The Background:
When Guy Clark discusses the art and craft of song-writing, people listen. He has, after all, been writing songs of uncommon quality for nearly four decades, songs like "L.A. Freeway," "Desperados Waiting For a Train," "The Randall Knife," and "Texas, 1947." "Somedays the Song Writes You" is the thirteenth recording by this songwriting legend. Artists such as Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell and The Highwaymen have recorded Clark’s songs and Emmylou Harris has accompanied him on several recordings, particularly his own version of "Desperados Waiting For A Train" on his first album, Old No. 1, released in 1975.
The Review:
In Jack Ingram’s lyrics of a recent song, “That’s A Man,” he says, “Yeah he's the kind of fella that people get real quiet when he stands up in church to speak. They know when he speaks.” He wasn’t talking about fellow Texan Guy Clark specifically, but he could have. Over the last decade, Johnny Cash filled that role before his passing in country music and Kris Kristofferson has been the model elder more recently. Add Guy Clark to that list. Why is it that a more mature artist sounds so much wiser musically and lyrically? The easy answer is age and experience. Looking deeper, however, the skill they have best learned is doing more with less. With only an acoustic guitar, bass, fiddle mandolin, sparse percussion and Brynn Davies haunting harmonies, Clark is a storytellers storyteller. Guy Clark gives something to dig teeth into on every track. Clark’s voice has grown rough around the edges with time- which was never particularly polished as it is- which only gives the album recipe a little more salt for taste. “The Guitar” tells of six-string divine intervention. It’s a talking story-song about discovering a pawn shop guitar predestined to be his. It is truly storytelling at it’s very best- not to mention outstanding guitar picking work. “Eamon” is a beautifully told tale of a sailor’s passion for life on the sea. “Hemingway’s Whiskey” is 2 minutes and 52 seconds of waxing poetically about everything delicious and dangerous about Earnest’s favorite vice. Every second, every note and every lyric is just the right amount to make you thirsty.
Sounds Like:
Kris Kristofferson
Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
The Guitar
Hemingway’s Whiskey
Eamon
Maybe I Can Paint Over That
The Verdict:
Three & A Half Stars Out Of Five
When Guy Clark discusses the art and craft of song-writing, people listen. He has, after all, been writing songs of uncommon quality for nearly four decades, songs like "L.A. Freeway," "Desperados Waiting For a Train," "The Randall Knife," and "Texas, 1947." "Somedays the Song Writes You" is the thirteenth recording by this songwriting legend. Artists such as Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell and The Highwaymen have recorded Clark’s songs and Emmylou Harris has accompanied him on several recordings, particularly his own version of "Desperados Waiting For A Train" on his first album, Old No. 1, released in 1975.
The Review:
In Jack Ingram’s lyrics of a recent song, “That’s A Man,” he says, “Yeah he's the kind of fella that people get real quiet when he stands up in church to speak. They know when he speaks.” He wasn’t talking about fellow Texan Guy Clark specifically, but he could have. Over the last decade, Johnny Cash filled that role before his passing in country music and Kris Kristofferson has been the model elder more recently. Add Guy Clark to that list. Why is it that a more mature artist sounds so much wiser musically and lyrically? The easy answer is age and experience. Looking deeper, however, the skill they have best learned is doing more with less. With only an acoustic guitar, bass, fiddle mandolin, sparse percussion and Brynn Davies haunting harmonies, Clark is a storytellers storyteller. Guy Clark gives something to dig teeth into on every track. Clark’s voice has grown rough around the edges with time- which was never particularly polished as it is- which only gives the album recipe a little more salt for taste. “The Guitar” tells of six-string divine intervention. It’s a talking story-song about discovering a pawn shop guitar predestined to be his. It is truly storytelling at it’s very best- not to mention outstanding guitar picking work. “Eamon” is a beautifully told tale of a sailor’s passion for life on the sea. “Hemingway’s Whiskey” is 2 minutes and 52 seconds of waxing poetically about everything delicious and dangerous about Earnest’s favorite vice. Every second, every note and every lyric is just the right amount to make you thirsty.
Sounds Like:
Kris Kristofferson
Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
The Guitar
Hemingway’s Whiskey
Eamon
Maybe I Can Paint Over That
The Verdict:
Three & A Half Stars Out Of Five
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