Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars review – absorbing tribute to the blues legend

Lili Fini Zanuck’s painstaking account of the guitarist’s life ranges from his traumatic childhood through his battle with drugs and a racist outburst in the 70s to the tragic loss of his infant son



Peter Bradshaw
Wed 10 Jan ‘18 15.00 GMT

This long, patient documentary about the life and music of Eric Clapton often feels like a transcription of Job’s sufferings. Brought up in Surrey by a woman whom he finally discovered to be his grandmother, the teenage Clapton finally met his actual mother who had gone to Canada and who casually and devastatingly rejected him all over again.

His brilliance at the blues guitar made him a legend. But the great love of his life involved heartbreak and – perhaps almost as painfully – the infringement of the “bro code” of guitarists. He fell passionately for the beautiful Pattie Boyd, wife of his friend George Harrison. She at first chose Harrison over him, but then married Clapton, who was by the 1970s descending into alcoholism, drug addiction and depression. There’s a poignant moment where he appears to wonder if his greatest work was with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, way back in the 60s. (Maybe.)

The film suggests the drinking accounts for his stupid pro-Enoch outburst in 1976 – though tactfully refrains from quoting it directly – yet also suggests that there was something aggressive and self-destructive in the music itself. (I was reminded of Nick Hornby’s conundrum in High Fidelity: “What came first, the music or the misery?”) And then, just as Clapton was beginning to turn his life around, his infant son Connor died in a tragic accident in 1991. It is almost unbelievable that Clapton found peace and sobriety after this, but he did. It’s an absorbing tribute.

[www.theguardian.com]

Eric Clapton recalls his Yardbirds days in an exclusive clip from his new documentary





[www.uncut.co.uk]

Clapton is a legend but his health is starting to fail him so who knows how much longer he will be able to play live.

[www.cnn.com]


I hope to get to see him at least one more time before he stops touring even if he is not on top of his game any longer.

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oldschool
Clapton is a legend but his health is starting to fail him so who knows how much longer he will be able to play live.

[www.cnn.com]


I hope to get to see him at least one more time before he stops touring even if he is not on top of his game any longer.

Sad.

"I mean, I'm going deaf, I've got tinnitus, my hands just about work," he said.
"I mean, I'm hoping that people will come along and see me just because,
or maybe more than because I'm a curiosity. It's amazing to myself that I'm still here."

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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filstan

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35love
I am looking forward to seeing this on Showtime Network
looked for a date, none I could find as of yet.

Saturday night Feb 10

Thanks, I was wondering about that as well since a release date of 24/11/2017 is shown on various movie sites, some kind of "premiere" maybe ?

Showtime page : [www.sho.com]

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

This documentary is being shown in some states in USA via DirecTV: [www.directv.com]

Key To The Highway is 8 bars, by the way.

On Tour With Bobby Keys.




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-02-06 11:57 by Toru A.

Watched it last night, thought it was very good. Some cameos throughout of the Stones, mostly Mick. There was more than I thought needed to be of his obsession with Pattie Boyd, but, then again, it made sense in the context of his upbringing and personal demons. Lots of cool interviews, videos, and pics of the greats from the past, including some footage and commentary from Bobby Keys.

I was half-asleep by the time it ended, so I want to catch it again. Anyone else see it?

I just watched this last night on SHOWTIME here in the USA and I found it spell-binding and also very sad. Clapton is like a cat with 9 lives, not all of them great. The story behind his horrible childhood and the mother that just abandoned him and had a second family tells us WHY he could genuinely play the blues. And as LATEBLOOMER points out, there are brief clips of Mick & the Stones. It is fascinating from start to finish. Yup, he was certainly obsessed with Patti...it's a wonder that George Harrison remained his friend through all of that mess! It made me very thankful that I lived through the 60's and 70's, a period of absolute MAGIC as far as the creation of brilliant music..the likes of which I'm certain will never come again.

I got to say this film tore me up. Very sad.
Yes, I knew the parts of his life like any good rock lover, but man oh man. This went deep.

On the hell yeah side - the footage from the Aretha recordings is legendary. I was looking at that control booth - all the guys in there, and it hit me, that it just had to have been incredible.

footage from the Aretha recordings

WOW!!! .... cant wait to see .... didn't know there was footage ....



ROCKMAN

Anyone seen this film , is attention given to Jack and Ginger? Arguably the players most crucial in forcing Eric to push boundaries.

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Rollin92
Anyone seen this film , is attention given to Jack and Ginger? Arguably the players most crucial in forcing Eric to push boundaries.

