Customer Reviews

Room to Breathe

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to confess something. I made a mistake. Delbert's new CD was released in September. While I always get each of his releases, I put this one on hold because of a professional review, "...on Room to Breathe ... a sense of going through the paces permeates the project. Chord progressions are predictable...not much compositional substance is evident." This guy must be hearing a different CD than the one I get; I'm sorry I waited 5 months!

Delbert McClinton's "Room to Breathe" is an excellent accomplishment. Delbert went through a creative period where he turned out a lot of songs and was ready to head back to record within a year after "Nothing Personal." 4 tracks are instant classics. The opener "Same Kind of Crazy" bounces with a great punching rhythm section, "Ain't no doubt about it; she's the same kind of crazy as me." "Everything I Know About the Blues" (I learned from you) is a slow burn that has "standard" written all over it with Todd Sharp's bluesy piano and Kevin McKendree doing some very classy strings on this track. If Etta James doesn't record this, I'm gonna lose a BIG bet. "Blues About You" is a great boogie woogie, "The hardest thing honey 'bout having' the blues, like I'm walkin' the floor in a dead man's shoes." "Ain't Lost Nothin'" has that great Jimmy Reed kind of beat with Lynn Williams' drums propelling this burning rocking blues. The other tracks including "Don't Want to Love You" are also great. So my advice is to not try to compare this Delbert CD to his others because, quite frankly, he's consistently brilliant! So plunk down the spare change and get some room to breathe! Enjoy!

After watching Delbert's career careen crazily through the decades since my first taste in the 70's, it is great to see him finally getting his due with his last Grammy winning CD, Nothing Personal, and his next Grammy winner (trust me), Room To Breathe.

Crossing musical borders, with the frequency of a tour of Europe on a 2-day passport, has been Delbert's trademark from the get go. It has been both his greatest talent and his biggest problem. Over the years a myriad of record company execs have tried to pigeon hole him, without a great deal of success. Is he Country or Blues? Is that Rockabilly or Bluegrass? I'm hearing Rock 'n' Roll here; I thought he was Texas Swing. The answer is "E," all of the above, plus. Blurring the edges has gotten Delbert where he is today, loved by everyone who has ever seen him perform live over a span of 40+ years. Just add up the new fans made at every show (a high percentage of females... something about his bedroom eyes, I was told by a good friend's wife) and it had to happen for him sometime. It was a war of attrition that somehow hasn't extracted the heavy physical toll that it does from most road warriors. Del just kept getting better and amassed more life experience material for his songs. His collaborations on this outing are helping to keep our boy forever young.

Take for instance the opening track, a roadhouse rocker that has cross over hit single written all over it, "Same Kind Of Crazy," co-authored with long time partner Gary Nicholson. About fifteen seconds in, you realize that he can still deliver the goods! Kevin McKendree (former keyboardist with Tom Principato, Big Joe and the Dynaflows, Lee McBee and the Passions, and Lee Roy Parnell) helps the entire CD flow with both Wurlitzer and Hammond; especially on this track where he pulls out a funhouse Leslie'd B-3 for a first-rate solo. After contacting Kevin about this effect, he said," The sound I got for "...Crazy" was just a B3 turned up loud with a rarely used Vibrato setting. I'm glad you think it sounds crazy, that's what I intended.

Sounding like a tune that would make Lee Dorsey salivate, "Won't Be Me" has a little NRBQ humor rolled into it by co-author Al Anderson. Big Al also contributes on the barrelhouse blues "Blues About You Baby". Switching gears to more story telling is "Lone Star Blues," complete with fiddle, steel guitar and a chorus that is a who's who of Texas-based singer/songwriters too numerous to mention here. Sounds like the Armadillo lives!

Lets not leave out the jazzy funk of "The Rub," the post 9/11 big band tip of the hat to "New York City," the two obligatory trademark ballads, "Everything I know About The Blues" and "Don't Want To Love You Anymore" or the smarmy, tongue in cheek tune about televangelism in "Smooth Talk." Did I mention the sleazy horn funk of "Jungle Room" or the double steppin' boogie of "Money Honey"?

This recording finds Delbert's voice in customary ultra cool twang (like getting kissed with a fist full of Jacksboro Highway gravel in a velvet Royal Crown bag) and seemingly very comfortable being in his own skin. I recommend the purchase of this CD and seeing Del live. They are both very tasty treats.
Get out and see some live music soon!!

