W.C. Clark - 3 Albums (1996,2002,2004) [Re-Up]

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W.C. Clark - 3 Albums (1996,2002,2004) [Re-Up]

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Guitarist, singer, and songwriter W.C. Clark was one of Austin's original blues musicians, and he is considered the godfather of that city's blues scene. Wesley Curley Clark was born and raised in Austin and grew up surrounded by music, since his father was a guitar player and his mother and grandmother sang in the choir at St. John's College Baptist Church. By the time he was 16, he played his first show at Victory Grill and was introduced to local legends T.D. Bell and Erbie Bowser. He began playing bass with Bell's band, honing his blues chops on guitar on his own time. While East Austin's club scene flourished in the late '50s and early '60s, white students from the nearby University of Texas campus began to patronize the blues clubs, and after taking a regular gig at Charlie's Playhouse, Clark made music his full-time occupation. After six years at the Playhouse, he met R&B singer Joe Tex and joined his band as guitarist.

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W.C. Clark - 3 Albums (1996,2002,2004) [Re-Up]

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Although W.C. Clark does perform a few blues, this CD is essentially an R&B/soul session which puts the emphasis on Clark's calm but emotional vocals (some of the lyrics are somewhat philosophical) and stinging guitar. The five-piece Kamikaze Horns are restricted to ensemble fills and riffs. Even if a certain predictability pervades the set, Clark (who in spots reminds one slightly of both Ray Charles and B.B. King) is a skilled perfomer in the idiom, making this a date recommended to fans of the Stax sound of the 1960s.

1. I Only Have Love for You 4:01
2. Just the One I'm Looking For 2:46
3. Reminiscing 4:06
4. Why Do Things Happen to Me? 3:28
5. Rough Edges 3:52
6. Leave My Heart Alone 3:56
7. That's Where It's At 4:11
8. Funny How Time Slips Away 5:19
9. You'll Need Another Favor 3:49
10. I Want to Keep You 3:00
11. Ain't No Fun to Me 2:41
12. Baby, What About Me? 3:53

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W.C. Clark - 3 Albums (1996,2002,2004) [Re-Up]

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Although he records for Alligator – Chicago's home of "house-rocking music" – this long-awaited return from Austin's founding father of the blues might just as well have been waxed during the glory years of Hi Records. As on his last release, guitarist/vocalist Clark meshes R&B with gospel, funk, and blues in a greasy Memphis soul stew that bubbles with passion. The delight Clark exudes in playing this music is evident on every track. His lead guitar playing sparkles, but is mostly reduced to fills and takes a back seat to the jaw-dropping singing that reaches out and grabs the listener. Like Al Green, with whom he shares a similar vocal approach, Clark testifies with every phrase. Not religious-based, this is still music grounded in the church no matter how funky and bluesy it is. When Clark states he's a "Real Live Livin' Hurtin' Man," he might as well be preaching from the pulpit and saving souls. Divided halfway between covers and originals, Clark's versions of Clarence Carter's "Snatching It Back," Allen Toussaint by way of Lee Dorsey's "Get out of My Life Woman," O.V. Wright's "I've Been Searching," and even Oliver Sain's warhorse "Don't Mess up a Good Thing" (with Marcia Ball providing the female duet part) find new life in this setting. He even rescues "How Long Is a Heartache Supposed to Last?" from obscure soulman Jimmy Lewis and makes it sound like the lost classic it is. Longtime associate Mark Kazanoff's tenor sax and production keep the album focused while playing to Clark's strengths: his searing voice and supple guitar work. When he does let loose on six-string during "I'm Gonna Disappear," it's obvious he's got the chops to do more. But it's that restraint that makes this such a satisfying comeback. Sadly, as of its release in 2002, this was the only W.C. Clark album available, a frustrating situation since anyone who experiences From Austin With Soul is going to want to hear more from this magnificent and classy soul/bluesman.

1. Snatching It Back 3:26
2. Midnight Hour Blues 3:26
3. I've Been Searching 2:57
4. Don't Mess Up A Goad Thing 3:01
5. How Long Is A Heartache Supposed To Last? 6:01
6. Bitchy Men 3:42
7. Let It Rain 4:29
8. Got Me Where You Want Me 2:47
9. Got To Find A Lover 3:38
10. Get Out Of My Life, Woman 3:29
11. I'm Gonna Disappear 3:36
12. Real Uve Livin' Hurtin' Man 3:36
13. I Keep Hanging On 3:59

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W.C. Clark - 3 Albums (1996,2002,2004) [Re-Up]

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Like his last album, From Austin With Soul, this title references both W.C. Clark's Texas home base and his R&B leanings. Once again produced by horn player Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff, who also contributes harmonica, sax, and punchy brass arrangements, this is a classic soul lovers delight. Clark's grease-and-gravy voice is exhilarating, dripping with emotion and changing his inflection to boasting, hurtful, tough or tender depending on the song. The opening "Stronger Than You Need to Be" bursts out with the loose-limbed intensity of the best Otis Redding material, as the horns underline a Memphis groove so authentic you'd think you had unearthed a great lost Stax side. Sizzling covers of Redding's "You Left the Water Running," Joe Tex's "I Want to Do Everything for You," and Otis Clay's "I Didn't Know the Meaning of Pain" further cement that connection as tasty guitar licks intricately spar with the nimble horn charts and Clark's world-weary voice. The slow blues of "My Texas Home" gives Clark a chance to strut his guitar skills as does the closing take on Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's "Okie Dokie Stomp," where the brass gooses the already elastic jump blues. He also raids fellow Texas journeymen the Fabulous Thunderbirds' catalog for a rollicking "Twist of the Knife," and kicks back with John Hiatt's darkly affecting "Tip of My Tongue." Cleanly recorded but not slick, producer Kazanoff expertly balances detailed sonics with a gutsy live sound that delivers one knock-out punch after the next. It's a terrific contemporary soul release that meshes blues and R&B into an explosive combination, and shows the veteran Clark at the peak of his powers.

1. Stronger Than You Need To Be 4:05
2. Cold Blooded Lover 3:15
3. You Left The Water Running 3:17
4. I Want To Do Everything To You 2:30
5. Twist Of The Knife 3:44
6. Tip Of My Tounge 5:54
7. Jaded Lady 4:15
8. Ain't Lost Nothin' 3:48
9. Soul Kind Of Loving 3:05
10. My Texas Home 4:53
11. I Didn't Know The Meaning Of Pain 4:05
12. If You Think About 4:17
13. Promises 4:48
14. Okie Dokee Stomp 3:09

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W.C. Clark - 3 Albums (1996,2002,2004) [Re-Up]

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