George Graham reviews B.B. King & Eric Clapton's "Riding with the King" The Graham Weekly Album Review #1204 B.B. King & Eric Clapton: Riding with the King by George Graham (Reprise 47612 As broadcast on WVIA-FM 07/04/2000) Putting two independently well-known artists together on one album has always been a way of generating audience interest. Sometimes, that is the result of genuine desire on the part of the artists to work together. But more frequently, it's a case of record companies and producers deciding that such a joint superstar combination would be an effective marketing tool. Rarely, do such joint recordings turn out to be much of an artistic breakthrough for the participants. In fact, most turn out more to be novelties than anything particularly significant. This week we have a very high profile blues collaboration, initiated by the artists themselves, that yields worthwhile results. It's the new joint album by B.B. King and Eric Clapton, called Riding with the King. Blues institution Riley B.

King and British rock superstar Eric Clapton first met in 1967, when they both performed at an after hours jam session at New York's Cafe Au Go Go. They have kept in touch over the years and would occasionally play together on stage, when they two happened to be in the same place at the same time. While King's music has been the epitome of the blues, Clapton's output has been more varied in both style and quality, ranging from the power rock of groups like Cream and Derek & the Dominoes to more pop-oriented records. In the 1990s, Clapton re-addressed himself to the blues and released a couple of outstanding recordings, but also, for whatever his reasons, then took a more commercial pop direction on his last album, the multi-platinum but artistically dreadful Pilgrim which featured unctuous arrangements with automated hip-hop influenced drum loops and samples. Clapton was reportedly weighing his options for the direction of his next release, mulling whether to do another mass-market hip-hop culture clash or return to the blues -- an acoustic album was reportedly under consideration -- when he approached B.B.

King, and was able to get King off the road for a month in January and February of this year to do a joint recording. Clapton chose the songs, subject to approval by King. The material ranges from remakes of some of King's early hits to a couple of pieces by the young Texas guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, whose father had played with Clapton. It's interesting that Clapton waited until now, at age 55, to approach King about a joint recording, feeling previously that he might not yet have been able to acquit himself in King's presence. In Clapton's words "I began to feel that maybe I had found my footing enough as a musician to be able to share the same space" as King. It's immediately apparent that the two work well together on this recording and sound as if they are having a great time. Both write in the liner notes that the CD represented a dream fulfilled. Despite the fact it was co-produced by Clapton and released on his record label, Clapton insisted that King's name given first billing.

The two guitar-meisters recorded Riding with the King with members of Clapton's band, along with ace studio musicians like drummer Steve Gadd and keyboard man Joe Sample. But the personnel line-up on the album tends to be bigger than it needs to be, with sometimes as many as five guitarists and two keyboard players present on a given song, and the added background singers don't help the cause much. The supporting guitarists include veteran British player Andy Fairweather Low, who is a part of Clapton's current band, Doyle Bramhall II, and Jimmy Vaughan, founder of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Also from Clapton's regular band is bassist Nathan East, who played mainly acoustic bass on this CD. King does a majority of the vocals, though both he and Clapton take turns, and both do well. But the album's high points are definitely the guitar exchanges between the veteran bluesman and the now mature British rock star who was such a flash in his youth. The CD begins with its title track, Riding with the King, a song written by John Hiatt in 1983.

The rocky setting is clearly more in Clapton's than King's realm, but they have a good time, and the track gets the CD off to a energetic start. <<>> The CD moves squarely into the blues mode with Ten Long Years, a remake of a King composition he has been playing for years, and which gives both guitarists a chance for some great playing. <<>> A pleasant surprise on this CD is the presence of two acoustic tracks. Though Clapton has recorded occasional acoustic blues tunes before, this is the first time I have heard B.B. King on acoustic guitar, and one wonders why he doesn't play the instrument more often. The first of those acoustic tunes is a Big Bill Broonzy blues standard from the 1930s, Key to the Highway, which Clapton previously recorded as part of the Derek & the Dominoes Layla album nearly 30 years ago. This version is one of those moments that epitomizes the great things than can happen when two major musical figures work together. <<>> On the other hand, much less gratifying to the blues fan is one of the songs by Bramhall called Marry You, a funky rock tune that is given a competent, though hardly outstanding performance.

This is one of those tunes on which all the added players, including the background singers tend to distract from the performance. <<>> Another great old song from the B.B. King book is a remake of King's first national R&B hit, Three O'Clock Blues, a classic-style slow blues, which Clapton starts out, <<>> before King comes in and gives the song all he's got vocally. <<>> The two guitar solos by the pair are classics, helped in fact by the absence of any other guitar players. <<>> Also from the B.B. King repertoire is Help the Poor, which was part of Kings' classic Live at the Regal album. The performance here is not as strong as some of the others, but the New Orleans influenced rhythmic groove adds an interesting touch. <<>> The other acoustic track is Worried Life Blues, and old song by Maceo Merriweaher. Again, it's a very pleasant surprise hearing these two electric guitar mavens on acoustic instruments. <<>> A song choice that would seem a bit of a stretch for these players is Hold On, I'm Coming, the old Sam & Dave hit written by Isaac Hayes.

