It’s ok. Go ahead and ask the question that’s been on everyone’s mind since they glanced at the headline. “Who the hell is J.J. Cale, and why is Eric Clapton sharing billing with him on an album?” The answer, my friend, is simple. Cale is the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter who penned some of Clapton’s most popular songs. Songs on Cale’s resume include “Cocaine,” “After Midnight” and a few more classic rock touchstones.
Despite his obvious gift for song writing, Cale’s laid back delivery and complex instrumentation made his music a hard sell to the popular rock stations of his day. Enter Eric Clapton, who covered some of Cale’s best songs, including the previously mentioned “Cocaine,” to mass commercial success.
In addition to writing quality material for Clapton to cover, Cale had quite an influence on Clapton’s development as an artist. Much of Clapton’s solo work, especially his ballads, is indebted to Cale’s writing style. Clear examples include the Clapton originals “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight.” Clapton even altered his vocal style to sound more like Cale.
That brings us to Nov. 7, 2006 and the release of Road to Escondido, the first collaborative album from Cale and Clapton. Produced by frequent Clapton producer Simon Climie, the album features a host of guests including John Mayer and the other two members of the John Mayer Trio (drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Pallodino), the late Billy Preston (from sessions recorded before his death) and acclaimed guitarists Doyle Bramhall II and Derek Trucks.
The album begins in typical Cale fashion with the swinging “Danger,” featuring both Cale and Clapton on lead vocals. True to the collaborative spirit of the record, the two rarely sing apart, emphasizing the laid back groove and back porch feel of the recording sessions. Furthering the relaxed vibe is the tropical “Don’t Cry Sister” and the playful “Missing Person.”
Musically, the album contains enough great guitar and organ solos in one song to fill an entire catalogue of a lesser band. The boys know what people bought their record for, and don’t hesitate to break out multiple solos in a row. The soloing never bloats to jam band proportions though, as each soloist is quick to say their piece and let the song return to the groove.
Additional highlights include the driving “Dead End Road” and the Clapton-penned “Hard to Thrill.” On the latter, Clapton shows his debt to the blues within a Cale-esque groove. The song should come as no surprise to Clapton fans as he has released an entire album of blues covers, 2004’s Me and Mr. Johnson, and played a number of blues songs in his famous MTV Unplugged album from 1992. The same bluesy leanings also seep into the performance of the Cale-penned “Heads in Georgia” and “Sporting Life Blues.”
Both Clapton and Cale are in their sixties and they tackle their age to differing degrees of success on the album. The previously mentioned bluesy songs augment the easy going vibe with a bit of angst about the perils of aging, making the album relevant to the artists as well as their audience. The uproarious “Last Will and Testament” shows Cale shooting from the hip with wry wit. Other spots on the album are less successful. The Iraq war protest song “When the War is Over” sounds a bit too quaint and oddly laid back for a song addressing such a divisive issue. Similarly, the schmaltzy “It’s Easy” shows that perhaps Cale and Clapton got a bit too comfortable, as they sound their age in a negative way, making life sound like a lark, while attempting social commentary in lyrics that alternate between trite and biting.
Overall, the album is the work of committed professionals who know what they’re doing and are more than comfortable collaborating with each other. The presence of 11 Cale-penned tracks shows the absence of ego on Clapton’s part, and the bevy of guitar solos shows the willingness of Cale to have the band stretch out a bit. Next time you’ve got a long drive ahead of you, look into securing a copy of Road to Escondido to accompany you. Despite its flaws, the album is well worth your time, especially if thrown onto a mix CD with Tom Petty’s superb Highway Companion released earlier this year. Both albums show old pros doing it the best they know how, with a mix of wit, hooks and musical proficiency.
