Willie Clayton - Ace In The Hole

nockemann

Review by G. Nockemann

Ace In The Hole by Willie Clayton: A Soulful Ride Through Time Let’s cut to the chase—Willie Clayton’s Ace In The Hole is like that old-school diner you stumble into on a road trip. It’s not flashy, but damn if it doesn’t hit all the right notes. Released in 1996 under Ace Records, this album straddles genres like R&B, Funk/Soul, and Chicago Soul while throwing some Retro-Soul vibes into the mix. And let me tell ya, it feels like stepping into a time machine with soul-soaked velvet seats. Now, I ain’t gonna lie, there are tracks here that feel interchangeable at first glance (or listen). But then you hit gems like “Bartender Blues” and “My Baby’s Cheating On Me,” and suddenly you’re hooked. Let’s break ‘em down real quick: Track Highlights: - “Bartender Blues”: This one grabs your attention faster than spilled whiskey on a barroom floor. The groove is smooth as butter, and Willie’s voice? Man, he sounds like he's lived every word of this song. You can practically picture him sitting at the counter nursing his drink, muttering about love gone wrong while the bartender pretends to care. What sticks with me most is how effortlessly relatable it is—if you’ve ever had your heart stomped on or just needed someone else to pour your drinks for an hour, this track will slap you upside the head with nostalgia. - “My Baby’s Cheating On Me”: Oh boy, where do I even start? This tune hits different because it doesn’t mess around—it lays out the betrayal straight up, no chaser. The horns punch through like they’re calling out her shady behavior themselves, and Willie delivers each line with enough grit to make you believe he might actually confront her... eventually. It’s got that raw energy that makes you wanna grab your keys, drive over to her place, and demand answers—or maybe just scream into the void instead. Either way, it’s memorable. The rest of the album keeps things groovy too, though a few songs repeat themselves (looking at you, “Equal Opportunity”). But hey, redundancy never killed nobody when the vibe’s this good. Tracks like “Three People (Sleeping in My Bed)” bring the drama with their sultry undertones, while “Stone Cold Lover” reminds us why retro-soul still slaps harder than half the stuff on Spotify today. Final Thoughts: If Ace In The Hole were a person, it’d be that cool uncle who shows up unannounced with stories from back in the day and somehow leaves you feeling better about life. Sure, it’s not perfect—there are moments where the production feels a little dated—but isn’t that part of its charm? Willie Clayton wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel; he was reminding us why we fell in love with soul music in the first place. So next time you’re stuck scrolling playlists and nothing feels right, throw this bad boy on. It’s like comfort food for your ears—a reminder that sometimes, simplicity done well beats complexity any day. Plus, who wouldn’t want to hear more tunes about bartenders, cheating lovers, and existential crises? Oh, and fun fact: listening to this album may cause sudden urges to invest in vintage vinyl collections or adopt cats named after Motown legends. Proceed with caution.

Table of Contents

Download

Filename: willie-clayton-ace-in-the-hole.zip
  • MP3 size: 144.9 mb
  • FLAC size: 779.1 mb

Tracks

TrackDurationPreview
Happy
Rocking Chair
In Need of a Good Woman
Three People Sleeping In My Bed
Equal Opportunity (Solo)
I Love Stealing It
Running In Life
Rockin' Chair
Hurt by Love
My Baby's Cheating On Me
Careless
In Need Of A Good Woman
Hurt By Love
Running in Life
Equal Opportunity - Solo
Equal Opportunity
My Baby's Cheating on Me
Stone Good Lover
Three People (Sleeping in My Bed)
Stone Cold Lover
Bartender Blues

Images

ladda ner album Willie Clayton - Ace In The Hole
descargar álbum Willie Clayton - Ace In The Hole

Catalog Numbers

  • ACE MUSIC 2066
  • 2066

Labels

Ace Records

Listen online

  • écouter en ligne
  • lytte på nettet
  • online anhören
  • escuchar en línea
  • lyssna på nätet
  • ouvir online
  • ascolta in linea
  • kuunnella verkossa
  • online luisteren

Formats

  • CD
  • Album
  • Cassette

Companies

RoleCompany
Distributed ByAce Records
Recorded AtTaylor-Made Studio

Barcodes

  • Barcode: 097947206626
  • Barcode: 097947206640

About Willie Clayton

US soul performer, drummer Born: March 29, 1955, Indianola, Mississippi.

Real Name

    • Willie Clayton

Name Vars

  • W. Clayton
  • Will Clayton

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know? Willie Clayton's album *Ace In The Hole* is a hidden gem from 1996 that blends Chicago Soul, Retro-Soul, and Funk. It’s packed with raw emotion and timeless vibes. One standout track, "Three People (Sleeping in My Bed)," tells a relatable yet dramatic story of relationship chaos. The album even features multiple versions of some songs, like "Equal Opportunity" and "Stone Cold Lover," giving listeners different flavors of the same soulful essence. It’s a true testament to the richness of US soul music in the '90s.