Crossroads

A four - disc box set spanning Eric Clapton's entire career - - running from the Yardbirds to his '80s solo recordings - - Crossroads not only revitalized Clapton's commerical standing, but it established the rock & roll multi - disc box set retrospective as a commercially viable proposition. Bob Dylan's Biograph was successful two years before the release of Crossroads, but Clapton's set was a bonafide blockbuster. And it's easy to see why.

Crossroads manages to sum up Clapton's career succinctly and thoroughly, touching upon all of his hits and adding a bevy of first - rate unreleased material (most notably selections from the scrapped second Derek & the Dominos album). Although not all of his greatest performances are included on the set - - none of this work as a session musician or guest artist is included, for instance - - every truly essential item he recorded is present on these four discs. No other Clapton album accurately explains why the guitarist was so influential, or demonstrates exactly what he accomplished.