Have you seen Eric Clapton at his best?

I saw Derek and the Dominos at the Pasadena Civic right after The Layla LP came out.The Late Jesse Edwin Davis[Taj Mahal's slide player also] was The Slide guitar Player.Great show,Best I've seen him live as I didn't care for a lot of his later Pop stuff.JD

>>Not if Ry Cooder and Sonny Landreth are still alive.<<

Yes indeed.

"Seriously, I believe EC to be the greatest guitar player on earth (Jimi, as we all know, came from another planet!)."

When I see statements such as this attributed to Eric Clapton I shake my head in wonder. A more accurate statement would be "I believe EC to be one of the most successful guitar players on earth." Over the years there have been numerous threads here placing EC on a pedestal he hardly deserves if one is looking at the technical mastery of his instrument. This is not to say I have not enjoyed and appreciated EC's contribution to rock and blues, but clearly there are many much more accomplished guitarists on planet earth, particularly in the jazz and classical realms. I've always believed he reached his peak as a musician with Cream, most likely due to his association with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.

Tswhitsel:
It's true that Eric may not be as versatile as, say, Chet Atkins (by choice is my guess).
However, Eric Clapton is a master of his instrument and does things that completely boggle my amateur player's mind (example: Try to learn to solo in Cream's "Badge" and get back to me).
What makes Eric's music special is his Artistry and the true love he finds in playing.
BTW, Mr. Clapton's hallmark is "the technical mastery of his instrument".
Ask anyone who plays the guitar (and isn't green with envy).

Saw Cream at Fillmore West in 1968,also, and yes, as I recall there was SOME ATMOSPHERE.!!!

I think I lost some hearing at that concert.