Reptile

Reptile is the 14th solo studio album by Eric Clapton. The album was produced by Eric Clapton with Simon Climie and is Clapton's first album to include keyboard work by Billy Preston and background vocals by the Impressions. The album reached the Top 10 in 20 countries, topping the national album charts in three of them. In total, the album sold more than 2.5 million copies and gained several certification awards around the globe. To help promote album sales, music network VH1 streamed the album in full on TV. Clapton presented the album on his Reptile World Tour in 2001. Critical reception Rolling Stone'''s Anthony DeCurtis thought Clapton combines both blues and pop music very well and "blends virtually every style he's worked in during the past thirty-five years". PopMatters critic Simon Warner felt the album "could have been mawkish but it's actually quite moving. Clapton, circumspect as a composer and still highly adept as a musical practitioner, has his own authentic blues to draw on now and, in many ways, they hit a truer note than when he dips into the older, existing catalogue of standards. Reptile may be an uneven collection, but its best moments stand close listening". Christa L. Titus from Billboard magazine calls the album a perfect example for Clapton's typical "heritage rock format". William Ruhlmann in his AllMusic review sums up Clapton's history as a rock guitar player and rock god in the early stages of his musical career, then describes the dedication and album artwork of Reptile.