Guy Clark Album: “The Dark”

Although Guy Clark has been a favorite of mine for years, his ability to weave words and music always amazes me. In listening to the songs on this CD you truely believe that he understands the need for "Soldiers Joy", the sadness there'd be if there were no were no "Magnolia" Wind or the hardship and misunderstanding of "Homeless". Throughout these songs, his poetry and storytelling evokes feelings and word images that we've come to expect and appreciate from Guy Clark. He's done it again. Great listening.

That is an actual line from the song "Arizona Star" on Guy Clark's new cd "The Dark." That is one of the best songs on the CD--describing the gal who sucks all of the air out of a room-"She was a pre-Madonna primadonna." The song just puts a huge smile on my face! The song "Mud" is, you guessed it, about the joys of mud. "Homeless" is a thought provoking song about how we treat the homeless. "Queenie's Song" is a tale of a beloved dog getting buried after being shot to death by an unknown person. There's also songs about women that still need to dance, soldiers that need tending to, and women that need tending to. The songs have all kinds of great lines that just jump right out and stomp on your heart. Guy has a fine voice for these songs, and the musicianship is stripped bare, thus allowing you to hear how really well they play. Guy delivers the goods, now go buy it!

The master storyteller returns in magnificent fashion with "The Dark." I have long been a Guy Clark fan and he has never disappointed, although his last offering "Cold Dog Soup" wasn't up to his usual brilliance. However, Guy returns with a cd that is strong from start to finish as every tune is a stroke of genius. "Mud" is one of his simple yet provacative songs that says so much about life. He shines brilliantly on "Homeless", a song that should be an anthem for the continuing problem in this country. "Magnolia Wind" is my personal favorite, a little uptempo song with a beautiful melody and lyrics to match. The entire work is excellent and I would recommend it highly to old Clark fans or new. Thanks Guy, for making your music come alive again.

I first listened to Guy Clark in my sister's living room way back in 1977. I was young and did not really absorb the lyrics at that time. Several years later I purchased the Old # 1 CD and was blown away with the lyrics to the songs.

Nearly 30 years later Guy is still writing strong lyrics. I just received the The Dark yesterday and I am impressed with the quality of this recording. Every song is vintage Guy Clark and I find myself singing the lyrics to several of the tunes. I think it is Guy's best work in several years. Guy never over produces his work and the accompanying acoustic musicians really help make this set shine. I really like the sound of the mandolin, the occasional dobro, on these songs.

I personally believe that Guy is the best of the Texas genre songwriters. I make this statement knowing that Townes Van Zandt (another of my all time favorites) wrote some great songs, but Guy has been doing this for 30 years and continues to deliver quality original material.

I must agree that some of Guy's songs begin to sound alike, but when you have written over 1000 songs in your lifetime that probably happens. I strongly recommend this recording, and if you're new to Guy's music, check out Old # 1 and listen to the lyrics

I am admittedly a Guy Clark fan. This one had a number of really memorable songs as usual the arrangements are clean and not overdone. The material is pretty good and the songs tell memorable stories or evoke an idea or feeling - good stuff and well worth owning.