Several live or alternate studio recordings were previously unreleased. Anthony DeCurtis contributed the liner notes to the album, where as The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood painted the albums cover. Mitchell Kanner designed the package and along with Michael Bays Art Directed the package.[2]Crossroads was mastered by Greg Calbi and compiled by Bill Levenson.[3] The album sold more than four million copies worldwide and was presented with six awards, two of them Grammy Awards the four disc boxed set took home in 1989. With both high commercial success and positive critics response, this is Clapton's most purchased box set to date.
The critics for Billboard magazine noted mostly the production work, besides the compilations track listing stating: "Compiler Levenson has unearthed some superb rarities for the set, and Anthony DeCurtis contributes intelligent annotation. Classy package and bounty of unheard material will attract Slowhand's legion of fans".[2]Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke really liked the boxed set and awarded the release an extremely rare five-star rating in April 1988.[4] In his review for the American music website AllMusic, critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine presented the album with five out of five possible stars, rating the release as an AllMusic top album and notes:
[…] Clapton's set was a bona fide blockbuster. And it's easy to see why. Crossroads manages to sum up Clapton's career succinctly and thoroughly, touching upon all of his hits and adding a bevy of first-rate unreleased material (most notably selections from the scrapped second Derek and the Dominos album). Although not all of his greatest performances are included on the set – none of his work as a session musician or guest artist is included, for instance – every truly essential item he recorded is present on these four discs. No other Clapton album accurately explains why the guitarist was so influential, or demonstrates exactly what he accomplished.
"Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" (with The Yardbirds)
H.G. Demarais
2:45
7.
"I Ain't Got You" (with The Yardbirds)
Calvin Carter
1:59
8.
"For Your Love" (with The Yardbirds)
Graham Gouldman
2:29
9.
"Got to Hurry" (with The Yardbirds)
Oscar Rasputin
2:35
Record one – Side two
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Lonely Years" (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
John Mayall
3:17
2.
"Bernard Jenkins" (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Eric Clapton
3:47
3.
"Hideaway" (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Freddie King · Sonny Thompson
3:14
4.
"All Your Love" (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Willie Dixon · Otis Rush
3:34
5.
"Ramblin' On My Mind" (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Robert Johnson
3:07
6.
"Have You Ever Loved a Woman (Live)" (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Billy Myles
6:41
Record two – Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Wrapping Paper" (with Cream)
Jack Bruce · Pete Brown
2:21
2.
"I Feel Free" (with Cream)
Jack Bruce · Pete Brown
2:52
3.
"Spoonful" (with Cream)
Willie Dixon
6:30
4.
"Lawdy Mama (Live at the BBC)" (with Cream)
Traditional
1:50
5.
"Strange Brew" (with Cream)
Eric Clapton · Felix Pappalardi · Gail Collins Pappalardi
2:46
6.
"Sunshine of Your Love" (with Cream)
Eric Clapton · Jack Bruce · Pete Brown
4:10
7.
"Tales of Brave Ulysses" (with Cream)
Eric Clapton · Martin Sharp
2:46
8.
"Steppin' Out (Live at the BBC)" (with Cream)
Bracken
3:31
Record two – Side two
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Anyone for Tennis" (with Cream)
Eric Clapton · Martin Sharp
2:37
2.
"White Room" (with Cream)
Jack Bruce · Pete Brown
4:56
3.
"Crossroads (Live)" (with Cream)
Robert Johnson
4:14
4.
"Badge" (with Cream)
Eric Clapton · George Harrison
2:43
5.
"Presence of the Lord" (with Blind Faith)
Eric Clapton
4:48
6.
"Can't Find My Way Home" (with Blind Faith)
Steve Winwood
3:15
7.
"Sleeping in the Ground" (with Blind Faith)
Sam Myers
2:50
Record three – Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Comin' Home" (with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends)
Eric Clapton · Bonnie Bramlett
3:13
2.
"Blues Power"
Eric Clapton · Leon Russell
3:06
3.
"After Midnight"
J.J. Cale
3:17
4.
"Let It Rain"
Eric Clapton · Bonnie Bramlett
5:01
5.
"Tell the Truth" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Eric Clapton · Bobby Whitlock
3:23
6.
"Roll It Over" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Eric Clapton · Bobby Whitlock
4:29
Record three – Side two
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Layla" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Eric Clapton · Jim Gordon
7:07
2.
