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 coo