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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2009 > August > 17 > Entry
CD Review: Delbert McClinton, ‘Acquired Taste’
Delbert McClinton
“Acquired Taste”
(New West)
Grade: B
If you are Delbert McClinton, you don’t mess with the formula. If you could sing like that, would you mess with it? You would not. You would mine that shaft where blues and rock and soul come together for as long as your voice held out. And considering this is the 68-year old McClinton’s 13th studio album, he’s not doing too bad.
But if you are a bluesman getting up in years who do you call? Don Was. It worked for Dylan, it worked for the Stones and it works for McClinton — Was gives McClinton’s voice room to move.
But Was also is a pretty straight-forward producer and even McClinton’s voice can’t quite save songs like “Do It” and the opener “Mama’s Little Baby” from falling into the tepid blues-rock that blues-rock too often falls into. We’re not into Blueshammer territory (anyone remember the movie “Ghost World?” Anyone? No? OK) but there isn’t enough there there.
McClinton can still work the ballads like a pitcher rubbing dirt on a brand-new baseball. “Never Saw it Comin” chronicles a breakup that landed from out of the blue, while “Starting a Rumor” hits on a gal in a roundabout way and “She’s Not There Anymore” finds loss and lust in a tango.
He’s also joined by the late Stephen Bruton on the almost Stonesy country blue “Can’t Nobody Say I Didn’t Try” and it’s wonderful to hear Bruton’s ax and voice. But there’s no question the new Delbert is exactly the same as the old Delbert.
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