Clapton: Edge Of Darkness, Updated Edition

by Christopher Sandford

This updated edition of Clapton (based on exclusive sources, including interviews with former band members) discusses his recent albums From the Cradle, Retail Therapy, and Pilgrim; his erratic love life; and his 1998 American tour. From his pioneering work with the Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, through his superstardom in Cream, to his Grammy-winning solo career, here is blues and rock icon Eric Clapton in all his personal and musical complexity.

Genres: Music

344 pages, Paperback

Published June 4, 1999

About the author

Christopher Sandford has published acclaimed biographies of Kurt Cobain, Steve McQueen, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, and Roman Polanski. He has worked as a film and music writer and reviewer for over 20 years and frequently contributes to newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. Rolling Stone has called him "the preeminent author in his field today."

His latest project, MASTERS OF MYSTERY (forthcoming November 2011, Palgrave Macmillan) explores Arthur Conan Doyle's and Harry Houdini's incredible friendship and fascination with Spiritualism.

Reviews

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book about Eric Clapton of course deals with his childhood and the beginnings of his guitar playing. Moves on to some of the first bands he was with until the Yardbirds. The author goes over the songs and differences of the members. He also speaks of the different influences he had also. From their he went to the Bluebreakers, John Mayhall group. He would only do one record with him. He would pick up on his beginning use of drugs, and that would be a focus for part of the book. He also spoke to his lack of friends with some of the other musicians when doing an album. Next he went into Cream and there problems along with the critiques view of the work. He would also speak of any concerts that were played in support of the record. Problems with Cream lead to Derick and the Dominos. The author went into how some of the songs were chosen and his beginning friendship with Duane Allman. Allmans death along with Hendrix sent Clapton down ward and the band broke up. He also went into briefly about drummer Gordon’s problem and ending up in prison. Sad really. Then more personal information until 461 comes out and the critique’s take on that and every record after that up to From the Cradle. There is a lot about his life up to and after his sons Connors death and the song after wards. I did not agree with his or the critique’s take on all of the records to this point. Journeyman I thought was and still is one of his better albums. Along with Bluebreakers, he did not talk about a BBC recording with him and Howling Wolf, and other musicians which I have and is an excellent blues record with Wolf speaking on part of it. And the one live record E.C. Was Here is a very good album if you are into blues, but he makes no reference to that album. This book for me was OK nothing great, sorry. If you are a Clapton fan you know it already, if not it is a good read. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 3 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Wyktor Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I started reading this book I thought what a complete and total ass'ole Eric Clapton truly is, but as I continued through it's pages I felt the tone of the entire manuscript was decidedly disparaging towards its subject matter. It relies heavily on the secondhand statements of others taken from interviews published elsewhere, so not undertaken by the actual biographer. This book does cover Clapton's entire career, but always putting him down in the process, something I find rather distasteful. Sure Clapton, like most of his contemporaries, has a rather large ego and sense of self-importance, but that goes with the territory. If rock stars weren't like that they wouldn't be rock stars in the first place. They'd be ordinary schmucks like the rest of us. So as I waded through this book my view changed entirely and I ended up thinking the complete and total ass'ole was the actual biographer himself, Mr Christopher Sandford. In my opinion, a rather despicable man.

[Barry Beaven · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly I am a Clapton fan, I say this as this was not a pleasure. If there was any liking for either the man or his music it was very well hidden, yes he had an addictive obsessive personality, yes he grew up very late in life. There was no direct contact between the writer and the subject just edited versions of other interviews.
A struggle to get through and online takes the story to 1999. Avoid and don't waste time you could spend listening to the music or watching the Crossroads box sets.