From the Cradle
Untitled | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Entertainment Weekly | B−[2] |
The Music Box | [3] |
Robert Christgau | [4] |
From the Cradle is a blues cover album by Eric Clapton. It is also his twelfth studio album. Released on 13 September 1994 (see 1994 in music) by Reprise Records,[1] the album was Eric Clapton's long awaited follow-up to his massively-successful live album, Unplugged. Per the liner notes, "This is a live recording with no overdubs or edits except for dobro overdub on 'How Long Blues' and drum overdub on 'Motherless Child'."
Although he'd long been associated with the blues, From the Cradle was Clapton's first attempt at an all-blues album. He would subsequently record Riding with the King with B. B. King; a tribute to Robert Johnson, Me and Mr. Johnson; and a collaboration with J. J. Cale, The Road to Escondido.
Critical reception
From the Cradle has prompted a wide range of critical response. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic feels that the album is almost perfect and that the only thing bad about the album is Clapton's singing, which merely imitates the original recordings and sometimes can't pull it off.[1] Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly felt that the recordings were "flawless" but were rather boring, especially when compared to the exitement of Cream's live version of "Spoonful".[2] The Music Box's John Metzger felt that Clapton's appearance on Saturday Night Live to promote the album was more powerful than From the Cradle and that the album had nothing that hadn't been done before on it.[3] Robert Christgau compared Eric Clapton's work on the album to Son Seals and Otis Rush, saying that Clapton played better than the former, but sang worse than the latter and felt that "Motherless Child" and "Blues Before Sunrise" were stand-out tracks on the album.[4]
Track listing
- "Blues Before Sunrise" (Leroy Carr) – 2:58 ; this version is inspired also by Elmore James's rendition of the song
- "Third Degree" (Eddie Boyd/Willie Dixon) – 5:07
- "Reconsider Baby" (Lowell Fulson) – 3:20
- "Hoochie Coochie Man" (Willie Dixon) – 3:16 ; originally performed by Muddy Waters
- "Five Long Years" (Eddie Boyd) – 4:47
- "I'm Tore Down" (Sonny Thompson) – 3:02 ; originally performed by Freddie King
- "How Long Blues" (Leroy Carr) – 3:09
- "Goin' Away Baby" (James A. Lane) – 4:00
- "Blues Leave Me Alone" (James A. Lane) – 3:36
- "Sinner's Prayer" (Lowell Glenn/Lowell Fulson) – 3:20
- "Motherless Child" (Robert Hicks) – 2:57
- "It Hurts Me Too" (Tampa Red) – 3:17
- "Someday After a While (You'll Be Sorry)" (Freddie King/Sonny Thompson) – 4:27
- "Standin' Round Crying" (McKinley Morganfield) – 3:39
- "Driftin'" (Charles Brown/Johnny Moore/Eddie Williams) (Johnny Moore's Three Blazers) – 3:10
- "Groaning the Blues" (Willie Dixon) – 6:05 ; originally performed by Otis Rush
Personnel
- Eric Clapton – guitar, vocals, producer
- Dave Bronze – bass
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Andy Fairweather-Low – guitar
- Jerry Portnoy – harmonica
- Chris Stainton – keyboards
- Roddy Lorimer – trumpet
- Simon Clarke – baritone saxophone
- Tim Sanders – tenor saxophone
- Richie Hayward – percussion on "How Long Blues"
- Jack English – photography
- Alan Douglas – engineer, mixing
- Russ Titelman – producer, mixing
Charts
Album
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Top 50 Albums[5] | 6 |
Austrian Top 75 Albums[6] | 1 |
French Top Albums[7] | 6 |
German Albums[8] | 6 |
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[9] | 3 |
New Zealand Top 40 Albums[10] | 2 |
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[11] | 4 |
Swedish Top 60 Albums[12] | 2 |
Swiss Top 100 Albums[13] | 1 |
UK Albums Chart[14] | 1 |
US Billboard 200[15] | 1 |
Chart (1995) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[16] | 24 |
US Blues Albums[15] | 1 |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | "I'm Tore Down" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
"Motherless Child" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 23 |
Certifications
Country | Provider | Certification (sales thresholds) |
---|---|---|
Austria | IFPI | Gold[17] |
France | SNEP | Double Gold[18] |
Germany | BVMI | Gold[19] |
Sweden | IFPI | Gold[20] |
Switzerland | Swiss Music Charts | Gold[21] |
United States | RIAA | 3x Multi-Platinum[22] |
United Kingdom | BPI | Gold[23] |
References
- ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: From the Cradle by Eric Clapton". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ a b Sinclair, Tom (16 September 1994). "Music Review: From the Cradle – Eric Clapton". Entertainment Weekly (240). ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ a b Metzger, John (1995). "Review: From the Cradle by Eric Clapton". The Music Box. 2 (1). Retrieved 18 July 2011.
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ignored (help) - ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Eric Clapton: Consumer Guide Reviews" (PHP). Robert Christgau. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (PHP). InfoDisc (in French).
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Search for "Eric CLAPTON" on the drop-down menu to see results. - ^ "Chartverfolgung / CLAPTON, ERIC / Longplay". Music Line (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "All the Number One Albums: 1994". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ a b "From the Cradle – Eric Clapton". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – From the Cradle (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Gold & Platin". IFPI Austria (in German).
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Type "From the Cradle" under Titel to see search results. - ^ "Les Certifications depuis 1973" (PHP). InfoDisc (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
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: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Find "CLAPTON E." on the drop-down menu to see certifications. - ^ "Gold- /Platin-Datenbank". Bundesverband Musikindustrie (in German).
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Type "From the Cradle" under Titel to see search results. - ^ "Guld & Platinum 1987–1998" (PDF). IFPI Sweden (in Swedish). p. 16. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Awards 1994". Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database" (PHP). Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "Certified Awards Search" (ASPX). British Phonographic Industry.