Clapton: The Autobiography

by Eric Clapton

Paperback, 2008

Status

Checked out

Description

The legendary guitarist recounts the story of his life and his career, recalling his work with the Yardbirds, Cream, and as a solo artist; years of drug and alcohol abuse; failed marriage to Patti Boyd; and the accidental death of his young son.

User reviews

LibraryThing member nemoman
This is a simply written, straightforward biography, warts and all. I was hoping for more insights into his music, but the unraveling of his disastorous personal life had a compelling resonance- sort of like slowing to view a traffic accident. Oddly, although the book mentions almost all his
Show More
albums, there is absolutely no mention of "Wheels Of Fire" the first album I ever bought by Cream.
Show Less
LibraryThing member brianjayjones
Not bad. While I'm an enormous admirer of his music -- especially of his commitment to old school blues -- I didn't know much about Clapton going into this. So if there were stories that have been rehashed time and time again, they were all new to me.

That said, my complaint echoes that of several
Show More
other reviewers: Clapton moves so quickly through some major events that you hardly realize they've passed without some more explanation. The demise of the Yardbirds? Clapton was an admitted elitist/purist. The demise of Cream? They didn't get along. The Dominos? Ego. It gets right to the point, I admit, but not always enlightening. Other times, he seems to contradict himself (one of his times in rehab, he says, was incredibly useful, but then he admits he did little more than the bare minimum of what was required of him -- a sort of huh, wha? moment), when what was likely needed was simply a bit more explanation. (Arriving at the last chapter, however -- titled "A Year on the Road" -- you'll be presented with an almost mind-numbing amount of information on what Clapton watched on television, shot during hunting trips, gave as Christmas gifts, and so on.)

I was also hoping to learn a bit more about his relationships with some of the icons of rock and roll, especially his hot-somewhat warm friendship with George Harrison. Clapton, however, was more interested in exploring his own inner demons, and the shrapnel he often splattered on friends and family as he worked to overcome his addictions (the saddest story is, perhaps, that of Alice Ormsby-Gore, who seemed to gamble her future and happiness on Clapton). Still, it's admirable when a major star can write such a warts-and-all portrayal of himself. While Clapton eventually becomes the hero of his own story, it's a long time -- and large body count -- in the coming.

To Clapton's credit, it's definitely not ghostwritten, as it jumps around a bit, loses track of "characters" and resorts to some clunky phrasing -- just as one would telling their story aloud. As a result, Clapton comes across as an honest storyteller, if not an entertaining one.

Recommended for its honest story -- though not necessarily the complete one.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bsquared46
Being the same age as EC, and having followed him(more or less) since the Yardbirds, I found it interesting. I was saddened by the drinking, the drugs and the women, the wasted years. But I'm happy for him that he has come through it. A long journey. Worth reading, even if you're not a fan.
LibraryThing member pmgaecon
Pretty interesting read and the story of the personal redemption of a music star.
LibraryThing member lindacollison
great read, takes me back to my childhood, grew up In Ricmond area, love the music
LibraryThing member Jaie22
That rare thing, an interesting rock (auto)biography.
LibraryThing member donaldgallinger
Eric Clapton's autobiography should have been fascinating, mysterious, and deeply insightful. After all, along with Jimi Hendrix, he was considered a rock guitar "god." So it is with some degree of disappointment that you learn how pedestrian a life can be--shorn of all the drugs, alcohol, girls,
Show More
fame, and money--when the guitar god in question doesn't appear to understand or appreciate his own gifts.

It's not that Eric Clapton's life was dull--far from it. Or that he's not honest about his trials and triumphs. It's just that you hope for something rare and wonderful to be revealed in the life of a man who achieved such artistic excellence. You want to believe that artistic genius somehow permeates the life of the individual as much as what he creates. Here is the short version of Clapton's book: He is born into a working class family. He learns, at age nine, that he is really the illegitimate child of a woman now living happily in Canada. When she first comes back into his life, she demurs when he asks if he can call her "Mum." He feels lost, alone, and different from other people. He discovers the guitar. Soon, he is recognized as a great guitarist. He drifts in and out of several bands, eventually unhappy with all of them. He drifts in and out of several affairs, eventually unhappy with all of them. He becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol. He behaves abominably. He finally hits rock bottom. He marries a very young woman. He finds peace, of a sort.

Eric, is there nothing more that you can tell us about playing so well? Is there something else that we can learn about someone with such an incredible gift? Or is that all there is? I'm sorry, Eric. I wanted to be more in awe of you. Perhaps that's the problem with all gods, guitar and otherwise. They tend to disappoint their followers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sproutchild
I can't even rate this. Writing seemed fine and story moved along well. It's more the living of his life that I have issues with. Biographies and autobiographies are difficult to dicuss--are you talking about the storytelling or the story itself? Found him to be self-centered and chauvenistic (what
Show More
female singers did he revere?). Tired of the "I was really a jerk but now it's all behind me" autobiography. Cynical me always wonders if there's an update down the road--"Okay, I was a jerk when I wrote the first autobiography, but now I'm reformed."
Show Less
LibraryThing member DonCapone
Eric Clapton, guitar god, has written his autobiography, aptly titled Clapton, The Autobiography. It covers his entire life, from his poor upbringing, to the present day as happy family man. He addresses every phase of his personal and professional life, which is amazing in the fact that the book
Show More
clocks in at only 328 pages. Maybe this is why, as honest as Clapton is, it left me wanting a bit more. For instance, during his drunk periods he admits to being "chauvinistic" to his then-wife Patti, and starting fights with various people, but he never actually gives the details. (Maybe I have to read Patti Boyd's autobiography if I want more.)