Despite the song's Memphis soul -- rather than blues -- direction, Clapton, King and the band really cook. <<>> The CD ends with another unusual choice, the old Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer standard Come Rain or Come Shine recorded years ago by Ray Charles, about which B.B. King had some doubts about doing it, going into the sessions, when Clapton provided him with the song list. But the ballad provides a nice ending, with an added string section proving to be an effective touch. <<>> Combinations of such major figures as B.B. King and Eric Clapton are still relatively rare on record and thus much-anticipated by fans. When artists of this level but with different backgrounds get together, one always wonders how compatible they will be. In the case of King and Clapton, both have been fans of each other's work for years, and their musical rapport on Riding with the King is downright contagious. They seem to raise each other's level of playing, with some memorable guitar work through much of the CD. The result is an album that for the most part lives up to expectations. The quibbles I have concern all the extra players.

One track features five guitarists including King and Clapton, two keyboard players, plus the rhythm section. Sometimes, the spirit of the guitar-oriented blues, which thrives on simplicity, can get crowded out among all the added players. The other minor complaint I have concerns the recorded sound -- there is some noticeable distortion that shouldn't be there, especially on B.B. King's guitar and vocals on a few tracks, though not on all. Also the acoustic bass, which should provide a great old-time blues sound ends up sounding anemic and indistinct. It's doubtful that there was a need to economize on the recording budget, so one might have expected a bit better. But overall, it's a decent-sounding CD, especially compared to other recent major label releases. Having B.B. King and Eric Clapton together for a whole album is definitely a treat for the increasing number of blues fans, and perhaps will serve to widen further the audience for Mr. King from among Mr. Clapton's fans. In any case, it's an album that largely fulfills the high expectations for such a significant collaboration. (c) Copyright 2000 George D. Graham. All rights reseved.

This review may not be copied to another Web site without written permission. <<>> indicates audio excerpt played in produced radio review Eric Clapton Shares Touching B.B. King Tribute Video: 'He Was a Beacon' | Billboard COMMENTS Kevin Mazur/WireImage Eric Clapton and B.B. King performs onstage during the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival at Toyota Park on June 26, 2010 in Bridgeview, Illinois. The video also comes with a listening recommendation from King’s catalog. Blues legend B.B. King died last night (May 14) in Las Vegas at the age of 89. To say goodbye and reflect on King's accomplishments, fellow guitar legend Eric Clapton posted a homemade video to his Facebook page. BB King a dear friend and inspiration to me.... Posted by Eric Clapton on Friday, May 15, 2015 "I just want to express my sadness and to say thank you to my dear friend B.B. King," Clapton said. "I want to thank him for all the inspiration and encouragement he gave me as a player over the years, and for the friendship that we enjoyed." Obit: Blues Legend B.B.

King Dies at 89 He goes on to give new listeners a musical starting point for King's extensive work: "Go out and find and album called B.B. King: Live at the Regal, which is where it really started for me as a young player." After decades of performing together, Clapton and King first recorded a collaboration for B.B.'s 1997 album Deuces Wild. Three years later, they made a whole blues-rock album together called Riding with the King. Eric Clapton | New Music And Songs | Eric Clapton About Eric Clapton By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith -- which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation. That it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for one of his stature.

And his debut album, though it spawned the Top 40 hit "After Midnight," was typical of his self-effacing approach: it was, in effect, an album by the group he had lately been featured in, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Not surprisingly, before his solo debut had even been released, Clapton had retreated from his solo stance, assembling from the D&B&F ranks the personnel for a group, Derek & the Dominos, with whom he played for most of 1970 and recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Clapton was largely inactive in 1971 and 1972, due to heroin addiction, but he performed a comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on January 13, 1973, resulting in the album Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert (September 1973).

But Clapton did not launch a sustained solo career until July 1974, when he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, which topped the charts and spawned the number one single "I Shot the Sheriff." The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads. The follow-ups to 461 Ocean Boulevard, There's One in Every Crowd (March 1975), the live E.C. Was Here (August 1975), and No Reason to Cry (August 1976), were less successful. But Slowhand (November 1977), which featured both the powerful "Cocaine" (written by J.J. Cale, who had also written "After Midnight") and the hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight," was a million-seller. Its follow-ups, Backless (November 1978), featuring the Top Ten hit "Promises," the live Just One Night (April 1980), and Another Ticket (February 1981), featuring the Top Ten hit "I Can't Stand It," were all big sellers.

