Nothing Personal

Delbert McClinton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 6, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New West Records
• ASIN: B00005A887
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,600 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #23 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Contemporary Blues

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like many other senior bluesmen, Delbert McClinton is getting back to basics: Nothing Personal, his first album for New West, is the raw, stripped-down sort of material that sounds best when you know it comes from experience. It is this sense of things seen and done that pervades every track, and which prevents songs like "When Rita Leaves" and "Don't Leave Home Without It" from lapsing into sentimentality. The more emotional, personal numbers--the album's title notwithstanding, this is a highly personal album--are balanced with high-energy material, though even these songs, such as "Livin' It Down," have a serious thing or two to say. McClinton also neatly avoids several clichés. Take, for instance, "Nothing Lasts Forever," which has, as a theme, the necessity of living life to the fullest without burning yourself out. One might expect such a song to be an uptempo rocker. Instead, it moves along at an easy, swinging pace, the musical personification of following a path of moderation. Nothing Personal is full of little touches and techniques like this, moving out of the realm of merely good, and into the ranks of art. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delbert McClinton's Still Got It!, March 12, 2001

By 

Ron Frankl (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nothing Personal (Audio CD)

Delbert McClinton may never record a truly great album, but he's come close a couple of times, but he'll never make a bad one. The sixty-year-old Texan has been making music for forty years, and if his blend of classic rhythm & blues, country, and rock & roll is not highly original, its never less than believable and sincere. Blessed with a solid set of pipes, McClinton is still one of the finest white r&b singers of the last few decades. He also plays a mean harmonica (He gave pointers on the instrument to a young John Lennon in 1962, prior to the recording of the Beatles' first single).

"Nothing Personal" is one of the best albums of McClinton's long career. He wrote or co-wrote all thirteen songs, with the opening "Livin' It Down," "When Rita Leaves" and "Birmingham Tonight" this listener's favorites. There is no groundbreaking music here, but that's besides the point. Most artists would be glad to make music this gritty, real and fun at any point in their careers.

The closest that Delbert McClinton ever came to a hit single was over two decades ago, when " Givin' It Up For Your Love" almost climbed the charts. Given current tastes, nothing here is going to change that. Delbert has also had bad luck with record companies, as several have folded or reorganized with McClinton's latest recording barely on the streets. He's on a new, independent label with "Nothing Personal" and I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.

Certainly McClinton's fans will want to own this, but anyone who enjoys well-crafted, soulful r&b and rock will enjoy "Nothing Personal."

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Barroom Boogie, March 27, 2001

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nothing Personal (Audio CD)

Delbert McClinton has been so good for so long, he should get an award for musical consistency. This CD takes us back to the bar where the smoke is thick & the music's hot. "Living it Down" starts the CD with a hot rocker. Delbert sings, "Sometimes you get the honey, sometimes all you get is the sting." A funky tune that bounces as much as rocks comes next in "Gotta Get It Worked On." "When Rita Leaves" is a tear-in-your-beer country lament laced with Spanish guitar: "Rita left with everything but the one red dress I liked." We get a little honky tonk boogie on "Squeeze Me In." Kevin McKendree burns the keyboards with his hot piano. Delbert joined Iris DeMent on her last CD, "The Way I Should"; she returns the favor with a good supporting vocal in the sad country song "Birmingham Tonight." "Baggage Claim" is a slow lusty tune with Todd Sharp's guitar sounding like a dizzy Duane Eddy. You'll want to hit the repeat button on this one. "All Night Long" is another full-tilt rocker recouting a love affair where they "did everything from A to Z." "Don't Leave Home Without It" is an almost elegiac declaration of love. Delbert hits a slow bluesy groove in "Desperation" where the girl is "devil & angel, hand in hand." "Nothing Lasts Forever" maintains the blues mood while picking up the tempo as Delbert advises, "have a good time & try to string a few together." "Read Me My Rights" slows us back down with Kevin McKendree's mournful organ & McClinton's soulful inquiry, "Do you still love me or am I just wastin' my time?" McKendree again shines with the blues piano riff on "All There Is of Me," an I-lost-my-baby song. The CD concludes with what seems like Delbert commenting on his career in "Watchin' the Rain." The melody seems purposefully off-kilter as a man who seems satisfied sings "the best you get is to just get by." Mistake not, this CD more than just gets by! This is one you'll want in your collection!

[Note: This is my 3rd try at reviewing this. If either of the other 2 show up, sorry! This CD is so good, it's worth the effort!]

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why are we limited to 5 stars?, March 13, 2001

By 

Tim "pap_the_pirate" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nothing Personal (Audio CD)

After Delbert's last album (One of the Fortunate Few), I didn't think it was possible to get any better.

I was wrong!

Nothing Personal is DMac at his best, and it is nothing BUT personal - you have to live life to sing the blues, and our man sings and writes like he's been rode hard and put away wet. When Rita Leaves will probably get the most attention (and it deserves attention) but don't overlook the pure Delbert lyrics on Livin' It Down, or gems like Birmingham Tonight, Read Me My Rights, or my sleeper-pick, Don't Leave Home Without It.

This is beautiful sound and as real as it gets.