The overall read this memoir gives on Clapton's personality is one of obsession. From his love of the blues, to his infatuations with many women, to his desire to work with different musicians, to his abuse of drugs and alcohol. Everything is done full bore, damn the consequences. It took age and years of recovery for Clapton to mature enough to start a family with his current wife, Melia, and settle into a less destructive lifestyle.

I give Clapton credit for being so forthcoming in his text, and admitting to faults and mistakes that most people would choose to keep hidden. Possibly being such a public figure for so long didn't really give him an option here; other people have and will write books, and some of the stories are already legend. But, still, I was almost embarrassed reading some of his adventures. Especially one in particular, that involved a strange woman who preyed on his vulnerability by claiming she could help him win back Patti with different spells. The situation gets way out of hand.

Maybe it was just a case of fighting a tight deadline, but I feel this book could have benefited with a stronger editor to guide the text. The writing was good (Clapton wrote it himself), but someone really needed to just step in a few places and ask for more here, and here, and here. John Lennon's murder wasn't even mentioned. Surely this must have affected Clapton in some way, even if it was just to concern himself with his own safety. Not to mention Clapton's friendship with George Harrison. Didn't he discuss this with Harrison, or call and console him about the death of his Beatle brother?

Despite my few problems with the book, I really found it to be a quick read and a real page turner. It allowed me, the reader, to get an intimate glimpse into the life and mind of one of the most successful artists of the last 40 years. And the glimpse isn't always a pretty picture.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Samantha_McNamara
I got irritated with him for all the excesses, but loved reading about Surrey because it's where I grew up in the 70s. Whatever was lacking in the editing, it inspired me to listen to a heap of his albums with renewed insight.
LibraryThing member alisonosch
An interesting read and interseting life HOWEVER, the book might have been better (especially towards the end) if he wrote about how he composed his songs, and in the current time frame everything is rosy NOW.
LibraryThing member Niecierpek
I liked this autobiography, even though I am not into biographies/autobiographies of pop stars. I liked Clapton's passion and his intensity- I like it in his music too, but apart from that, his writing seemed extremely honest. The whole thing wasn't badly written either.
LibraryThing member GrievousAngel
Sometimes its a bit hard to follow since so much information is thrown at you but Clapton holds nothing back and is not afraid to talk about things that paint him as a bad person, at times. A good read even tho I am not much of a fan of bio's.
LibraryThing member docliz
Clapton writes such an honest almost detached look at his own life. One gets a true sense of humility reading his book. Fascinating
LibraryThing member tbert204
While I liked Clapton's music, I was never a diehard fan. Don't think I ever bought a CD, come to think of it. But his autobiography sounded intriguing. Clapton opens the doors to his life and gives great insight into his childhood and development. His struggles with drugs and alcohol are
Show More
astounding and makes you wonder how the human body can survive that sort of abuse. He chronicles his recovery well and makes a sound argument for living clean, from his relationships to his music. I was amazed at his attention to names and dates. While the hardcore Clapton fan would appreciate the details of his musical evolution, the bands and bandmates and dates, I sometimes felt it slowed things down, but I understand the book would be more for the fans than a casual observer like me. Still, I enjoyed it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member realbigcat
A really great musical autobiography. Eric CLapton aruably one of the greatest guitar players of all time pulls no punches in telling his life story so far. He is brutally honest in telling of his drug and alcohol additions and his womanizing. It was very interesting reading about his earliest
Show More
influences with blues ledgends like Muddy Waters and jamming and hanging out with Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison. I could go on about specifics from his early days with the Yardbirds, Cream, John Mayhall and the Bluesbreakers and so much more. A really fascinating read for anyone interested in the history of rock and roll and the story of a man who had to overcome a life of addition and the horrible accidental death of his young son.
Show Less
LibraryThing member nmele
I never belonged to the "Clapton is God" cult but I have always respected him as one of the best blues musicians alive, which is actually saying quite a bit given the folks whose careers overlap with Clapton's. He doesn't write elegant prose, but I found myself learning to like the man behind the
Show More
guitar as I read his autobiography. His single-minded devotion to playing music as well as he can comes through very clearly. As does the basically good human being behind the guitar.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MBDudley
If you want to read a book about rock stars behaving badly in the 60's and 70's do yourself a favor and read Keith Richard's book instead of this one. It lacks the humor and self-deprecation of Richards, and I ultimately got sick of the "yeah, I was an a-hole but it wasn't me it was the
Show More
drugs/booze" shtick.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MBDudley
If you want to read a book about rock stars behaving badly in the 60's and 70's do yourself a favor and read Keith Richard's book instead of this one. It lacks the humor and self-deprecation of Richards, and I ultimately got sick of the "yeah, I was an a-hole but it wasn't me it was the
Show More
drugs/booze" shtick.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MBDudley
If you want to read a book about rock stars behaving badly in the 60's and 70's do yourself a favor and read Keith Richard's book instead of this one. It lacks the humor and self-deprecation of Richards, and I ultimately got sick of the "yeah, I was an a-hole but it wasn't me it was the
Show More
drugs/booze" shtick.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
★ ★ 1/2