Clapton's popularity waned somewhat in the first half of the '80s, as the albums Money and Cigarettes (February 1983), Behind the Sun (March 1985), and August (November 1986) indicated a certain career stasis. But he was buoyed up by the release of the box set retrospective Crossroads (April 1988), which seemed to remind his fans of how great he was. Journeyman (November 1989) was a return to form. It would be his last new studio album for nearly five years, though in the interim he would suffer greatly and enjoy surprising triumph. On March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son was killed in a fall. While he mourned, he released a live album, 24 Nights (October 1991), culled from his annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall in London, and prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single.

In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged which, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever. Two years later, Clapton returned with a blues album, From the Cradle, which became one of his most successful albums, both commercially and critically. Crossroads, Vol. 2: Live in the Seventies, a box set chronicling his live work from the '70s, was released to mixed reviews. In early 1997, Clapton, billing himself by the pseudonym "X-Sample," collaborated with keyboardist/producer Simon Climie as the ambient new age and trip-hop duo T.D.F. The duo released Retail Therapy to mixed reviews in early 1997. Clapton retained Climie as his collaborator for Pilgrim, his first album of new material since 1989's Journeyman.

Pilgrim was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its spring 1998 release, but the album debuted at number four and stayed in the Top Ten for several weeks on the success of the single "My Father's Eyes." In 2000, Clapton teamed up with old friend B.B. King on Riding with the King, a set of blues standards and material from contemporary singer/songwriters. Another solo outing, entitled Reptile, followed in early 2001. Three years later, Clapton issued Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of tunes honoring the Mississippi-born bluesman Robert Johnson. Released in 2005, Back Home, Clapton's 14th album of original material, reflected his ease with fatherhood. Also in 2005, Clapton unexpectedly teamed with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a Cream reunion that included May concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall and shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in October, with the former being compiled for a live release that fall. This turned out to be the first of many reunions and looks back for Clapton.

In 2006, he elevated the profile of his latter-day idol J.J. Cale by recording an album-long duet, The Road to Escondido. The following year he released his autobiography -- accompanied by a new career compilation called The Complete Clapton -- which focused more on his trials with addiction and subsequent recovery than his musical career. In 2008, Clapton began playing regular shows with his old Blind Faith partner Steve Winwood, gigs that were captured on the 2009 double-live set Live from Madison Square Garden. Winwood also appeared on Clapton's next studio album, 2010's Clapton, which was a collaboration-heavy affair also featuring Cale, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, and Wynton Marsalis. In 2011, Clapton returned the favor to Marsalis by collaborating on the live concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Clapton parted ways with Warner after Clapton, and he chose to set up his own Bushbranch imprint on Gary Hoey's independent label Surfdog. His first album for the label was Old Sock, largely a collection of old songs the guitarist loved.

It reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the fall of 2013, Warner Bros. released Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013, and his Unplugged album was expanded and remastered by Rhino. Early the following year, Clapton announced that a new album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale, would be issued in July, one year on from the passing of his key inspiration. The tribute album included contributions from artists such as Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Mark Knopfler. A collection of his Warner recordings called Forever Man saw a spring 2015 release. Clapton returned in May of 2016 with I Still Do, his third album for Surfdog. It found him reuniting with Slowhand producer Glyn Johns; the album debuted at six on the Billboard Top 200. Later that year, Clapton released Live in San Diego, a double-disc album featuring a 2007 concert with J.J. Cale. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Eric Clapton on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play.

Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith -- which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation. That it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for one of his stature. And his debut album, though it spawned the Top 40 hit "After Midnight," was typical of his self-effacing approach: it was, in effect, an album by the group he had lately been featured in, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Not surprisingly, before his solo debut had even been released, Clapton had retreated from his solo stance, assembling from the D&B&F ranks the personnel for a group, Derek & the Dominos, with whom he played for most of 1970 and recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

Clapton was largely inactive in 1971 and 1972, due to heroin addiction, but he performed a comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on January 13, 1973, resulting in the album Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert (September 1973). But Clapton did not launch a sustained solo career until July 1974, when he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, which topped the charts and spawned the number one single "I Shot the Sheriff." The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads. The follow-ups to 461 Ocean Boulevard, There's One in Every Crowd (March 1975), the live E.C. Was Here (August 1975), and No Reason to Cry (August 1976), were less successful. But Slowhand (November 1977), which featured both the powerful "Cocaine" (written by J.J. Cale, who had also written "After Midnight") and the hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight," was a million-seller.

Its follow-ups, Backless (November 1978), featuring the Top Ten hit "Promises," the live Just One Night (April 1980), and Another Ticket (February 1981), featuring the Top Ten hit "I Can't Stand It," were all big sellers. Clapton's popularity waned somewhat in the first half of the '80s, as the albums Money and Cigarettes (February 1983), Behind the Sun (March 1985), and August (November 1986) indicated a certain career stasis. But he was buoyed up by the release of the box set retrospective Crossroads (April 1988), which seemed to remind his fans of how great he was. Journeyman (November 1989) was a return to form. It would be his last new studio album for nearly five years, though in the interim he would suffer greatly and enjoy surprising triumph. On March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son was killed in a fall.

