Clint Black - The Love Songs
Album Review By: Penny Rondinella, CSO Staff Journalist

All you have to say is Clint Black and people all over know whom you are talking about. With career sales over 18 million units - including nine platinum, one double platinum and three triple-platinum albums - Clint Black is undeniably one of the best artists in Country Music. Add to that an astounding 32 Top 10 country music hits and multiple CMA, ACM and Grammy Awards and Clint's stature as a country music superstar, is crystal clear. He even has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, so if you are ever on Hollywood Blvd., look for it.

Black was born in Long Branch, N.J., in February of 1962, but raised in Houston. He dropped out of school early because of his passion to play music, taught himself to play the harmonica and then the guitar and bass. He supported himself with day jobs while building a local reputation. He was brought to the attention of RCA Records, who signed him with a recording contract in 1987. A Better Man, in 1989 was his first single off his exceptional album Killin’ Time and was named Country Music Association's Horizon Award winner that same year, along with scoring four other number one hits and the album going gold in only six months. He also won Best Album, Best Single, Best Male Vocalist, and Best New Male Vocalist awards from the Academy of Country Music and the NSAI Songwriter/Artist of the Year Award. By the end of 1990 the album sold over two million copies in America. 1990 Black also released his sophmore album Put Youself in My Shoes which was also a huge success. With four Top Ten hits ("Put Yourself in My Shoes", "One More Payment", and the number ones "Loving Blind" and "Where Are You Now".) 

1991 Black joined the Grand Ole Opry, married actress Lisa Hartman and scored two more number one hits. Throughout the rest of the 90’s, Black put many more notches on his belt with hit songs and awards. He started directing his own music videos and won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for his participation in the all-star single "Same Old Train". Marty Stuart wrote the song exclusively for a Tribute project called Tribute to Tradition, which is an incredibly awesome album that every country music lover should own. Stuart enlisted the help from thirteen of country music’s finest; Clint Black, Wade Hayes, Joe Diffie, Merle Haggard, Patty Loveless, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Dwight Yoakam and others. The album was dedicated to the memory of Tammy Wynette and donated a portion of the proceeds to Country Music Retirement Center for Artists, musicians and songwriters. What a blessing that must have been to be part of such a great project. 

Black has sung a few duets in his time with some great artists. His favorite of course has to be with his beautiful wife Lisa Hartman-Black, but probably most memorable was Roy Rogers. Other partners have included Martina McBride and Steve Wariner.

Black parted ways with longtime record label RCA, and then produced the debut album for Buddy Jewell and founded his own record label, Equity Music Group, in late 2003 with former Sony executive Mike Kraski. Black has released two albums since then on his own label, Spend My Time and Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic, as well a Christmas album. Besides himself, four other acts are on the Equity label: Little Big Town, Carolina Rain, Kevin Fowler and Laura Bryna.

Black is back once again and offers up some fresh re-recordings that showcase ballads spanning his amazing career to date with his new release on the Equity Music Group Label titled: The Love Songs. The opening track is one of his duets with his very talented wife; Lisa Hartman Black "When I Said I Do". Later on in the album he does another duet with his wife; "Easy For Me To Say". She also does background vocals on the song "Like The Rain". Twelve amazing tracks, eleven of his very own with a little twist in some of them to spice up this album a bit. Black states in the liner notes: "some are an attempt to explore alternative approaches and take a different musical path". Mostly familiar renditions but with the same bluesy material, that Black never disappoints us with. Another duet is with Carolyn Dawn Johnson on "Our Kind Of Love".  The only song on this album that Black didn’t write is Jim Croce’s hit "I'll have To Say I Love You In A Song". He does an awesome job of it and what a perfect ending to an incredible CD.

I usually have country music playing in our house 24/7 and this album is a great one to have playing while having people over. Blacks voice has such a soothing sound that people don’t mind listening to while visiting, having a dinner party or whatever else you can think of. An overall exceptional CD.

Related Links:
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