Delaney & Bonnie – Home / 2006 Concord / 16 Tracks / http://www.concordmusicgroup.com / Reviewed 21 May 2006

Rereleases are always interesting to me, especially considering that I’ve never heard of Delaney & Bonnie before getting this CD. I asked my mother and she had heard of them, so go figure. The opening track to “Home” is “a Long Road Ahead”, and while it is a bonus track, the act seems to be a perfect fit for that specific period. The disc originally came out in 1969, but the music sounds very fresh and will pop in individuals’ ears with each subsequent album.

This is not rock nor is it pure pop, but rather a blend of styles that includes rock, R&B, funk, and pop; Delaney & Bonnie show the eclecticism of the age. Each track is sold enough that it could be on radio; the production allows the additional elements (the horns during “Things Get Better”) to work perfectly with the rest of the band. This is perhaps the smartest re-mastering of any album that we’ve gotten to review, as the songs are such instant classics. Even if they are not remembered by many of the individuals that were listening to music at the time, this new release of Delaney & Bonnie will bring back the band to some sense of prominence. Something else that distinguishes this album from the rest of the music that is currently on the shelves is that there is a double-pronged attack where first the band creates music that can be loved by all and that the music works together to create a cohesive album.

The resequencing of this album and addition of a number of bonus tracks actually add to the disc; by putting these additional tracks throughout the disc instead of at the end individuals can hear them. It is only when the band plays their “Piece of My Heart” that individuals will recall what the band was known for. However, that track is perhaps the least impressive on the disc; Delaney & Bonnie were some of the best individuals to create music that enveloped their listeners and impacted them seriously. Here’s to hoping that Concord releases more old albums here in the future; if these albums are even a fraction of the quality that “Home” has, there is little doubt that Concord will be rolling in the dollars here soon. Delaney & Bonnie will be back up on the Billboard chart in just a few months, just you all wait!

Top Tracks: We Can Love, Just Plain Beautiful

Rating: 6.5/10

[JMcQ]