While he mourned, he released a live album, 24 Nights (October 1991), culled from his annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall in London, and prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single. In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged which, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever. Two years later, Clapton returned with a blues album, From the Cradle, which became one of his most successful albums, both commercially and critically. Crossroads, Vol. 2: Live in the Seventies, a box set chronicling his live work from the '70s, was released to mixed reviews. In early 1997, Clapton, billing himself by the pseudonym "X-Sample," collaborated with keyboardist/producer Simon Climie as the ambient new age and trip-hop duo T.D.F. The duo released Retail Therapy to mixed reviews in early 1997.

Clapton retained Climie as his collaborator for Pilgrim, his first album of new material since 1989's Journeyman. Pilgrim was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its spring 1998 release, but the album debuted at number four and stayed in the Top Ten for several weeks on the success of the single "My Father's Eyes." In 2000, Clapton teamed up with old friend B.B. King on Riding with the King, a set of blues standards and material from contemporary singer/songwriters. Another solo outing, entitled Reptile, followed in early 2001. Three years later, Clapton issued Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of tunes honoring the Mississippi-born bluesman Robert Johnson. Released in 2005, Back Home, Clapton's 14th album of original material, reflected his ease with fatherhood. Also in 2005, Clapton unexpectedly teamed with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a Cream reunion that included May concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall and shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in October, with the former being compiled for a live release that fall.

This turned out to be the first of many reunions and looks back for Clapton. In 2006, he elevated the profile of his latter-day idol J.J. Cale by recording an album-long duet, The Road to Escondido. The following year he released his autobiography -- accompanied by a new career compilation called The Complete Clapton -- which focused more on his trials with addiction and subsequent recovery than his musical career. In 2008, Clapton began playing regular shows with his old Blind Faith partner Steve Winwood, gigs that were captured on the 2009 double-live set Live from Madison Square Garden. Winwood also appeared on Clapton's next studio album, 2010's Clapton, which was a collaboration-heavy affair also featuring Cale, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, and Wynton Marsalis. In 2011, Clapton returned the favor to Marsalis by collaborating on the live concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Clapton parted ways with Warner after Clapton, and he chose to set up his own Bushbranch imprint on Gary Hoey's independent label Surfdog.

His first album for the label was Old Sock, largely a collection of old songs the guitarist loved. It reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the fall of 2013, Warner Bros. released Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013, and his Unplugged album was expanded and remastered by Rhino. Early the following year, Clapton announced that a new album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale, would be issued in July, one year on from the passing of his key inspiration. The tribute album included contributions from artists such as Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Mark Knopfler. A collection of his Warner recordings called Forever Man saw a spring 2015 release. Clapton returned in May of 2016 with I Still Do, his third album for Surfdog. It found him reuniting with Slowhand producer Glyn Johns; the album debuted at six on the Billboard Top 200. Later that year, Clapton released Live in San Diego, a double-disc album featuring a 2007 concert with J.J. Cale.

~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Top Albums John Hiatt - Riding With The King - Amazon.com Music Riding With The King Audio CD, October 6, 1983 "Please retry" Note: This product is manufactured on demand when ordered from Amazon.com. [Learn more] See all buying options $11.98 & FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available. Frequently Bought Together Add all three to Cart Add all three to List One of these items ships sooner than the other. Show details Buy the selected items together This item:Riding With The King by John Hiatt Audio CD $11.98 In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details Perfectly Good Guitar by John Hiatt Audio CD $4.99 Only 5 left in stock (more on the way). Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details Slow Turning by John Hiatt Audio CD $7.00 In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. FREE Shipping on orders over $49.

Details Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Next Special Offers and Product Promotions Save Big On Open-Box & Pre-owned: Buy "Riding With The Kingâ from Amazon Warehouse Deals and save 49% off the $11.98 list price. Product is eligible for Amazon's 30-day returns policy and Prime or FREE Shipping. See all Open-Box & Pre-owned offers from Amazon Warehouse Deals. Editorial Reviews Product Description Riding With The King by John Hiatt When sold by Amazon.com, this product will be manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. Amazon.com John Hiatt has had a long, schizophrenic career. He's been a singer-songwriter, a new waver, an AOR dinosaur, a country rocker, and an adult-contemporary powerhouse. Throughout, his songwriting has been admirable. The production here is sometimes tricky, a tad bombastic, a bit too mainstream and yearning for success.

