Track Listing

1. L.A. Freeway
2. Texas, 1947
3. Like a Coat from the Cold
4. Heartbroke
5. Last Gunfighter Ballad
6. Better Days
7. Homegrown Tomatoes
8. She Ain't Goin' Nowhere
9. South Coast of Texas
10. That Old Time Feeling
11. Little of Both
12. Out in the Parking Lot
13. Let Him Roll
14. Texas Cookin'
15. Desperados Waiting for a Train

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #147510 in Music
• Released on: 1997-03-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
Guy Clark approaches songwriting the same way he approaches fishing--if what he comes up with is too meager, he throws it back; only the best specimens are considered "keepers." Fifteen of those specimens are featured on Keepers--A Live Recording (Sugar Hill), which was taped at a Nashville club in 1996 on Halloween weekend. Two strong songs are unveiled--"A Little of Both," a bouncy, witty song about avoiding choices, and "Out in the Parking Lot," a slow, poignant look at the action outside a nightclub. These two are joined by 13 old favorites, including those turned into hits by Ricky Skaggs ("Heartbroke"), Jerry Jeff Walker ("L.A. Freeway"), and Johnny Cash ("The Last Gunfighter Ballad"). They're all wonderful songs, but these aren't necessarily the best versions. Clark is a limited singer, but his voice cracks more than usual on several of these live renditions; this version of "She Ain't Goin' Nowhere" is practically unlistenable. Clark did put together a sharp little band for this recording, but if he was going to make a live album, why didn't he deliver some of his long, droll stories rather than these truncated introductions? --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews

Texas Without Being There
Guy Clark is the unofficial music ambassador for the great state of Texas. His songs are simple and straightforward tackling the always tough relationship department and lightweight subjects like eggs, tomatoes, chili, trains and his home state. ( "Texas 1947", "Texas Cookin" & "South Coast Of Texas" ) He's also intelligent when it comes to a live recording, putting together a great band which includes brilliant sideman - Verlon Thompson. Guy is definitely ON this night balencing songs, stories and laughter. The album literally brings Texas to my home until I can make the next visit. The purists seem to like his first two LP's found on "Essential", the critics pick is "Boats To Build", but the real Guy Clark is "Live" and this one is for the "Keepers".

Texas country-folk's main attraction delivers live
Imagine John Wayne with a guitar ... conveying toughness, pride, humor, and above all, integrity without having to raise his voice and rarely changing the pace of his words. That is the kind of talent and charisma Guy Clark possesses. His guitar playing is wonderfully intricate and his lyrics rank with anyone else's best. Slices of life like "Texas 1947" and "Desperados Waiting For A Train" perfectly convey the feel of those little Texas towns a few miles south or north of any main highway.

Very few can write like Guy Clark
If he releases the song, it's a keeper, for sure. He's written some of the best Texas music out there, including "LA Freeway" and "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train" which appear on this CD.

This live CD is well engineered. Kudos to whoever was at the boards. The sound's really good. But, the best part of Guy Clark live is hearing him tell the stories that come with the songs and there's just not enough of that here.

I love Guy Clark, but his voice sounds like a mile or so of bad Texas road in parts of this collection. Even with above average sound quality and me knowing the lyrics, I had a couple of moments where I was wondering what the heck was sung.

If you really love Guy Clark, like I do, this CD is one you'll want. If you're looking for an intro to his work, one of his studio CD's like "Workbench Songs" might be a better bet.