Fra il 1971 e il 1972 Eric Clapton attraversò uno dei periodi più cupi della sua carriera della sua vita: niente album e niente concerti, tranne il "Concert for Bangladesh" organizzato da Harrison nel 1971. La sua dipendenza dall'eroina lo stava irrimediabilmente portando verso il baratro. Fu grazie all'aiuto Pete Townshend che Clapton riuscì a riaffiorare verso orizzonti meno oscuri: Pete organizzò il Rainbow Concert nel 1973, che segnò il grande ritono di Clapton, e gli offrì anche di recitare una parte nel film di Tommy (difatti interpreterà nel 1975 la parte di "The Hawker", il santone-guaritore). Eric Clapton ritrova la linfa vitale e decide di darsi una ripulita: compra una casa a Miami e decide di incidere un nuovo album, che intitolerà semplicemente con l'indirizzo di casa sua: "461 Ocean Boulevard". Con una nuova band alle spalle, Clapton sembra aver ritrovato l'ispirazione.

Motherless Children presenta un riff mica male, che apre la canzone. Per tutto il brano il ritmo si mantiene su ottimi livelli fino alla fine, su gran cantato di Clapton, che nel complesso reputo un gran bel pezzo. Give Me Strength è un lentazzo dove il manolenta mette un'incredibile passione nel modo di suonare la chitarra, e dura giusto quei 3 minuti scarsi, prima che il pezzo risulti noioso. Willie An The Hand Jive è un blues travestito con sonorità esotiche, che in realtà non rappresenta un momento memorabile, così come anche le influenze reggae di Get Ready, che sono facilmente trascurabili. La cover di I Shot The The Sheriff di Bob Marley è davvero buona, quasi anche più bella dell'originale. I Can't Hold Out è un altro blues di matrice molto classica. Please Be With Be è una bellissima ballata acustica, con un assolo in slide degno di nota, per non parlare del cantato dalle tinte estremamente malinconiche. Anche Let It Grow è un grandissimo classico, stupendo negli arrangiamenti, con una piccola parte in cui l'arpeggio ricorda vagamente Stairway To Heaven (gli accordi sono praticamente i medesimi) e anche le lyrics sono davvero straordinarie. Steady Rollin' Man è un ottimo, solido pezzo blueseggiante, suonato alla perfezione e che si ascolta sempre volentieri. La chiusura di Mainline Florida è ricca di ritmo e la chitarra alla Clapton che compie le solite prodezze.

L'unico neo che non ha fatto di "461 Ocean Boulevard" un grandissimo album sono a mio giudizio quei due o tre blues riempitivi, stratagemma di cui Eric Clapton continuerà ad avvalersi purtroppo per tutta la durata della sua carriera. Resta comunque uno dei dischi più particolari del Clapton come solista, intriso di una particolare atmosfera tropicale/esotica che altri dischi non possiedono.

Elenco tracce testi e samples

01   Motherless Children (04:53)

(traditional)

Motherless children have a hard time when mother is dead, lord.
Motherless children have a hard time when mother is dead, lord.
They don't have anywhere to go;
Wandering around from door to door.
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, lord.

Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, lord.
Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, lord.
Father will do the best he can;
So many things a father can't understand.
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, lord.

Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, lord.
Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, lord.
Sister will do the best she can;
So many things a sister can't understand.
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead.

When your mother is dead, when your mother is dead.
When your mother is dead, Lord, when your mother is dead.

02   Give Me Strength (02:54)

by Eric Clapton

Dear Lord, give me strength to carry on.
Dear Lord, give me strength to carry on.
My home may be out on the highway,
Lord, I've done so much wrong
But please, give me strength to carry on.

Dear Lord, give me strength to carry on.
Dear Lord, give me strength to carry on.
My home may be out on the highway,
Lord, I've done so much wrong
But please, give me strength to carry on.

03   Willie and the Hand Jive (03:30)

Got a cool little chick named Rocking Millie.
He can walk and stroll and Susie Q
And do that crazy hand jive, too.

Mama, mama, look at Uncle Joe
Doing the hand jive with sister Flo.
Grandma gave baby sister a dime;
Said, "Do that hand jive one more time."

Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive,
Do that crazy jive.

