Clapton- The Autobiography

On October 9th Eric Clapton's heavily anticipated autobiography was finally published. Since then the book has received a steady stream of rave reviews and I figured it's 'bout time I threw my own hat in the ring. As a devoted Clapton fan I was of course looking forward to the book's publication and expected it to be a good read, but having read the lion's share of the major interviews he's done over the last forty years I figured there probably wouldn't be a whole lot in there I hadn't already stumbled upon one way or another. I really couldn't have been more wrong. Clapton has been quite forthcoming in the vast majority of the post-recovery interviews he's granted in recent years, but never has he delved into his past demons with such unadorned honesty and cathartic detail as he does here. He's truly putting himself out there "warts and all" and the end result is a very compelling read.

According to Clapton the first draft was written with the assistance of Christopher Symon Sykes, but he felt there was too much "finger pointing" going on and he needed to take more responsibility for his years of drug and drink fueled excess, so he set about re-writing the manuscript on his own during downtime on last year's world tour. It's that absolutely personal touch that makes "Clapton- The Autobiography" so compelling. His many musical accomplishments from his time with The Yardbirds and John Mayall on through Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and The Dominos are all touched upon (as are his relationships with other rock icons such as The Beatles, The Stones and Dylan). But the real meat of the book is this man's personal journey, often complicated and sometimes tragic. It's all there. The confusing early childhood in which his grandparents were thought to be his parents and his real mother his sister. The initial rise to success which found a young Clapton still struggling to find his identity. The budding friendship with George Harrison that eventually resulted in rock's most infamous love triangle. The tempestuous relationship with Pattie Boyd that followed. The drinking, the drugs, the womanizing and of course the horrific death of his young son Conor. It's all dealt with in soul searching honesty, and more often then not, the kind of outright bluntness you hope for when such a revered figure sits down to pen his memoirs.

The main narrative of the book is Clapton's infamous struggles with drugs and alcohol addiction, which reached it's peak in the seventies and lasted well into the eighties. Some of the stories are downright shocking (such as when a despondent Clapton sat alone in his room with a bottle of vodka, a gram of coke and a shotgun contemplating suicide) but never sensationalized. He also spends a lot of time discussing his failed relationships and life long problems with the opposite sex that surely had their roots in his complicated relationship with his mother. Clapton did eventually get clean after a second trip to rehab in 1987 and was only three years sober when young Conor fell to his death in 1990, but he never relapsed. Instead it only strengthened his resolve never to drink again and since then he's devoted much time and money to helping others achieve sobriety.

Clapton makes it abundantly clear that music, particularly the blues based music that serves as his foundation, has always been and always will be his personal salvation. And despite the darkness that plagued much of his thirties and forties, he did eventually achieve the inner peace he always sought when he met his young wife Melia, who's since birthed him three daughters. It becomes readily apparent when reading the last chapter just how much this young family means to the man. Yet, despite that happy ending, you still get a sense of the old restlessness that remains deep down in his soul. And that's ok. For that restlessness is probably a big part of what makes Eric Clapton "Eric Clapton"- rock icon, loving father, survivor.

What follows are a few choice quotes for your reading pleasure....

On the infamous "Clapton Is God" graffiti that started popping up around London circa 1965-

"There's something about word of mouth that you cannot undo. In truth, I felt grateful about it because it gave me status, and, even better, it was the kind of status nobody could tamper with. After all, you can't muck around with graffiti. It comes from the street."

On falling in love with Pattie Boyd-

"I think initially I was motivated by a mixture of lust and envy, but it all changed once I got to know her. I had first set eyes on Pattie backstage at the Saville Theatre in London after a Cream concert, and had thought then that she was unusually beautiful. This impression was strengthened by spending time with her. I remember thinking that her beauty was also internal. It wasn't just the way she looked, although she was definitely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. It was deeper. It came from within her, too. It was just the way she was, and that captivated me. I had never met a woman who was so complete, and I was overwhelmed."

On his alcoholism during the mid to late seventies-

"I wasn't too concerned about what people thought; I was drunk most of the time and having fun, fooling around and playing with the guys. Brandy was my drink of choice, but I couldn't drink it neat. Like most alcoholics I have met since, I didn't like the taste of alcohol, so I would mix it with something sweet, like ginger ale or Seven-Up. I drank round the clock, and it didn't matter to me whether or not there was a show that night, because I was always convinced I could handle it. Many times, of course, I couldn't, in which case I'd just wander off the stage and somebody, usually Roger (Forrester), would have to try and persuade me to go back on."

On the multi-platinum success of the "Unplugged" album-

"Russ (Titleman) produced the album of the show and Roger (Forrester) was like an expectant father hovering over the project, while I was fairly dismissive, saying that I thought we ought to put it out as a limited edition. I just wasn't that enamored with it, and as much as I'd enjoyed playing all the songs, I didn't think it was that great to listen to. When it came out, it was the biggest-selling album of my entire career, which goes to show what I know about marketing. It was also the cheapest to produce and required the least amount of preparation and work. But if you want to know what it actually cost me, go to Ripley, and visit the grave of my son. I think that's also why it was such a popular record; I believe people wanted to show their support for me, and those who couldn't find any other way bought the album."

On his life now-

"My family continues to bring me joy and happiness on a daily basis, and if I were anything but an alcoholic, I would gladly say that they are the number one priority in my life. But this cannot be, because I know I would lose it all if I did not put my sobriety at the top of that list. I continue to attend twelve-step meetings and stay in touch with as many recovering people as I can. Staying sober and helping others to achieve sobriety will always be the single most important proposition of my life."