I was interested to read this book as I would say I am a fan of Eric Clapton's music (some of it) and curious about his life and how it intersected with The Beatles. I am not a real fan in the sense that I think about him much.

This book is full of information. I have always felt that Mr. Clapton's crowning achievements (for me) are the songs, Layla and Wonderful Tonight.

He has certainly lived an unusual life after being rejected by both parents and raised by a loving grandmother and step-granddad. I don't judge someone who has gone through the stuff he has gone through. He sure was rough on the females who loved him, but that seems like an outgrowth of childhood. The drugs and alcohol seem to mostly go with the rock and roll superstar territory. It's a sad waste in most cases and he is to be applauded for coming out whole on the other side, now in his 70's.

His relationship with Conor, the son who died at the age of 4 after falling out of a skyscraper in Manhattan is problemmatic. I always suspected some things when the song "Tears in Heaven" came out. Well, that is a personal thing and I am sorry for his loss. I will not weigh in with what I think because it doesn't matter. Just I'm sorry for what could have and might have been if things had gone differently and windows were properly secured.

There was shocking stuff in this and stuff I didn't know. I was dismayed to learn certain things about George Harrison, but I think all people are complicated. Pattie Boyd, who married both Harrison and Clapton, is complicated too. Tempted to weigh in on her side, I realize that there is always more to it in these sorts of things. Not really my business.

I was interested to read, but there was a lot of stuff about people I really am not familiar with. In the end, it is his losses, tragedies and failures that comprise his particular musical genius.

He is not an ordinary sort by any stretch of the imagination. He has led a very interesting and somewhat alarming sort of life.

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Created Jan 23, 2019 at 11:19am • Submit your own review...