Just the name Delaney Bramlett ought to make you get up off your seat and go out and find this CD. Truly one of the great musical masters from the late '60s and early '70s, Delaney has created some of the most memorable and wonderful music ever recorded. Certainly all you fans of the original Allman Brothers Band remember his wonderful collaborations with Duane Allman on such great tunes as "Livin' On the Open Road," "Come On in My Kitchen," and so many more in the days of yore. This new release from Delaney, on DK Records, shows that he has lost none of the immense writing and singing talents which we all remember with smiles. He has also found a wonderful singing partner who also happens to be his wife, Kim Carmel Bramlett. More on her in a minute.
Thirteen songs comprise this delicious CD, ranging in styles from soft and sweet to hard and funky and all points in between. Soulful is the real operative word here, for I can find no other way to describe Delaney's music other than with that word. "Funky" starts it off, with a palette of things which he depicts as funky. From bar-b-que on the grill to big ol' mosquitoes to good sweet soul music on the radio, every image evokes funkiness. What is the most evident, right from the opening notes, is that Delaney's voice is as good and as strong as it ever was -- maybe better, and that is a very good thing!
"Everyday's a Holiday" is an upbeat ode to happiness, where every day is like Christmas, and every night is like Saturday night. Next is a very haunting and honest song about the end of love. "It's Over" features the venerable Thumbs Carlille on guitar, and he gives this one a very Willie Nelson-esque treatment with his fills and solo. "How Do You Know (There's Truth In The Love)" is pure gospel. Disdaining the fire and brimstone and the old G.D. preachers who supposedly tell the truth about God, we find that the real meaning of love comes from within one's self when you open up to the real truths of life. Amen, Brother!
"Locked Up in Alabama" tells of the despair of being locked away, yet there is a hopefulness to the song in knowing that someone special will come to be near you, even in your darkest moments. "Free" is possibly the strongest and most personal song on the CD, and it tells of how all of the old fears are gone by having allowed them to come out into the light. Now there is some truth, y'all. Hard work in the hot sun, coming home to the family at night are the themes of "Mississippi," while the love of someone, the pure excitement of being with your true love make "Kiss" a really cool tune. "...I think I need a kiss..." Yeah, who doesn't?!
So, can Delaney still rock with the best of them? Absolutely! "Rock-n-Roll Lane" is about coming on down to the house that sits on Rock-n-Roll Lane, where there is a party going on all the time, and rock it does! "Kim Carmel" is quite simply a beautiful ode to the love of Delaney's life. Kim obviously has given him remarkable support, both personally and musically. Throughout the record, she sings background vocals, plays horns, harmonica, washboard, and she engineered the recording as well. But what is even more apparent is the moral support and deep, true love she gives to Delaney, for his music is very powerful and extremely personal. Whatever demons he might have had are exorcised through the music and the songs contained on this fine CD.
"Aidee Aidee Idee Oh!" is a lazy, floating down the river song, where the singer jumps in his boat and surprises his love with an unexpected visit. "... I didn't even call, because you said you liked a surprise..."
The final two songs give the listener some very intense feelings. Way back when, a certain young guitarist recorded one of Delaney's songs and had a huge hit with it. Well, folks, Mr. Bramlett has decided to take the song back now, and "Let It Rain" is once again the property of Delaney Bramlett. A lilting calypso groove moves the tune along, and although the song is quite familiar, you hear it in a totally different way this time around. By hearing Delaney sing it, one can very easily understand why Eric Clapton has always said that he learned to sing from Delaney Bramlett. The last song is so amazingly strong, so deeply personal, and so filled with emotion that is it hard not to feel all the pains of life. "Brown Paper Bag" relates how when life becomes so scattered and shattered and confused and abused, that there is a very special place where all of life's memories can be found. "... That brown paper bag holds the secrets..." says more than a million other words can say. Everyone needs to have their own "brown paper bag," and Delaney has kept his close by him all these years to remind him of where he has been and to show him where he is going now.
Many of today's artists simply find a "hook" and play it to death. What Delaney and Kim Carmel Bramlett have given us with Sounds From Home is a record of love, of hope, of dreams, and of realizations and truths. It is a CD long in the making, but one that is well worth the wait, for it speaks of the times and of the knowledge that love and truth can conquer all things. Since this CD might not be easily found in stores, you can visit Delaney and Kim on the web at www.bluesparadise.com/delaney. Very special thanks also must go out to Walker Ed Amick, "Whose complete faith in Delaney's music and great talent made this album really happen." This record is a real must-have for anyone who loves great music from a hugely talented artist.
Bill Ector