All chapters are told either about EC, or with his point of view in mind. The narrative is always done by actual people,and maybe it is Graham who tells that Bruce and Baker fought every day, often for no reason, and this plus constant touring contributed to their alienation.
Personally I do believe that much of this notion, about Bruce and Baker pushing EC to boundaries gained momentum after their break-up, and maybe around their short reunion; fueled by Bruce.
What struck me from those days was EC's ridiculous perm, LOL.

I found a whole lot to discuss after watching the film, but don't want to give the film away until more people have seen it.

I watched it yesterday. What I found particularly sad and depressing is that he doesn't seem to even have gotten much enjoyment from his successes. A very well-made film, though I tend to get distracted by the little things. Like there's a scene filmed in a record company office where someone appears to be talking on the phone about how best to promote the new Derek and the Dominos project, and there's a poster on the wall behind him advertising a Bette Midler album that wasn't released until 1973. Stuff like that drives me nuts.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-02-12 15:28 by tatters.

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tatters
I watched it yesterday. What I found particularly sad and depressing is that he doesn't seem to even have gotten much enjoyment from his successes. A very well-made film, though I tend to get distracted by the little things. Like there's a scene filmed in a record company office where someone appears to be talking on the phone about how best to promote the new Derek and the Dominos project, and there's a poster on the wall behind him advertising a Bette Midler album that wasn't released until 1973. Stuff like that drives me nuts.

Yeah, me too!
I'm currently watching the documentary series "The Vietnam War" and I'm constantly wondering if they battles they're showing are the actual ones they're talking about during the same moment, or some other archive footage. It usually looks impressively correct and it's always impossible for me to tell, but a thing like that Bette Midler poster is sloppy film making IMHO. (Not saying the docu isn't good still.)

Great documentary, but a few things were overlooked. There was no mention of his less-than-stellar appearance at the Bangla Desh concert, the affect of the death of Duane Allman, the Rainbow comeback concert, etc. I think those events were significant touchstones in this mans sad story.

Amazing John Mayall & Cream footage, and the aforementioned Aretha footage was priceless!

Good show overall.

Ross

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Ross
Great documentary, but a few things were overlooked. There was no mention of his less-than-stellar appearance at the Bangla Desh concert, the affect of the death of Duane Allman, the Rainbow comeback concert, etc. I think those events were significant touchstones in this mans sad story.

Amazing John Mayall & Cream footage, and the aforementioned Aretha footage was priceless!

Good show overall.

Ross

Really lookiing forward to seeing this!
And now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever seen ANY actual Bluesbreakers w/Clapton footage?!
Am I completely missing or forgetting something? Zipping through youtube right now and coming up empty!

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Ross
Great documentary, but a few things were overlooked. There was no mention of his less-than-stellar appearance at the Bangla Desh concert, the affect of the death of Duane Allman, the Rainbow comeback concert, etc. I think those events were significant touchstones in this mans sad story.

Amazing John Mayall & Cream footage, and the aforementioned Aretha footage was priceless!

Good show overall.

Ross

Completely agree.
Also no mention of the role and support given by his two (main) Managers..over a 40 year or so period.
Namely:
Robert Stigwood
Roger Forrester

I'm assuming he discusses the mediocre Phil Collins era?

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

It was by no means complete. Excellent focus on the early days, right up through the mid 70's, but skims over the 80's, then gets a bit weepy with his son's death.
Seems to be more about his personal life, than his career. Even if you've read his autobiography, or Patty Boyds', there's still plenty of revealing interview quotes.
I also like the fact it doesn't shy away from the drugs and booze (big part of the story, to be sure), and even offers candid clips of Clapton snorting coke and/or heroin, not to mention wobbling onstage with a drink in his hand, and berating the audience. Sure, it's the dirt we all want to know about, and the film offers plenty.
One complaint is a poor choice of music over the images and film clips sometimes. There's plenty of choppy super 8 footage, with no synced sound, and no attempt was made to do so.
Still, there's enough rare pics, clips, and interviews to keep interest.

This documentary is more about Eric Clapton the man, with the music taking a back seat more than I would have expected. As a viewer we are exposed to the psychological anguish and pain EC went through for so many years. Yes much of this documentary is sad and very dark. Early Yardbirds footage is excellent and there are some clips from the Station Hotel. Good stuff with Jimi. I could swear there were concert crowd shots taken from MSG via Gimme Shelter footage that was used. Atlantic studio recordings with Aretha in the house was very cool. The video footage and photos from the Layla sessions was fantastic, and proper credit given to Duane Allman for lifting up those sessions to the heavens. No doubt mountains of coke and other chemicals were consumed. The film brings the viewer into why EC was so tuned into playing the blues. That guy was living them. This documentary could have been longer with more music included.

Well worthwhile viewing imo.

