Customer Reviews

Workbench Songs

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

 

 

I've been a fan of Guy Clark since Jerry Jeff Walker first sang "LA Freeway" in the early 70s. His distinctive husky voice speaks of roadworn weariness, someone who's lived a long tough life. (And I suspect he sounded that way at 30...)

This disc opens powerfully with two great numbers: "Walkin' Man" and "Magdalene". Both will have you humming the tunes in short order. Morgan Hayes does the harmony vocals-- I would have sworn it was Nanci Griffith. "Tornado Time in Texas" and "Expose" are classic Guy "Texas two-step" songs-- fun beat and bouncy. Clear the dance floor. "Funny Bone" reminds me of Randall Knife and other Clark story-telling ballads. "Out in the Parking Lot" is a classic of his and well worth playing/hearing again on this disc as GC captures a classic TX moment outside many a honkytonk. "No Lonesome Tune" is a Townes VanZandt song and Guy's crisp guitar work and mellow voice was made for it. The bluesy "Worry Be Gone" and "Diamond Joe" finish out this fine disc.

It's classic Guy Clark all the way-- not as mournful as "The Dark" but I'd compare it more to one of his best-- "Dublin Blues." And if you ever get a chance to hear him in concert, run, don't walk to get those tickets. Guy Clark is a treasure. Highly recommended. Enjoy!

There may be better songwriters than Guy Clark-but you can count them on one hand with fingers left over. This disc has him co-writing with some of the best in Nashville-Gary Nicholson, Lee Roy Parnell, Steve Nelson, Ray Stephenson and old standbys Rodney Crowell and Verlon Thompson. The result is a project that loses none of Guy's touch, but slightly broadens the musical palate. In addition, there is a greater emphasis on production, making the record sound more like a country record (in a good sense) than a bluegrass or folk record as some projects have sounded in the past.

The disc opens with two exceptional tracks, Walkin' Man and Magdalene. Both benefit from the expanded musical palate and are full of brilliant images. They are followed by Tornado Time in Texas full of Guy's wry sense of humor (when pigs fly, no I mean really fly), Funny Bone a look at the kind of lovable losers Guy can see when others see nothing, and Expose, co-written with Rodney Crowell.

Guy is prone to reprising something he has previously released, and this time we get a full band/production version of Out In the Parkin' Lot. While really nice, IMHO it loses some of the understated elegance it had on Keepers. This is followed by the obligitory Townes Van Zandt tune, and in No Lonesome Tune, Guy has found a song that perfectly fits the mood of this record.

The record closes with a trio of songs that are full of humor and pleasaure. Cinco De Mayo In Memphis a meeting of hispanic culture with Memphis, Analog Girl, about one of those girls who just doesn't fit the digital age and Worry B Gone a tribute to the capacity of smoke to remove the stresses of life. The final track is a duet between Guy and Verlon Thompson on Diamond Joe, sung with "a big old sweep of the cowboy hat" to Ramblin' Jack Elliott.

All in all a very satisfying record. Highly recommend

Clark's voice is ageless. The photos on the CD sleeve show a Guy Clark who looks decades older than he did in the photos on his previous album but the voice is as strong as ever. The songs are as strong as well. I played this and followed it up by listening to his first two albums. The sound is more up-to-date on the current recording but, otherwise, Clark's voice doesn't seem to have weakened one whit. Those first recordings have an edge in that they contain songs that have since become classics.

I never get tired of listening to Clark sing. I don't think he's ever done anything second rate. On the new recording, my pick for future classics are "Tornado Time in Texas" (which ranks alongside "Texas Cooking" as a vignette of genuine Lonestarness) and "Out In The Parking Lot" (which he recorded previously on the live CD "Keepers"). A couple of others are favorites of mine, "Cinco de Mayo In Memphis" and "Worry Be Gone". Of course, I also love "Expose'" for its hard look at tabloid journalism. Hell, there's not a loser on the recording.

As a side note, this CD's release date in the USA has been pushed back numerous times. It was originally to be released in September, then it was changed to an October date. That date was also pushed back to November. The current official release of this recording is still a couple of weeks down the road as I write this. Copies of the CD can be obtained from UK sources here on Amazon or you can get a pre-release copy by going through Guy Clark's website and following the links. While the link says autographed copies of the CD are available, mine didn't come with an autograph. Even so, I'm impatient and I'm happy just to get my hands on the recording before it's officially released.

