Essential Guy Clark CD

Essential Guy Clark buy CD music OLD FRIENDS emphasizes much of what people love about Guy Clark: the quiet grace, the homespun wisdom, and the earthy songwriting gift. The all-acoustic arrangements sound so organic and spontaneous that this could almost be a live album. For much of this recording, Clark is at his most quietly poignant, whether nonchalantly extolling the virtues of fraternity on the title track, promoting good will on "Hands," or poetically describing the immigration experience on "Immigrant Eyes." Like any Clark album, though, this one has its moments of dry humor (the anti-therapy "Doctor Good Doctor," and the loopy "Watermelon Dream"). There are also some well-chosen covers of tunes by Clark's pals, including a faithful rendition of the Townes Van Zandt classic "To Live Is to Fly" and Flatlander Joe Ely's waltz, "The Indian Cowboy." OLD FRIENDS is one of Clark's most low-key efforts, as solid as it is unassuming. Recording information: SBK Studios. Personnel: Guy Clark (vocals, guitar); Verlon Thompson (guitar, percussion, background vocals); Michael Henderson (slide guitar); Vince Gill (guitar); Sam Bush (fiddle, mandolin, mandola); Dave Pomeroy (bass); Miles Wilkinson (percussion); Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash (background vocals). Personnel: Guy Clark (vocals, guitar); Verlon Thompson (vocals, guitar, percussion); Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash (vocals); Mike Henderson, Vince Gill (guitar); Michael J. Henderson (slide guitar); Sam Bush (mandola, mandolin, fiddle); Miles Wilkinson (percussion).