BY MIKE METTLER – OCTOBER 10, 2016
Clint Black knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. And while the acclaimed country singer/songwriter is all for the immediacy of digital music, he also feels that it comes at a cost. “MP3s are convenient, but the music is greatly degraded,” he told me recently. “CDs are too, but comparatively much less so.”
Black is much more in favor of listening to music in hi-res, especially when it comes to his most recent studio album, On Purpose (Black Top Records). “Hopefully, one day we’ll be able to have it streamed to us at the bit rates we record at,” Black observed. “If you could hear what we hear in the studio, you would love the music even more.”
Over on Palm Springs Life, Black — best known for his string of #1 Country chart hits like “Killin’ Time,” “A Better Man,” “Like the Rain,” and “When I Said I Do” — and I discussed his earliest country influences and his deep friendship with the late, great Garry Shandling (whose passing in March 2016 he likened to being “akin to losing Hendrix, or [Jim] Croce”). But over here on The SoundBard, Black and I exclusively discuss his sonic impetus for On Purpose, the cyclical nature of being topical as a songwriter, and his favorite guitar players.
Mike Mettler: Now that we’re a year past its initial release, how do you feel about On Purpose and its reception?
Clint Black: I’m very happy with the fans’ and critics’ reaction to On Purpose. Of course, I had to take a stand and walk away from major-label offers to make it. Three different majors wanted to sign me, if only I would make “their” record. I’ve never done that, and I won’t start now.
From my second album on at RCA in 1991 [Put Yourself in My Shoes] — even after the success of the all-original [debut album, 1989’s] Killin’ Time — the head of that company wanted to “remove me” as the primary songwriter on my albums. It turned out to be because, in his words — referring to the publishers and songwriters in Nashville — “they just want a little taste.” Not a good enough reason for me!
Mettler: My favorite track from On Purpose is “Still Calling It News,” which, considering the current political climate, seems as apropos right this very minute as when you recorded it.
Black: When Hayden Nicholas and I wrote “Still Calling It News,” we figured it would be cyclically topical. The political seasons come and go, but politicians don’t change. They’ll always be easy targets for satire.
Mettler: I love the duet you did with your wife, singer and actress Lisa Hartman Black, on “You Still Get to Me” on On Purpose. You two continue to make beautiful music together. Did she ever give you any special advice about how to navigate the ins and outs of Hollywood?
Black: Thanks! She’s my best friend and closest adviser, so her wisdom is always there for me, and often the best source for advice. Like any couple, we discuss everything and share our thoughts without much filtering. She has a lot of experience to draw from, and it has served me well too.
Mettler: Who’s your favorite guitar player, both acoustic and electric?
Black: On acoustic, it would be James Taylor. No question. On electric — that’s too hard. Too many great ones.
Mettler: You’re a Strat man yourself, right? I heard some pretty tasty slide guitar done by you on “Beer” [also from On Purpose], didn’t I?
Black: I play Strat, Tele, and Les Paul — Tom Anderson’s versions of all — and yes, that was my Les Paul on “Beer”! I used my Strat for the rest of the slide work. I suppose my tone is David Lindley-inspired, being a huge Jackson Browne fan.
Mettler: We talked about country influences like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. Just out of curiosity, were you a fan of Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack at all?
Black: I wasn’t especially a fan of that group of guys, but I do like their music. Nelson Riddle’s arrangements are fantastic. And, of course, Sinatra had a very special way with vocals.
