After the guest-star-drenched
No Reason to Cry failed to make much of an impact commercially,
Eric Clapton returned to using his own band for
Slowhand. The difference is substantial -- where
No Reason to Cry struggled hard to find the right tone,
Slowhand opens with the relaxed, bluesy shuffle of
J.J. Cale's "Cocaine" and sustains it throughout the course of the album. Alternating between straight blues ("Mean Old Frisco"), country ("Lay Down Sally"), mainstream rock ("Cocaine," "The Core"), and pop ("Wonderful Tonight"),
Slowhand doesn't sound schizophrenic because of the band's grasp of the material. This is laid-back virtuosity -- although
Clapton and his band are never flashy, their playing is masterful and assured. That assurance and the album's eclectic material make
Slowhand rank with
461 Ocean Boulevard as
Eric Clapton's best albums.