Customer Reviews

Riding With the King

5 star:		(218)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

Clapton's "whitewashed" version od the blues just pales in compariosn with BB's soulful meaningful and powerful blues. If we could only edit out all of Clapton's parts thsi would be a great date. Too bad they didn't match BB with John Lee Hooker instead, he was still around back then. Oh well...

I was stunned to read so many positive reviews for this nearly horrible album. I recently had the misfortune to hear this album as I drove to a B.B King concert & me & my companions quickly had to take it out of the cd player & put in King's 'Live at the Regal,' a real, off-the-cuff, live, soulful blues album. My god, I think maybe there has to be a criteria for these reviews like if you don't know squat about blues music then you have no right to exclaim statements like 'This is as real as the blues get!' or 'A blues masterpiece!' concerning this overproduced, lifeless, soulless piece. I am admittedly a blues snob & prefer 1920's to 1950's blues but I am also a very open-minded person. All you first time blues listeners & Clapton fans here really REALLY need an education in blues history & quality. If this is the kind of blues music that is being embraced by the majority of people nowadays I say the battle has been lost. The only blues album worse than this one is possibly B.B King's late 1980's 'King of the Blues' disaster. Let me dumb it down for some of you: Saying 'Riding with the King' is a great, hell, even a 'Good' blues album is like saying Vanilla Ice really brought the rap artform to a higher level. Be patient! Give those old recordings by Charley Patton & Howlin' Wolf & Muddy Waters & Bessie Smith the effort in understanding they deserve. To me, the overproduced, layered, heartless sound of 'Riding with the King,' & some of your (fellow reviewers) ecstatic comments on it leaves a big old hole in my gut. If you only KNEW how good blues can get you'd all probably die realizing.

I'm pushing 50 and my 2 teenagers, both of whom are aspiring blues guitarists love this album as much as I do.

This disc is stellar and a must have for anyone with even an inkling of appreciation for the blues or either of the featured artists.

King and Clapton's battling axes here are nothing short of stunningly brilliant - this one is a keeper. There isn't one cut on this ablum that is mediocre, and most are simply fantastic - how many discs can claim that these days? If for nothing else, buy it for the cover alone.

This album opens with a great rendition of John Hiatt's 1983 rocker "Riding With The King", which has very little to do with blues, but who cares...B.B. King is entitled to a bit of a break now and again, I suppose!

There is a lot of genuine blues here as well, however, and the eight-minute "Three O'Clock Blues" burns with long and (usually) excellent guitar solos from both men. Other highlights include a good rendition of Big Bill Broonzy's "Key To The Highway", a song which Clapton has recorded again and again for over 30 years, a nice, acoustic "Worried Life Blues", a seven-minute version of King's own "When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer", and the best song on the album, a delightfully swinging "Help The Poor", Charles Singleton's 60s classic.

There are some clunkers here..."Marry You" and "I Wanna Be" are a couple of bland, repetitive dime-a-dozen rock songs, and the novelty-like "Days Of Old" isn't destined for classic-status either, but most of the album works really well, although a whole handful of weak songs are too many.
It's not the grittiest blues record I've ever heard (or the bluesiest), but it's a nice listen while it lasts.
3 3/4 stars. Good enough.

Hmm, so big anticipation for this record and it lived up to it, i guess. It starts strong with Riding with the King, and immediately shows who's in charge here - BB's in control. For Clapton this is a chance for direct comparison to his hero. Listening you get the impression that he's going all out to impress but even on BB's average days he'd still lose.

Nevertheless, there are some outstanding blues on this album. The Big Bill Broonzy favourite, Key to the Highway, previously covered by both men, shows a rare acoustic treat on BB's behalf and seems to be a favourite with previous reviewers. The seven minute reworking on 3'o clock Blues is awesome as well; it features some great BB vocals and delicate guitar work by both men. My favourite track however is Days of Old. An up tempo Chicago blues, it shows a comfort between the two that perhaps is lacking on some of the slower tunes where Clapton flags.

Low lights are Help the Poor (see BB's Live at the Regal for a better version) and I Wanna Be which doesn't really seem to fit in with the blues genre. Overall, had Clapton not been quite so in awe of his recording partner here a better effect would have been acheived (even his liner notes seem rather incoherent compared to B's.) Having said this, for an introduction to the blues and BB King for fans of Clapton's rock legacy, this album is a good place to start. It shows what the two legends love to do and despite weak moments it is genuine and proves that Pop Idol is not the be all and end all of 21st century music.

Okay. I have just purchased the new Eric Clapton's CD called Me and Mr. Johson. And boy, did I dislike that CD for its lack of inspiration.

I wrote a review of it. Gave it a 3 star.

Then I got to thinking... when has EC made some decent music in the past ten or so years? Well one recording is THIS ONE.

This recording has passion, great singing, and some fantastic interplay between two guitar players.

I totally enjoy every song, and perhaps the presence of BB KING EC found that he must be on good, inspired behavior since he does not sleep walk through this recording like he seemingly did on some others.

Another great recording to grab onto, From The Cradle. Perhaps the best EC release in 20 years.

Bodge!!! Give this a listen and you willb ecome intantly obsessed with Bodge!!! He doesnt play piano like tori amos, or wear skimpy outfits like janet, but he plays GI-TAR!!!! also on this cd is music by BB!! This is not AMerican Idol, folks. This is good real music. This is BODGE!!

Buy it!!

Eric and BB, well more Eric and less BB. Much more Eric. In fact the title depicts that this is from Claptons point of view. Kind of odd that Clapton is driving the car - I don't quite understand the significance of that in regards to the title. They could have had a chauffeur in the front and had BB and Clapton both in the back seat or maybe even BB could have drove to show that Clapton is the guy doing the following. I don't know. It's pretty good. I bought it, I occasionally listen to it. A couple songs could have been left off, a couple more could have been added. But its like Phil Collins says about Clapton - this guy wears $2000 Versace suits and is a multi millionaire - how can his Blues really be from the heart? Clapton was best in the Blues Breakers where he really crafted his art and he's been riding that reputation since 1965. Buy this album and hear a tired rich guitarist try to sound authentic - and hear the genuine article (BB) get overshadowed.

I can understand not liking this album, if you had some rational reason for not liking it, but to come out and say that Eric Clapton can't play guitar is just ignorant. And then to follow that up with some wacko conspiracy theory...well, that just makes me think that phila should start taking his medications again.
Here's a little background for that concert where phila said that Clapton couldn't play and SRV blew him off the stage. As told by Clapton himself, this was the first time he had ever seen SRV play live. During the first set he came backstage to watch the first three songs SRV played, then went back to his dressing room. The second set, he did the same thing. A stagehand asked him why he wasn't staying for the whole set and Clapton said, "Because if I did I would have started to doubt my ability to play the guitar". Obviously, Clpon was very affected by how brilliant SRV was, and it's not too hard to imagine that it might have affected his playing. So, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Clapton wasn't at his best that night. But to judge his whole career by that one performance...well, like I said, that's ignorant.
This is a very very good album that allows us to hear two masters of the blues guitar playing together. Listen to the samples and if you have any taste at all, you will be able to tell that Clapton can most defintely play, and both he and BB are wonderful on this album.