D'lectrified
The best and worst you can say about Clint Black's debut as his own producer is, it's an ambitious, often enjoyable exercise in self-indulgence.D'lectrifiedis a sprawling, 14-cut mishmash featuring guest appearances by everyone fromKenny LogginsandBruce Hornsbyto Eric Idle (on a clever, spaced-out rendition ofMonty Python's "The Galaxy Song") and Black's wife, actress Lisa Hartman Black. Black's penchant for blues and Dixieland-style horn arrangements serves him well on remakes of gems like theMarshall Tucker Band's "Bob Away My Blues" andLeon Russell's "Dixie Lullaby" (where Hornsby gets a fine workout on the ivories). And Black does what he does best on smooth country ballads like "Been There" (a great duet withSteve Wariner) and "Where Your Love Won't Go." On the other hand, his aimless, tepid remake ofWaylon Jennings's "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" (featuring a goofy vocal cameo from Jennings) is little more than a waste of space. Not much more can be said of Black's almost unrecognizable "rethinks" of a pair of his own previous hits, "No Time to Kill" and "Burn One Down." On top of that,D'lectrifiedhas some pointless instrumental breaks throughout that meander everywhere without really going anywhere.--Bob Allen