Clapton’s voice is in strong form, although he needs help hitting the high notes for “Bell Bottom Blues.” You don’t get much of his guitar; Chris Stainton’s piano is much more prominent in the mix, and often gives the songs a bit of a theatrical fair, almost like Clapton is auditioning the tunes for a potential jukebox musical. There are some downright questionable musical choices, too, like Clapton playing twelve-string guitar on “Black Magic Woman,” dedicated to Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, who wrote the song. The twelve-string makes the track muddy, with Stainton’s piano trying to fill in the gaps.

The album’s strongest moments are the final three tracks, which has Clapton going electric for blues songs. Here he finally sounds like he’s enjoying himself, tearing through Muddy Waters’ “Long Distance Call,” his own “Bad Boy,” and back to Waters’ for “Got My Mojo Working.”

In addition to “Black Magic Woman,” Clapton covers Fleetwood Mac’s “Man of the World,” also written by Green, and featuring the line “I’m not saying I’m a good man / Oh but I would be if I could.” It’s a song about yearning for love, but one has to wonder if Clapton is aware of how his statements, past and present, have hurt people. We’re all works in progress, and all of us have moments we’d like to have back. Clapton’s mistakes are more visible than the average person’s, but that makes it all the more important for him to engage with his missteps, and not just revert back to a moment when the public adored him. It’s one thing to wish to be a good person; it’s another thing to actively try.