(Ah, the '80s!) It is also an album divided. Nick Lowe , Paul Carrack , and ex-Rumour guitarist Martin Belmont join the backing band for the Lowe-produced second half and it's here that the ensemble cooks. But it's really about the songs, and there's no denying songs as clever as "She Loves the Jerk," "Death by Misadventure," or "You May Already Be a Winner," which all feature Hiatt's humor hidden under a serious degree of healthy cynicism. --Rob O'Connor Stream Riding With The King by John Hiatt and tens of millions of other songs on all your devices with Amazon Music Unlimited . Exclusive discount for Prime members. Sample this album Artist (Sample) 1 Listen Now $0.99 Sold by Amazon Digital Services LLC. Additional taxes may apply. By placing your order, you agree to our Terms of Use . Product Details Audio CD (October 6, 1983) Number of Discs: 1 for 63 albums, discussions, and more. Customer Reviews HALL OF FAME TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE VOICE on May 15, 2000 Format: Audio CD The sound of a drowning man.

Hiatt's life took a turn for the worse as he slipped into an alcoholic haze and his wife commited suicide. These two traumatic events had a major impact both personally and professionally. The title of this album is a great metaphor for the downward spiral Hiatt's life had taken. Riding with the King towards oblivion could be the actual title of this great, classic album. Made under trying circumstances with two different producers (Ron Nagle & Scott Matthews of the Durocs and long time Elvis Costello producer Nick Lowe), Riding With The King has some of Hiatt's most direct, acerbic and witty songwriting. The hooks from the resigned I Don't Even Try to the powerful Death By Misadventure are original and the lyrics make you laugh as often as they provoke thought. Hiatt's last album (Little Head) was a fairly weak effort demonstrating his weakest attributes as a songwriter. This collection along with Bring The Family, Walk On and Slow Turning belong in any serious music fan's collection. Before Bonnie Raitt covered Hiatt's Thing Called Love, he was writing songs that had depth, emotion and sharp observations. Hiatt at his best is an American treasure and is our rootsy John Lennon & Ray Davies.

25 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Tim Brough VINE VOICE on September 4, 2004 Format: Audio CD I remember hearing this album described soon after its release as two great half albums and thinking that was pretty much on the mark. "Riding With The King" was a step away from the extremely slick sound of "All Of A Sudden," but still found Hiatt being interpreted by his producers instead of having his own voice. The most important thing about "Riding With The King" is that Ron Nagle and Scott Matthews (known collectively as The Durocs) and Nick Lowe probably had the best understanding of any of Hiatt's producers to this point. Of course, Nick Lowe was there when it came time to record Hiatt's masterpiece, "Bring The Family." That makes it an easy leap to think Lowe had an easy time grasping the folksy "Love Like Blood" or the great title song (which became better known after Eric Clapton and BB King recorded it).

Lowe also had the benefit of the band format (Paul Carrack, Martin Belmont and himself, along with Hiatt on guitar and Bobby Irwin on drums). The first half of the disc is Nagle on everything but guitars (Hiatt), and sounds a bit stiffer. The Nagle and Matthews half doesn't fare quite as well because of this, but they got the better songs to work with. "She Loves The Jerk" has since made the rounds with everyone from Rodney Crowell to Elvis Costello taking a crack at it. "I Don't Even Try" mixes humor and bitterness with an even handedness that few songwriters can match. Along with those songs, "Lover's Will" and "Book Lovers" remain songs in search of artists to make them into hits. Of the three albums Hiatt recorded for Geffen, "Riding With The King" is probably the closest to what fans of John would recognize as a John Hiatt album. Consider that the best recommendation possible. Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote.

Please try again By Docendo Discimus on April 18, 2003 Format: Audio CD For twenty-five years, John Hiatt has been held in high esteem by colleagues and critics alike, yet his sales figures have never really matched his talent. This 1983 album is one of his finest (in spite of the slightly mean editorial review); a pleasant slice of what I suppose is called "heartland rock". The title song, "Riding With The King", is not a cover, by the way, it is indeed written and composed by John Hiatt himself. And it is one of the strongest selections on the album, which consists mainly of mid-tempo rock songs, not unlike Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love", although with fewer anthemic shout-along choruses than the average Springsteen-record. John Hiatt is a relative low-key rocker, but fully capable of turning out memorable, melodic songs such as "She Loves The Jerk" and "You May Already Be A Winner". There may not be too many obvious hits on this album, but there are no bad songs either. Everything is worth a listen, and how many 80s rock records can you say that about?

