Stairway2Drew's Full Review: Time Pieces: Best of Eric Clapton by Eric Clapton
There's absolutely no reason why you should buy Timepieces. Some of the songs here are all well and good, understand, but it degenerates into a listless compilation of tracks that were played a handful of times on radio. For such a prolific, fantastic artist, Clapton deserves more.
I'll readily admit that the first half of Timepieces contains a few terrific tunes. Stagnant retread of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" notwithstanding--- E.C.'s not very good in 'reggae mode,' and Guns N' Roses did a better remake anyhow--- the hit parade doesn't let up until track six or seven, depending on whether or not you dig "Cocaine." I, myself, do not.
The best songs here--- "After Midnight," "Wonderful Tonight," and "Layla"--- are all trotted out early on in the album. I suppose that's sort of a service to the listener, since one you're done with "Layla," you don't have to bother wasting your time on the second half of the collection. "After Midnight" is an awfully fun song, and "Wonderful Tonight" and "Layla," while both culling from the "I'm a weiner who stole George Harrison's wife and wrote about it" song file, are stupendous songs. "Layla" is the instant classic--- Duane Allman's slide guitar is scrumptious here--- and "Wonderful Tonight," closing out every high school prom since 1977, still remains one of the 1970's greatest rock ballads. Besides, though Clapton occasionally dabbled in crappy resurrections of otherwise-great blues songs, his cover of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" is loads of fun, even if Bob did it better.
It's the tracks that make up the second half of the album that disappoint. Eric's an outstanding guitarist, and a satisfactory vocalist at his worst, so it's a bit disheartening to see that there ain't a ray of musical sunshine on the second half of Timepieces, save for the fun "Lay Down Sally." A boring retread of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" is the low point, while "Let It Grow" is too slow and funereal for these tastes.
Eric Clapton's an awfully respectable artist. For more worthwhile listening, pick up Slowhand, 461 Ocean Boulevard, his unplugged performance, his B.B. King collaborations, anything by Cream, Dereck and the Dominos, the Yardbirds, or Blind Faith, any of his more recent hit compilations, the boxed sets... so on, so forth. Timepieces is a verrrrry lackluster compilation. Don't bother; there are better alternatives.
And the packaging is horrendous. Not one picture of Clapton in the liner notes... how impersonal. Tsk, tsk.
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