Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2464 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-09
• Released on: 2007-10-09
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Mail on Sunday
Clapton relates what happened with painful honesty. In other rock stars, such plump contentment might seem hypocritical, even vulgar. But with Eric Clapton, you feel that a little comfort is the least he deserves.

Observer
This is an essential read

Daily Telegraph
It's a raw and remarkable piece of self-exposure

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable read
I really enjoyed reading this book. I am a fan of Clapton's music, and I found I couldn't put the book down. Not wanting to add a spoiler, I am glad that the autobiography ended on a positive note, after all the heartache described in the earlier chapters.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about one of the real legends within the music industry.
Clapton has influenced so many, that his autobiography is a must read for any true music fan.

Enjoyable read
I have been following EC and his music since the mid-60s, and saw all his bands from Cream onwards. He was the main inspiration to me picking up the guitar in 1969 (he has a lot to answer for there!) and nearly 40 years later I'm still gigging!

I have all the various books written about him, of which Ray Coleman's "Survivor" is outstanding, although quite a few years out of date now (having said that, get a copy of the wonderful book "Strange Brew"). I got the EC book as a Christmas present, and finished it in 2 days. I might have expected lots of info about his guitars, amplifiers, strings used etc; but we've all read about them countless times in various magazine articles. The book is essentially about his personal life, and appears to have been written perhaps in an attempt to cleanse his soul, as he is painfully honest about his shortcomings as a person.

I enjoyed the book very much, and I think it would appeal to potential readers other than EC fans, as a document of the life of a famous person during some very heady times.

There is far too much written about Clapton being the best guitarist in the world, which even he knows is rubbish. He is a supremely talented player who has had a huge influence, but there are many dozens of other similarly talented players in blues, rock, country, jazz, classical, flamenco, and the other musical genres. So it's 5 stars for his music (most of it!) and 4 stars for the book!

Good But Shame Not More About The Music
Overall this was an interesting book about a major figure in rock music. I should have preferred the balance to have been more about his music and less about the other aspects of his life, such as the pleasures of cruising his 45m yacht around the Mediterranean. And within the music related material, I should have welcomed more on his reputation-establishing period of say 1964 to 1970, and less on later work, such as "Pilgrim".

Having said that, an artist's experiences must influence his work, and so perhaps it is important to read about his relationship with Patti and his various addictions. Also his opinions on such matters as religion and hunting, whether to one's taste or not, are valuable in forming a picture of the author's character.

Talking of the "author", it was never clear to me who actually was writing the book, Clapton or one of his ghost writers. At one extreme, there are several example of the phrase structure "me and x did y", which surely must have been written by Clapton himself. At the other extreme, there are passages where there are descriptions along the lines of "I remember thinking how I had never seen X so happy" along with supporting statements which you just know are setting you up for something unfortunate happening to X a page or two later, a technique presumably used by a more experienced writer.

Still, well worth reading by anyone with even just a small interest in the man and his times.