BuffettNews.com

At the tail end of his performance of “L.A. Freeway,” master songwriter Guy Clark pauses to share a memory from that time decades ago, about a landlord and a grapefruit tree that might have added to the final push to say, “Adios to all this concrete. Gonna get me some dirt road back street.” It’s the kind of story you want to hear from a legend like Clark and on the live album Songs And Stories out August 16 on Music Group, not only are there the beloved songs, “The Randall Knife,” “The Cape,” “Homegrown Tomatoes,” and “Stuff That Works,” but also the essential asides and insights that can only be experienced from a seat in the audience.

The album was recorded at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Clark warmly surrounded by his musical family -- his longtime sidekick and co-writer Verlon Thompson, along with Shawn Camp, Bryn Davies and Kenny Malone. It’s a comfortable atmosphere that feels like a peek into a 3am guitar pull at The Driskill Hotel.

Before beginning the song “If I Needed You,” written by his longtime friend Townes Van Zandt, Clark shares the story about the surprising ease Townes had writing the popular song when living with Clark and his wife in Texas in 1972. “Townes came in for coffee one morning, picked up his guitar and laid this piece of paper on his leg and sang this song…and I said ‘where did that come from?’ and he said ‘I wrote it last night in my sleep, I just rolled over and wrote it down and turned over and went back to sleep.’” Clark laughs, adding, “Suspicion confirmed.”

Releasing just months prior to his 70th birthday, Songs and Stories further evidence why Clark is a member of The Songwriters Hall of Fame, with craftsmanship that young writers study and seasoned writers admire. Clark has continued to reap awards with a recent Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Association, and Grammy nominations for his last two studio albums with Dualtone, Somedays The Song Writes You and Workbench Songs.

1. Introduction
2. L.A. Freeway
3. Story: Sometimes They Come Easy
4. Maybe I Can Paint Over That
5. Story: Townes' Road Keets
6. If I Needed You
7. The Cape
8. Homegrown Tomatoes
9. Shawn And Verlon
10. Story: The Legend Of Sis Draper
11. Sis Draper
12. Magnolia Wind
13. Story: I'm From Greasy Bend
14. Darweitta's Mandolin
15. Story: Hang In There
16. Joe Walker's Mare
17. A nod to Rodney Crowell
18. Stuff That Works
19. Out In The Parkin' Lot
20. Intro: The Randall Knife
21. The Randall Knife
22. Curtain call for the cast
23. Dublin Blues

Pre-order info here.

Thanks for the information about Guy's and Verlon's new live recording.

I saw Guy and Verlon twice during June and I am always so touched by their songs and guitar playing. Guy's performance in Conroe on Saturday night brought me to tears. I keep feeling like it is the last time I might see him perform.

Verlon said some very special things about Guy during his part of the performance...more than words ... it was very touching the way that Verlon reached out and put his hand on Guy's guitar he had left sitting on on the stand out on the stage...and the way he touched his heart as he spoke about Guy. Just the memory of that night brings tears through smiles.

Always glad to get special recordings and looking forward to this one.

I didn't see any preorder information on that link to Guy's web site. Any suggestions what link it might be.

conched wrote:Thanks for the information about Guy's and Verlon's new live recording.

I saw Guy and Verlon twice during June and I am always so touched by their songs and guitar playing. Guy's performance in Conroe on Saturday night brought me to tears. I keep feeling like it is the last time I might see him perform.

Verlon said some very special things about Guy during his part of the performance...more than words ... it was very touching the way that Verlon reached out and put his hand on Guy's guitar he had left sitting on on the stand out on the stage...and the way he touched his heart as he spoke about Guy. Just the memory of that night brings tears through smiles.

Always glad to get special recordings and looking forward to this one.

I just read on another board that there's a rumor that Guy is terminally ill. I knew that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma a few years ago but it was my understanding that after treatment, he had gone into remission. Otherwise, I've heard no confirmation of him being terminally ill. Not, that isn't true. When asked about being in remission during an interview for the Austin Chronicle in 2007, this was Guy's response:

Are you feeling better these days?

"Yeah."

