Eric Clapton: Another Ticket - 1981


Eric Clapton albums in 1981 were not culturally relevant, were they? In the midst of new wave, post punk and new romanticism, who wanted gnarled old blues rock? Those long-time fans in the US, I guess, where this was still a hit release. 

A US top ten single came from it too in the catchy blues/pop of I Can't Stand It. The album featured second guitarist Albert Lee and ex-Procol Harum keyboardsman Gary Brooker and was far more of a blues rock offering than the previous few seventies country rock/funk lite releases. 

The afore-mentioned single, Muddy Waters' rocking Blow Wind Blow, the sleepy blues of Something Special, the insistent, laid-back blues of Floating Bridge, the enjoyable shuffle of Catch Me If You Can and the gently melodious Another Ticket are probably the album's standouts. I like this album, as I do the previous one, far more than I would have done back in 1978 or 1981. Listening to it all these years later I have found myself really enjoying it - maybe it's my age.

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