Who's your guitar daddy now?

Not to replace anyone but to add to the list of great talents...
(Another vote for Roy Buchanan and SRV and Jimi too.) Also, please consider Rory Gallagher, Leslie West, & Peter Green.

i saw clapton in 84 and he is awesome but every song at this concert was the same, in the middle of the song he played a 5 minute solo and then finished it. no imagination or appreciation for the other musicians in the band. either he was catering to the audience or has a big ego i do not know, and he can play but style and taste mean a lot to me as well so i do not pick him for my favorite

fwiw icagas (in case anyone gives a s@#t)

Philojet, I saw Clapton about six years ago, and I came away thinking the same as you. His show seemed to be on autopilot as if the entire performance was done to a click track (no disrespect to Steve Gadd).

I've seen EC absolutely tear it up, but I've also seen him phone it in. Sometimes on the same night.

Marty

Top flight musicians are like professional athletes in that on any given night they'll be good, real good. But on some special nights they'll be utterly fantastic. Tiger Woods doesn't win ever round of golf, Kobe doesn't score 81 every night and Clapton isn't God-like at every show. It's just the way it is.