Isle of The Cheetah” has close to a 90 second intro before Talbot sings and once he does its that calm delivery that offsets the rumbling of everything else going on. Four records in, and the with the band solidified, they play with confidence and it shows. “Comin' Home” has the big start/stop riffs to keep you happy. “If You Are To Bloom” begins with an acoustic guitar before Talbot and Lash get on the pedals and hammer down. Its a pretty song, with some focus on the vocals being up towards the front. “Ms. Lazarus” also has acoustic guitars strew throughout. The big guns come out on "Green To Me" and any casual fan of the band would be pleased to hear what might have drawn them to the album out of curiosity. “Dreamboat” starts off one quiet side, but does launch pretty hard later. Tracks like “The Inuit Promise” and even more so “Apollo” show a bit of the softer side of the band with slower progressions and more of a mood being set than blasting down riffs. “The Scientists” closes it out on the heavy side. The bass drums and vocals are all right there for you. Nothing really out plays the other and the band ends on a high note.

Where are they now?  - Not much has changed, here is what I've submitted in the past.  As always, comment if you have additional news: 

The four guys have gone on to various bands and other side projects. They've all seemed to have started families and will occasionally play reunion type shows. The bands official site (see below) is updated, albeit it not too frequently with the goings on, including a re-press of “You'd Prefer” with some sad news in that the band had nothing to do with it and may see no money from its release.

Matt formed formed a bad Centaur and he also runs a recording studio. He is married and has 2 children.

Jeff resurrected a side-project from 1997,called National Skyline and from what I can find he is currently living and working in Texas.

Tim formed two groups, Glifted and Balisong. Glfited have released a cd and an ep is in the works. He works for the Unv of Illinois and is married.

Bryan seems to be out of music for the most part. He works in the Pharmaceutical industry and is married with children.

The band has done 2 "reunion" shows. In Aug of 2003 they did a one off at the Furnacefest In Aug of 2005 they played another reunion show headlining the first Rockfest Music Festival in Champaign. Rumors had it that Jeff moved back to Illinois and that the band "may" record again. They played a full set of music to over 3000 fans and that was that..for now??

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting Off? -  Sure thing it is.  It still is shocking to me the guys haven't dusted it off and done a good old reunion tour, you know where they go out and play a record in full?  If you know Hum you dig em, not a lot to convince people on.  Grab any of their records, you'll like them all.

Links, find out more, follow em and buy!

Semi Official site

Buy it!

Disclaimer – I am just a music fan. Feel free to comment about something that may be written incorrectly about the band/members etc. I strive to have a fun and enjoyable site. This site used to post mp3s but ran in to many issues. The audio clips provided are usually from YouTube. No copy write infringement is intended. Please alert me if something should be pulled. Finally, support the artist featured, or your favorite artist by purchasing their music, seeing their shows if possible and saying hi. They need your support.

Next week and moving forward.

Hi
Happy New Year!

Next week will have new content.

Moving forward I am going to cut down the track by track review.  I am not sure how much people care.  If a song is sort of "meh" why bother to write about it.  Its "the whole" we are looking towards.  That will also cut down on my time taken up.  I can listen more in the care vs sitting at a computer and writing as a I go. 

This might take the load off some and get more out there, weekly.

Otherwise it should remain the same and I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

Regardless, thanks for stopping over, commenting an being inspired to "dust em off" now and then.

See you next week!  I promise!!

-march