Track Listing

1. Motherless Children - Eric Clapton
2. Give Me Strength - Eric Clapton, Tom Dowd
3. Willie And The Hand Jive - Eric Clapton, Tom Dowd
4. Get Ready - Eric Clapton
5. I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton
6. I Can't Hold Out - Eric Clapton
7. Please Be With Me - Eric Clapton, Tom Dowd
8. Let It Grow - Eric Clapton, George Terry, Dick Sims, Carl Radle, Jamie Oldaker, Albhy Galuten, Yvonne Elliman, Tom Bernfield, Tom Dowd
9. Steady Rollin' Man - Eric Clapton
10. Mainline Florida - Eric Clapton, Tom Dowd

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3287 in Music
• Released on: 1997-03-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 39 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Predictably, given the drug problems which preceded its release, Clapton's second solo album proper seems to come and go in an opium haze of its own making. Oddly though, it suits him. As the history of rock attests, if you're going to get into one hard drug then you may as well make it heroin. Whereas cocaine feeds the ego and destroys judgement, heroin sublimates it and allows the artist to regress into his music. Which pretty much describes where 461 Ocean Boulevard is at. Because tracks like "Steady Rollin' Man" and US chart topper "I Shot The Sheriff" sound like they have all the time in the world, they make light work of putting the listener in a similar frame of mind. Best of all though is "Let It Grow", for many the kind of tender, foetal balladry which finds Clapton at his most quintessential. Inevitably, he cleaned up his act and sporadically attained similar heights. But for sheer mood and sense of moment, 461 Ocean Boulevard remains his masterpiece. --Peter Paphides

CD Description
After playing the 1973 Rainbow Concerts that were arranged by good friend Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton returned to Florida's Criteria Recording Studio to cut 461 OCEAN BOULEVARD. Because of a stint of personal turmoil, Clapton had not played guitar for two years preceeding the Rainbow Concerts, butwith the help of a core group of musicians including GeorgeTerry, former Derek & the Dominos bassist Carl Radle, JamieOldaker, and Yvonne Elliman, Slowhand put together an albumthat many consider to be his best.
Focusing more on his singing than his guitar pyrotechnics of the past, the new, improved Clapton used a laid-back, J.J. Cale-type vocal styleto great effect on a mellow version of "Willie And The HandJive" and Elmore James's "I Can't Hold Out". Far from beinga kinder, gentler guitar hero, Clapton also showed considerable spark on a slide-drenched "Motherless Children" and thedriving "Mainline Florida", which closes out the album. Of course, his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" was the musical statement that took him to the top of the charts and let the general public know he was back. 461 OCEAN BOULEVARD is still one of the highest points of Clapton's solo career.

Customer Reviews

One of EC's best solo efforts
"461 Ocean Boulevard", Eric Clapton's second solo album from 1974, is an appealing amalgam of several different styles (rock, pop, R&B, country, blues and even reggae).

It may not have the flashy guitar work of his earlier recordings, nor is it as gritty as fans of Eric Clapton the blues player (rather than Eric Clapton the pop singer) might have preferred. But it is a pleasant, low-key affair with several excellent songs, including a charming, laid-back rendition of Johnny Otis' "Willie And The Hand Jive" and the lovely, folkish ballad "Please Be With Me", originally recorded by Southern rockers Cowboy.

Clapton should stay away from covering Elmore James, though. He obviously knows that he can't match the intensity of James' vocals, so he delivers "I Can't Hold Out" in a very subdued style which doesn't suit the song.

His version of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff", although somewhat watered-down, works really well, though, as does the mournful, almost spiritual blues "Give Me Strength" and the melodious "Let It Grow", both of them Eric Clapton originals.
Lovely slide dobro playing on "Let It Grow".
Another bluesy spiritual, Blind Willie Johnson's "Motherless Children (have a hard time)", is quite good as well in this electric, up-tempo recording, in spite of the clippety-clop rhythm played by drummer Jamie Oldaker (kind of a strange choice for a blues number).

But all in all, "461 Ocean Boulevard" is a really fine album, and one that Eric Clapton tried again and again to replicate over the next ten years. It's not perfect, but it is as good as the man from Surrey ever got during his solo years.

Fantastic In SACD Format!
After an absence due to personal problems, Clapton settled into the 461 Ocean Boulevard Florida estate to restart his career. It was a major turning point. His heady rock attitude was adapting to a mellower R & B with a tad more funkiness. "Motherless Children", ""Willie And The Hand Jive" and "Mainline Florida" brought out the best gut bouncing rhythm and blues yet. Jump-started with the Bob Marley single, "I Shot The Sheriff", Clapton gained back his old audience while bringing in new fans to the new blue-eyed soul in the USA. He included some nearly spiritual numbers as well. ""Please Be With Me" is a begging love ballad and "Let It Grow" culminates with the frenzy of a soaring synthesizer. Yvonne Elliman does a fantastic back-up job with her own sultry vocals and accentuates Clapton's soulful voice. The and this is the only format where you can get them. Still considered one of Clapton's best, you can't miss with this one, especially in SACD format!

Laid Back and Beautiful
This is a perfect sunny Sunday morning record. It's also Eric's most underrated work. He'd spent years ... turning his guitar up to 11 blowing us away with his playing, but here (his 'comeback' album) he shows us what a great singer and songwriter he can also be when he puts his mind to it. I Shot the Sherrif is a well-thumbed back page, but his originals like Let It Grow and Motherless Children deserve just as much attention. The album has the laid back easy acoustic blues feel similar to Unplugged, and if you liked that, you'll love this. The touching songs such as Give Me Strength and Please Be With Me show Eric was still finding his feet as an individual, but as a musician with this album he was on very solid ground. Do yourself a very low-key but lovely favour and check it out.