Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton

1	Blue Eyes Blue 4:42
2	Change the World 3:55
3	My Father's Eyes 5:24
4	Tears in Heaven 4:33
5	Layla 4:37
6	Pretending 4:43
7	Bad Love 5:14
8	Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself) 3:57
9	It's in the Way That You Use It 4:11
10	Forever Man 3:11
11	Running on Faith 6:26
12	She's Waiting 4:58
13	River of Tears 7:21
14	(I) Get Lost 4:21

Barnes & Noble

Since the late '70s, Eric Clapton has increasingly de-emphasized his virtuoso guitar playing to become, in his own words, "a composer of melodic tunes rather than just a player." Twenty years later, it's safe to say that most listeners now know him best not for the blisteringly emotive solos of his Cream/Blind Faith/Derek and the Dominos days -- a practice he successfully revisited with his 1994 blues release FROM THE CRADLE -- but for his heart-rending ballads and honeyed tunes. These songs, recorded between 1981 and 1999, celebrate Clapton the gentleman hitmaker, from the august sentimentalism of the lilting UNPLUGGED "Layla" to the intimate blues poetry of "Tears in Heaven." Two of Clapton's most recent pop offerings, "Get Lost" and "Blue Eyes Blue" (also on THE RUNAWAY BRIDE soundtrack) are included here, rounding out a must-own survey for old and new fans alike. Steph Paynes

All Music Guide

Clapton Chronicles ignores Eric Clapton's 1983 Reprise debut, Money and Cigarettes (which sounded more like an RSO album, anyway), starting with the pair of Phil Collins-produced mid-'80s albums, Behind the Sun and August. Though these had a pop sheen, they were album rock holdovers. Clapton didn't get the balance between hard rock and commercial gloss right until 1989's Journeyman, whose featured songs -- "Before You Accuse Me," "Bad Love," and "Pretending" -- form the heart of this compilation. Journeyman was overshadowed by the phenomenal success of "Tears in Heaven" and 1992's Unplugged. Not only did Unplugged go platinum ten times, it established a new public image -- classy, stylish, and substantial. That's the image that prevails on Clapton Chronicles. His triple-platinum blues album From the Cradle is written out of the picture, with songs from movie soundtracks taking its place. Apart from the Babyface-produced "Change the World," these tunes are a little too self-conscious and subdued, as are selections from 1998's Pilgrim. However, this deliberate move to paint Clapton's '80s and '90s recordings as adult contemporary fare is accurate. Clapton's musical journey from 1985 to 1999 was taken mostly in the middle of the road, and Clapton Chronicles certainly captures that journey, missing no major hits from the late '80s and '90s. Whether it's a necessary addition to a Clapton collection is a matter of taste. It's certainly an excellent compliment to Unplugged and Time Pieces, his two most popular and pop-oriented albums, but that might not be what every fan wants. Stephen Thomas Erlewine