Surprisingly, for someone who appears to be quite vile in many ways, Eric Clapton’s guitar prowess cannot be denied. Whatever your thoughts about the man, there’s no denying that Eric Clapton has contributed much to the world of rock and roll guitar. It’s easy to understand why.
From The Yardbirds’ commitment to blues rock to Cream’s groundbreaking psychedelic sound and his vast solo discography. The guitarist’s guitar playing seems to have stayed consistent in quality. Few guitarists throughout history have ever been able to match Clapton’s technical proficiency. Even fewer than he would admit to.
One hundred people could be asked to name the best guitarist of all time, and you would probably get a hundred different responses. But some names always seem to come up top, and Clapton is definitely one of those people. The Surrey-born guitarist played on incredibly famous songs like Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Tears In Heaven,” and, of course, “Crossroads.” His contributions helped to establish the unique psychedelic styles of the 1960s.
It seemed like Clapton was always changing and modifying his playing, which was kind of necessary in the late 1960s oversaturated rock scene. After growing up and starting a very successful solo career in the 1970s. Clapton seemed to abandon the ground-breaking sounds of his earlier work. He concentrated wholeheartedly on advancing his sound. The rise in popularity of many other talented guitarists, most notably Carlos Santana, during this time was notable. It put the guitarist in danger of becoming irrelevant.
Of course, Carlos Santana had been perfecting his craft for years by the time the 1970s arrived. A much larger audience was introduced to his extraordinary abilities with the release of the landmark album Abraxas in 1970. During this period, Santana was one of the very few guitarists who could match or even surpass Clapton’s abilities. He does not, however, frequently enjoy the same standing as the guitarist for “Crossroads.”
Even so, Clapton was quick to acknowledge the Mexican guitarist’s extraordinary abilities. In 1975, Eric Clapton talked to Rolling Stone about his experience touring with Carlos Santana. He said, “Well, from playing with him on this tour, I know that Carlos Santana is a very, very strong player.” He added, “He really kept me on my toes,” which is no small feat considering Clapton’s guitar skills.
The guitarist clarified, “Basically, though, I don’t like to give a specific opinion on someone else’s playing.” He added that it is unfair to another musician and that he no longer keeps track, despite his overwhelming praise for Santana. I’m not a guitarist that competes. I’m comfortable going at my own pace. I would prefer not to play if it means having to alter my behaviour to win a poll someplace.
Eric Clapton was not a competitive guitarist. The thought of him taking on Carlos Santana head-to-head on the guitar would undoubtedly make some guitar aficionados burst out laughing.
