After the phenomenal success of the Slowhand album, Eric Clapton needed to continue to fuel the fire that was his rather impressive solo career, although arguably not as good as his work in previous bands such as Cream. The next release after the legendary Slowhand album was this album, 1978’s Backless. Not seen as promising or significant as 461 Ocean Boulevard or the Slowhand albums, but still an essential Eric Clapton release today, this is a good starting point for the continuation of Eric Clapton’s interesting and essential post top of the pops era. Let’s hear this album, and hopefully, it sounds decent enough to listen to today. Bob Dylan collaborated here again on two songs as well.

Walk Out In The Rain begins with a soft drum intro into the first Bob Dylan collaboration piece. Instantly, this sounds simple, melodic and beautifully done. A very direct lyrical piece of music, it follows the musical template of everything else that Eric Clapton has done in the 1970s. Regardless, this is a very promising tune, even if it does not reach the heights of, 461 Ocean Boulevard for example. A chilled groove is here, and the whole thing sounds good for what it is. A simple, gorgeous and melodic tune to experience listening to, Eric Clapton has a decent ear for music for sure. Wonderful listening is at hand, and this tune sounds great for what it is. A superb and listenable piece with nasty lyrics to match, this is more direct and brutally direct than what some Rap artists could muster today. The Fender Stratocasters here sound gorgeous, all the way through to the fade out.

Watch Out For Lucy begins with a count in, and launches into a rather Country esque sounding piece of music. This tune is about a guy who does one night stands and who spends all his money in one go. The song here is an interesting tune about a lover who is dangerous and not to be trusted in said man’s life. An interesting Blues Country piece of music, this sounds pretty and interesting, complete with harmonica and melodies to boot. A strange tale about said Lucy lady, who values money and power over everything else, and an interesting story set to traditional music. Eric Clapton plays a mean guitar and the harmonica here is minimal and impressive. Another solid listening experience. This sounds great.

I’ll Make Love To You Anytime launches into an organ and weird slide wah-wah guitar section. This isn’t as consistent as earlier Eric Clapton pieces, but it is an interesting listening experience nonetheless. A good tune about male sexual dominance, this is Eric Clapton putting his you-know-what to music. With a weird and Little Feat styled groove, this is somewhat amusing listening. Interesting musically, even if this is not as consistent as a tune as the others here, it’s an odd one in Eric Clapton’s back catalogue. Enjoyable nonetheless, this music is fairly definitive 1970s radio sounds. A genuinely good listen for what this is, it is low-down and dirty music for people to enjoy. Nice, but weird.

Roll It begins with some liquid guitar parts, launching into an average 1970s tune. There are female vocals from Marcy Levy here for the main part, and this tune is very much a sonic exploration, 1970s Rock style. It’s not exactly Disco music of the time but sounds like a product of the era here. An enjoyable and tuneful piece of music, this has some cool slide guitar that works very well. Eric Clapton makes mainstream Blues based music very much accessible. An interesting, direct and mellow tune, likely for getting high to, this is quite chilled. A simple three minute Pop/Rock piece that is good to hear, this makes a good impression musically. An odd instrumental, yet a decent listening experience.

Tell Me That You Love Me is a smooth and sensual ballad by Eric Clapton. The guitar playing is very gorgeously melodic, and Eric Clapton sings in a simple, pretty and direct way. Obviously, this music is of very high quality, even for a lesser-known Eric Clapton album at hand. “Be my woman, be my friend, stick with me to the very end,” is a great lyrical line, and the music surrounding this tune is just amazing sounding. A really sweet and lovely tune that appeals to both men and women alike, Eric Clapton does a great job here musically. Sure, his roots in Blues music are present, but this tune is instantly accessible and listenable throughout from a Pop/Rock perspective. Sweet, tasty and melodic, this fades out nicely at the end. Excellent music for another Bob Dylan collaboration song.