Guy Clark has been one of America's Finest Songwriters for many years. His songs have been recorded by some of America's most well known Performers like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Workbench Songs is his lastest CD Release that showcases his well honed Songwriting Talent. The 1st Song of CD is "Walkin Man", it is a great ballad that evokes Legends like: Martin Luther King, Woodie Guthrie, Gandi and Chuck Berry. It is the kind of song that tells a timeless story and I have even added it to my own performances. The rest of the Album is equally Great. Guy Clark's style of acoustic Guitar Playing (and Making) is unique, but in the same vein of Woody/Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Ramblin' Jack Elliot. I recommend this Album to Anyone interested in True American Music performed by an Established Songwriter.

The first album I purchased by Guy Clark was Dublin Blues and that was about six years ago. I still love the CD and listen to it all the time, without skipping any songs. I later purchased Essential Guy Clark, but did not like it nearly as much, the production was lousy and the songs just did not hit me the way the songs on Dublin Blues did. I hemmed and hawed on picking this new one up, but finally did a few weeks ago. Glad I did, this is a wonderful album, very similar in style to Dublin Blues, good tunes and good stories. I guess if you have a winning formula stick with it. The songs have a warmth to them that makes you feel like you are sitting around a campfire or pub listening in person. The stories are all entertaining. Definitely worth the price, and I don't skip any of the songs on this disk either. Tornado time in Texas is my favorite so far, always turn that one up!

Enjoyed this recording immensely. In todays music dearth, these types of recording are a God send. Will be buying others like it soon.

I crossed paths with Guy Clark in an elevator once at a music festival in North Florida. At that time, I was not familiar with his music or who he was. I was intrigued by his smooth swanky soft-spoken manner and started listening to his music. I have been a huge fan ever since, and the next time I run into him, I can tell him which songs I love the most. My all time favorite is "Anyhow, I love you". Guy Clark's music will take you to another place and time. He is a fascinating story-teller and a true gentleman. I can't say enough wonderful things about his unique talent and music. I can't get enough

June in Zephyrhills

Guy Clark is an aquired taste but he's a craftsman. He's like a guy that makes custom wood furniture. You may not like the piece but you know that it was well made, of good material and more than a little sweat. I was particularly taken with Magdalene, Broke His Funny Bone and Analog Girl. The arrangements are spare but appropriate. I find myself whistling more ornate Mexican rifts in Magdalene which has very simple ones. OK I am a sixty's folky and I like texas music. All of these songs have something to recommend them I just picked out the three that are currently running around in my head. If you know and like Guy Clark then you know what your getting, just differnt thoughts in a solid package. If you don't know Guy and like intelligent folk/cowboy music, do yourself a favor.

I saw Mr. Clark on a PBS special and loved the songs he performed. This cd was my first purchase of his work and I was blown away. It's still on my cd player. The songs are crafted as works of art. Lyrics that will blow you and way and Mr. Clarks singing is unique and beautiful. It sounds like he's lived the songs he's wrote. I took a chance on this and was rewarded with a new, exciting discovery.

In his latest CD, "Workbench Songs," native Texan Guy Clark shows his fans how it's done as he spins memorable tales about tornadoes, new and lost love, and celebrating a holiday in Memphis.

"Tornado Time in Texas" came from Clark's memories of growing up in Monahans.

Verlon Thompson, Clark's long-time band member and collaborator on many songs, had written the song's first line, The sky was blacker than a funeral suit and it was hotter than a depot stove. The two of them took it from there.

The pace slows down a bit with "Magdalene," a plaintive ballad about running away from it all and "Funny Bone," the story of love gone bad.

Clark's sharp wit is present in "Exposé," a song that obviously reflects Clark's experience with the press.

"Analog Girl" was written about a woman who refuses to join the world of computers, email and cell phones.'

"Worry B Gone" will strike a chord with those from the 1960s who tried the forbidden fruit and did inhale.

Clark shines in "Cinco de Mayo in Memphis." The song has an infectious rhythm that makes you want to take a road trip and do the cha-cha-cha up and down Beale Street.

The CD's most touching moments come in "No Lonesome Tune," a story about realizing what's important before it's too late. Clark knows what it takes to get directly to the heart of the matter.

Clark's songs tell stories. They don't get a lot of radio play, but they're honest and well worth the time it takes to figure them out.