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Way back in time, the early 1970s to be more precise, Glen Clark left his native Texas for Los Angeles to pursue his musical dreams. He was soon followed by Delbert McClinton. The two hooked up on the West Coast and released two albums under the name Delbert & Glen. Their 1973 self-titled album and its successor, Subject to Change, had an Americana blues flavor. They met with mild commercial success and then went their separate ways. Now, 40 years later, they have reunited to issue Blind, Crippled & Crazy.
Delbert McClinton has won three Grammy awards and consistently produced well-crafted rock and blues albums during the course of his 40-year solo career. Clark has remained active as a songwriter, producer, and session musician.
Their new album picks up where their music left off 40 years ago. Their voices have aged a bit but they are still able to present their stories and tales well. The music is still a catchy cross between rock and blues, plus there is an acoustic foundation to much of their work.
“More and More, Less and Less” is an ode to aging and acceptance of it. McClinton’s voice has a nice patina, which serves the song well. In addition his harmonica solo adds just the right poignant atmosphere to the performance. On the other side of the aging coin is Clark’s “Been Around a Long Time,” which came into being from a conversation with a 102-year-old woman who said, “Sonny, I ain’t old. I’ve just been around a long time.”
“Oughta Know” is just a straight blues piece and features guest guitarist Anson Funderburgh on lead. “World of Hurt” and “Good as I Feel Today” may have different structures and tempos but both are rockers. The first is straightforward and in your face, while the second is more laid back and contains some nice slide guitar among its rhythms.
Four decades is a long time between albums but Delbert and Glen seem to have settled back into their former relationship. The years may have passed but the music is fresh. Hopefully it will not be another 40 years before they record another album together.
