Guy Clark,
Old No. 1 / Texas Cookin'

Label: Camden (import)
Year: 2001

(5 out of 5)

Guy Clark has influenced American singer/songwriters for three decades, yet he never has become a household name. His genius appears to be better recognized overseas than here in the States. Witness the excellent 1998 biography Songbuilder: The Life and Music of Guy Clark and this import that reissues his first two albums digitally remastered on one CD.

One listening session is all that is necessary to understand why Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Rodney Crowell, and the late Townes Van Zandt attribute much of their success to Guy Clark.

All 10 tracks from 1975's Old No 1 stand out like poetic masterpieces. Some of Clark's best-known songs are here, including "L.A. Freeway," "Texas, 1947," and "Desperados Waiting for a Train." Lesser-known gems also dot the landscape, from the moody blues of "She Ain't Goin' Nowhere" to the romantic ballad "Like a Coat from the Cold."

Each song works because of Clark's unique ability to connect his themes to the universal. Whether he's describing the West Texas plains, frenetic Los Angeles, or the sorrow over love lost, he's able to build a bridge that connects to the listener.

The 10 tracks from 1976's Texas Cookin' present a significant change in style. Gone is the quiet soliloquy of Old No 1. In its stead is a folksy hootenanny featuring the added talents of Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, and others.

Some songs, like "Good to Love You Lady" and "Me I'm Feeling the Same" (can Crowell not break off his phrases with the others?), sound a little dated, with a hint of the over-produced sound that Nashville was churning out in that era.

For the most part, however, the hootenanny is a hit. "Anyhow, I Love You" is a powerfully moving song that achieves maximum impact with the crescendoing voices pleading the lover's case over Clark's gravelly lead vocals. "The Last Gunfighter Ballad" showcases Clark's unique blend of storytelling and irony, insight and pathos.

Whether you are a newcomer or a long-time Guy Clark fan, the two albums on this one CD are essential listening and well worth the effort to find it. Certainly choose this packaging over RCA's The Essential Guy Clark, which rearranges the playlist and swaps out "It's About Time" from Texas Cookin' for a later Clark song, "Fools for Each Other."

Buy: Lone Star Music, Amazon

June 15, 2004