No Depression - The Bi-monthly Journal of Alt- Country
#41 September - October 2002
During the period covered by this edition singer/songwriter legend Guy Clark had a new album out The Dark on Sugarhill Records. This led to the strapline Guy Clark's decades of songs provide a strong foundation for a new spark in the dark. Do you see what they did there?
In addition to being a musician Clark was a painter and also a carpenter making his own guitars. I say was as he died in May 2016 aged 74
The Dark is not one I have but I have a copy of the 2006 follow up Workbench Songs alongsideThe Essential Guy Clark which is well worth picking up. You will recognise many of the songs.
The Dark was his first album without a solo writing credit with all the others co-written with the exception of a cover of Townes Van Zandt's Rex's Blues.
I saw him play at the Arches in Glasgow. The promoter Tom Hamilton later told me that he was one of the most unpleasant and demanding artists that he had ever put on. Strangely it doesn't say anything like that in the article.
This week's One from the Top is Elizabeth Cook the daughter of a hillbilly singer married to a moonshiner who played his upright bass while in a prison band. After many years she had finally gained a toe hold in Nashville with an album Hi Y'all on Warner Brothers. Following her 15 minutes of fame she started playing more alternative and rootsie stuff. I have her 2010 album Welder her final album until 2017 as she entered rehab to deal with dtug addiction and the deaths of family members.
Guy Clark is great. Elizabeth Cook did an excellent song called Balls.
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