Eric Clapton
Somehow the adjectives that come to mind in describing this album—good, pleasant, nice—seem almost like insults when applied to Clapton. The rub is that while this is a polished set of pop-rock songs, there are few moments that reflect the intensity and bite that are his prime resources. Phil Collins, who produced the album, usually leans toward the extravaganza side, Clapton toward the intimate. The mix might have been a dynamic one, but it left Clapton sounding mostly like sub-par Collins. Even a high-powered horn section—Michael Brecker on sax with brother Randy and Jon Faddis on trumpet—never strikes much rapport with Clapton. Tina Turner's duet vocal on Tearing Us Apart livens things up, and the sorrowful Holy Mother is closer to Clapton's strength. Most of the time Clapton sounds, well, not troubled enough. Let's have a chorus of The We've Got the Blues Because He Doesn't Have the Blues Blues. (Warner Bros.)
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