Customer Reviews

Deluxe Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This "Deluxe Edition" brings together 13 songs from William Clarke's four Alligator albums and three previously unreleased tracks from sessions conducted in 1986 and 1995.
A "pupil" if you will of George "Harmonica" Smith, Clarke was a technically gifted harmonica player who mastered both the diatonic harp and the more difficult chromatic one, and there is a lot of impressive playing here.
The songs are almost all self-penned, and there are numerous highlights, including the slow blues "It's Been A Long Time" and "I Got A Feeling". "Must Be Jelly" won Clarke a W.C. Handy Award (blues song of the year 1991), and the swaggering, piano-driven "Trying So Hard" gets a tremendous groove going. And the previously unreleased "Lose Your Life", which employs the driving Bo Diddley beat, is one of the best songs on the album.

This is still not a five-star compilation, though. Plenty of high-impact amplified chromatic harmonica here, sure, and some nice acoustic thrown in as well, but the overall quality of this material is not quite high enough to put Clarke right at the top of the blues echelon...partly because the musicians that back William Clarke are not particularly interesting or innovative, partly because of a certain lack of truly memorable songs and riffs.
But there are definitely some tasty bits here, especially if you're a harp-lover, and this "Deluxe Edition" works equally well as an introduction and as a career overview for those who just want one William Clarke-disc in their collection.
3 3/4 stars. Nice.

a great collection of the late william clarke songs by alligator records from pawnboker to the last cut you can hear the greatness that was only hitting the surface. if you love good time blues to the serious side of the blues this cd is a must for all blues/harmonica blues lovers

It just seems so unfair that a major talent like the late William Clarke toiled away so lovingly at his craft in relative obscurity (outside the blues world, that is), only to die at such an early age while drivel like the music of Barbara Steisand, Sting, and Madonna is lauded as some sort of offering from the gods. Well, while I get down off my soap box here, fans of blues harp (hell, blues in general) need to hear Clarke wail and this compilation is a good starting point. Another stellar Alligator release, "Pawnshop Bound," "Blowin The Family Jewels," and (chillingly) "Somebody Is Calling Me Home" all deliver the goods.

I am fortunate to have seen William Clarke perform before his most unfortunate early death. While he certainly was in poor health that night, his talent and charisma were undeniable. In listening to his recordings, I always appreciate that he doesn't ever seem to be "showing off". I get the sense that he only plays the notes that need to be played without stuffing anything extra into his music. He does more with fewer notes than most harmonica players do blowing their lungs out. His work on the chromatic stands with the best ever.

It was a terrible shame that William Clarke left us long before his time was up, and this collection of some of his best work is a reminder of the talent that was William Clarke. Longtime fans will not be disappointed with the previously unreleased material, and new comers will be picking up a great collection of Blues from the big man himself!

For those who never saw him live.... you missed a hell of a show.