Lover's Plea is an album by the American musician W. C. Clark, released in 1998.[1][2] It was his third album for Black Top Records.[3] Clark supported the album with a North American tour.[4] The album was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for "Soul Blues Album" of the year.[5]
| Lover's Plea | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Recorded | December 1997 | |||
| Studio | Pedernales | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Black Top | |||
| Producer | Hammond Scott, Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff | |||
| W. C. Clark chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was coproduced by Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff.[6] Clark was backed by Double Trouble on several tracks; the Kamikaze Horns appeared on a few.[7][8] "Are You Here, Are You There?" is about Clark's late fiancée, who died in an accident when Clark lost control of his tour van; his drummer was also killed.[9] "Pretty Little Mama" is dedicated to Clark's daughter.[10] "I'm Hooked on You" is a cover of the Al Green song.[11] "Sunshine Lady" employed a gospel choir.[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Los Angeles Times | A[13] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |  [14] |
| The Tampa Tribune | [15] |
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that "sensuous falsettos and gritty stylings melt into a rich, soulful voice with hints of Al Green and O.V. Wright... It's just the right blend of elegance and grit for this album, a rumination about the joys and sorrows of love."[14] The Advocate noted that "soul meets the blues in the Austin, Texas-bred, horns-blessed sound."[16] The Chicago Tribune called the album "a perfect 7-10 split of tough, shuffling Lone Star blues and punchy Stax-style soul driven home with taut, tart fretwork and molasses rich vocals."[17]
The Age concluded that, "like Albert King, Clark is a gifted crooner and, like Syl Johnson, he can inject his material with the strongest whiskey-toned voice around."[11] The Daily Herald said: "A bright but sly guitar player himself, Clark laces his playing smoothly through his songs so the feeling isn't tromped, merely accented with a punch."[12] The Los Angeles Times determined that "Clark's voice mesmerizes on songs about girls that made him happy and those that did not—the blues in a nutshell."[13]
AllMusic wrote that "Clark's vocals here are nothing short of eloquent while his guitar stings and stabs with the best of them."[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Changing My Life with Your Love" | |
| 2. | "Lover's Plea" | |
| 3. | "Lonely No More" | |
| 4. | "Someday" | |
| 5. | "Pretty Little Mama" | |
| 6. | "Are You Here, Are You There?" | |
| 7. | "Everywhere I Go" | |
| 8. | "Sunshine Lady" | |
| 9. | "I'm Hooked on You" | |
| 10. | "Why I Got the Blues" | |
| 11. | "Do You Mean It?" | |
| 12. | "That's a Good Idea" |
References
edit- ^ "W.C. Clark Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Koster, Rich (2000). Texas Music. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 193.
- ^ Wallace, Bob (15 July 2000). "Blues Festival Schedules Highlights, Histories and Personalities". The Morning Call. p. A41.
- ^ Houlihan-Skilton, Mary (10 July 1998). "Club Hopping". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 4.
- ^ Ellis, Bill (23 Jan 1999). "B. B. King at Top of Handy Nominations". The Commercial Appeal. p. F1.
- ^ "Back on Track". XL Ent. Austin American-Statesman. May 28, 1998. p. 17.
- ^ a b c "Lover's Plea Review by Cub Koda". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Fowler, James (20 Aug 1998). "Bittersweet Blues". Los Angeles Times. p. F52.
- ^ Hess, Christopher (July 31, 1998). "Confessin' the Blues: Soul Man W. C. Clark". Music. The Austin Chronicle.
- ^ Schlein, Amy (2 Aug 1998). "SC Blues Fest Runs Gamut from Swing to Soul". The Press Democrat. p. Q15.
- ^ a b Reilly, Terry (7 Aug 1998). "Lover's Plea W. C. Clark". Entertainment Guide. The Age. p. 10.
- ^ a b Guarino, Mark (7 Aug 1998). "W. C. Clark, 'Lover's Plea'". Time Out. Daily Herald. p. 11.
- ^ a b Locey, Bill (27 Aug 1998). "Music". Los Angeles Times. p. F48.
- ^ a b White, Jim (24 May 1998). "Recordings". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. G2.
- ^ Dunn, Michael (Jun 19, 1998). "Music". Friday Extra!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 19.
- ^ Wirt, John (12 June 1998). "Music". Fun. The Advocate. p. 8.
- ^ Reger, Rick (10 July 1998). "The A List". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 22.