"Riding With The King" is a very enjoyable rock record with some fine lyrics and some memorable tunes. Great handiwork from a real professional who hasn't gotten the recognition he deserves. Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By A Customer on October 29, 2000 Format: Audio CD John Hiatt is indeed an hidden treasure. Like any artist his body of work has some uneven patches; this however, is my personal favorite album (of his). It has a rolling rock quality that makes it great for windows down road rockin' and lyrics that stand up to liner note reading home listening. His gravelly voice has a unique quality and his lyrics have both a sense of humor and an underlying darkness. I'd imagine anyone could relate to "Girl on a String" and especially "She Loves the Jerk". They and other tracks create a vivid image and feeling that's hard to ignore, all the while giving off a beat to let you bang the steering wheel! 1 Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Donald E. Gilliland on August 1, 2012 Format: Audio CD This could be the best album John Hiatt ever recorded (certainly the best from his Geffen years), yes as good or better than "Bring the Family" and some of the other masterpieces he recorded when he was with A&M. Oddly, this album didn't get much hype, and of course sales were negligible, but the songs are ALL great ones; some of his best, most melodic tunes spiced with brilliant, witty, and sometime hilarious lyrics. Don't even hesitate; you NEED this album! Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again Eric Clapton/B.B.

King | Download Music, Tour Dates & Video | eMusic Biography All Music Guide All Music Guide: By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith -- which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation. That it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for one of his stature. And his debut album, though it spawned the Top 40 hit "After Midnight," was typical of his self-effacing approach: it was, in effect, an album by the group he had lately been featured in, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Not surprisingly, before his solo debut had even been released, Clapton had retreated from his solo stance, assembling from the D&B&F ranks the personnel for a group, Derek & the Dominos, with whom he played for most of 1970 and recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

Clapton was largely inactive in 1971 and 1972, due to heroin addiction, but he performed a comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on January 13, 1973, resulting in the album Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert (September 1973). But Clapton did not launch a sustained solo career until July 1974, when he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, which topped the charts and spawned the number one single "I Shot the Sheriff." The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads. The follow-ups to 461 Ocean Boulevard, There's One in Every Crowd (March 1975), the live E.C. Was Here (August 1975), and No Reason to Cry (August 1976), were less successful. But Slowhand (November 1977), which featured both the powerful "Cocaine" (written by J.J. Cale, who had also written "After Midnight") and the hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight," was a million-seller.

Its follow-ups, Backless (November 1978), featuring the Top Ten hit "Promises," the live Just One Night (April 1980), and Another Ticket (February 1981), featuring the Top Ten hit "I Can't Stand It," were all big sellers. Clapton's popularity waned somewhat in the first half of the '80s, as the albums Money and Cigarettes (February 1983), Behind the Sun (March 1985), and August (November 1986) indicated a certain career stasis. But he was buoyed up by the release of the box set retrospective Crossroads (April 1988), which seemed to remind his fans of how great he was. Journeyman (November 1989) was a return to form. It would be his last new studio album for nearly five years, though in the interim he would suffer greatly and enjoy surprising triumph. On March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son was killed in a fall.

While he mourned, he released a live album, 24 Nights (October 1991), culled from his annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall in London, and prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single. In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged which, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever. Two years later, Clapton returned with a blues album, From the Cradle, which became one of his most successful albums, both commercially and critically. Crossroads, Vol. 2: Live in the Seventies, a box set chronicling his live work from the '70s, was released to mixed reviews. In early 1997, Clapton, billing himself by the pseudonym "X-Sample," collaborated with keyboardist/producer Simon Climie as the ambient new age and trip-hop duo T.D.F. The duo released Retail Therapy to mixed reviews in early 1997.

Clapton retained Climie as his collaborator for Pilgrim, his first album of new material since 1989's Journeyman. Pilgrim was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its spring 1998 release, but the album debuted at number four and stayed in the Top Ten for several weeks on the success of the single "My Father's Eyes." In 2000, Clapton teamed up with old friend B.B. King on Riding with the King, a set of blues standards and material from contemporary singer/songwriters. Another solo outing, entitled Reptile, followed in early 2001. Three years later, Clapton issued Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of tunes honoring the Mississippi-born bluesman Robert Johnson. Released in 2005, Back Home, Clapton's 14th album of original material, reflected his ease with fatherhood. Also in 2005, Clapton unexpectedly teamed with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a Cream reunion that included May concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall and shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in October, with the former being compiled for a live release that fall.

This turned out to be the first of many reunions and looks back for Clapton. In 2006, he elevated the profile of his latter-day idol J.J. Cale by recording an album-long duet, The Road to Escondido. The following year he released his autobiography -- accompanied by a new career compilation called The Complete Clapton -- which focused more on his trials with addiction and subsequent recovery than his musical career. In 2008, Clapton began playing regular shows with his old Blind Faith partner Steve Winwood, gigs that were captured on the 2009 double-live set Live from Madison Square Garden. Winwood also appeared on Clapton's next studio album, 2010's Clapton, which was a collaboration-heavy affair also featuring Cale, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, and Wynton Marsalis. In 2011, Clapton returned the favor to Marsalis by collaborating on the live concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Clapton parted ways with Warner after Clapton, and he chose to set up his own Bushbranch imprint on Gary Hoey's independent label Surfdog.

