Eric Clapton: No Reason To Cry

[LP sleeve - front] [LP sleeve - back]

When he gave a speech inducting the Band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Eric Clapton said that after he heard their debut album, Music From Big Pink, he wanted to join the group, the fact that they already had a guitarist in Robbie Robertson notwithstanding. In the winter of 1975-1976, when he cut No Reason to Cry at the Band's Shangri-la Studio in Malibu, California, he came as close as he ever would to realizing that desire. Clapton is a musical chameleon; though some of No Reason to Cry is identifiable as the kind of pop/rock Clapton had been making since the start of his solo career (the best of it being "Hello Old Friend," which became his first Top 40 single in two years), the most memorable music on the album occurs when Clapton is collaborating with members of the Band and other guests. He duets with Band bassist Rick Danko on Danko's "All Our Past Times," and with Bob Dylan on Dylan's "Sign Language," as Robertson's distinctive lead guitar is heard rather than Clapton's. As a result, the album is a good purchase for fans of Bob Dylan and the Band, but not necessarily for those of Eric Clapton. (The CD reissue adds a bonus track, "Last Night," which is a traditional 12-bar blues song credited to Clapton.)
-- William Ruhlmann, All-Music Guide

The bonus track "Last Night" on the CD reissue is a duet with Richard Manuel. A picture of the front gate of the Shangri-La studio appeared on the back of the album cover.

Tracks

1.	Beautiful Thing (Richard Manuel/Rick Danko)
2.	Carnival (Eric Clapton)
3.	Sign Language (Bob Dylan)
4.	County Jail Blues (Alfred Fields/Eric Clapton)
5.	All Our Past Times (Rick Danko)
6.	Hello, Old Friend (Eric Clapton)
7.	Double Trouble (Otis Rush/Eric Clapton)
8.	Innocent Times (Eric Clapton/Marcy Levy)
9.	Hungry (Dick Simms/Marcy Levy)
10.	Black Summer Rain (Eric Clapton)
11.	Last Night [CD bonus track] (Eric Clapton)	(523K)

Sidemen

• Eddie Anderson, engineer
• Brains Bradley
• Sandy Castle, vocal
• Eric Clapton, guitar/vocal/producer
• Rick Danko, bass
• Terry Danko, percussion
• Jesse Davis, guitar
• Bob Dylan, vocal
• Yvonne Elliman, vocal
• Bobby Ellis, trumpet
• Georgie Fame, keyboards
• Albhy Galuten, piano
• Geff Harrison
• Levon Helm, drums
• Garth Hudson, keyboards/saxophone
• Chris Jagger, vocal
• Nat Jeffreys, engineer
• Konrad Kramer
• Dick Lapalm
• Dread Lever
• Marcy Levy, vocal
• Dominic Lumetta
• Richard Manuel, drums
• Ralph Moss, percussion/Engineer
• Jamie Oldaker, drums
• Billy Preston, keyboards
• Carl Radle, bass
• Robbie Robertson, guitar/keyboards
• Sergio Rodriguez, percussion
• Larry Samuels
• Dick Sims, keyboards
• Wilton Spears
• George Terry, guitar
• Mickey Turner
• Melvin (Wah Wah) Watson, guitar
• Ron Wood, guitar

Eric Clapton - No Reason To Cry - 1976 - RSO RS-1-3004 0698
Compact Disc: Polygram 813582

AMG Rating: 7 (out of 9)