So the cancer is in remission?

"Mmm, I can't really imagine why people would be interested in that."

You don't think people are concerned about your health?

"Well," Clark says. He pauses to blow a cloud of cigarette smoke. "(Expletive) 'em. I ain't."

conched wrote:I didn't see any preorder information on that link to Guy's web site. Any suggestions what link it might be.

I posted the wrong link, I've since edited that post to include the correct one.

All I can say is that I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every show I have seen Guy do and am so thankful I found out about him in 1996 through Jerry Jeff.

I'll never forget going to Carrolton Station in New Orleans and sitting around in that little place for my very first Guy Clark experience. That was 1998 for my 50th birthday..and what great times I've had seeing him since then.

Thanks for the info, Jonathan.

Several months ago, a few people told me that he had 3 more shows scheduled and that he was doing those and not scheduling anymore.


In the meantime, his tour schedule has grown to 10 more shows!!!

http://www.guyclark.com/tour.php

My introduction to Guy was via an older brother's well worn copy of Texas Cookin' in the late 70s. I immediately fell in love with that record and went out and purchased all of his other ones. I've never missed a Guy Clark new release day ever since. He's one of those rare artists, like John Prine, that just doesn't seem capable of releasing a bad song or album. I think that has everything to do with how much work they put into it and also by never releasing a song (or album) before it's time.

I have only seen Guy in concert a couple of times. The first was at MerleFest in North Wilkesboro, NC the year Townes Van Zandt died. Guy did a set of his own headlining on the Watson Stage but earlier that afternoon he and Steve Earle did a show on the Hillside Stage that was devoted solely to Townes. The first song out of the gate was "White Freightliner Blues" with the unforgettable refrain, "Well, it's bad news from Houston, half my friends are dying". The only other time I've seen him was at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC on a bill with Mary Gauthier. During his performance of "The Randall Knife", Guy unplugged his guitar, stepped away from the mic and played the entire song from the edge of the stage. Everyone was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. It is one of those rare musical moments I will never forget.

I can only take it as a good sign that Guy has added more dates. I hope that he will stay with us for a very long time to come.

I love those new shirts he has for sale on the Dualtone Records site:

I can work all day and I can dance all night...Stuff That Works...written with the sweet Texan, Rodney Crowell. Guy did that one at the two shows I just saw.



Great story about when you "GOT IT." A lot of changes took place in my love for music when I started listening to JB and JJW, etc.

Stuff that works, stuff that holds up...stuff that's real, stuff you feel, the kind of stuff you reach for when you fall.

Too bad they're aren't more fans of Guy Clark, Mary Gauthier, Gillian Welch, etc. here. Buffett thinks enough of their work to cover it so I'm surprised more of his fans haven't sought it out.

Now I gotta go watch The Rookie again...and listen to the soundtrack.

Tiki Torches wrote:Too bad they're aren't more fans of Guy Clark, Mary Gauthier, Gillian Welch, etc. here. Buffett thinks enough of their work to cover it so I'm surprised more of his fans haven't sought it out.

I've never seen Gillian Welch do a live show, but I've watched her many times on various tv programs.

Yesterday, I watched the Newport Folkfestival Jimmy performance from 2008 on Wolfgang's Vault. Gillian's and David Rawling's joining Jimmy on Elvis Presley Blues was surely of highlight of that show.

I also never saw Townes Van Zandt. I remember Jerry Jeff doing a show at The Galveston Grand and he sang He Was A Friend Of Mine for Townes the day after Townes passed.

And ETPH-Terry, just posted on Facebook that the 70th Birthday Tribute CD for Guy will have 24 songs on it. I read this on another board...

