Guy Clark Album: “Somedays the Song Writes You”

First off, I must reveal that I am a huge Guy Clark fan. In some ways that may cloud my judgement of this record. If I had never heard his previous work this album may work better. The songs display the famous craftsmanship of the master songbuilder but they feel much like some of his earlier songs.

"Maybe I Can Paint Over That" borderlines on self plagiarism. The vocal phrasing is almost identical to his classic "Magdaleine". The theme of the song is different but while listening to it I can't put "Magdaleine" out of my head.

There are other songs that have chord progressions and rhythmic passages that are similar to songs from his legendary catalogue. I could hear bits of "Tornado Time In Texas" in the song "Hollywood". It also seems to cover similar themes to his iconic "LA Freeway". There is a version of this song on YouTube that is more interesting than the one chosen for this record.

I, truly, wanted to like this record more than I did.

Guy Clark is back again in 2009 with "SDTSWY" and what a beaut it is!! Another masterpiece from the Texas troubadour that encompasses songs of life, love and living. Guy is the last of a dying breed of songwriter/performers who take the best of those experiences and turn them into vibrant living and breathing things that envelop the listener with every listen.

Thank God for Guy Clark and the time he's been given to share his life stories with those who will listen.

Highly Highly recommended to everyone who enjoys musical tales of wonder and magic.

The songwriter's craft of juxtaposing words to describe a person, scene or situation or to communicate a feeling is only the surface of a process that starts deep within. The ability to step outside one's own moment to describe what's happening or happened, to recognize, observe and frame an experience in which one may be an active participant, is the more ephemeral side of songwriting. It's something that few do as well as Guy Clark, and married to finely selected words, his songs provide uncommonly detailed and communicative windows into moments and people who might otherwise pass unobserved.

In the title song, Clark addresses the alchemical process of songwriting. He notes that songs often appear to songwriters from thin air to exert themselves into being. But with a writer of Clark's caliber, years of practice has left him open to divine these works, to snatch a moment of consciousness out of the rushing river of living. On "Hemingway's Whiskey" he communes writer to writer about the debilitating muse, offering a personal glimpse into the pain of writing, and a picture of drinking as a chronic enabler rather than the classic reactive salve to lost love. Clark is equally effective sketching the seedy side of town, conjuring the scene of a seafarer's final voyage, and animating a pawn shop guitar. The latter's twist ending is laid in a lovely flurry of acoustic finger picking.

The album is filled with lush acoustic playing from Clark and Verlon Thompson, and the rhythms of Kenny Malone (drums) and Bryn Davies (bass) provide a stable but subtle bottom end. Clark's voice has weathered over the years, and though it's never been the prettiest or most melodic instrument, it's filled with emotion, particularly when covering his late friend Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You." His co-writes with Rodney Crowell, Shawn Camp, Gary Nicholson, as well as several up-and-coming writers, bring together two generations of his disciples. Clark's long been a "songwriter's songwriter," but he's never stopped working on his craft, and the results are plain to hear on this latest release. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Trite to say I know, but Guy Clark truly is a national treasure. I am grateful that he is still working at his craft, still writing songs, touring and producing new recordings. "Somedays.." is not among his very best efforts but it is fine work with a number of good songs and lots of good, relaxed musicianship. It is quiet, subdued - the product of someone who has seen a lot, done a lot, and knows a few things about what matters and what doesn't.

I'm another --- one of many --- Guy Clark fans. I own almost all of his albums, and always look forward to a new one. But I had a hard time getting into this one, especially at first. It grew on me after repeated listenings, but not enough for me to be knocked out. To my ears, his voice is showing signs of wear, and that makes me a little sad. The songs are a mixed of bag; some real grabbers and others than sound like he's covering territory he's done previously, and done better. I wanted to give this a higher rating, just because I love Guy Clark's songs so much. But I can't rate the past in this case, only this one album, and I think it's just not one of his better ones. It's one that fans should enjoy and appreciate, but would not be one for the uninitiated.