One Track Mind: Guy Clark, "Stuff That Works" (1995)

by Pico

In My Hallowed Opinion, it doesn't matter much what kind of music it is, if it's created and executed well, it's worth listening to. That's why you don't have to like crooners to appreciate Sinatra. Or get into reggae to respect Bob Marley. That's why even though I don't consider myself a fan of country music, I can still find a place in my rotation for guys like Guy. Guy Clark, that is.

Guy Clark comes from that branch of country music that's really at least equal parts folk and sometimes honky tonk but wholly Texan. He and his cohorts such as Jerry Jeff Walker and the late Townes Van Zandt have for a couple of generations written songs that stand up entirely on their own. They contain straightforward lyrics and simple melodies but have a way of staying with you long after the final note is played. They reach out to cowboys, folkies and common people alike, telling engaging stories or just expressing the same kind of feelings we all get in our everyday lives. It's from this group that tunes like "Mr. Bojangles" and "Pancho And Lefty" come from. Willie Nelson might also be considered part of this outlaw country gang, although we all know Willie is really in a class by himself.

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