Album Review: "This One's For Him: A Tribute To Guy Clark"

   Generally speaking, I am not much of a fan of tribute albums. More often than not the cast of players makes about as much sense as a sequel to Titanic, and they flow about as well as a shit river. Of course, there are always exceptions to prove the rule, and with a lineup featuring Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Ely, John Prine, Hayes Carll, Rosie Flores, and many more, matched with the brilliant songwriting of Guy Clark, this is certainly one of those exceptions.

   From the time Rodney Crowell kicks it off with "That Old Time Feeling" until Jerry Jeff Walker finishes it off with his take on "My Favorite Picture Of You", this album has more highlights than the hair on a Tampa Bay stripper.

   The first, of many, standout tracks is Lyle Lovett's fantastic version of "Anyhow I Love You". Lyle is one of many artists that credit Guy for much of the success of their careers and he pays a fine tribute with a heartfelt performance. After a take on "All He Wants Is You" by Shawn Colvin that, frankly, just doesn't work, Shawn Camp provides and fantastic and poignant rendition of "Homeless".

   Ron Sexmith, and Rosanne Cash are both solid in there versions of "Broken Hearted People", and "Better Days", but things really start to pick up with Willie Nelson's cover of the classic "Desperadoes Waiting For A Train". I don't know if there's a more perfect song for Willie's repertoire than this Guy Clark masterpiece.

   Following Willie is the ever amazing Rosie Flores turning "Baby Took A Limo To Memphis" into both one of the best, and easily the funnest song on the entire album. Kevin Welch makes the heartbroken drifter tune "Magdalene" his own, while Suzy Bogguss captures the hopelessness of "Instant Coffee Blues" far better than I was expecting from her. Texas songwriting demigod Ray Wylie Hubbard shows up and manages to take one of the few Clark songs I never cared for, Homegrown Tomatoes, into a fun, foot tapping good time. Leave it to the Wylie Llama.

   After the fun from Hubbard, we get perhaps the eeriest and saddest track on the album with John Townes Van Zandt II's rendition of "Let Him Roll". John's dad, of course, was the legendary Townes Van Zandt, who was also Guy Clark's best friend for 35 years until his demise from alcoholism. If this song doesn't give you chills, you're probably a vampire and already dead on the inside.

Soulless Bastard

   

      Following up the junior Van Zandt, we are treated to the legendary "Ramblin'" Jack Elliot's version of the spooky "The Guitar". One of Clark's newer tracks, I'm not sure I would have included it on a tribute album but it's good, and you can't go wrong with "Ramblin'" Jack.

   We've come to the next standout moment on the album with James McMurty's fantastic cover of "Cold Dog Soup". If there's a better song about the life of the songwriter during the "Heartworn Highways" era, I've never heard it, and McMurty's take is nothing short of masterful. Hayes Carll, who has rapidly become one of my favorite  artists of today, absolutely nails 'Worry B Gone" to the point to where if I didn't know better, I would believe it's one of his own compositions.

  The great Joe Ely takes one Guy's most beloved songs, Dublin Blues, and turns in the best version I've heard not performed by Guy himself. John Prine and Emmy Lou Harris(silver fox) team up to be what John Prine and Emmy Lou Harris are, and that is fucking fantastic. There cover of "Magnolia Wind" would make Mike Tyson weep. It's that good.

Pussy.

   Steve Earle, who was mentored by Clark for many years, is up next with a outstanding version of what may be my personal favorite Guy Clark song in "The Last Gunfighter Ballad". Remember when Johnny Cash did this song? Fuck me that was terrible. Sorry, Johnny.

   Verlon Thompson is as solid as he always is with his version of "All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad". Terri Hendrix is unspectacular with her version of "The Dark" which leads into Guy's most well known song "L.A Freeway" performed by Radney Foster. I was surprised to find this astonishingly mediocre. I found it flat, and did nothing for me. They can't all be winners.

  Patty Griffin comes back after the nap break that was "L.A Freeway" with a pretty good rendition of "The Cape" to bring me back, which is followed up with perhaps the greatest voice to song combination in the history of everything ever with Kris Kristofferson singing "Hemingway's Whiskey". It's so perfect it almost makes up for what that half-faggot Kenny Chesney did to it. Almost.
   

Seriously, fuck this guy.

   Following the epicness that is Kris Kristofferson mixed with Guy Clark, and a little Ernest Hemmingay, we get several more solid performances from the likes of Robert Earle Keen, Jack Ingram, and most notably Vince Gill with his version of "The Randall Knife", but I'm getting tired of writing so I'm going to go ahead and close this out.

   When you combine the material provided by one of the greatest folk/country writers of all-time, with the talent, respect, and love that the performers have for Guy Clark you are left with the best tribute album I have ever come across. I highly recommend this to anyone, and everyone. Fuck Kenny Chesney.

Cheers.
Chris Miller