Eric Clapton – No Reason to Cry Review

There are plenty of reasons to cry, Eric, especially after listening to No Reason to Cry. Eric Clapton remains a quality guitarist, though his influence and innovation throughout the 1960s and 1970s are clearly his greatest moments as a musician. A considerable period to call a moment, but the reason for that is moments eventually come to an end. Clapton could write catchy, sure, and he does so well on No Reason to Cry, but he will be best remembered for the songs which had deeper meaning. Be it trying to win the wife of George Harrison or dedicating his time to the death of his son, Clapton has it within him to write some true gut-punchers. Yet he pairs those heavier tones with instrumental style and vigour, which has overhauled even the worst of his songs. Meantime, his most recent studio release at time of writing, was made better by his still intact gift for guitar. That isn’t enough to carry No Reason to Cry, though, which drifts into hollow pop stylings.  

It’s not that Clapton isn’t pushing ahead with quality instrumentals, but he certainly sounds off the mark. Sign Language is as good as it gets, a loved-up and loveless heartbreaker which Clapton had more than perfected at this point. He goes through the motions until Bob Dylan backs him up with some remarkable vocal work. It’s a hidden gem and well worth hearing, especially given the electric guitar spontaneity backing that swaying, slice of life style. It does feel more like a Dylan song of the time, but even then, it wouldn’t have fit on Blood on the Tracks or Desire. Clapton is thrown a rope here and it makes all the difference for the songs to follow Sign Language. That may be where No Reason to Cry peaks, but there are moments of tremendous quality to follow. Though it may not get much better lyrically, there’s plenty to love about the instrumentals found throughout.  

County Jail Blues is a little light on written quality, but the electric guitar and blues rock standard is enough. The sentiment of All Our Past Times is stronger than how Clapton writes about those errors of the past. Songs of running into old flames and older friends, that’s the main route through No Reason to Cry. It gets tiresome rather fast, though Clapton has a likeable voice and a still endearing instrumental quality that, even at his worst, remains. It’s an album of trial and error, mainly error. Innocent Times is a bit of a ridiculous, piano rock piece with the clear influence of The Band in the studio at play. No Reason to Cry feels more like an excuse to jam around with like-minded musicians rather than anything Clapton can present as a project to be proud of. It’s all over the place.  

Hungry is a perfect example of this clustered sound. No Reason to Cry has talent oozing from the studio. Some of the all-time greats assemble to make an album based on the fun they had from jamming together. That is often not enough. Chemistry for noodling does not translate to understanding the rhythm that comes from the right level of nuance per instrument. Just look at all the artists who ended up hating their work with one another, and think on how that is often far more memorable than the pieces made with pure love at the heart. That’s not to say hatred builds the best works but it’s certainly a far cry better when there is at least some tension, some fragility, to the project. Such emotional volatility avoids the plodding rock and roll noise No Reason to Cry leans into in its latter half. Having said all that, Black Summer Rain may be one of the very best performances Clapton has given, either as a vocalist or guitarist, in the studio to date.