WOW, Where do I begin to even explain what this most powerful documentary means to me except to say how impressed I was at this production that told the story of Slowhand himself the greatest ever guitar slinger of them all .I did learn some details that I knew about that I even learned more about .Such as being abandoned by his mother at such a young age and then brought up by his maternal grandparents and then to have his mother come back from Canada for a visit with her "family" and son who Eric (who was called Rick by his family )who the one boy said to the other boy you are my brother to which Eric mum said no he's not and Eric says to his mum at the age of 9 that you are my mum to which she replies NO. Can you imagine the pain ? To me this fully explains how he gets the blues because he has truly suffered and has real pain and is such an introvert .Eric wants a guitar so his grandparents get him an acoustic as his first guitar - does any of this resonate with you because how many boys at such a young age want a guitar and there parents by them a cheap acoustic to knock around on ? I know I did and my parents got me a cheap acoustic that came in a cardboard box from Montgomery Wards department store . So then at a family gathering his "brother" sits on the acoustic and snaps the neck off the guitar -talk about pain . So he immerses himself in old blues records by the masters and learns the 12 bar blues .Goes on to the Roosters ,then to the Yardbirds and then leaves after they recorded there big hit For Your Love because they went POP. Then becomes a member of John Mayall's Bluesbbreakers and after a bit and the seminal blues tour de force of the "beano" album explodes as the legend that he is and LEAVES to go form the Cream of the crop ,the top of the Cream -CREAM .WOW , so all the fighting between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker take there toll along with the constant pressure of the infamous 10-15 minute solos and Slowhand jumps ship (big surprise right ? as in he always would up and quit bands, groups and so on ) So then because of his friendship with George Harrison he falls in love with his wife Patti Boyd ,who rejects him after one fling which George confronts both his friend and his wife late at night at a party that he did not attend and he asks his wife who she wants to be with and being the loyal wife she goes home with her husband and then EC goes into a massive spiral and becomes addicted to the worst substance in the world and detaches from life . A lot of good clips from the concert stage are shown that show EC as a raging drunk who was getting crap from the audiences because of his behavior and then late seventies George and Patti break up and she goes to be with EC .So EC should be happy right ? Wrong he is a worse drunk user than ever which takes it's toll on there relationship and EC as a lot of men with fame and money chase other woman and that causes the breakup of the inspiration for Dereck and the Dominoes assorted love songs as the principal inspiration for the mega hit of "Layla" So he meets the lovely and beautiful Italian lady who then gives birth to his son Connor who dies in NYC at the age of 4 by falling out a window 53 stories up . Which then serves as the inspiration for the song "Tears From Heaven" To which I have a better understanding of EC unplugged era phase or whatever you want to call it .Which to me with such a virtuoso of a guitarist with this out of this world vibrato -playing acoustic to me has always come across as just not really plying his craft because of his virtuoso vibrato and technique not really coming thru , but I do fully understand and appreciate where EC was coming from with "Tears From Heaven" .Also I think I get where his choice of $3000 Armani suits came from and someone dear and close who I owe the biggest DEBT and Gratitude for taking me to see Cream live at Madison Square Garden in 2005 is my ultimate numero uno live concert experiensense of my whole life along with all of the most wonderful concerts with the Rolling Stones and countless others .Who said that a Bluesman wearing a $3000 Armani suit on stage just doesn't cut it because how can you sing about shucking corn dressed in the finest silk threads and pretend you have the blues .Not my feelings because I would not care what he was wearing while playing his guitar . A most wonderful and thoughtful retrospective of his entire career .I would have loved if they briefly discussed Cream reforming for those 6 concerts in 2005 (3 at the Royal Albert Hall, and 3 at MSG )and all of the drama and issues that came roaring back at the first night at the garden which was the night I attended and how magically to witness with my eyes and ears the 3 of them together again making the most beautiful music of my life -to which I owe a lifetime of gratitude and appreciation to him .Everybody please watch this documentary it is well worth your time . Thank you to the big man .



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-02-15 16:59 by TheGreek.

Has the doc already aired? Definitely looking forward to seeing this but couldn't find it while searching the Showtime channel schedule.

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Ross
Great documentary, but a few things were overlooked. There was no mention of his less-than-stellar appearance at the Bangla Desh concert, the affect of the death of Duane Allman, the Rainbow comeback concert, etc. I think those events were significant touchstones in this mans sad story.

Amazing John Mayall & Cream footage, and the aforementioned Aretha footage was priceless!

Good show overall.

Ross

"the Rainbow comeback concert", I was really hoping to hear about this maybe from Pete Townshend or Ron wood,

A great documentary. A very talented but troubled dude

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usetobesampeg

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Ross
Great documentary, but a few things were overlooked. There was no mention of his less-than-stellar appearance at the Bangla Desh concert, the affect of the death of Duane Allman, the Rainbow comeback concert, etc. I think those events were significant touchstones in this mans sad story.

