Pilgrim
	Produced by Eric Clapton & Simon Climie
	Released on March 10, 1998
	UK CHART POSITION #6 . . . US CHART POSITION #4 . . . PLATINUM RECORD (4/22/98) . . . CAN CHART POSITION #5
	Find it at GEMM
9 46577-2 cover [high resolution photo]

T he well-written reviews are the worst. It’s easy to take an insult from a raving fool, but when a person troubles themselves to articulate your failings in a nice sentence, it adds a certain legitimacy to the whole thing that stings. Both were hurled at Pilgrim: angry rant (his worst album ever) and polite correction (perhaps he should retire). But at the other end of the pole were people like me who really liked Pilgrim. I can’t think of a Clapton album that’s polarized listeners so. Perhaps his loyal followers felt abandoned. Admittedly courting younger listeners, Clapton and coproducer/cowriter Simon Climie introduced programmed drum beats, lush orchestration and created a studio album that left the baggage of the ‘70s and ‘80s behind. The result is his most consistently polished studio release to date. I find it interesting that when Carlos Santana and Paul McCartney make music like this, people say they’re re-energized. Clapton fans are clearly a less resilient lot. Listening to Phil Collins and Steve Winwood dissolve into the great gray bland during the ‘90s, I welcome Pilgrim with open arms. Despite the cover, it’s not the blues in the traditional sense. Clapton is singing about personal pain, experience, the sort of internal tinkering that Mike + The Mechanics made a career out of. Now I don’t find the album emotionally resonant (my life is pretty much a flat black line), but I don’t listen to Eric Clapton to get answers in life. I listen to him for the music, and Pilgrim has more good music on it than any Clapton record since maybe Money And Cigarettes. Of course, I thought But Seriously Folks was a great album too. If you didn’t, you may wish to let Pilgrim pass on its way.

9 46577-2 back sleeve	9 46577-2 picture sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. MY FATHER'S EYES    (Eric Clapton)
2. RIVER OF TEARS    (Eric Clapton/Simon Climie)
3. PILGRIM    (Eric Clapton/Simon Climie)
4. BROKEN HEARTED    (Eric Clapton/Greg Phillinganes)
5. ONE CHANCE    (Eric Clapton/Simon Climie)
6. CIRCUS    (Eric Clapton)
7. GOING DOWN SLOW    (St. Louis Jimmy)
8. FALL LIKE RAIN    (Eric Clapton)
9. BORN IN TIME    (Bob Dylan)
10. SICK & TIRED    (Eric Clapton/Simon Climie)
11. NEEDS HIS WOMAN    (Eric Clapton)
12. SHE'S GONE    (Eric Clapton/Simon Climie)
13. YOU WERE THERE    (Eric Clapton)
14. INSIDE OF ME    (Eric Clapton/Simon Climie)
    
    JPN CD bonus track
    
15. THEME FROM A MOVIE THAT NEVER HAPPENED

CREDITS

ERIC CLAPTON -- vocals & guitar, backing vocals, album sleeve concept
CHYNA -- backing vocals
SIMON CLIMIE -- keyboards, synthesizer bass, backing vocals, drum programming, keyboard programming
NICK INGMAN -- string arrangement
LONDON SESSION ORCHESTRA -- strings
PAUL WALLER -- drum programming
Paul Brady -- tin whistle & backing vocals (4)
Dave Bronze -- bass guitar (13)
Paul Carrack -- hammond organ, wurlitzer
Nathan East -- bass guitar
Kenny Edmonds -- backing vocals (9)
Andy Fairweather-Low -- guitar (1)
Steve Gadd -- drums
Luis Jardim -- bass guitar, percussion
Ruth Kelly-Clapton -- spoken verse (14)
Pino Paladino -- bass guitar
Greg Phillinganes -- keyboards
Tony Rich -- backing vocals (11)
Joe Sample -- piano
Chris Stainton -- hammond organ
Alan Douglas -- engineer, mixing
Mick Guzauski -- mixing
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto -- illustration
Wherefore Art? -- design

Did you know...

...that Pauline Black's real name is Pauline Vickers? She changed it to because she didn't want her employers to recognize her name. (Source: OC Ska.)

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