In Time the Rockies will Crumble, Gibraltar will Tumble, They’re Only Made of Clay

At age sixty-seven, Eric Clapton has recorded twenty-eight studio albums, twenty as a solo artist, so are we really supposed to expect much from the twenty-ninth? For a guy once regarded as “God” sure. Really the most notable aspect of Old Sock (do not ask) is that it is the very first released not on a major label but on his own record label Bushbranch (again, do not ask). Like most of his albums from this millennium, Old Sock relies heavy on covers, there are two covers, and features a bevy of guest stars that you probably will not know are there unless you are reading along with the liner notes.

The album starts up with a reggae version of Further on Down the Road by Taj Mahal (who contributes harmonica and banjo to the album) and also dips back into the island sound on Peter Tosh’s Till Your Well Runs Dry. Clapton’s old buddy, and sometime recording partner, J.J. Cale contributes vocals and guitars to the softly sung Angel. Another Clapton contributor, Steve Winwood from the Blind Faith days, plays the organ on Still Got the Blues. While Chaka Khan sings back up on the rare original track Gotta Get Over which stands as one of the best on the album, a funky song and one of the rare tracks where Clapton lets loose on his guitar.

Clapton also spends some time dipping into the old standards much like Paul McCartney did on his latest album, and the Beatles shows up on All of Me (most famously done by Billie Holiday) playing the bass and providing backing vocals. He also breaks out the old Leadbelly old timey classic Goodnight Irene and even closes the album with Love Is Here to Stay written by the Gershwin Brothers. Eric Clapton has clearly mellowed as he has gotten older, I just wished he would unleash one more guitar god album before putting on another pair of old socks.

Song to Download – Gotta Get Over

Old Sock gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.