Beardo for BluesWax, the largest Blues publication in the World

Delbert McClinton has, to my knowledge, never mad a bad record. He even took up a few songs I thought nobody would dare touch, like PleasePleasePlease or Have a little faith in me, or Let the good times roll. Everyone thought the originals were impossible to beat, but he did it.
And this man gets better and better with age. It's unbelievable. This is his very best album yet.
His gritty, relaxed voice is doing great, the band plays with a nice rough edge, the songs are great and it's a fantastic album.
I've played it again and again in different ways, and it keeps getting better. For instance: I think Money Honey doesn't last long enough, it should keep on rolling for at least half an hour, so I put it on repeat. That's when you start to find the subtleties in this music, and you never get bored.
This man should be world famous.

This is the kind of CD you want to listen to over and over and over again in case you missed something or maybe fill your bathtub with copies of the CD and roll around naked in them -- okay a bit over the top but it is that great. I am a big Mcclinton fan and wasn't disappointed by this CD. His voice is better than ever. You Ain't Lost Nothin' makes you tap your feet and laugh at the same time as you remember a certain ex-husband who ... okay, again a bit over the top. Keep it comin' Delbert.

"Room To Breathe" follows two really good releases, "One Of The Fortunate Few" and Grammy winner "Personal Best". In a way, it's unfortunate for Delbert that the prior two releases were so good as comparisons to those releases are now inevitable. Simply stated, "Room To Breathe" will not win any awards for best record of the year and does not rise to the level of excellence of the of the prior two discs. All that being said, the disc is not bad. Delbert opens with two upbeat country blues numbers that would have easily fit comfortably on either of the last two releases and then slips into a very interesting Tom Waits like number, "Jungle Room". "Everything I Know About The Blues" is a slow ballad, which seems to be a little out of step with the tempo of the rest of the disc. "Blues About You" is a Jerry Lee Lewis styled blues number. From there you get a good mix of regular McClinton fare until you hit the pitifully slow "Don't Want To Love You" which sounds as though it needs a couple of hounds howling in the background to complete the mood. Delbert turns it on again with "Ain't Lost Nothin'" and "Milk Honey" before ending things with the exceptional jazz flavored "New York City". Not enough oomph for 5 stars but a solid four stars nonetheless.

Delbert has learned how to arrange his albums. This is his best yet, even better than Nothing Personal. Not necessarily the best songs ever, but certainly the best music on any of his previous studio efforts. I can hardly wait for the the video of Lone Star Blues.

Room To Breathe Is The Best Yet.. This CD Has Something For Everyone..I Have Been A Big Delbert Mcclinton Fan For Many Years.Always Waiting For Him To Really Have A BIG HIT and HIT THE BIG TIME. Well He Is On His Way With Room To Breathe,Same Kind Of Crazy Hits Home With Soul,And Everthing I Know About The Blues Is Just One OF His Best. In Fact The CD Just Does Not Have Any B.Side Cuts On It.IT'S ALL A# 1 Music.....Dont Miss One Of Delberts Best CD's....... Bill Tarwater

It's rare that you find a single CD with such force.
Dilbert writes these songs with a sharp insight into the
human condition...'witness what I said he done.', and
'that woman's the same kind of crazy as me!'.
Clever arranging prevents any let down as tunes spin by,
then, as always, McClinton performance is peerless.
Challenge: Find a single number that doesn't work!

"Room To Breathe" follows two really good releases, "One Of The Fortunate Few" and Grammy winner "Nothing Personal". In a way, it's unfortunate for Delbert that the prior two releases were so good as comparisons to those releases are now inevitable. Simply stated, "Room To Breathe" will not win any awards for best record of the year and does not rise to the level of excellence of the of the prior two discs. All that being said, the disc is not bad. Delbert opens with two upbeat country blues numbers that would have easily fit comfortably on either of the last two releases and then slips into a very interesting Tom Waits like number, "Jungle Room". "Everything I Know About The Blues" is a slow ballad, which seems to be a little out of step with the tempo of the rest of the disc. "Blues About You" is a Jerry Lee Lewis styled blues number. From there you get a good mix of regular McClinton fare until you hit the pitifully slow "Don't Want To Love You" which sounds as though it needs a couple of hounds howling in the background to complete the mood. Delbert turns it on again with "Ain't Lost Nothin'" and "Milk Honey" before ending things with the exceptional jazz flavored "New York City". Not enough oomph for 5 stars but a solid four stars nonetheless.

This is my first album of this ilk and I am smitten by the versality of his performance. He can do a ballad, the low down blues and honkey tonk country equally well. It almost has that Texas country feeling, but is featured as rhythm and blues - I'll go along with that!! Track #9 - Don't Want To Love You Anymore - ranks among the best of his ballads. I never tire of hearing him sing this particular song. I am so glad I discovered him at last.