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"For his 22nd studio album, Eric Clapton offers us a sympathetic album - in which he shows us that he still knows how to use his fingers - but which doesn't avoid a few long-winded and ponderous moments."
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3/5
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Six years after “Happy Xmas”, Eric Clapton makes an unexpected comeback. It would have been sad to see the studio discography of “Slowhand” come to an end with a rather mixed album - “Happy Xmas” was too long and too uninspired. “Meanwhile” should give us an idea of just how busy Eric Clapton has been over the last six years, and as the cover shows, he seems to have taken his time.
For this twenty-second studio album, the man who didn't like to be called God has shown himself to be adept at recycling. This opus is made up of songs released as singles since 2020 and a handful of new creations. In addition, we find the prestigious names of Jeff Beck and Van Morrison in the booklet. While the collaboration with “Van the Man” on three tracks, including the excellent 'The Rebels', is more than successful, the collaboration with the recently deceased Jeff Beck would have deserved better than a shaky cover of Henry Mancini's 'Moon River'.
Eric Clapton has always liked to use cover versions to showcase his heroes (J.J. Cale) while having fun at the same time. Alongside Chuck Berry, Bob Neuwirth and Charlie Chaplin ('Smile', bursting with light), we find Elvis Presley ('Always On My Mind') in a duet with country singer Bradley Walker, successful but less polished than the Pet Shop Boys version. Folk 'Sam Hall' is more convincing, and it would have been enticing to hear its interpreter make an album entirely in this style.
The original tracks are not to be outdone: 'Pompous Foul' and the melancholy but warm 'Heart Of A Child' prove that Eric Clapton has not become a one-armed man (a blind test on 'This Has Gotta Stop' is enough to recognize his playing between a thousand and one). Certainly, there are no stormy moments like 'Layla', the album sailing on a calm sea where the warm voice and a guitar with golden chords serve as a guide. And sometimes new shores appear on the horizon, like the reggae on 'One Woman'.
Unfortunately, the whole (64 minutes) is a little indigestible, and it would have been nice if the English guitarist had returned to less copious lengths like on “Money And Cigarettes”, “461 Ocean Boulevard” or “Backless”, which didn't exceed 50 minutes. Particularly as some of the haunting tracks, featuring flat drums ('How Could We Know' sung in trio), could have been removed without creating the slightest upheaval.
At 79, Eric Clapton has nothing left to prove, and can afford to play the music he loves in the company of those he loves. “Meanwhile”, weighed down by his generous willingness to offer too much love to his fans, shows that the inspiration of ‘Slowhand’ has not dried up, and we'd be delighted to see him back in the studio as soon as possible to concretize a new album with a few less covers but more original material. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Pompous Fool
02. Heart of a child
03. Moon River
04. Sam Hall
05. Smile
06. Always On My Mind
07. One Woman
08. The Rebels
09. The Call
10. How Could We Know
11. This Has Gotta Stop
12. Stand and Deliver
13. You’ve Changed
14. Misfortune
LINEUP:
Eric Clapton: Chant / Guitares
Bradley Walker: Chant / Invité
Daniel Santiago: Guitares / Invité
Jeff Beck: Guitares / Invité
Judith Hill: Chant / Invité
Simon Climie: Chant / Invité
Van Morrison: Chant / Invité
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STAFF:
3/5 (2 view(s))
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