European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Eric Clapton at the Crossroads Bojoh Swenson United press International Twenty five years ago Eric Clapton began one of the mostly bloc careers in Rock n rail history his Quarter a Colury of achievements is chronicled on Crossroads a . Four cd historical overview the 73-track retrospective is a live hour Isip through every facet of Clapton s music irom his Lisl studio sessions with the Yar Birds in 1963, through his work with John Mayall s blues Breakers. Cream. Blind Faith Delaney and Bonnie Derek and the do mos and his own Solo albums. The project is inc brainchild of producer Gill Lovenson who spent the belter part of two years assembling the material from a variety o sources including a wealth of previously recordings it was t originally conc iced As a boxed Sard Levenson from the studio where to was prep army a Retros Mcclive or a Groat Don Covay. The though was to do in like Iho Hank Williams collect Ion As a series of double to said i put together a Chart of his records on his own. In bands and As a featured or a session musician and it looked like eight double albums Worth of material so i decided to keep it to Tho records made by working bands that he was Parrot even Ihen the decision making process was grueling. To kept making slight changes As we went along he said. We knew we had a formal problem because we Only wanted tour cd so we knew we had five hours to work wild once we decided in was going to be a Boom set we wore 80 percent there on the firs draft. When i heard further on up inc Road i knew we had 1o Uso it. We would have liked to include it s in lha Way that you use a but there were some contractual problems " some of the Advance stories on the project refer to Crossroads As a Best of collection but Levenson explained that historical considerations were Paramount. For quite a while we did t have cocaine on the album he pointed out bul people kept insisting that it was too important a track to leave off so we included in. I wanted to do this chronologically. Chaplon has evolved As a guitarist Over the years and he s evolved As a songwriter and As he grew older his voice got bet Ler so it had to be chronological. You can see the change of culture at the same Lime the experimentation of the Yak Birds and Cream in the 60s, the reggae and blues roots exploration the period of Slicker performances. You can hear the evolution of the last 25 years of Rock in a Clapton s 25-y tar career it chronicled on Crossroads a 73- rack record Sti. By Deedee Arrington Doke staff writers sometimes Metal in t pretty. And it mostly was t when a few of the Speed Metal faithful gathered to loyally bang then Heads at a recent five hour plus Metal festival in Sci Libonn Wisl Germany. Then there s Mega Del. This los Angeles based Fullil thought by Many Industry observers to be the Groat White Hope of Speed Metal is led by Lead guitarist Dave Musalino known among his band members As the general founding lather of Metal giant Mel Barca and one of the prettiest male laces in metallurgy. And like its loader who bridged the Gamut from being an arrogant humourless Jerk to awning Over the audience at show s end Mega Del As a band cried out to be simultaneously loved and despised the american Metal lists headlined a concert billed As the so far. So Good. So what festival so named for megadeath s latest album release that also Alured Metal bands testament. Sanctuary and flotsam and jetsam. It was the kind of concert thai found one fervently hoping that wading through the interminable Metal mishmash by the undistinguished Oullis above was going to have some kind of payoff when the Premier band Mega Del claimed the Slage. It did t at least not As much As the band s records and 1986 video of peace Sells. Bur who s buying promised. Frankly most Speed Metal gives heavy Metal a bad name. Consisting primarily of hoarse shouting fierce drumming and fiercer guitar work Speed Metal generally is repetitive and obnoxious. To megadeath s credit the four Man group delivers a Fuller More dramatic sound live than 99 percent of their Speed oriented contemporaries. Driven by Mustaine s screeching guitar and snarling vocals Mega Del flirts with jazz dabbles in the hardest so far no Good Rock and combines a Lough Punk attitude with a blues foundation All to Tho collect of occasionally producing an angry on your feet or on your Knees excitement. A Blitzkrieg cover of the sex pistols anarchy in the u k. Was the band s Linal and finest series of moments on stage a performance that spewed More punch and venom than the 11-year-old original in my darkest hour which Mustaine dedicated to the late Cliff Burton of Metallica sustained a harrowing blues Edge while Hoolin Mouth which decries the parents music resource Center s activities Shook tha concert Hall with rage. Bul except for those pieces and a mediocre rendition of peace Sells unfortunate because it s their Best song Mega Del s performance was Mied in a murky Metal sludge. Ii Juslaine and his band bassist Dave Elofson guitarist jell Young and drummer Chuck Behler Ever decided to Par company with the Speed genre megadeath could really become a Rock of jazz fusion Force to be reckoned with. But relegated to the fast Metal Heap of recording artists who get nearly Zero commercial airplay and generally for Good reason the band s not Likely to win hearts and minds of potential converts who either depend on the radio to Check out a record before buying in or even from the More mainstream heavy Metal corps of Iron Maiden or acc fans who appreciate being Able to Tell the difference Between songs when they re performed live. Disappointing As the show was it revealed Musl inc As a musician to be watched. He might mature into another guitar legend. Top of the charts top pop singles i. One More the quays Miclin z shattered dreams Johnny Hlat jlu1. Naughty girls need love too Elin Noil for 4. Everything tour heart desires Oryl Mil 1 Jotin ones. To Arisen forever us Man 8. Piano in the Oak Bunij Huunh 1 Jot exjmo7. Foolish beat duct Oma 8 i Don t want to live without you fomgnw9. Make it heal tin jail 10 any7hjnq for you okra it main & Man sound machine top up s 1. Faith Okot micrtul2 Oil str dancing 5ouhdtsack 3 open up and sa1 Ash pc-kyi4 bad microw Djit a 5. Savage amusement tin scoffmni6. Let it Loose Okoli Eil Itin 6. Mimi sound Mac font t hysteria pm la Tiab. Mofle dirty Vancino soundtrack 8. Introducing the Hartline to wow Trot o Arby 10 appetite for destruction of full arom1 top country singles i. What she is is a woman a love Eul Thomil Conj 1.t told you so Hindy trim1 he s Back and i m Blue to Turt rom Bird 4. One True love to Okusi 4 if it con t come easy Tny to cab. Another place. Another time Don 1. W1loflowehs Oal. Piton. Unfall Hon cml t Troy Lou harm. Ive of a lifetime the Olton to to b. Chiu Factor m1 Higg hid. Eighteen wheels and a dozen hoses Hilly my Tell top Black singles i just got paid Jonnny a no 2. Utile Walter Twat to a loin a. F Evelvn cum Ptg King 4 octet midst la Schlon i. One Mofle Tut Choo m3im Joy to adv f love St Luck a Jon Nioni something just at bight Lmh s�1 l i alphabet St. Prmu10 dirty Diana manii Luchun top pop cd s 1 scenes from the Southside blues hoi Nln t n rangi1 Faith . Melusi 3. Crossroads enc cuplon4. Love sexy fluff t. Now and zen room full. Stroh Ethan Pride Sti 7. Dirty dancing the Hartline to no trim d Law 9, own up Amo say Anh _ potton10. Naked thing Hudi comped a a tubed wednesday june 1, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17
