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It wasn't until I started the autobiography that I considered why it appealed to me in the first place. I'm a rather indifferent fan of Clapton's/Cream/Derek & the Dominos, etc- Unplugged is the only album of his that I own. It was more of a curiosity about that era- the hardcore sex, drugs, rock & roll of the 70s- and to read about the experiences of someone who barely made it out alive that compelled me to read. As a child in the 70s, I was watching Mr Rogers when EC was writing Layla and wreaking havoc on his physical and mental health with heroin. But having older brothers meant that rock and roll played a major role in my life- I could sing along to Blue Oyster Cult, Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd by the tender age of 8. Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies...

Clapton wrote this memoir at the age of 62, looking back with humility and not a small degree on wonder on a life that brought him fame, piles of cash, lasting friendships and a profound love of the blues and dedication to that musical genre. It also nearly killed him as he battled addictions to heroin, alcohol and doomed relationships.

He's not the most eloquent writer and I felt the most at loose ends when reading about his early days as a musician. He also seemed to keep an emotional distance from most of his personal relationships- particularly those in the 70s. It was more like a reporting of facts than an analysis of his actions and feelings. To be fair, he likely has a hard time recalling most of those years; but for his keeping a journal, most of the 70s and early 80s would be lost in a haze of highs and hangovers. But when addressing his addictions, particularly alcohol, and the process of recovery, his writing becomes quite articulate and almost tender.

His hardly knew his son Conor, who died in a horrible accident in the early 90s, and the depression & recovery that followed Conor's death seems to be the catalyst that created the far more humble and positive person he has become.

It's amazing that anyone could survive what he and so many others did to their bodies, their psyches (clearly, Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, and many others did not). Makes me grateful for my dull life :) But there's no denying that we lived vicariously through these musicians & the romance of that lifestyle ended with the hyper-commercialism of the modern music industry.