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"Modern Texas blues at its best.
Impeccable, soothing soul and flashy, jumped-up roadhouse blues.
Heartfelt emotion and sweet-as-molasses soul delivery. As a
vocalist, he's untouchable."
- Blues Revue Magazine (May 2002)
"W.C. Clark has it all.
Everything from good old rock 'n 'roll and gritty R&B to strutting Memphis
soul, second-line funk and contemporary blues."
- Living Blues (May 2002)
From
Austin With Soul (Alligator) W.C. Clark spends most of his time on the
road these days, and for this reason locals sometimes take him for
granted. After all, the guitarist has been a stalwart of the local blues
scene for as long as any of us can remember, over 30 years now. Well, let
me tell you, Clark is back with a passion, and he's laid down the gauntlet
for all those ubiquitous SRV wannabes who continue to flock to our fair
city. Take note, y'all. After three critically acclaimed projects for the
now-defunct Black Top label, one of which garnered him a coveted W.C.
Handy Award for Best Soul/Blues Album, the "Godfather" of the Austin blues
scene raises the ante on this debut for the independent Alligator imprint,
the premier blues label in the biz. The result is a glorious homegrown
affair, recorded and produced south of the river at Arlyn Studios with a
cadre of crack local musicians, that stands proudly as the most satisfying
set of good rockin', soul-drenched blues to come out of Austin in quite
some time.
Clark's potent combination of gritty Texas guitar blues and shuffles
wedded to the smooth, gospel-rich Stax/Hi sound of Memphis is a total
knockout. Two of the many highlights here include a saucy romp with
homegirl and labelmate Marcia Ball on the Ike & Tina-esque "Don't Mess Up
a Good Thing," followed by a devastating vocal performance by Clark on the
heartbreaking soul ballad, "How Long Is a Heartache Supposed to Last?"
that wrings out every last drop of emotion.
Welcome home, W.C., we've missed you.
- Jay
Trachtenberg, The Austin Chronicle, Austin,
TX (April 26, 2002)
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