************************************SPOILERS INCLUDED (But most likely nothing that you don't already know)****************************

This is a great read for music/jazz enthusiasts as it details Clapton's music experiences from the very beginning when he taught himself to play guitar
Show More
by listening to Blues/Jazz records and copying what he heard... then he'd record it on his reel-to-reel until in his own mind he got it right.

He's not a braggart, he is not self-aggrandizing. In fact he comes off as rather low key & reserved. Throughout the book he's honest and doesn't hide. I found it to be interesting that at the point in time when he found out that the slogan "Clapton Is God" was written in the Islington Underground Station, he wasn't at all sure of himself nor of his worth as a guitar player. All he knew was that he wasn't interested in commercial rock n' roll, or pop rhythm & blues.... he was into the purity of Muddy Waters & Little Walter.

Reflecting upon his 21st birthday, Clapton says: "Looking back, it felt like I had closed the door on my past.......... It was if I was starting a brand-new life, where there was no room for any excess baggage. I was very confident of my capabilities and very aware that this was the key to my future. Hence I was extremely protective of my craft and ruthless in cutting away anything that stood in my path. It was not a path of ambition; I had no desire for fame or recognition. I just needed to be able to make the best music I could, with the tools that I had."

In looking back on the beginning, to his childhood he was pretty isolated and never formed any close bonds with anyone which is why most all of his relationships seem to have been short lived. He didn't talk much about his relationships in much detail or in a personal manner.... He played with & for most all the well known British groups, but didn't really seem to like being in a famous touring band or taking the lead. He especially did not like singing, he felt his voice was too high and never matured deeply enough. When things with his bands got too rough, he'd walk away and eventually start up again with a different group of musicians and form a new band.

I got the distinct impression that until he met Pattie Harrison, he really wasn't interested in any woman for having a long term relationship. The way he described his "love" relationships was that he'd meet a woman that he liked and she'd take him home & he'd move in with her until it was time for him to leave. After finally marrying Pattie, he began drinking & drugging for a second time and in so doing so caused Pattie to divorce him. He later had a son, who died in a tragic accident....

To many he may be a guitar-playing "God", but as a person I didn't find him to be very interesting. In fact, I found him to be a downer.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rsplenda477
One of my earliest and fondest memories as a child is listening to the song, "Layla" on cassette with my brother over and over again. We would play it and rewind it so many times until we finally busted the cassette. It was our Dad's and he was really mad, but it was one of the first songs that
Show More
introduced me to Eric Clapton. My love of his guitar playing was born then, and has never ceased since. Clapton is brutally honest in this memoir and leaves no stone unturned. Even though many consider him a music god (me included), it is safe to say that Clapton is a very troubled and controversial figure. There were many times during the book where I couldn't contain my anger towards him, especially when he discussed his various addictions and the way he treated the women in his life. Nevertheless, the music is what I keep coming back to, and what ultimately save his life in the end as well. This is definitely and eye-opening read and a true treasure for all rock fans. I am thankful that this man instilled within me a love of blues rock and made my childhood music experience as great as it was. Now excuse me while I listen to his nasty guitar solos on "Crossroads" yet again!
Show Less
LibraryThing member linda.marsheells
As candid and honest he is in this book, i wish i had not read it, wish i coulda kept my head stuck in the sand. Clapton is a magical musician, yes, and i idolized him, yes, AND this book popped my bubble of making a human into a god...... Not only is he not nearly god-like but he openly admits his
Show More
faults and talks about just how human he is!
Take away his guitar and who do you have? Even he does not know. I give the book 5 stars for its writing and its honesty about who he was and is. Self-absorbed and closed off only Clapton knows his own truths.
Show Less
LibraryThing member donhazelwood
I would listen to my father's copy of Slowhand over and over growing up. I still love listening to it today. Recently I read an article about Eric Clapton's surprising to me anti-vax stance, even though he's reportedly had the vaccine, and his history of racist rants. This all came as a bit of a
Show More
shock ... Clapton is a racist anti-vaxxer? Remembering I had his autobiography on the shelf upstairs I pulled it down and dove in.

The writing, well, let's just say you can feel the different parts of the book which were written in the same period. And of course he barely touched on his 1976 racist rant. Coupled with his current defense of Enoch Powell and his anti-vax stance ... today Clapton is God might read Clapton is a bigoted anti-vaxxer ...
Show Less
Page: 0.3122 seconds