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I got into Eric Clapton because of The Yardbirds, who I got into because of Jimmy Page. Now, the story is that Clapton left The Yardbirds because they were “going pop�� and he was a “blues purist.�� This bore out with his next band, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Then he started Cream, which was a little bluesy. Sometimes. Blind Faith, same story. Then Clapton made 461 Ocean Boulevard followed by, I don’t know, too many tepid, mediocre, middle of the road albums, sometimes scoring a�� that’s right�� pop hit. But the “blues purist�� angle was pretty much out the window until the 90’s. When his music was bluesy, it tended to follow what I think of as prescribed, by the numbers, modernized Chicago blues nonsense. This isn’t to say Me And Mr. Johnson isn’t a cool record or that there weren’t good songs. It’s more like Clapton’s full of it.

Clapton’s autobiography is a study in ego, arrogance, self absorption and self destruction. It comes off as Clapton apologizing for all the bad decisions and ruined lives he left behind him but it’s a very insincere apology. It’s like this guy really doesn’t feel much. His childhood goes a long way towards explaining this but, geez louise.

The sharp contrast to this is when Clapton talks about his son’s death and how this instigated him to become a better father to his other children. The boy’s death was so tragic, senseless and horrible.

Clapton also talks about his rehab journey, setting up the Crossroads Foundation, helping friends kick their habits and so forth. I know he’s a compassionate person, but it just doesn’t come across in this book. And the way he talks about fashion, buying Ferraris and yachts, traveling, he comes off like a snob.

I was disappointed that he didn’t talk more about the music and musicians from The Yardbirds, Cream, even Blind Faith or Derek & The Dominoes. Hey, Eric! You’re a guitar player! It’s nice you were a junkie and a father and a business man and whatever but you wouldn’t even be Eric Clapton without the music. Imagine, a musician thinking they were interesting! What a laugh!

I kid, I kid.