Amazing John Mayall & Cream footage, and the aforementioned Aretha footage was priceless!

Good show overall.

Ross

"the Rainbow comeback concert", I was really hoping to hear about this maybe from Pete Townshend or Ron wood,

I think that in the overall story, from EC's stand point, that show was not as huge as Ron Wood likes to tell it.
What really baffled me was that they did not even mention Duane's death. It was very much in keeping with the theme of the film, of the story of loss. And they had just spent a good bit of time on painting how important that relationship was, how close they became. First Hendrix, then Duane.

Watched it last night and really enjoyed it. Nearly impossible to cover the mans life in 2 hours but they hit a lot of high and low lights especially the early days. Was a bit surprised they did not mention the Rainbow Concert and Pete Townsends role in helping to get him back on stage but all in all an excellent effort IMHO.

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jlowe

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Ross
Great documentary, but a few things were overlooked. There was no mention of his less-than-stellar appearance at the Bangla Desh concert, the affect of the death of Duane Allman, the Rainbow comeback concert, etc. I think those events were significant touchstones in this mans sad story.

Amazing John Mayall & Cream footage, and the aforementioned Aretha footage was priceless!

Good show overall.

Ross

Completely agree.
Also no mention of the role and support given by his two (main) Managers..over a 40 year or so period.
Namely:
Robert Stigwood
Roger Forrester

Skipped over the whole Delaney & Bonnie era too.

Yeah it was pretty good even though they glossed over or completely omitted a LOT that I would have liked to have seen something on. I guess they had to make a choice to focus on his life and "problems" over that of a chronological history of his musical career. My perspective comes from living through all of those years as a big fan of music from the 60's and 70's.

My biggest personal criticism is the films subtle inference that Eric was/is the greatest guitarist to ever walk the planet. The truth is he was probably very key to the development of the blues movement in England in the mid 60's with his involvement with the Yardbirds and John Mayall. I think that is undeniable. But after that he was pretty much a mute point. By '67 pop/rock music had evolved light-years beyond the blues movement with the appearance of psychedelia and a multitude of other hybrid musical styles. Even when he formed the worlds first so-called "supergroup" (Cream) the world barely took notice, maybe because they only stayed together for a short time. I think Blind Faith was a great band but they only produced one record. The same with Derek and The Dominoes (with the way over-rated Layla). Hell, even the record company admitted that that record didn't sell well. They blamed it on the name of the band (which is probably true) but there was just too much other great music out there for that record to compete with. After that he relegated himself to making so-so commercial pap.

That being said I will readily admit that Eric is an incredible blues guitarist but he never really moved guitar playing forward the way dozens of other rock guitarists did at that time and afterwards like Jimi Hendrix, John McGlaughin, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Mark Knopfler, Eddie Van Halen etc. I think it could even be said that he was an over-achiever in that he took his passion of playing great blues guitar and made a long and successful career of it. I wish him all the best.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-02-22 20:13 by Bungo.

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Bungo
Yeah it was pretty good even though they glossed over or completely omitted a LOT that I would have liked to have seen something on. I guess they had to make a choice to focus on his life and "problems" over that of a chronological history of his musical career. My perspective comes from living through all of those years as a big fan of music from the 60's and 70's.

My biggest personal criticism is the films subtle inference that Eric was/is the greatest guitarist to ever walk the planet. The truth is he was probably very key to the development of the blues movement in England in the mid 60's with his involvement with the Yardbirds and John Mayall. I think that is undeniable. But after that he was pretty much a mute point. By '67 pop/rock music had evolved light-years beyond the blues movement with the appearance of psychedelia and a multitude of other hybrid musical styles. Even when he formed the worlds first so-called "supergroup" (Cream) the world barely took notice, maybe because they only stayed together for a short time. I think Blind Faith was a great band but they only produced one record. The same with Derek and The Dominoes (with the way over-rated Layla). Hell, even the record company admitted that that record didn't sell well. They blamed it on the name of the band (which is probably true) but there was just too much other great music out there for that record to compete with. After that he relegated himself to making so-so commercial pap.

That being said I will readily admit that Eric is an incredible blues guitarist but he never really moved guitar playing forward the way dozens of other rock guitarists did at that time and afterwards like Jimi Hendrix, John McGlaughin, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Mark Knopfler, Eddie Van Halen etc. I think it could even be said that he was an over-achiever in that he took his passion of playing great blues guitar and made a long and successful career of it. I wish him all the best.

Never moved the guitar forward? Are you kidding me? A very ignorant statement.