Ec Was Here

A 1975 live album that found Clapton at--if you'll pardon the expression--a crossroads, E.C. Was Here marks the line of demarcation between the guitar hero of the past and more song-oriented player he'd become for the second half of the '70s. Clapton breaks out on a couple of old Blind Faith numbers--"Presence of the Lord" and "Can't Find My Way Home"--that reflect his soulful, spiritual side, while "Further On Up the Road" rocks out and Charles Brown's "Drifting Blues," restored to its full eleven-and-a-half-minute length on the CD's newly remastered version, presents another instrumental showcase. There are only six tunes here, but E.C. leaves his indelible mark on each of them. --Daniel Durchholz