Very enjoyable

I enjoyed the book. There were points in there where I felt like you do at some movies – you want to tell the person not to open the door because there is a monster or something outside. Its hard to know how “accurate” it is, but there is a clear attempt at honesty, and an attempt to make you understand what Eric was thinking (or not thinking) when he was doing things. There are some surprises – without ruining it for anyone, one of the biggest surprises to me is how much he has always been into fashion. Anyway, its all there: the Yardbirds, Cream, John Mayall, Derek and the Dominoes, his love for Patty, George Harrison’s wife; his addiction to heroin and his even more debilitating alcoholism. He talks about how some of his big hits came about; what makes a guitar “good”; getting wasted and being sober; family, friends and others. It was a good “read.” The narrator, Simon Vance, did a very nice job, as always.

19 people found this helpful

Clapton

I already read this in print a few years ago but wanted the audio version which is always special. Simon Vance did a great job as I knew he would. Like everything he has narrated.

For those of you who thought this was going to be a piece of total recognition of Erics music, you were wrong to think so. We all know his musical success and recognition. Stars or others do not write autobiographies for that sort of thing. Those that do it correctly and honestly write it for the truth of where things have gone over the years. This is very truthful. It is exceptional and Eric's struggle with drugs and alcohol are at the heart of this. We are darn glad he is still alive because things were not necessarily going to go that direction. With the help of friends and his own will, we still have him playing that incredible guitar today. A good autobiography is kind of "stripping of the soul" and not just the accolades that have been presented to a particular person in his lifetime. The best accolade I can think of is that he finally got his act together and is still with us and doing philanthropic things with "Crossroads" to help others. It doesn't get any better than that. Get into the real story here and the blessings since his recovery and don't look at just the awards...........he would be the first to tell you that the awards are not at the heart of this book.

12 people found this helpful

Listenable but finally frustrating

I'm a Clapton fan and was glad to have the details of his life's course opened up to me. I listened to this entire book in just a few days, despite also working for a living, so it is somewhat compelling. But once Clapton's career's in full swing, the focus changes from music to substance abuse and recovery, and the second half of the book is really about nothing except recovery (including the recovery from grief at the death of his young son). That's OK, that's Eric's THING, and it's less didactic and self-aggrandizing than many recovery memoirs. But as a music fan, I wanted more details about the songs, the records. And the author gets his own facts wrong--he claims "Tears in Heaven" was a hit from the "Rush" soundtrack, when in fact it went largely unheard until his "Unplugged" CD came out--you know his mind is elsewhere. Still a good listen for fans, and certainly an essential text for artistic folks in recovery. Besides, how can you not love Clapton? Clapton is God, right?

12 people found this helpful

A Confessional Autobiography

I have followed Eric Clapton’s career. He is a complete guitarist, able to play in any genre, and able to collaborate with any artist. He plays electric, acoustic guitar, and slide guitar.

This book is almost a confessional of his drug and alcohol use and his bad treatment of some people he used in his life. In his 62 years, he has been involved with an enviable number of beautiful young women. His chapters coincide with his albums and the band he played with.

Unfortunately, Clapton makes little mention of the various guitarists he collaborated with. Duane Allman gets two paragraphs though these two pushed each other into making one of the all-time great guitar albums, Layla and other Love Songs. Fans of Clapton as a musician will find little here about the musical aspects of his career. This information has to be sought out in the many interviews he gives in various magazines.

In all other aspects, this is a great read.

12 people found this helpful

too much detail!

You can only listen to so many tales of drunken exploits and incessant womanizing before going.... ho,hum, so what.

11 people found this helpful

Good Listen

I was really excited when I saw that this book was released on audiobook. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in this audio book. I wanted more detail on the incredible bands and the wonderful songs that Clapton was involved in, this was usually short treated. To be honest, I found the guy to be a bit whiney. I got tired of hearing about his women. Sometimes you learn more in biographies than you ever wanted to know.

9 people found this helpful

Loved it!

I have been a fan of Clapton for 35 years. Not only does he share the greatness of his life, but also the very lows. He has some profound thoughts on recovery, which I found very interesting. If you love rock'n' roll, you'll love this book.

6 people found this helpful

Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT!!!

If you could sum up Clapton in three words, what would they be?

Just finished listening to "Clapton" by Eric Clapton. He writes how CranioSacral Therapy helped his youngest daughter when (as a newborn) she was unable to latch onto her mom's breast, and had colic. She had immediate relief after the first session.

I was so impressed with his intelligence. Due to his journaling throughout his life, this book chronicles his experiences with such detail... making this a fascinating read. I was sorry it was over.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Clapton?

It's not a moment, but instead my astonishment at how intelligent he is.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was a profound walk down memory lane, as he is only a few years older than I am.

Any additional comments?

Simply outstanding!

5 people found this helpful

I used to love Eric Clapton.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Used to love Eric Clapton, I still appreciate him. Just never realized what a narcissist he was.

4 people found this helpful

Excellent

If you are going on a long trip, this is an incredible way to pass the time. I've never been a fan of books on tape but this one kept my interest on a 10 hour drive. If you are an Eric Clapton fan you will enjoy this!

4 people found this helpful