"Mean Old World" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Jacobs
3:50
3.
"Key to the Highway (Live)" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Big Bill Broonzy · Charles Segar
6:27
4.
"Crossroads (Live)" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Robert Johnson
8:17
Record four – Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Got to Get Better in a Little While" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Eric Clapton
5:31
2.
"Evil" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Willie Dixon
4:25
3.
"One More Chance" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Eric Clapton
3:17
4.
"Mean Old Frisco" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Arthur Crudup
4:02
5.
"Snake Lake Blues" (with Derek and the Dominos)
Eric Clapton · Bobby Whitlock
3:33
Record four – Side two
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Let It Grow"
Eric Clapton
4:56
2.
"Ain't That Lovin' You"
Jimmy Reed
5:26
3.
"Motherless Children"
Traditional
4:51
4.
"I Shot the Sheriff (Live)"
Bob Marley
7:48
5.
"Better Make It Through Today"
Eric Clapton
4:05
Record five – Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"The Sky Is Crying"
Elmore James
3:57
2.
"I Found a Love"
Bridges
3:38
3.
"(When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too"
Mel London
5:34
4.
"Whatcha Gonna Do"
Peter Tosh
3:01
5.
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
Bob Dylan
4:21
6.
"Someone Like You"
Arthur Louis
4:30
Record five – Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Hello Old Friend"
Eric Clapton
3:34
2.
"Sign Language" (featuring Bob Dylan)
Bob Dylan
2:56
3.
"Further on Up the Road (Live)"
Joe Medwich Veasey · Don D. Robey
6:18
4.
"Lay Down Sally"
Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy · George Terry
3:50
5.
"Wonderful Tonight"
Eric Clapton
3:42
Record six – Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Cocaine"
J.J. Cale
3:35
2.
"Promises"
Richard Feldman · Roger Linn
3:00
3.
"If I Don't Be There by Morning"
Bob Dylan · Helen Springs
4:34
4.
"Double Trouble (Live)"
Rush
8:01
5.
"I Can't Stand It"
Eric Clapton
4:09
6.
"The Shape You're In"
Eric Clapton
4:09
Record six – Side two
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Heaven Is One Step Away"
Eric Clapton
4:09
2.
"She's Waiting"
Eric Clapton · Peter Robinson
4:55
3.
"Too Bad"
Eric Clapton
2:37
4.
"Miss You"
Eric Clapton · Greg Phillinganes · Bobby Columby
5:05
5.
"Wanna Make Love to You"
Jerry Lynn Williams
5:43
6.
"After Midnight"
J.J. Cale
4:05
Commercial success
Crossroads is Clapton's commercially most successful multi-disc boxed set, charting in both 1988 and 1989, selling a total of more than three million copies worldwide. In the United States, the 1988 box set was most successful. It peaked at number eight on Billboard magazines Top Pop Compact Disks chart in May 1988 and entered the magazines Top 200 albums chart at position 80. At that point, Clapton was the second artist ever to chart in the Top 100 field with a box set containing six discs, following Elvis Presley.[10] In its first week on chart, Crossroads was both the best- and fastest-selling box set, ever to be released, selling more than 240,000 copies in the first few weeks after its release in the United States. At that point, more than 120,000 copies which were sold were on compact disc formats, which was still quite rare at the time.[11] In 1988, the release topped the Top Pop Compact Disks chart[12] and reached number 34 on the Billboard 200 top albums chart, where Crossroads stayed a total of 26 weeks on chart.[13] In 2005, the compilation album was certified with a triple Platinum award by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), commemorating the sale of more than three million copies in the United States alone,[14] making it Clapton's best-selling box set in the country. In 1988, the Clapton record was the 26th most-purchased Pop music compact disc in the United States.[15] In Europe, the box set was a medium success, reaching the Top 20 in only two countries. In the Netherlands, the box set reached number 17 and stayed a total of nine weeks in the charts.[16]Crossroads also reached number 25 on the worldwide albums chart in 1988.[11]
^Schumacher, Michael (1995). "Chapter 12: Journeyman (1986–90)". Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton (1st ed.). New York City: Hyperion. ISBN0-7868-6074-X.
^"Past Winners Search | GRAMMY.com". Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy. Type "Anthony DeCurtis" under Artist to see the results. Retrieved 26 November 2015.