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Release Date: 05/16/1995
Run Time: 99:09
This double-CD collection issued by
Rounder's
Philo imprint contains on a double CD all three of
Guy Clark's late-'70s and '80s recordings for
Warner Bros.:
Guy Clark,
South Coast of Texas, and
Better Days.
Clark's
Warner period was one of intense self-scrutiny and exploration, not only with the way songs are written, but also in the way they are recorded. In terms of experiment and adventure, these are the most sonically interesting of
Clark's records. While some of these titles seemed odd at the time, particularly the self-titled album, in retrospect they more than hold their own and prove to be ahead of what some are doing even now. As for the tracks themselves, this was a fruitful, if difficult, period for
Clark. While his biggest hit,
"Homegrown Tomatoes," is here, so is the redo of
"Rita Ballou," "New Cut Road," and the original recorded version of
"Randall Knife," far spookier and more haunted than the redo on
Dublin Blues. In addition, there are a few covers here that
Clark had been loathe to cut while on
RCA, and these include
Townes Van Zandt's
"Don't You Take It Too Bad" and
"No Deal," as well as a stellar modern version of
Jimmie Rodgers'
"In the Jailhouse Now." Also there are a pair of collaborations with fellow Houstonian
Rodney Crowell in
"The Partner Nobody Chose" and
"She's Crazy for Leavin'." Clark always surrounded himself with fine musicians and this trio of albums was no exception -- everyone from
Emmylou Harris and
Rosanne Cash to
Crowell,
Verlon Thompson,
Kenny Malone,
David Briggs, and dozens more appear on them. In many ways, because of the heady work
Clark had issued before and after these
Warner recordings, this trio has become somewhat of a cipher in his catalog, as part of some misguided apocrypha. This impression is simply erroneous and can be proven so with even the most casual listen. These 30 songs are as integral to
Guy Clark's body of work than anything else he has ever issued.
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
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