Customer Reviews

Live From Austin TX: Guy Clark

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THIS IS A MUCH ANTICIPATED RELEASE--THE FIRST GUY CLARK DVD--AND IT IS WONDERFUL.FROM THE NEW WEST SERIES OF AUSTIN CITY LIMITS SHOWS, THIS ONE RECORDED IN NOV.1989, RUNS FOR 65MINS,AND INCLUDES 15 SONGS FROM THE GREATEST OF ALL THE GREAT TEXAS SINGER SONGWRITERS.

SUPPORTED BY BASS AND FIDDLE/MANDOLIN PLAYERS,THE SONGS INCLUDE ALL THE GREATS FROM LA FREEWAY,DESPERADOS,COME FROM THE HEART,AND RANDALL KNIFE.SOME GOOD TALES AND CHAT BETWEEN SONGS ARE PURE JOY.

SOUND AND FILM QUALITY IS WHAT NEW WEST HAVE ESTABLISHED IN THESE RELESES, THE HIGHEST QUALITY--WE SHOULD THANK THEM FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THIS SERIES.

WHEN YOU WATCH GUY PERFORM, THE WORD MAJESTIC COMES TO MIND, HE IS ONE OF THE FEW. SUPPORT THIS RELEASE, MAJESTIC TEXAS GREATNESS!!!!!

Here's the song listing ...

1. Texas 1947

2. L.A. Freeway (Pack Up All Your Dishes)

3. The Carpenter

4. Old Friends

5. Come From The Heart

6. I'm All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad

7. Randall Knife

8. Immigrant Eyes

9. Desperados Waiting For A Train

10. The Last Gunfighter Ballad

11. New Cut Road

12. Better Days

13. Homegrown Tomatoes

14. To Live Is To Fly

15. Texas Cookin'

I love this CD. Some of Clark's best songs, and great ones by other songwriters, with good energy. "To Live Is To Fly" is especially wonderful. Listen to Clark's voice as he sings the words "To live is to fly, both low and high..."

Lovers of Country,this is a classic Guy Clark Collection not to be missed, great songs from a very talented musician and if you can play a bit of guitar yourself, then a lot of the songs are quite simple to follow.....Great

Apparently I am the only one to notice, but, this performance is missing one song. I know, I have the video from the original broadcast on PBS. The song is Doctor Good Doctor. I couldn't believe it was not in the DVD. I went back and pulled out my VHS tape and, sure enough, I wasn't dreaming. His performance of Doctor Good Doctor was really a stand-out. Even though the ACL DVD's are advertised as the "complete full performance" they are not. Likewise with the Robert Earl Keen release. One of his songs is missing on the ACL DVD. I hate to repeat myself but, I have the original of that one on VHS also! But don't get me wrong! They are well worth buying!!

Guy Clark is known for being, a great Texas song-writer, and this DVD certainly proves that. This concert contains 15 songs, and all were written by Guy, except for 2. The songs are all great. Guy is a great "story teller". These songs are full of great stories. Like someone said about another singer/songwriter, Guy sings novels in 2-4 minute songs. This is a TOTALLY ACOUSTIC CONCERT, with only 3 musicians. It is a very good mild performance, that is very gentle & smooth. The total running time is 65 minutes.

The line-up includes:

Guy Clark - guitar & vocals

Stuart Duncan - fiddle & mandolin

Edgar Meyer - Large acoustic bass

The songs:

1.Texas 1947

2.L.A.Freeway (Pack Up All Your Dishes)

3.The Carpenter

4.Old Friends

5.Come From the Heart (written by his wife Susanna & Richard Dobson)

6.I'm All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad

7.Randall Knife (This contains a very "touching" song, about Guy's dad, I can definitely relate to this one. My Dad had a special knife also, and he is now deceased.)

8.Immigrant Eyes

9.Desperados Waiting for a Train (This was included in a songwriter magazine, as one of 50 country songs, that every one should hear & know.)

10.The last Gunfighter Ballad

11.New Cut Road

12.Better Road

13.Homegrown Tomatoes (Things money can't buy: True Love & Homegrown Tomatoes.)

14.To Live is to Fly (A Townes Van Zandt song)

15.Texas Cookin'

Thanks!!!!

Guy Clark is a national treasure. Even though this was taped in 1989 and is a "little" out of sync, it's just like seeing him in person. Stuart Duncan and Edger Meier are great accompanists! Don't miss Guy and Verlon Thompson if you ever get a chance to see them in person- money well spent!

As a long time fan, I find this "ramrod straight" performance a little disconcerting. The other end of the spectrum would be his goofy cameo in "Heartworn Highway", in which he comes off as a doped up clown. I hope the real Guy Clark is somewhere in the middle. (Don't you wish they had video taped "Keepers"?!?!)

I saw him live in Gainesville, and had a chance to talk with him for about 20 minutes between sets. He spoke of his affection for Townes. He asked me if I had a request, and he sang "Immigrant Eyes" as an encore.

This is a very fine concert, don't get me wrong. I just find it strange that, for whatever reason, Guy was on his best behavior that night.

This is the master at his level best.Why have this series been in the vault all these years ?

It was enjoyable watching Guy Clark in action. I was only disappointed in song selection -- some of his best were missing from the list. But the production is good and the visual is entertaining. I look forward to seeing him in person in my area.