I know this has been mentioned before but I'm REALLY eager to hear the forthcoming Guy Clark tribute record to be titled "Stuff That Works," that is scheduled to be released in November 2011 to coincide with Guy's 70th birthday. In a recent interview, Lyle Lovett said that the record will have 24 songs on it by 24 different artists. Here are some of the songs and artists to be included:

Emmylou Harris & John Prine ("Magnolia Wind");
Lyle Lovett w/Patty Griffin ("Anyhow I Love You"):
Rodney Crowell (“That Old Time Feeling,”);
Joe Ely (“Dublin Blues”);
Radney Foster (“L.A. Freeway”);
Jack Ingram (“Stuff That Works”);
Robert Earl Keen (“Texas 1947”);
Willie Nelson (“Desperados Waiting For A Train”);
Kris Kristofferson (“Hemingway’s Whiskey”);
Ryan Bingham (“Let Him Roll”);
Hayes Carll (“Worry B Gone”);
Verlon Thompson (“Good Love After Bad”);
Terry Allen (“Old Friends”);
The Trishas (“She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”);
Vince Gill (“Randall Knife”);
Terri Hendrix (“Picasso’s Mandolin”)

And I just found this article which says the tribute will have 30 songs by 33 artists.
http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/comin ... -guy-clark

Lovingly produced by Tamara Saviano—who is also working with Clark on his definitive biography—and frequent Clark co-writer Shawn Camp, the tribute includes 30 tracks by 33 Americana artists who are friends and colleagues of Clark or who have been influenced by his remarkable compositions. The collection was mixed and mastered by Austin engineer Fred Remmert. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.

I'm sure it's been said before, but Guy Clark is a national treasure. I really regret not seeing him when he came through Dallas last week.

I love Guy's music, we saw Guy and Verlon in Luckenbach in 2008, it was a great show.

conched wrote:

Tiki Torches wrote:Too bad they're aren't more fans of Guy Clark, Mary Gauthier, Gillian Welch, etc. here. Buffett thinks enough of their work to cover it so I'm surprised more of his fans haven't sought it out.

I've never seen Gillian Welch do a live show, but I've watched her many times on various tv programs.

I saw her and David Rawlings at MerleFest the first year they had the Americana Stage but she really wasn't on my radar then. I've since seen them perform during the Austin City Limits Music Festival in the early 00s. She has a new album out next Tuesday called The Harrow & The Harvest that's already getting rave reviews from fans and critics alike. She's doing at least 5 shows in NC this summer in support of the new album. I plan on catching at least one of them.

conched wrote:I also never saw Townes Van Zandt. I remember Jerry Jeff doing a show at The Galveston Grand and he sang He Was A Friend Of Mine for Townes the day after Townes passed.

Never did see Townes either and I still haven't seen Jerry Jeff. I'll have to fix that during my next trip to Austin.

conched wrote:And I just found this article which says the tribute will have 30 songs by 33 artists.
http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/comin ... -guy-clark

For some reason, I get an error message when I click on any link on that page. For those that are experiencing the same thing, this site also has some info on the new tribute. Thanks for the tip-off on that.

I'm super stoked about the August release ... I have an unedited copy of that show ... and love it.

The November tribute CDs are going to rock ... MAYBE the set will finally earn a Grammy for Guy. The line up is amazing ... So glad he included Rosie Flores and Terri Hendrix. They adore him like the rest of us.

There's also a biography in the works. Can you just imagine being a fly on the wall during those sessions?

Verlon's CD goes into wide release in August, too.

Nancy: I can just picture Verlon doing that with Guy's guitar. There is such genuine affection between those two men. Got to talk with Verlon after last Wednesday's show ... such a sweet, sweet spirit and so incredibly talented. And ever so loyal to Guy.

Interviewing Guy is not an easy gig. He suffers journalists only when absolutely necessary. He comes alive, however, when the conversation turns to Verlon. He gushes. Imagine Guy Clark gushing about anything. I was shocked the first time it happened because it was like dark and daylight.

I'm set to talk to him soon. Hopefully, he'll be in a good mood.

If you love Guy Clark you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of Heartworn Highways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartworn_Highways

It was a documentary made in the 70s with Guy, Townes, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and a ton of other amazing musicians. In the bonus features of the DVD you even get to a see a very young John Hiatt! It's just a really cool look into the lives of some of my favorite songwriters. I especially love the footage of Guy fixing/building guitars and everyone just hanging out jamming together.

WinchWench wrote:...Heartworn Highways...

Good call!

Steve Earle with the back story on the Townes scene above