Eric Johnson - Cliffs Of Dover - Live From Austin Texas (1984)

The guitar hero, Grammy winner and Austin, TX native is seen here on his debut Austin City Limits performance recorded in 1984. Johnson is one of the world's most acclaimed instrumental rock guitarists.

This was the performance that made the world take notice of his talent.

This collection features an early version of his 1991 Grammy winning instrumental "Cliffs Of Dover".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• eric john son
• cliffs of dover
• acl
• austin

[Ateamcaptain]

@marksfatboy Dude, this is the version BEFORE Ah Via Musicom so technically he butchers it on that CD. This version kills the watered down perfect CD version imo.

[Ateamcaptain]

@ifilmandotherstuff It's not. This is the best version imo and I've heard dozens of them. This has fire, intensity, unpredictability. All other versions I've heard post Ah Via are too perfect and planned sounding.

[Ateamcaptain]

@OutsidetheOctaves Ha, ya, a 30 year old "kid". Do the math man. This version is superior in tone, excitement and overall complexity.

[Ateamcaptain]

@OutsidetheOctaves Nope, watch the Leno appearance. This is light years better.

[OutsidetheOctaves]

the last comment missed the link to the '88 video lol... find it here on youtube, it's his other austin city limits performance.

[OutsidetheOctaves]

4 years latter, and more controlled. He's worked out the timing, and has now relaxed into it. You can also hear his tone has improved, and it's nowhere near as over-taxed as the tone in the '84 vid. He's smoothed it out and man is it awsome! You can tell he really got control over the piece. I think he really made this version ('88) his best ever performance really, love the intro stuff from another song.

[OutsidetheOctaves]

@Ateamcaptain and Marksfatboy

I look at it this way:

He's a kid here really. Ah via Musicom had yet to come out, and he's still working things out. You can see just how nervous he is in his posture. You can also tell he's trying to hard to impress in both how he dressed, and more importantly how he's trying to hard to keep on top of things instead of just relaxing into it like he latter learns... though... He does latter perfect it, I wouldn't call it watered down, just smoother.

[MinTraveller]

I can do this song easily......... Well, the vocal part at least!

[YummyBananaFish]

Amazing performance! Eric looks so focussed, you could fire a gun next to him and he wouldn't notice. And the other two look so happy to be playing this song. Guitar music at its best, people.

[plinkytx]

Wonder if Eric ever got that Dumble in the background fixed? ;D

[ThreeEvils2113]

two people disliked this just to be assholes

[iceb57]

@Ateamcaptain agrred; I watched this when it first aired on PBS...