Heart of Gold is an impressive showcase for
W.C. Clark's deep talents, giving him the opportunity to flaunt his chops and prove that he can play nearly anything.
Clark's foundation is in greasy roadhouse Texas blues and while there's a number of wonderful cuts in that style here, he doesn't limit himself to Texas shuffles. Instead, he turns out some sweaty soul -- including a seductive, passionate reading of Latimore's "Let's Straighten It Out" -- and some organ-drenched Tex-Mex workouts which not only give the album diversity, they also give the album depth. And that's the reason why
Heart of Gold is the definitive
W.C. Clark release -- it's the first (and arguably only) time he's gotten it completely right on record.