461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) is Eric Clapton's second studio album. The album title apparently stems from the address of the rental house Clapton lived during recording. Being almost a newbie to rock music I have no idea about what "real" Clapton is about, but for me the feel of the record seems somehow distant, holding back - and indeed Clapton shows noticeably little of his guitar virtuoso prowess on the record. Maybe the banality of the title echoes that feel.
All in all, the atmosphere is almost overly relaxed with a plethora of cover versions of African American music. Clapton shows his versatility with songs like I Shot The Sheriff, I Can't Hold Out and Please Be With Me. A good, but not magnificent album in my books, so I look forward to the Slowhand album at number 325 on the list.
461 Ocean Boulevard in Spotify
