From the Cradle is the fourteenth studio album by Eric Clapton, released in 1994 through Duck Records & Reprise Records.
Intended as a love letter to 1950s bluesmen, the album was designed to recreate the originals with a "live-in-studio" gimmick behind Clapton, whose vocals also mimicked the original performances.
Coming on the heels of the guitarist's runaway MTV Unplugged success, From the Cradle topped the Billboard charts and ran off with the "Best Traditional Blues Recording" Grammy despite mixed reviews. Even supportive critics like George Starostin (who oddly asserts it as Clapton's best album) complained about the contrived vocals; on the flip side, however, even harsher critics were full of praise for the guitar work.
Tracklist:
- "Blues Before Sunrise" – 2:58
- "Third Degree" – 5:07
- "Reconsider Baby" – 3:20
- "Hoochie Coochie Man" – 3:16
- "Five Long Years" – 4:47
- "I'm Tore Down" – 3:02
- "How Long Blues" – 3:09
- "Goin' Away Baby" – 4:00
- "Blues Leave Me Alone" – 3:36
- "Sinner's Prayer" – 3:20
- "Motherless Child" – 2:57
- "It Hurts Me Too" – 3:17
- "Someday After a While (You'll Be Sorry)" – 4:27
- "Standin' Round Crying" – 3:39
- "Driftin'" – 3:10
- "Groaning the Blues" – 6:05
I got the tropes before sunrise, examples standing in your eyes:
- Badass Boast: "Hoochie Coochie Man", a cover of Muddy Waters' badass boast songs about himself.
- Blues Rock: A conspicuous aversion, given the name on the cover and all
- Break Up Song: "Reconsider Baby", where the protagonist wants his loved one to think their relationship over and take him back.
- Complete-the-Quote Title: "From the cradle to the grave".
- Conveniently an Orphan: "Motherless Child".
- Cover Album: Most of the songs are blues traditionals.
- Minimalistic Cover Art: A completely black cover with two white lines and the name of the album and the artist on it.
- One-Man Song: "Hoochie Coochie Man".
- One-Word Title: "Driftin'".
- Something Blues: "How Long Blues", "Groanin' The Blues", "Blues Before Sunrise", "Blues Leave Me Alone".
