Delbert McClinton Nothing Personal CD

NOTHING PERSONAL won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

This Texas bluesman's long career is full of critically acclaimed recordings if not breakthrough commercial successes. Considering his perennial cult status, Delbert McClinton is to be commended for avoiding the crossover-bid celebrity-duets approach taking by so many other baby-boomer blues artists.

On NOTHING PERSONAL, as with the rest of his output, McClinton is more concerned with recording gritty, hard-hitting blues than with becoming a star. From the sharp, angular guitar riffs to the greasy Hammond organ stabs, this is modern urban blues with an attitude. McClinton's delivery is consistently soulful and convincing, but his lyrical style is often light-hearted and ironic, and it's this combination of strong emotion and easy humor that separates him from the pack.

1st Album In 3 Years

Recorded at House Of Blues Studio, Los Angeles, California & Sound Emporium, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Delbert McClinton (electric guitar, harmonica, background vocals); Johnny Lee Schell, Rick Vito, Todd Sharp (electric guitar); Gary Nicholson (slide guitar); Tommy Spurlock (steel guitar); Terry Townson (trumpet); Benmont Tench (piano, chamberlin); Mark Jordan (organ); Kevin McKendree (keyboards); Lynn Williams, Ricky Fataar (drums); Richard Dodd (tambourine); Bekka Bramlett (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Dan Leffler; Don Smith ; Justin Niebank; Richard Dodd.

Photographer: Jim Herrington.

Personnel includes: Delbert McClinton (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, Wurlitzer piano); Jonny Lee Schell (acoustic & electric guitars); Gary Nicholson (acoustic, slide & nylon-string guitars); Todd Sharp, Rick Vito (electric guitar); Tommy Spurlock (steel guitar); Terry Townson (trumpet); Mark Jordan (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Kevin McKendree (Wurlitzer piano, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards); Benmont Tench (piano, organ, Chamberlin); Hutch Hutchinson, George Hawkins (bass); Ricky Fataar, Lynn Williams (drums); Richard Dodd (tambourine); Iris DeMent, Bekka Bramlett, John Cowan (background vocals).

Producers: Delbert McClinton, Gary Nicholson.

Rolling Stone (6/7/01, p.116) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...A great record....like a road map of Americana from one of its most traveled lights, encompassing roadhouse rockers...and old-school country laments..."
Entertainment Weekly (3/9/01, p.83) - "...Finds the king of ripsaw vocals exploring every greasy corner of his roadhouse sound, from the sly Texas 'tonk and swamp boogie to Memphis moaners and elegant uptown blues..." - Rating: B+
Q (7/01, pp.112-3) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Raucous saloon stomps....all come kicking and screaming from life: knees-up to breakdown. McClinton's a dazzling plain-spoken lyricist too....Common Man as earthy genius."
CMJ (4/23/01, p.19) - "...McClinton keeps the faith, and he's rarely sounded better."
No Depression (3-4/01, p.112) - "...A set of strong, evocative, room-warming originals..."