At Home With DELANEY & BONNIE

Original released on LP Stax STS 2026

(US, August 1969)

Delaney & Bonnie's brand of soul-rock was firmly in place by the time of this 1969 album, the only one they recorded for Stax. Their following albums would gain greater exposure, but there's not much difference between this record and those subsequent efforts, except perhaps that this is more soul-oriented and less rock-oriented. That's not too surprising considering that members of Booker T. & the MG's are playing on most of the cuts, though a few were done in Hollywood with Leon Russell on keyboards and Carl Radle on bass. The material was a mixture of original songs and compositions from top Stax writers such as Steve Cropper, Isaac Hayes, and David Porter, though generally the songs weren't as grittily powerful or memorably hook-laden at the best stuff to come out of Stax in the late '60s. The cover of "Piece of My Heart" was bound to pass relatively unnoticed in the wake of Janis Joplin's wrenching hit cover of the song (with Big Brother & the Holding Company), and "Hard to Say Goodbye" seems like an attempt to push their sound in a slightly poppier direction, though not at all a bad one. (Richie Unterberger in AllMusic)

DELANEY & BONNIE: "Accept No Substitute"

Original released on LP Elektra EKS 74039

(US 1969, May 23 )

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. in AllMusic)