SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016 Clapton returns to Country artists welcome Beyonce roots on new to the format

n his first album as a septuagenarian, gui- 1977’s “,” which featured his hits Mystery collaborator tar virtuoso is revisiting the “,” “Cocaine” and “Wonderful Clapton turns to a lighter, airy feel on “I Iblues roots that shaped his distinctive Tonight.” Clapton had initially worked with Will Be There,” driven by the harmony of a sound. On “,” the artist’s 23rd studio Johns, a fellow Briton, largely because of a backing vocalist and a deep, rich-toned gui- album which comes out today, Clapton contractual dispute that kept the tar solo. But the song has also set off a revisits songs by blues greats but has also away from his artistic base of the United guessing game as to the identity of recorded two original songs which have a States. But if the former member of Cream Clapton’s collaborator. The album credits strikingly similar feel. Clapton, who often and further cemented his rep- “Angelo Mysterioso,” triggering speculation makes lists of the greatest living , utation as a chart-topping rocker with that the song was a posthumous recording put out the album amid persistent talk that “Slowhand,” “I Still Do” returns firmly to the with late Beatle who was he will soon retire. blues. close to Clapton and had appeared under a similar name on past collaborations. Clapton denied that Angelo Mysterioso was Harrison-but has vowed not to reveal who it is, saying the pseudonym was due to corpo- rate objections to crediting the artist by name. Beyonce presents the award for record The most common hypothesis on social media of the year at the 58th annual Grammy is that Angelo Mysterioso is the late Beatle’s Awards in Los Angeles. — AP son . A less likely theory is that it is young English star , who hen Beyonce dropped a country tune recently performed the song with Clapton in Winside her new visual album Japan, although Sheeran has not been shy “Lemonade,” it was the biggest crossover about collaborations under his own name. news in since brought down the house at the Country Music Interpreting Dylan Association Awards last year alongside Chris In the most original choice on the album, Stapleton. The Houston native’s Southern Clapton covers “I Dreamed I Saw St music roots are interwoven throughout the Augustine” by , the rock legend No. 1 album, but on “Daddy Lessons,” she mix- who is releasing his own album of cover es New Orleans horns and country lyrics and songs today. Clapton stays true to Dylan’s messaging with a sprinkle of Texas enthusi- steady-driving narrative style but, instead of asm. And many in Nashville are welcoming harmonica and a rock backdrop, Clapton music’s reigning queen to the format. Eric Clapton performs at the 2014 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair brings in his blues touches and an accordion. Country singer Dierks Bentley said he Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. — AP Two songs on the album were written by loved the whole album, but when he heard He declared himself fed up with touring He opens the album with “Alabama J.J. Cale, the Oklahoma-born guitarist who “Daddy Lessons,” he immediately thought it in 2014 but last year played a series of Woman Blues,” a standard written by the proved a major influence on Clapton with was a country song. “There is just something shows for his 70th birthday at New York’s highly influential early 20th-century pianist his understated riffs and incorporation of intangible about it that it feels like a country and ’s Royal and singer . Clapton brings to the rock style into the blues. Clapton’s last song,” Bentley said. “It’s not just choruses that Albert Hall. “I Still Do” marks the first time in song-and the album-his signature deliberate, album in 2014 was entirely a Cale, are catchy and verses that could be inter- nearly four decades that the 71-year-old melodious licks, a characteristic of the blues who had died a year earlier. Clapton, speak- mixed anywhere as some pop songs are. It’s a worked with producer , a force in the vein of the late B.B. King. Clapton’s two ing to magazine about “I Still real story that she tells about what’s going on in her life growing up.” Added Karen Fairchild behind the classic rock sound of bands original tracks, “Spiral” and “Catch the Blues,” Do,” said he preferred to return to the studio of Little Big Town: “She has some stories to including , , The both heavily reference the musical heritage. rather than put out a best-of compilation. tell - that’s clear on ‘Lemonade.’ And that’s Rolling Stones and The Eagles. Johns pro- “I just keep playing these blues / Hoping I “At least this album is fresh in that it’s me, at what makes country music great.” duced one of Clapton’s most-loved , don’t lose,” he sings on “Spiral.” this moment,” he said. — AFP The Dixie Chicks covered the song during their current national tour and even Blake Shelton defended the song from critics who Bob Dylan returns to say it’s not country. Female country artists in particular have loved Beyonce’s emphasis on standards on ‘Fallen Angels’ the feminine perspective in pop music for years: Reba McEntire cut a version of fter his own songs have been Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy” in 2010. Even Acovered by hundreds of artists country superstar Garth Brooks said he can over the past half century, Bob Dylan learn from Beyonce. “I was lucky enough to is turning the tables for a second get to see Beyonce’s Vegas show ... I mean, time in as many years. On “Fallen take out your notebook and take notes. No Angels,” which comes a year after the matter how long you’ve been on the stage - similarly themed “Shadows in the take notes on that one,” Brooks said. Night,” Dylan once again offers his “Daddy Lessons,” which debuted at No. 41 interpretations of American stan- on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, starts off with an dards popularized by . extended horn intro, but then Beyonce Opting to use his own band, and not namechecks her home state of Texas. Led by Singer turns 70, an orchestra, Dylan creates a relaxed, an acoustic with hand claps marking mellow mood and sounds in fine the rhythm, she sings about lessons she fans pay tribute spirits as he croons his way through renaissance kicked off with 1997’s learned from her father and former manager. 12 familiar songs including “Young at With its lyrical references to the Second inger and actress Cher turned 70 yesterday, prompt- “Time Out of Mind,” were met with a Heart” and “That Old Black Magic.” Amendment, the Bible and guns, “Daddy ing fans to take to to celebrate the pop diva’s shrug by many longtime Dylan fans. S Dylan has long sprinkled in cover Lessons” could easily pass as the latest feisty career spanning over five decades. The California native Those looking for new Dylan songs, both on his records and in material may feel the same kind of hit from Miranda Lambert. gained musical recognition as part of duo Sonny & Cher Fairchild said that Lambert would be a concert, over his incomparable ambivalence to “Fallen Angels.” in the before embarking on a solo career that perfect duet partner for Beyonce on “Daddy career. And this isn’t even the first Perhaps the feelings of the 74-year- made her a household name, with hits such as “Dark Lessons,” adding “but I am getting in on that, time he’s released entire records of old Dylan, who has spent his career Lady”, “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Believe”. if that’s happening.” Nationally syndicated covers back-to-back. The last time he largely avoiding the unwieldy Fans marked the occasion by posting their favourite country radio host Bobby Bones played the did it, in 1992 and 1993, Dylan revisit- pictures of the music star, who has some 25 studio expectations of fans and critics, can song on his iHeartRadio morning show, “The ed the folk songs that powered his albums, a Grammy Award as well as an Oscar to her be best surmised with lyrics from Bobby Bones Show,” and said the feedback ascent in the early 1960s. Those name, on Twitter. — Reuters “,” which from his listeners was positive. — AP records, which preceded a late-career closes the record. — AP