Accept No Substitute

Performer: Delaney & Bonnie
Artist: Rita Coolidge
Producer: Delaney Bramlett
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Delaney & Bonnie: Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett. Additional personnel: Rita Coolidge (vocals); Leon Russell, Bobby Whitlock, Bobby Keys, Jim Price, Jerry McGee. Includes liner notes by Matthew Greenwald. While Delaney & Bonnie will be forever associated with Eric Clapton and Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, the couple, along with a loose association of friends, recorded a number of classics in their own right. Released in 1969, Accept No Substitute contained the same blend of soul and rock & roll that would show up on Layla the following year. While the production, as Matthew Greenwald points out in the liner notes, has a "pop sheen," Delaney & Bonnie's earthy vocals, along with the band's rhythm & blues assault, nonetheless dictate the proceedings. The horn section and expressive guitar create a lovely mix on "Get Ourselves Together" and "Someday," giving the listener a taste of what gospel might sound like if performed by a good '60s rock band. This religious connection is even more predominate on "Soldiers of the Cross," a piece of lyrical fundamentalism that would fit quite comfortably into a Baptist choir's repertoire. This isn't to infer that Accept No Substitute is pious in any way; only that Delaney & Bonnie and their friends add a spiritual quality to the music they perform. One also shouldn't miss the imaginative "Ghetto," a song that cleverly combines soulful piano with strings. For those unfamiliar with Delaney & Bonnie's other work, Accept No Substitute is a good place to start. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Rolling Stone (2/6/03, p.65) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A wonderfully earthy mix of blue-eyed soul, gospel and country, brimming with grit and longing..." Q (10/02, pp.124,126) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...One of 1969's keynote albums....A hippiefied fusion of gospel, country and soul, it still punches it's weight..."

Delaney Bramlett was a successful studio musician and Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell was the only white member of Ike Turner's Ikettes when they met in Los Angeles in 1967. The couple married that week, and formed a soulful, rootsy band that hosted a rotating line-up of stellar guest musicians that included Jim Keltner, Bobby Keyes, Leon Russell, and Gram Parsons, among others. The group made six albums, had two charting singles, co-wrote songs for others, and toured extensively with numerous artists of the late '60s (including good friend Eric Clapton), but their musical tenure and marriage ended in 1972. Neither artist's solo career was as influential as their combined efforts, although Bonnie enjoyed some success as an actress and Delaney continued on as a top-notch session man.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25