My eyes lit up when I first got wind of this. What could be better than a collaboration between two of the greatest groundbreaking musicians on the last 40 years? Released to great critical acclamation, my hopes were at their highest.
It took no more than 15 seconds into the first cut, "Danger", to come to the conclusion that this CD is a dud. Nothing following it did anything to change my mind. A collosal disappointment. I am still not over it.
There is no synergy in this music. This is not "peanut butter finds chocolate". What should have taken 2 + 2 to new places never really launched. "Sporting Life Blues" brings to mind a lounge crooner in a plaid dinner jacket. I had to resist the urge to politely clap when it finished, which did not come soon enough.
Cale and Clapton seem to playing around each other instead of building on each other. Its like they were afraid of each other and tried to stay out of one another's way. The result is a muddled directionless album that has no imagination, no high points and certainly little to show for their efforts. No one cuts a groove like Cale. No one makes a guitar come alive like Clapton. Too bad you won't hear any of it here.
This reminds me of the collusion between Alison Kraus and Robert Plant. Yech. The only difference is that I didn't expect much from Kraus and Plant. Who would?
All this said, the CD is not a total loss - if you are looking for some nice background music during dinner and conversation.
It took no more than 15 seconds into the first cut, "Danger", to come to the conclusion that this CD is a dud. Nothing following it did anything to change my mind. A collosal disappointment. I am still not over it.
There is no synergy in this music. This is not "peanut butter finds chocolate". What should have taken 2 + 2 to new places never really launched. "Sporting Life Blues" brings to mind a lounge crooner in a plaid dinner jacket. I had to resist the urge to politely clap when it finished, which did not come soon enough.
Cale and Clapton seem to playing around each other instead of building on each other. Its like they were afraid of each other and tried to stay out of one another's way. The result is a muddled directionless album that has no imagination, no high points and certainly little to show for their efforts. No one cuts a groove like Cale. No one makes a guitar come alive like Clapton. Too bad you won't hear any of it here.
This reminds me of the collusion between Alison Kraus and Robert Plant. Yech. The only difference is that I didn't expect much from Kraus and Plant. Who would?
All this said, the CD is not a total loss - if you are looking for some nice background music during dinner and conversation.
Blues Review Rating - 2.5 out of 6 strings "Disappointing"
