Top Ten Gift Ideas for Eric Clapton Fans

For a generation of baby boomers, that infamous graffiti painted on the decaying walls of a London building was the astute capitulation of the musical aspirations of radical youth in a radical time. “Clapton is god”, it said, and rightly so. The sixties was a revolutionary period of ambitious, idealistic change, and Clapton’s wailing guitar emanated such power that led on the pack. With a long and rich career spanning over four decades, he’s produced a prolific catalogue of material that deftly showcases his finesse and flawless execution. Slowhand still has a mighty following today, especially now that he’s gone back to his roots in the blues. Here are some gift ideas that will surely add a sparkle to the holidays for any Clapton fan:

The DVD Cream 2005: Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a gem. It’s a mix of performances from their Cream reunion concerts in London on May 2, 3, 5, and 6, 2005 and it’s a touching tribute to the world’s first ‘supergroup’. Cream was a trailblazer in their time, experimenting with unique jazz rock progressions and exploiting the power trio format with their infamous bouts of extensive soloing like no other group has done before them. Eric’s years with Cream were some of his best and most creative. And while Cream today has noticeably mellowed from the Cream of forty years ago, the band still shows why they’re the stuff of legends.

Of course, nothing beats seeing the legend live, in the flesh. Eric is in the middle of his World Tour after the release of his album Back Home in 2005 and the U.S. leg of his tour is over. He will be touring Asia till next year, but has added a final U.S. show slated for April 5, 2007 in Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI. If you haven’t caught his excellent touring band (featuring Doyle Bramhall II and the littlest Allman Brother on slide guitar, Derek Trucks) yet, then tickets to this concert finale will surely rock your holidays!