Customer Reviews

The Dark

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I normally wouldn't dare to say anything negative about a Guy Clark cd, but all of the rave reviews here need some balance. To put my opinion in perspective, Guy Clark is my favorite artist and I own all of his albums (including the LPs of his 3 warner bros. albums that you can only get on "Craftsman"). That said, this is his "worst" record (none of them are bad), and with the quality of all his other albums, I rarely ever listen to this one. I believe one reason is that ALL of the songs are co-written with other artists. That is not something that Guy did in his prime, although he has been leaning more towards that practice recently, perhaps by design. In any event, my point is, you may want to listen to the album before you buy to make sure the $17 is worth it. As for myself, if I had it to do all over again, I would have burned a copy from a friend. If you a relative newcomer to Guy Clark, begin with Old No. 1, Texas Cookin', and Dublin Blues.

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.

The Dark is typical Guy Clark-deep ruminations on life's complexities, touches of lighthearted whimsey, compassion and pure vitriol. A potent mix that when placed with outstanding music and Guy's weathered vocals produces one of the most satisfying discs of the year.

Mud reminds us where we come from and where we go. Songs like Arizona Star, Soldiers Joy, Dancing Days and Homeless sound like they could have been true stories. The title tune is on a par with The Randall Knife-about the highest praise I can give a song.

The only reason this disc is not a 5 star project is that it isn't as good as Keepers, Boat's to Build or Dublin Blues. But its REALLY good. Probably 4 and a half stars is most accurate. Buy this today

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!

Amazing. If you enjoyed Guy's Cold Dog Soup and Dublin Blue's your gonna love this one. Guy seems to have stripped down his stripped down style with this one. A back to the bare basics album that sounds like he's sitting on your back porch. If you're looking for fancy production or intricate instrumentation, forget this one. This is Guy Clark with a guitar doing what he does best, spinning stories that leave you floored.

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.

Can Guy ever write a bad song? The answer is probably not. I saw him live last night and had not heard the new CD. Someone requested Queenie, a song about his friend's dog that got shot around new years and by Golly my mouth was hanging open it was so good. And then there's one in the set by him and his friend (and mine) Keith Sykes, She Love's To Ride Horses (in 3/4 time). Guy and Keith write another remarkable song together (this one is also on Mr. Sykes' Don't Count Us Out). He then played a few more from the CD and, although he warned us that he might have trouble getting though them, they were remarkable. So I liked the stuff and I bought it. Bottom line is this is 'Stuff That Works', it really gets you up, down, and sideways. And the other members of his group are sensational, as always.

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

Fresh new material,combined with the distinctive Clark wit and ability to make you laugh,cry,and continue to be amazed at the artist's amazing abilities!This one should be ranked as among his best work.Shawn Camp and Verlon Thompson have also shown their versatility once again.

Guy Clark is probably one of the strongest songwriters to come out of Texas. His folky-alt country tunes have been covered by many other artists--particularly "LA Freeway."

One thing about Clark is he tells it like it is. "Soldier's Joy, 1864" tells you almost exactly what it's like for a Civil War soldier to have a leg with gangrene amputated.

"Bag of Bones" talks about what it's like to grow old still anchored to an ancient body with a spirit flying free.

"Homeless" is a heartwrenching and true tale of what it's like to live on the streets. Again, no punches pulled. You don't want to have your heart broken, don't listen to this one.

The collection's excellent for any other singer-songwriter, but it's not one of Guy's best. My personal favorite of his is still "Workbench Songs" but the CD is well worth a listen and if you love folky country, a purchase as well.

Rebecca Kyle, May 2008