Room to Breathe

Delbert McClinton

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New West Records
• ASIN: B00006FE1J
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,203 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Texas roadhouse veteran Delbert McClinton hit upon his masterful mix of country, blues, and R&B stylings decades ago, but it took the Grammy-winning 2001 release, Nothing Personal, to fully showcase his talents. Room to Breathe, once again benefiting from a diverse selection of original McClinton songs, updates and embellishes the approach with most of the same participants present. McClinton uses his classic blue-eyed-soul voice with full authority and more than a little eclecticism, bouncing through "Blues About You, Baby" with an almost Jerry Lee Lewis boogie feel, while infusing the snaky "Jungle Room" with laid-back nightclub coolness. "Ain't Lost Nothin'," cowritten with producer Gary Nicholson and harp hero Kim Wilson, is the purest blues expression, although the piano-led ballad "Everything I Know About the Blues," a McClinton-Nicholson tune cowritten by Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, also works well. McClinton rocks through "Same Kind of Crazy," gets funky on "The Rub," and even conjures a distant Lynryd Skynyrd echo on the uptempo "Money Honey." Yet his biggest effort is saved for the star-studded sing-along "Lone Star Blues," a tribute to Texas complete with fiddle and pedal steel guitar and featuring an anthemic country chorus from a host of famous McClinton friends and fans. --Michael Point

Product Description

When Delbert McClinton announces with his latest album that he has Room To Breathe, he sure ain't kidding. After more than four decades of making music, McClinton is breathing freely with the confidence and energy of an artist who knows that he has mastered his game. Still basking in the glow of a new Grammy(r) Award, he has followed up what The Wall Street Journal declared his "best recording ever" -- 2001's Nothing Personal -- with a set that displays even greater muscle, smarts, charm and soul.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Confessions, February 7, 2003

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His Next Grammy Winner (Trust Me!), November 11, 2002

By	Beardo (West Des Moines, IA USA) - See all my reviews

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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the great mcclinton does it again - and even better!, January 20, 2003

By	holly moors (haren gn, gn Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.