DELBERT & GLEN

Blind, Crippled and Crazy

[New West]

A 40-year gap between collaborations must be some kind of world record, but it’s not as if Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark—who last recorded together in 1973—have been sitting around doing nothing. Clark’s songs have found their way to the likes of Bonnie Raitt and the Blues Brothers, while McClinton has been an Americana hero since before that genre had a name. What’s most remarkable about this reunion is that it fits so snugly with their earlier work without feeling retro. From opener “Been Around a Long Time,” they acknowledge the passage of time, suggesting the payoff has been wisdom, and on “Sure Feels Good,” they attribute their positive outlooks to the fact that they “stopped doing a lot of foolish things, started listening to my inner being.” But this isn’t some musical self-help manual. There are plenty of wicked blues-drenched guitar licks and tough, rocking beats. Let’s not wait another four decades till the next one, OK, boys? –Jeff Tamarkin