Kurier (7/10/97)
Slowhand plays the blues

God appeared in the clothes of a college boy: Eric Clapton shuffle along in baggy jeans onto the stage of the Stadthalle Wien. Let clothes talk: here you will get no tricks, no show. Here you will get music! With a lot of verve. Above the rhythms of drummer Steve Gadd and Marcus Miller. David Sanborn provided a "Taking Off" that made everybody go crazy: he is a sensuous poet on the saxophone. Joe Sample, titeled "greatest gosple pianist of the world" by Mahalia Jackson, scattered around some honky-tonk chords.
And then: this weightless hovering guitar sound, the aimless longing and sadness. When rock guitarists were heros, Eric Clapton was the greatest. And fans sprayed "Clapton is God" on London walls. Now he is again were he started and always felt home at - the blues. Whereas most guitarists operate their guitars like machines, Clapton plays his, the gaunt, shy guy, powerfully, erotically like only black blues musicans can: a guitar should not shriek, but sing. This session has best chances to become "Concert of the Year": "Layla", the most convinving song as to pain and desperation, rather spoken than sung into the microphone by Clapton. "Slowhand" did not chance a bit. Good to know.

Die Presse(7/10/97)
Soap bubble jazz like played with a red plastic sax

...And then the so-called Legends. Marcus Miller presented his with bated breath expected project: with Joe Sample, the ex-pianist of the Crusaders, session-as Steve Gadd on the drums, saxophonist David Sanborn and Eric Clapton. They offered soap bubble jazz. Undenieable they all are great intrumentalists, who know how to create an exiting solo. But lining up solos does not produce good music. David Sanborn, who seemed like the Mickey Mouse version of a jazzsaxophonist, gave the impression as if playing a red plastic saxophone. His solos rippled along with simple harmlessness and showed that he is at his best when playing as a sideman with pop-musicans like Bowie. Even Clapton could not fit himself in. As a result, the concert consisted mainly of repetitions: when millionaire-blues was played, Clapton dominated as singer and guitarist of the band, if popjazz took over, Clapton disappeared backstage. Marcus Miller was not convincing as a band leader. The impression of bombastically produced, but uneventful music could not be denied. Listening to Claptons appalling limply sung version of "Layla", once sung so passionately, it was clear: gigants cast little shadows.

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Fan Reviews

Some quotations from the Slowhand Digest by EC fans:

-"The whole set the Legends acted as a band with equal members, all of them had time to play their solos. Indeed it was NOT something like EC and others. I think EC, David Sanborn and Steve Gadd harmonized best. Steve did an outstanding drum solo job."

-"His (Clapton's) performance IMHO was just average, however Sanborn and Miller did a pretty good job. If you were in the FTC (From The Crandel) tour now you will listen again two songs from that tour but played by a damm good saxophonist and bass, and boy, it made the difference. Stage atmosphere? well, to me looked that EC and Sanborn can deal with each other (exchanges of smiles and words during others' solos) but with Miller EC was always serious. Somehow Miller was the conductor of the band and the rest were waiting for the signal to start."

-"I think that Clapton is during tthis tour deliberately in back. Marcus Miller (the Younger of the "Legends"), was certainly designed for presenting the Band. David Sanborn, was too in back and it make a great job during this show."

-"They played really well together and I had the impression that these five people had a lot of fun during the show."