Doctor and a lawyer and an Indian chief,
They all dig that crazy beat.
Way-Out Willie gave them all a treat
When he did that hand jive with his feet.

Chorus

Willie and Millie got married last fall.
They had a little Willie junior and that ain't all.
Well, the kids got crazy and it's plain to see,
Doing the hand jive on T.V.

Chorus

04   Get Ready (03:47)

by Eric Clapton and Yvonne Elliman

Ready, get ready. Ready.
He's a man who's going to break your heart.
Ready, get ready. Ready.
He's a man who's going to break your heart.

Well, you've been fooling 'round and I don't know why.
Left me on my own, sitting high and dry.
But I'm going to get you back, just you wait and see;
You can't do those things that you're doing to me.

Chorus

I've never needed a running 'round pissing hound,
Checking out the bitches in heat.
You've got a lot of nerve, dishing out what you serve,
Waggling your piece of meat.

Chorus

I want to get revenge on your sinful sins.
I got to get you back for what you did back then.
And now you've got it back, life is misery.
Well, ha ha ha to you, ha ha to me.

Ready, get ready. Ready.
He's the one that's going to break your heart.
Ready, get ready. Ready.
He's the one that's going to break your heart, break your heart,
Break your heart, break your heart.

Get ready, get ready, get ready.
He's the one who's going to break your heart, break your heart,
Break your heart, break your heart,
Break your heart, break your heart,
Break your heart.

Get ready, get ready, get ready.
'Cause he's the one who's going to break your heart, break your heart,
Break your heart, break your heart.

05   I Shot the Sheriff (04:24)

I shot the sheriff,
But I did not shoot the deputy.
I shot the sheriff,
But I didn't shoot the deputy.

All around my home town
They're trying to track me down.
They say they want to bring me in guilty
For the killing of the deputy;
For the life of a deputy.

I said..
I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in self defense.
I shot the sheriff
And they say it was a capitol offense.

Sheriff John Brown always hated me.
For what? I don't know,
But every time that I plant a seed,
He said, "Kill it before it grows."
He said, "Kill it before it grows."

I said..
I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in self defense.
I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in self defense.

Freedom came my way one day
And I started out of town.
All of a sudden I see Sheriff John Brown
He was aimin' to shoot me down.
So I shot, I shot him down.

I said..
I shot the sheriff,
But I did not shoot the deputy.
I shot the sheriff,
But I didn't shoot the deputy.

Reflexes got the better of me
And what is to be must be.
Every day the bucket falls to the well.
One day the bottom will drop out.
Yes, one day the bottom will drop out.

I said..
I shot the sheriff,
But I didn't shoot the deputy.
Oh, no, oh, no.
I shot the sheriff,
But I did not shoot no deputy.
Oh, no.

06   I Can't Hold Out (04:14)

(by Elmore James)

I just talked to my baby on the telephone,
She said, "Stop what you're doing and baby come on home."
I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone.

You said, "Baby don't you worry, you're my heart's desire.
You know that I love you, I can't stand to see you cry."
I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone.

She said, "Baby you can run, you can walk or fly.
You know that I love you, you're my heart's desire."
I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone, oh yeah.

I talked to my baby, I talked to my baby.
I talked to my baby, I talked to my baby.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone.

07   Please Be With Me (03:26)

Oh my word, what does it mean?
Is it love or is it me
That makes me change so suddenly?
Looking out, feeling free.

I sit here lying on my bed,
Wondering what it was I'd said
That made me think I'd lost my head,
When I knew I lost my heart instead.

(chorus)
Won't you please read my signs, be a gypsy.
Tell me what I hope to find deep within me.
Because you can find my mind, please be with me.

Of all the better things I've heard,
Loving you has made the words
And all the rest seem so absurd,
'Cause in the end it all comes out I'm sure.

Chorus

08   Let It Grow (04:59)

09   Steady Rollin' Man (03:14)

10   Mainline Florida (04:05)

by George Terry

My heart was leaping in the sun;
My friends all say that you're the one.
Let me get this one thing very clear:
There ain't enough going on down here.

Mainline Florida, oh say.
Mainline Florida, O.K.

Her arms were open, open wide;
Her invitation's a changing tide.
I could remember not long ago
We took a cruise down on Hotel Row.

Chorus

Second Verse

Chorus

Carico i commenti...  con calma