Originally posted by: SludgeFactory
Originally posted by: DonVito
Originally posted by: Strang
I'm not sure about that -- who was he derivative of? I think part of the problem is that so many people ripped from him that some aspects of his guitarwork seem mundane now.
Pretty much all his playing is heavily influenced by Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and any number of other bluesmen. I don't think he'd disagree.
Freddie King is another big influence of his. But from what I've read he's always been very reverential to the bluesmen of the past. It was a two-way street really, the success of people like Clapton allowed some of the surviving musicians from the Mississippi Delta to gain international fame and revive interest in their music (and get some financial compensation), recording & touring right up until their deaths in several cases.
Clapton was right on the crest of the wave of British musicians who brought blues to the white masses, which after some additional amplification and turbocharging started turning into rock. Clapton was right in the middle of all of it. He is
the guy who popularized the Les Paul into a cranked Marshall amp. Anyone who's curious should check out some Freddie King, Albert King, Howling Wolf, etc. from the early/mid 60's. The genesis of the sound is there.
I'd agree that Hendrix broke more ground musically. I love his sense of rhythm, he was a great rhythm player. I like them both though. Clapton may also suffer a little in my mind because he has stuck around long enough to make some real turds in the last 20-30 years.