If I Don’t Be There By Morning begins with a quick drum roll and some upbeat piano. The riffs and guitar playing here are delicious. This tune is a more traditional sounding piece from this album, and it sounds pleasant and enjoyable to hear. A piece of music that actually looks back to the 1950s musically, this makes musical sense in retrospect to be a more historical musical piece. A simple and elegant piece of music, Eric Clapton’s playing on his Fender Stratocaster sounds really excellent. A forward-thinking and beautiful tune, this is a simple and groovy tune that would especially appeal to those in the USA in the 1970s. Catchy, musical and memorable, this does work wonders for simple music lovers. A pleasant listen, like a stroll in the park, this does sound excellent. Worth your time and ears here, this is a joy to hear. It fades out sweetly.

Early In The Morning is a lengthy piece at nearly eight minutes long. It begins with some cool slide guitar playing, harmonica soloing and a good backing groove to match it. Enjoyable and interesting from the start, this looks back to the Blues that Eric Clapton based his musical career originally on. An enjoyable 12-bar Blues listening experience, this has some good singing from Clapton and sounds very pretty and melodic. With some lyrics about being with an 18-year-old lady, this tune is pretty and adventurous listening. The organ, harmonica and slide guitars may indicate that this is Blues city, but it still sounds somewhat mainstream 1970s as well in its own way. A very relaxing and pleasant listening experience overall, Eric Clapton sure knows how to Rock. Some interesting lyrics are present here, and tell a great story of the lady at hand, even if this is not an Eric Clapton original to hear. A wonderful, pretty and joyous musical listen, the soloing in particular on slide guitar sounds very fresh, to this very day. Something you can definitely close your eyes and relax to. The music here is thoroughly enjoyable. With a really cool and pleasant sonic experience, Eric Clapton and his friends make a decent song to groove along to. An interesting listen from start to finish, this sounds very pretty for what it is. The final section of this jam is fairly mellow, and although this admittedly does go on for a bit too long, it still sounds mint. The song concludes with a great finale. Excellent.

Promises is the main tune from this album. It is a simple and pretty tune that is about broken-hearted promises. It has some simple harmonies, more slide guitar and 1970s sounds to boot. A really gorgeous and lovely listen, this music sounds incredibly good and listenable. A noteworthy release from Eric Clapton’s 1970s output, this has some lovely backing vocals to match as well. A very listenable and pleasant tune for troubled souls out there, Eric Clapton is easy listening music for mainstream Blues/Rock fans out there. Simple, pretty and melodic is the best way to describe these songs. It fades out nicely after three minutes.

Golden Ring enters a sweet and romantic tune about tying the knot. Obviously, this music was drawing on Eric Clapton’s personal life at the time, and he sounds really like he was able to perfectly articulate his inner soul in these songs. This is a singalong tune about love and making that happen, this is decent music for those who are deeply in love as partners. An awesome and often overlooked tune to enjoy, this music is living proof that there have been largely forgotten songs over time. Pleasant music for those who desire it, these songs are legendary and awesome to hear. Eric Clapton does a great job here. Excellent, as per usual.

Tulsa Time is the last song on this surprisingly refreshing album. It begins with more slide guitar and old-style piano, sounding articulate and refreshing. It launches into a cool Bluesy groove that sounds different, articulate and pretty throughout. A very enjoyable and good piece of music to listen to, this takes one’s mind back to the 1970s and the era musically that it was. The clean Fender Stratocaster guitar parts here sound excellent, and this is a simple tune from simpler and happier times in human history. Catchy, energetic and brilliant, this is a good Blues based number that still brings a smile to one’s face today. An awesome tune to dig, the outro has slide guitars galore and a good conclusion via fade out. Great music.

This may not be as good as 461 Ocean Boulevard or Slowhand albums, quite clearly, but this still works musically. If there were ever a mainstream definitive musician of the 1970s, Eric Clapton would be one of the best bets for that. The music here is timeless, golden and brilliant, even for a lesser Eric Clapton album. This was also the last release by Clapton that had his original band for his solo career play on it. That makes it quite special. Give this a listen today.

Decent, excellent and melodic.

8/10