Description
In 1974, just months after Steve Earle hitchhiked from San Antonio to Nashville, he wound up taking over bass-playing duties from Rodney Crowell in Guy Clark’s band. Forty-five years later, Earle, aided by his longtime band the Dukes, will pay homage to the profound influence the late songwriter and mentor had on his life and songcraft with GUY, a 16-track collection of tunes penned by Clark.
It’s a great credit to Earle that he made the decision to do the material justice by not doing anything too fancy to it. What this album does so well is emphasize the vast breadth of material Clark produced. What Steve Earle and the Dukes make clear with GUY is that these songs are old friends as well, somehow truer and purer today than when they were written by one of the masters.
GUY was produced by Earle and recorded by his longtime production partner Ray Kennedy. The project also includes the participation of fellow Guy Clark disciples and cohorts including Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Terry Allen, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mickey Raphael, Shawn Camp, Verlon Thompson and Gary Nicholson.
The album is unmistakably Steve Earle, not just in terms of his gravel-voiced style but also the driving guitars and drums and general atmosphere – by no means a slavish tribute, rather a loving homage from an old buddy. It’s no surprise to find that GUY is accomplished, spirited, and utterly complimentary to Clark’s unique songwriting gifts.
