Calesque (with greetings from Bowie and support of McCartney)

In the weeks since the news of the death of JJ Cale on July 26 this year, running his 15 albums hot in my player. Not out of a false in-memoriam-sentimentality but out of genuine appreciation. Mag is his style, you will be disappointed by any of these albums. Minimalist, leaning back, he always gave about the prevailing mood: Stay calm, it's not all perfect, but also not all crap, life flows and it's kind of been nice to be there ...

Clapton that these silent, not at all a star born, introverted guy and his incredibly permeable, always somehow casually emerged sounding like music and have always liked, is known. One could almost say, Clapton discovered Cale for themselves, even before those discovered himself. Should read: Clapton adapted Cales "After Midnight" in 1970 on his first solo album. However, even well-known by Cale version appeared two years later on his debut LP "Naturally". Clapton but one of the few, really very, very few that already the first recording that in 1966 appeared previously as a single, knew, loved and promptly grossed for his first album for Cream and Blind Faith, and thus landed a big hit, which until today one of his eternal concert classics. Seven years later, he took over Cales "Cocaine" and created as well a the identification hits of his career such.

And so it went on. Again and again attacked Clapton over the decades on a song Cale back later Cale wrote even now and then very specifically targeted for Clapton new pieces. The whole culminated then in 2006 in the joint, honored with a Grammy album "The Road to Escondido" on which came 11 of the 14 songs from Cale - because Clapton wanted it so! The circle now closes on the new 2013er Clapton album "Old sock" with "Angel", a number that Cale not only wrote, but when he vocally and of course participated on guitar. So Cales began way as music artists with Clapton, who already sang him two years before he released his first album, and ends with him in which he spent four years after his last album "Roll On" (on the way, Clapton also was a guest) for Clapton's album contributes a song and helped to shape - has sometimes strange that with destiny.

And total moves Clapton, since he seems to have finally arrived privately about the turn of the millennium, and his life and his life has apparently finally settled by wild change of hell trips and flights of fancy, more and more musically ancestral Cales climes that he yes since an early age the late 60s loves and admires. In concept-albums and of course live in concert, he lets the bursting with power, dirty blues rock remains high life, but if one considers the regular studio albums since 2000, one realizes: this is all very Calesque. Whether "Riptide" (2001), "Back Home" (2005), "Clapton" (2010) and most of all the new "old sock" (2013) - is always audible Godfather JJ Cale. And in fact, except for "Back home," Cale was actually involved at least partially. Since the holistic collective album from 2006 falls stylistically hardly out of line.

It may, therefore, hardly surprising that all the above mentioned Clapton albums are rated very contrary in the criticism. Between absolute enthusiasm and total disappointment and more. Well of course, crucial that expectations with which one encounters these albums. Anyone who loves the style of JJ Cale, should find great pleasure in it. Who wants to experience Clapton exclusively flying cows, which is all probably a bit too fussy, too laid back.

Clapton delivers with "old sock" in the fiftieth year of his career, a completely new album, which does not want a big fuss, but just making music just relaxed with brilliant musicians. The list of participants reads like a Who's Who of the highly decorated session musician. Among other things beside Cale also Taj Mahal and Steve Winwood looked over at the studio. The most prominent guest but Paul McCartney is likely to have been, not only pulled the thick bass strings on "All of me", but also jostled to Clapton to the microphone.

And finally, also the album title is due to an old companion. The plate was as good as in the case when Clapton with David Bowie on his new album and talked about the fact that he found no suitable title as with his last album (the option is simply to call only "Clapton", was therefore So already wasted). Most still "Further on Down the Road", the opening track of the album, title track imaging as seemed appropriate. Bowie but said: Look in the mirror old sock, then you'll think of something - and grinned ...

It would be nonsense "old sock" hochzustilisieren to an over-album - it is not and it should probably not be, otherwise would hardly be so stressed Clapton casually went to work. But from a first Well-feeling in March with release of the album, in a year one of my most played of plates has become. It may be that it has to do with the renewed from sad occasion very intensive deal with the complete works of JJ Cale, but will also be the case that my "old sock" probably but now really good like.