ERIC CLAPTON : BACKLESS

1. Walk Out In The Rain
2. Watch Out For Lucy
3. I'll Make Love To You Anytime
4. Roll It
5. Tell Me That You Love Me
6. If I Don't Be There By Morning
7. Early In The Morning
8. Promises
9. Golden Ring
10. Tulsa Time

Label : RSO Records

Length : 41:09

Release Date : November 1978

Review (AllMusic) : Having made his best album since 461 Ocean Boulevard with Slowhand, Eric Clapton followed with Backless, which took the same authoritative, no-nonsense approach. If it wasn't quite the masterpiece, or the sales monster, that Slowhand had been, this was probably because of that usual Clapton problem: material. Once again, he returned to those Oklahoma hills for another song from J.J. Cale, but "I'll Make Love to You Anytime" wasn't quite up to "Cocaine" or "After Midnight." Bob Dylan contributed two songs, but you could see why he hadn't saved them for his own album, and Clapton's own writing contributions were mediocre. Clapton did earn a Top Ten hit with Richard Feldman and Roger Linn's understated pop shuffle "Promises," but it wasn't one of his more memorable recordings. Of course, Clapton's blues playing on the lone, obligatory blues cut, "Early in the Morning," was stellar. Backless was his last album to feature the backup group that had been with him since 1974.

Review (Disciples Of Sound Blogspot) : Whenever you talk about rock guitar you’ll find a lively debate surfaces almost as soon as the conversation begins. Over the years I have found myself smack dab in the middle of just that whenever someone starts talking about Eric Clapton. Truth be told I have lived on both sides of almost every argument. Clapton is a complex artist. His well-known moments of greatness can be matched with disappointing spells of commercialism and confusion. During his 1980’s run with Phil Collins I found myself disappointed with his Hollywood posturing and the consistency of his pop driven music. Instead, his run in the 70’s remains my favorite – a moment when he created a sound that in my opinion truly sits at the centre of his god inspired status. The record that ends that period is 1978’s Backless. Backless is an album that almost went unnoticed. Sure it reached #9 on the US charts but it didn’t deliver a clear hit. It’s perhaps best known for being the first studio album to be released on the CD format without a silver surface impression. It also drew attention for the blue and white scarf that Clapton wears on its cover. The scarf was suspected to be a sign of support for the West Bromwich Albion Football Club. I don’t get soccer so the impact of all of that is lost on me. Beyond those two things the record didn’t make much more noise. Over the years the album has been a bit of a punching bag. Some have called it “Spineless”. For them the album lacks the kind of bite Clapton had been known for in the 70’s. When you consider the fact that Backless is the follow up to his hugely successful record Slowhand its clear that something didn’t work as intended. The only single that charted is the song Promises, which as a result of guitarist George Terry’s great work on slide sounds like a George Harrison outtake. That aside, the record was considered a flop and with it Clapton disbanded the group of musicians that formed his backup since 1974. His next studio record would come out in 1981. That album, Another Ticket, transformed Clapton into a more commercially driven artist. While the incomparable Tom Dowd produced the album, Another Ticket introduced synths and sound enhancers that set the stage for the Collins alliance. It adult oriented soft rock start to finish. Backless on the other hand is the kind of record that an established artist can release today and get a bit of a lift. It’s tasty and has a handful of attractive ingredients. On paper the mix of songs seems spot on. You’ve got two new Dylan songs that Bob personally had given Clapton. You’ve got the obligatory J.J. Cale track. There are the masterful production capabilities of Glyn Johns. The gritty background vocals of Marcy Levy. Carl Radle’s bass. It should have been a hit record. However as we all know – that’s never enough on its own. Beyond the proper song selection – there has to be a bit of magic and chance to string it all together. Maybe there just wasn’t enough of it here. This only matters if you decided to judge the record simply as a commercial offering. I discovered Backless well after it had been released. Now, as it turns 35, I am holding a copy of the album that I bought yesterday at Exile on Main Street Records. Sort of in the same was as Street Legal by Dylan, Backless never disappoints. I never look for one track – I prepare myself for the entire record. It’s really the embodiment of the very sound Clapton had so desperately tried to capture in his music. This, as Dave Marsh said in Rolling Stone within his album review, is as close to The Band as Clapton had ever come. This is his best homage to their work. While he was accused at the time of trying to explore the backcountry of Oklahoma , it’s the very sounds of Americana that are found here through each track. Those sounds are framework behind every Band record. Backless isn’t perfect. At times the long running blues tracks seem to wander about, plodding along without purpose. But it begins with a sense of confidence that I find evident through much of the record. As it closes with the Danny Flowers penned Tulsa Time the album seems to have gotten its proper footing. Tulsa Time remains one of my favorite Clapton covers because it so perfectly captures what made his music interesting during the 70’s. Today Clapton seems to be back in a phase that’s difficult to define. At this point there’s very little he has to prove. But what made his music magical during the 70’s was that it was made with a very great band, a line up of real all stars that together gelled in a masterful manner. Almost like the Skunk Baxter led Steely Dan of the same period Clapton’s all stars were essential to the success of Slowhand and 461 Ocean Blvd. With Backless I content that they demonstrate even greater depth as musicians. Backless is at its core a terrific Sunday morning record. It’s crisp and tasty and it never gets too heavy. Just when you think you are about to slip quietly out the door Tulsa Time rocks the whole thing home. I’d love to see him mine the gold within these 10 tracks more often in concert. The record deserves a second look from its detractors, even if one of them is its creator.