Gary Clark, Jr. is one of the more underappreciated great guitarists we have in the world. He has a following, sure. He is worthy of doing so. His issue, not that he should see it that way, is that he doesn't create pop songs. He is a blues guitarist.
His songs transcend genre, though. He steps a foot in rock quite often, but never metal. He has a niche, but it happens to be one that is never pop. In the same way that Robert Cray might have accidentally had a hit album in the 1980s, Clark might have one soon, too.
His entire catalog is worth hearing, though. You want great guitar solos? He delivers. You want a fantastically well-conceived song? He does that, too. But again, his lane is the blues, and he is happy to stay there most of the time.
Gary Clark, Jr. finds some words Eric Clapton said insulting
This is where Eric Clapton comes in. Clapton is obviously an incredibly gifted guitarist. He also loves the blues and was heavily influenced by the genre. We should not take that as meaning everything Clapton says about music is true. It might be his opinion, and he is not always right.
In a recent Instagram post, Clark mentions an interaction he had with Clapton before a show. Clapton called Clark the "king of reverb" and, at first, Clark thought he was getting paid a compliment. In hindsight, Clark believes he wasn't, but received a "subtle suggestion."
What does that mean exactly? Who knows. The reference to Clapton does not mean what he said as a compliment, implying that the older guitarist lectured Clark without giving the whole dissertation. Maybe Clark misread it.
Clark wrote, "A man approached me while I was getting settled to play a show. He had a big smile on his face while he said to me “Man, you’re like the king of reverb!” In hindsight, I’m pretty sure that statement was not meant to be a compliment but was meant to be more of a subtle suggestion. That man was Eric Clapton."
Clapton has had some odd views, such as being anti-vaccine during COVID. But he has a right to think what he thinks, as most everyone does. The issue is when he might stray and accidentally insult another musician. Clapton's words might have been harmless, though he can never be sure how others will interpret them.