Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A |
| The Spokesman-Review | Mixed |
William Ruhlmann at Allmusic noted that Riding with the King is more about King than Clapton, and that Clapton's role on the album is more of a "supportive" one. He also noted that aside from King and Clapton's guitar, there are often two or three additional guitarists on each track. Ruhlmann said that the result is "effective", but "never really stunning". Dan Moos at PopMatters described the album as a "strong blues cocktail with one part Mr. Clapton slickness mixed with three parts of Mr. King’s blues stature." Steve Futterman at Entertainment Weekly called the "father" and "son" collaboration "triumphant". Louis Gerber wrote in Cosmopolis that Riding with the King "goes directly to the heart and soul" and is a "refreshing and sensational album, the best in the popular music genre since the release of Santana's Supernatural".
Dave Ferman wrote in The Spokesman-Review that while the album was a "great idea well executed", it is not as good as it could have been. Ferman complained that, in his opinion, Clapton has never been a very good blues vocalist, that Joe Sample's keyboards were far too prominent in the mix, and that the CD sounded too "squeaky-clean, antiseptic and clinical" for a blues album.
Nicole Bode wrote in the Columbia Daily Spectator that on the album, King takes Clapton "deeper into blues territory than he has ever gone alone". She said that King's presence draws out a "raw, growling" side of Clapton's voice that will surprise most Clapton fans. She was particularly complimentary of "Come Rain or Come Shine", on which she said King uses "a mournful vibrato so tender it almost breaks your heart". Bode also liked the call and response guitar and vocal duet of Clapton and King on "Hold On, I'm Comin'", although she did add that Clapton's vocals are not of the same calibre as King's.
Riding with the King peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Blues Albums in 2000, and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum in the United States. The album also won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2000.
Read more about this topic: Riding With The King (B.B. King And Eric Clapton Album)
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