Blak and Blu
Blak and Blu is the major-label debut studio album by American musician Gary Clark Jr., released on October 22, 2012.[1] The album touches on a wide variety of traditionally black music genres, including soul ("Please Come Home"), hip-hop/R&B ("The Life"), Chuck Berry-esque rock and roll ("Travis County"), and Clark's trademark, blues ("When My Train Pulls In", "Numb", "Next Door Neighbor Blues").
| Blak and Blu | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 22, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2011–2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 66:55 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Gary Clark Jr. chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Blak and Blu | ||||
| ||||
Blak and Blu netted Clark his first two Grammy Award nominations, one for Best Rock Song ("Ain't Messin Round") and the other for Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Please Come Home") which won. This marked the first time that an artist was nominated in both categories in the same year.[2] It peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 album chart, and number one on the Blues Albums chart.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [4] |
| Antiquiet | [5] |
| Ventvox | [6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
| Sputnikmusic | [8] |
Blak and Blu was awarded a three-and-a-half star rating by Rolling Stone and was listed at No. 27 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, in which the author said "Clark's brain-frying guitar solos are more about noise nuance and phrasing than speed-trial note-spitting."[9][10] The Chicago Tribune gave the album a 2.5 out of 4 review, stating that the album lacked cohesiveness and consistency due to the wide variety of genres featured.[11]
In 2013, Blak and Blu was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Contemporary Blues Album' category.[12]
Track listing
All songs written by Gary Clark Jr., except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't Messin 'Round" | 4:09 | |
| 2. | "When My Train Pulls In" | 7:45 | |
| 3. | "Blak and Blu" | Gary Clark Jr., Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, Don Robey | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Bright Lights" | 5:24 | |
| 5. | "Travis County" | 3:38 | |
| 6. | "The Life" | 5:05 | |
| 7. | "Glitter Ain't Gold (Jumpin' for Nothin')" | Gary Clark Jr., Doyle Bramhall II, Justin Stanley, Ali Tamposi, Mike Elizondo | 4:18 |
| 8. | "Numb" | 5:26 | |
| 9. | "Please Come Home" | 4:16 | |
| 10. | "Things Are Changin'" | 3:59 | |
| 11. | "Third Stone from the Sun/If You Love Me Like You Say" | Jimi Hendrix, Little Johnny Taylor | 9:37 |
| 12. | "You Saved Me" | 6:11 | |
| 13. | "Next Door Neighbor Blues" | 3:01 | |
| Total length: | 66:55 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Breakdown" | 4:11 |
| 15. | "Soul" | 6:15 |
Blak and Blu The Mixtape
| Blak and Blu The Mixtape | |
|---|---|
| Mixtape by Gary Clark Jr. presented by D-Nice | |
| Released | April 30, 2014 |
| Recorded | 2013–2014 |
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B, pop, indie pop |
| Producer | D-Nice |
On April 30, 2014, Gary Clark Jr. also released a mixtape of the songs under the title Blak and Blu The Mixtape presented by D-Nice.
Track list
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blak and Blu" (feat. Big K.R.I.T.) | 3:27 |
| 2. | "The Life (Gary Clark Jr EP Version)" | 1:34 |
| 3. | "The Life (Robert Glasper Remix)" | 1:57 |
| 4. | "Bright Lights" (feat. Talib Kweli) | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Soul (Bonus Track from Blak and Blu)" | 3:49 |
| 6. | "When My Train Pulls In (Big K.R.I.T. Remix)" | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Things Are Changin (Bright Lights EP Version)" | 3:25 |
| 8. | "Numb" (feat. Bilal) | 2:37 |
| 9. | "Please Come Home" (feat. Alice Smith) | 4:19 |
Personnel
- Gary Clark Jr. – lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums, programming, trumpet, percussion, congas
- Eric Zapata – rhythm guitars
- Mike Elizondo – bass, fuzz guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming
- Zac Rae – Keyboards, hammond organ, wurlitzer, piano, vibraphone
- J.J. Johnson – drums, percussion
- Scott Nelson – bass
- Satnam Ramgotra – tabla, percussion
- Danny T. Levin – trumpet, trombone, flugelhorn
- David Moyer – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Stevie Black – strings
- Recording engineers: Adam Hawkins, Doug McKean
- Mixing: Adam Hawkins, Doug McKean
- Assistant engineers: Brent Arrowood, Chris Sporleder, Russ Waugh
- Mastering: Ted Jensen
- A&R: Lenny Waronker
- Creative design, direction and photography: Frank Maddocks
Charts
| Chart (2012–13) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] | 34 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] | 38 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] | 30 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] | 69 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[18] | 23 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[19] | 93 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] | 6 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 52 |
References
- "Listen To New Music & See Gary On Tour". Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
- "Gary Clark Jr. Receives Two 2013 Grammy Nominations – BWWMusicWorld". Broadwayworld.com. 2014-01-26. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
- Deming, Mark (2012-10-22). "Blak and Blu – Gary Clark, Jr. : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- "Gary Clark Jr. album review; Blak and Blu reviewed – Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- "Gary Clark Jr. Claims His Blues Crown With 'Blak and Blu' @ Antiquiet Reviews". Antiquiet.com. 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- greg (2012-10-19). "Gary Clark Jr.: Blak and Blu:: Review". Ventvox.com. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- "Blak and Blu | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- "Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu User Opinions". sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- Jon Pareles (2012-10-23). "Blak and Blu | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
- "50 Best Albums of 2012: Gary Clark Jr., 'Blak and Blu'". Rolling Stone. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- "Album review: Gary Clark Jr., 'Blak and Blu'". Chicago Tribune. 2012-10-22.
- "Blues Music Awards Nominees – 2013 – 34th Blues Music Awards". Blues.org. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- "iTunes – Music – Blak and Blu (Deluxe Version) by Gary Clark Jr". Itunes.apple.com. 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
- "Australiancharts.com – Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- "Austriancharts.at – Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
- "Ultratop.be – Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
- "Ultratop.be – Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
- "Gary Clark Jr.: Blak and Blu" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- "Lescharts.com – Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- "Charts.nz – Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- "Swisscharts.com – Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2013.