Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark’s new album, Blind, Crippled And Crazy, is a great
mix of country rock and blues. Running through many of these tracks is the
theme of aging, looking back, acknowledging changes (such as “Been Around A
Long Time,” “More And More, Less And Less,” “Sure Feels Good” and “Good As I
Feel Today”). But this is certainly not a somber look back, or even a heavily
nostalgic collection of songs. Rather this is a fun album, with plenty of
positive vibes and an underlying message to enjoy your life (no matter what
point of it you’re experiencing now). Sure, there are some serious songs, but this
is a truly enjoyable collection of music. My favorites are “More And More, Less
And Less,” “Good As I Feel Today” and “If I Could Be Your Lover.” There is
really only one track that’s kind of weak (“Somebody To Love You”).
Blind, Crippled And
Crazy kicks off with “Been Around A Long Time,” which has a fun country
honky tonk rhythm. This is the first of several songs dealing one way or
another with aging. “Some things just get
better like fine wine/I ain’t old, but I’ve been around a long time.” The vocals
have the perfect rough quality of someone who has been around and experienced a
lot. I like these lines: “If you don’t do
nothing you’re going to live to regret/You won’t have to live with what you
can’t forget.” There is also some groovy work on piano by Bruce Katz. This
song makes me feel I should have a beer in my hand. (Hmm, hang on…)
They follow that with another fun country rock tune,
“Whoever Said It Was Easy.” This song has the hook line, “Whoever said it was easy/He ain’t in love with you.” But make no
mistake, this is a love song. He sings, “But
I’m in it for the long haul/I’m going to love you to the day I die.” This
song also features some catchy stuff on guitar during its lead section.
“World Of Hurt” is much more in the blues vein. This is a
really cool tune about what the blues express best – a love affair gone wrong,
and the resulting pain. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Every day more misery/Ever since you rejected me/You shook me off like
a dirty shirt/And put me in a world of hurt/A world of hurt, a world of
hurt/From heaven on earth to a world of hurt.” I love the moments when it
builds to its chorus. Plus, I dig the harmonica by Glen Clark.
“More And More, Less And Less” is one of my favorites. It
starts, “A lot of things I used to do I
don’t do no more/I don’t play the game, and I don’t keep score/The rat race
rhythm I’ve been living in has put me to the test/These days I need more and
more less and less.” This one is in a similar vein to Bob Dylan’s “Things
Have Changed.” Delbert McClinton provides some really nice work on
harmonica. And I love the electric guitar by Bob Britt.
“Sure Feels Good” is a very cool song with a great vibe
and groove. I particularly love the way they draw out the line, “It sure feels good being me.” You
totally believe them – and hell, it sure feels good hearing them sing it. This
is another with the theme of getting older, gaining wisdom – looking at the
world from a more relaxed, happier perspective. “I don’t have to be anybody I don’t want to be.” And of course this
song features some more cool stuff on harmonica by Delbert McClinton.
“Good As I Feel Today” is another about taking stock of
one’s life, and seeing things are pretty damn good. Check out these lines: “I don’t owe nobody nothing and nobody owes me/And the things I love the
most, they all come for free/The more I see, the more I’m convinced/This whole
world is never going to make sense/It don’t much matter anyway/As good as I
feel today.” This song has a kind of slow, easy rock groove (like something
by Little Feat). It’s a wonderful song, and it has some really nice work on
keys by Bruce Katz.
This CD concludes with “If I Could Be Your Love,” which
is one of my favorites. Something about the way it’s approached vocally reminds
me of Greg Brown. This is a song in which he woos a woman by telling her all
he’d do if he could be hers. I love the vibe. There is something very sexy,
particularly in the instrumental section (listen to that wonderful violin by
Stuart Duncan). And there are these beautiful lines: “If I could be your lover, I would give you my heart/I’d never hold
back, not one little part/Be all in right from the start.”
CD Track List
- Been Around A Long Time
- Whoever Said It Was Easy
- Oughta Know
- World Of Hurt
- More And More, Less And Less
- Just When I Need You The Most
- Somebody To Love You
- Sure Feels Good
- Tell My Mama
- Peace In The Valley
- Good As I Feel Today
- If I Could Be Your Lover
Blind, Crippled And
Crazy was released on June 18, 2013 on New West Records.
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