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Some four decades ago, Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark were just a couple of Texas boys fascinated by the music they heard on the radio, classic genre-busting sounds from legends like Ray Charles, Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley, among others. The duo would take these musical influences and relocating to Los Angeles, would earn themselves a record contract that resulted in two mighty fine collections of rock, blues, and country music – 1972's Delbert & Glen and the following year's Subject To Change.

Neither album sold particularly well, although they both received their share of critical acclaim, and the two men returned to Texas without ever imagining that their albums would later become coveted collector's items among Americana fans. Clark eventually landed back in L.A. where he became an in-demand songwriter with material recorded by folks like Etta James, Rita Coolidge, and Wynonna Judd, among others, while McClinton would launch a recording career that would earn the roots 'n' blues pioneer a couple of Grammy® Awards and a legacy as an Americana legend.

Delbert & Glen's Blind, Crippled and Crazy

The two former musical partners got back together in Nashville after an absence of forty years and decided to do it all over again, recording their "comeback" album with a crackerjack band of seasoned professionals that included guitarist Bob Britt, bassist Mike Joyce, drummers Tom Hambridge and Jack Bruno, and keyboardists Kevin McKendree and Bruce Katz. The resulting twelve tracks, released as Blind, Crippled and Crazy under their old name of "Delbert & Glen" isn't a major departure from the musical trails they blazed all those years ago, or the sound that McClinton has built a career on – that is, a high-octane mix of roots-rock and country twang built on a foundation of blues and gospel music.

The opening track on Blind, Crippled and Crazy, "Been Around A Long Time," pretty much sets the tone for the eleven tracks to follow, as well as serving as a sort of statement from the two singers. While admitting their shared vintage – "I ain't old, but I been around a long time" the two men sing in harmony – they also let the listener know that they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. McClinton and Clark share a solid chemistry, their voices rising above a boozy soundtrack fueled by Bruce Katz's honky-tonk piano-pounding and James Pennebaker's woozy fiddle play. By contrast, "Whoever Said It Was Easy," co-written by McClinton and former NRBQ guitarist turned Music Row songwriter Al Anderson, is a mid-tempo rocker with plenty of Jerry Lee Lewis-styled piano courtesy of Katz while Britt's six-string solos fly effortlessly around the studio.

More And More, Less And Less

The slower-paced "Oughta Know" was co-written by McClinton's son Clay and features studio guest Anson Funderbugh laying down some spirited, soulful Texas-blues styled guitar solos beneath McClinton's lead vocals and Clark's echoing harmony. With just enough twang in the grooves to pass for Nashville, the song is Lone Star state to its core, evincing a certain swing even while bemoaning the romantic temptations found in the lyrics. Clark takes the controls for his original "World of Hurt," a slow-burning rocker with a deep groove and a bit of a Chicago blues vibe courtesy of Clark's smoky harmonica playing and Pennebaker's scorching guitar solo. The tune is pure heartbreak and ache, with Clark's imaginative lyrics matched by a perfectly grinding rhythmic arrangement that highlights his harp and Katz's backing piano-play.

McClinton's "More And More, Less And Less" is a rollicking, mid-tempo lyrical look backwards where the singer deciding that "these days I need more and more less and less," a lesson, perhaps, we all could learn. The song's sparse arrangement is highlighted by McClinton's stormy harmonica solo and acoustic guitar strum, but it is the singer's unique voice that sells the words, McClinton's authoritative vocals adding to the song's hard-fought assertion. "Sure Feels Good," written by McClinton, Clark, and their Nashville pal Gary Nicholson, is a fine little bit of Texas soul that offers up some slinky guitar work by the singer along with lonesome blasts of harp that are answered by Pennebaker's mournful steel guitar. Another group-written effort, "Good As I Feel Today," wears its New Orleans barrelhouse influences on its sleeve, Clark and McClinton's free-wheelin' vocals accompanied by Bruce Katz's lively piano work and a slippery rhythmic groove that makes one want to sway back and forth...

The Reverend's Bottom Line

McClinton's long-time fans will find a lot to like in Blind, Crippled and Crazy and, as mentioned above, there's not a lot here musically that veers off course and into unfamiliar territory. If anything, the pairing of McClinton and Clark brings the two men's talents to the foreground, Delbert the stronger vocalist, Glen the better songwriter, the two together having a hell of a time exploring the blues, rock, and country music they loved as young men. Their enthusiasm shines on every song on Blind, Crippled and Crazy, and if you're a roots 'n' blues fan, you're definitely going to love this one! (New West Records, released June 18, 2013)

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