White blues I find quite boring.
Now, I'm not talking about those who take blues somewhere else of mix it up. I'm not talking about Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Paul Butterfield blues band, Blues Projections, George Thorogood, or even The Animals … few of them, would call themselves blues bands, some would call themselves, at one time or another, Rhythm and Blues bands, Elvis would call himself neither.
And he is perfectly right to do so. There is no doubt he loved the blues but he also loved gospel, country, trad pop, and even opera vocalists.
So, his blues can be pretty authentic, but usually he incorporates his other loves.
Delaney Bramlett, is much the same.
He is steeped in the blues and is, accordingly, name checked in white blues circles,
But Blues Hounds rarely find much joy in him. He is not authentically acoustic folkie, and he isn't aggressively electric with rhythm and beat.
He is both and more.
Like Elvis he grew up in the South and like Elvis hi likes country, gospel and the blues, but he also likes everything that came after, like early rock, southern soul and Elvis himself.
This makes him an bona fide Americana roots inspiration.
Bramlett was the husband half of roots blues and soul husband and wife duo Delaney & Bonnie.
They made six albums together before fame and (no doubt) temptations on the road let to them splitting, personally and professionally.
Bonnie had great lungs and shared Delaney's enthusiasms but Delaney was the musical brains.
As wikipedia says, "In the late 1960s, British guitarist Eric Clapton joined Delaney & Bonnie & Friends on tour, after which Bramlett produced and co-wrote songs for Clapton's debut solo album, Eric Clapton. Clapton has credited Bramlett for pushing him to sing and teaching him the art of rock vocals. Bramlett produced King Curtis's last album, which produced two hit singles, "Teasin'" and "Lonesome Long Way from Home" … Bramlett taught George Harrison, who was then with the Beatles, to play slide guitar, which resulted in Harrison's hit "My Sweet Lord". Bramlett wrote, recorded, or appeared on stage with many notable performers, including Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Billy Preston, John Lennon, the Everly Brothers, Spooner Oldham, Steve Cropper and Billy Burnette. Members of the Friends appearing in concert or recording with Bramlett on Friends albums include Clapton, Harrison, Leon Russell, King Curtis, Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, Dave Mason, Rita Coolidge, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, and Gram Parsons".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaney_Bramlett
Delaney and Bonnie were envies, respected and in the charts.
And, it was Delaney who engineered this.
Bonnie, born and raised in the urban industrial north, was a wonderful R&B shouter, Delaney was a "down home" country boy from the South (who moved to California in his 20s).
The music he created, both with Bonnie and solo, oozes the South in buckets.
His records have that uncanny, specifically southern, sound where they sound both tight and ragged. There is a musical workout going on which sounds like it could fall apart.
Also, he was never afraid of mixing things up a little of taking a chance.
This isn't Zappa experimentalism or Beefheart cosmic reinvention but it is Southern root music which means everything gets a run, even the kitchen sink.
This is southern rock and soul.
This album is the first after Delaney's, personal and professional, break-up with Bonnie. It was amicable (I'm led to believe) which, perhaps, explains why there are no "tear in my beer", "crying in my grits", "sobbing on your sleeve" type songs.
This is upbeat, as upbeat as anything from a Delaney and Bonnie album (and the backing vocalists replace Bonnie for all intents and purposes) though "upbeat" from the south is always tempered with melancholy, memory and regret.
As sometimes happens, in these full blown roots rock and soul albums, the individual songs aren't as important as the groove or workout going on.
And that is the case here. Not one songs stands, out. That doesn't mean they are bad, just that the overall sound is more important.
And this is a first class roots rock 'n' roll and southern soul record.
Delaney writes all the songs, bar the traditional, plays guitar, sings, arranges and produces.
Check out the Delaney & Bonnie comments for biographical detail on Delaney.
He died in 2008 (aged 69) and is only remembered by vinyl addicts, genre enthusiasts or the lucky ones who saw and heard him the first time round when the world was at his feet.
Roots music, with horns has been done to death and is usually slicker than it is here but Delaney’s contribution to roots rock deserves more applause.
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- Over and Over – this rocks in a funky way and has great backing vocals.
- Thank God – what starts as a restrained soul in the Ray Charles manner gets a great organ workout half way through.
- Please Accept My Love – gospel blues.
- Keep It Going – a funky work with shades of Rufus Thomas "Chicken Scratch"
- Some Things Coming (Heartbeat) – the title song sounds like it has dropped of another album. Authentic sounding African rhythms and chants, well before Paul Simon, open the song before it slides into a rock and then back again … and its over in a jiffy. I don't get it but I love it.
Side Two
- Down By The Riverside – one of the most famous of all spirituals. It has been done by everyone. I'd like to think he was inspired by Elvis' version from the "Frankie & Johnny" film soundtracks (1966) which is dolloped with Hollywood southern pop, but that would be a stretch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_by_the_Riverside
- Sit Right Down – another rock and soul workout with some nice bottleneck guitar.
- I'm Not Your Lover, I'm Your Lovee – a soul ballad.
- Try A Little Harder – an Allman Brothers type of Southern rocker if they were a gender integrated band.
And …
A hoot, where is my mint julep? …. I'm keeping it.
Chart Action
Nothing nowhere
Sounds
Over And Over
mp3 attached
Thank God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLhH_qEt8RY
Please Accept My Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuhKXoHm7_I
Keep It Going
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJO7nkUdDnM
Some Things Coming (Heartbeat)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rMLds3o2O8
Down By The Riverside
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-ov_PVLkYA
Sit Right Down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=539W0NUrgNk
I'm Not Your Lover, I'm Your Lovee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EH56VD1q84
Try A Little Harder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkDFWmH6fY0
Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxI4t-AeIVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4gqGlq27qU
Review
https://www.allmusic.com/album/some-things-coming-heartbeat-mw0000850032
https://bluesmatters.com/delaney-bramlett-some-things-coming-mobius-strip/
http://stuckinthepast08.blogspot.com/2012/02/delaney-bramlett-somethings-coming-1972.html
https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=2582&name=Delaney+Bramlett
Bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaney_Bramlett
http://badcatrecords.com/BadCat/DELANEYbonnie.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaney_%26_Bonnie
Website
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Trivia
- Personnel: Bramlett (lead vocals and guitars), (a full-on) horn section (Jim Gordon, Jerry Jumonville, Joe Davis, Darell Leonard, Larry Savoie), Venetta Fields and Clydie King on backing vocals throughout with future disco diva Gloria Jones and Shirley Matthews on some tracks, George Bohannon (string arrangements), Milt Holland (percussion), Ron Grayson (drums), Robert Wilson )bass), Tim Hedding (organ).
- Bonnie Bramlett said this on Delaney's passing “My heart is broken. This morning my soul mate, the father of my children, and my Partner in Musical History crossed over into the Light. Delaney Bramlett has left the building. Long Live the King'. http://www.swampland.com/posts/view/title:delaney_bramlett_the_death_of_a_southern_legend