His first album for the label was Old Sock, largely a collection of old songs the guitarist loved. It reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the fall of 2013, Warner Bros. released Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013, and his Unplugged album was expanded and remastered by Rhino. Early the following year, Clapton announced that a new album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale would be issued in the July, one year on from the passing of his key inspiration. The tribute album included contributions from artists such as Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Mark Knopfler. Eric Clapton | Download Music, Tour Dates & Video | eMusic Biography All Music Guide All Music Guide: By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith -- which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation.

That it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for one of his stature. And his debut album, though it spawned the Top 40 hit "After Midnight," was typical of his self-effacing approach: it was, in effect, an album by the group he had lately been featured in, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Not surprisingly, before his solo debut had even been released, Clapton had retreated from his solo stance, assembling from the D&B&F ranks the personnel for a group, Derek & the Dominos, with whom he played for most of 1970 and recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Clapton was largely inactive in 1971 and 1972, due to heroin addiction, but he performed a comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on January 13, 1973, resulting in the album Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert (September 1973).

But Clapton did not launch a sustained solo career until July 1974, when he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, which topped the charts and spawned the number one single "I Shot the Sheriff." The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads. The follow-ups to 461 Ocean Boulevard, There's One in Every Crowd (March 1975), the live E.C. Was Here (August 1975), and No Reason to Cry (August 1976), were less successful. But Slowhand (November 1977), which featured both the powerful "Cocaine" (written by J.J. Cale, who had also written "After Midnight") and the hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight," was a million-seller. Its follow-ups, Backless (November 1978), featuring the Top Ten hit "Promises," the live Just One Night (April 1980), and Another Ticket (February 1981), featuring the Top Ten hit "I Can't Stand It," were all big sellers.

Clapton's popularity waned somewhat in the first half of the '80s, as the albums Money and Cigarettes (February 1983), Behind the Sun (March 1985), and August (November 1986) indicated a certain career stasis. But he was buoyed up by the release of the box set retrospective Crossroads (April 1988), which seemed to remind his fans of how great he was. Journeyman (November 1989) was a return to form. It would be his last new studio album for nearly five years, though in the interim he would suffer greatly and enjoy surprising triumph. On March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son was killed in a fall. While he mourned, he released a live album, 24 Nights (October 1991), culled from his annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall in London, and prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single.

In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged which, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever. Two years later, Clapton returned with a blues album, From the Cradle, which became one of his most successful albums, both commercially and critically. Crossroads, Vol. 2: Live in the Seventies, a box set chronicling his live work from the '70s, was released to mixed reviews. In early 1997, Clapton, billing himself by the pseudonym "X-Sample," collaborated with keyboardist/producer Simon Climie as the ambient new age and trip-hop duo T.D.F. The duo released Retail Therapy to mixed reviews in early 1997. Clapton retained Climie as his collaborator for Pilgrim, his first album of new material since 1989's Journeyman.

Pilgrim was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its spring 1998 release, but the album debuted at number four and stayed in the Top Ten for several weeks on the success of the single "My Father's Eyes." In 2000, Clapton teamed up with old friend B.B. King on Riding with the King, a set of blues standards and material from contemporary singer/songwriters. Another solo outing, entitled Reptile, followed in early 2001. Three years later, Clapton issued Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of tunes honoring the Mississippi-born bluesman Robert Johnson. Released in 2005, Back Home, Clapton's 14th album of original material, reflected his ease with fatherhood. Also in 2005, Clapton unexpectedly teamed with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a Cream reunion that included May concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall and shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in October, with the former being compiled for a live release that fall. This turned out to be the first of many reunions and looks back for Clapton.

In 2006, he elevated the profile of his latter-day idol J.J. Cale by recording an album-long duet, The Road to Escondido. The following year he released his autobiography -- accompanied by a new career compilation called The Complete Clapton -- which focused more on his trials with addiction and subsequent recovery than his musical career. In 2008, Clapton began playing regular shows with his old Blind Faith partner Steve Winwood, gigs that were captured on the 2009 double-live set Live from Madison Square Garden. Winwood also appeared on Clapton's next studio album, 2010's Clapton, which was a collaboration-heavy affair also featuring Cale, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, and Wynton Marsalis. In 2011, Clapton returned the favor to Marsalis by collaborating on the live concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Clapton parted ways with Warner after Clapton, and he chose to set up his own Bushbranch imprint on Gary Hoey's independent label Surfdog. His first album for the label was Old Sock, largely a collection of old songs the guitarist loved.

It reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the fall of 2013, Warner Bros. released Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013, and his Unplugged album was expanded and remastered by Rhino. Early the following year, Clapton announced that a new album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale would be issued in the July, one year on from the passing of his key inspiration. The tribute album included contributions from artists such as Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Mark Knopfler. Eric Clapton — Listen for free on Spotify Eric Clapton Play on Spotify By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds , John Mayall's Bluesbreakers , Cream , and Blind Faith -- which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation. That it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for one of his stature.

And his debut album, though it spawned the Top 40 hit "After Midnight," was typical of his self-effacing approach: it was, in effect, an album by the group he had lately been featured in, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Not surprisingly, before his solo debut had even been released, Clapton had retreated from his solo stance, assembling from the D&B&F ranks the personnel for a group, Derek & the Dominos , with whom he played for most of 1970 and recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Clapton was largely inactive in 1971 and 1972, due to heroin addiction, but he performed a comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on January 13, 1973, resulting in the album Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert (September 1973).

But Clapton did not launch a sustained solo career until July 1974, when he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, which topped the charts and spawned the number one single "I Shot the Sheriff." The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads. The follow-ups to 461 Ocean Boulevard, There's One in Every Crowd (March 1975), the live E.C. Was Here (August 1975), and No Reason to Cry (August 1976), were less successful. But Slowhand (November 1977), which featured both the powerful "Cocaine" (written by J.J. Cale , who had also written "After Midnight") and the hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight," was a million-seller. Its follow-ups, Backless (November 1978), featuring the Top Ten hit "Promises," the live Just One Night (April 1980), and Another Ticket (February 1981), featuring the Top Ten hit "I Can't Stand It," were all big sellers.

Clapton's popularity waned somewhat in the first half of the '80s, as the albums Money and Cigarettes (February 1983), Behind the Sun (March 1985), and August (November 1986) indicated a certain career stasis. But he was buoyed up by the release of the box set retrospective Crossroads (April 1988), which seemed to remind his fans of how great he was. Journeyman (November 1989) was a return to form. It would be his last new studio album for nearly five years, though in the interim he would suffer greatly and enjoy surprising triumph. On March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son was killed in a fall. While he mourned, he released a live album, 24 Nights (October 1991), culled from his annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall in London, and prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single.

In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged which, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever. Two years later, Clapton returned with a blues album, From the Cradle, which became one of his most successful albums, both commercially and critically. Crossroads, Vol. 2: Live in the Seventies, a box set chronicling his live work from the '70s, was released to mixed reviews. In early 1997, Clapton, billing himself by the pseudonym "X-Sample," collaborated with keyboardist/producer Simon Climie as the ambient new age and trip-hop duo T.D.F. The duo released Retail Therapy to mixed reviews in early 1997. Clapton retained Climie as his collaborator for Pilgrim, his first album of new material since 1989's Journeyman.

Pilgrim was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its spring 1998 release, but the album debuted at number four and stayed in the Top Ten for several weeks on the success of the single "My Father's Eyes." In 2000, Clapton teamed up with old friend B.B. King on Riding with the King, a set of blues standards and material from contemporary singer/songwriters. Another solo outing, entitled Reptile, followed in early 2001. Three years later, Clapton issued Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of tunes honoring the Mississippi-born bluesman Robert Johnson . Released in 2005, Back Home, Clapton's 14th album of original material, reflected his ease with fatherhood. Also in 2005, Clapton unexpectedly teamed with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a Cream reunion that included May concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall and shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in October, with the former being compiled for a live release that fall. This turned out to be the first of many reunions and looks back for Clapton.

In 2006, he elevated the profile of his latter-day idol J.J. Cale by recording an album-long duet, The Road to Escondido. The following year he released his autobiography -- accompanied by a new career compilation called The Complete Clapton -- which focused more on his trials with addiction and subsequent recovery than his musical career. In 2008, Clapton began playing regular shows with his old Blind Faith partner Steve Winwood , gigs that were captured on the 2009 double-live set Live from Madison Square Garden. Winwood also appeared on Clapton's next studio album, 2010's Clapton, which was a collaboration-heavy affair also featuring Cale , Sheryl Crow , Allen Toussaint , and Wynton Marsalis . In 2011, Clapton returned the favor to Marsalis by collaborating on the live concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Clapton parted ways with Warner after Clapton, and he chose to set up his own Bushbranch imprint on Gary Hoey 's independent label Surfdog . His first album for the label was Old Sock, largely a collection of old songs the guitarist loved.

It reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the fall of 2013, Warner Bros. released Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013, and his Unplugged album was expanded and remastered by Rhino . Early the following year, Clapton announced that a new album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale, would be issued in July, one year on from the passing of his key inspiration. The tribute album included contributions from artists such as Willie Nelson , John Mayer , Tom Petty , and Mark Knopfler . A collection of his Warner recordings called Forever Man saw a spring 2015 release. Clapton returned in May of 2016 with I Still Do, his third album for Surfdog . It found him reuniting with Slowhand producer Glyn Johns; the album debuted at six on the Billboard Top 200. Later that year, Clapton released Live in San Diego, a double-disc album featuring a 2007 concert with J.J. Cale . ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Read More Show less

Question: Eric Clapton recorded an album with whom called "Riding With the King"?
Answer: B.B. King