Guy
| Steve Earle & The Dukes
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Guy
American singer Steve Earle has released sixteen studio albums, including a collaboration with bluegrass artist Del McCoury. Earle's work reflects a wide range of styles, including bluegrass, roots rock, folk, blues and country. He or his labels have also released six live albums and eight compilation albums.
Although Earle has never charted within the Top 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart, he has charted several songs on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. His most recent chart appearance was in 1996, despite having charted several successful albums.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Folk Radio
Although the choice of covers does tend to reflect how Clark’s writing tailed off in the latter years in terms of memorable songs, this stands as both a terrific tip of the hat to a seminal Americana figure and a damn fine Earle album in its own right.
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Rolling Stone
Earle doesn’t do much in the way of sonic experimentation on Guy. There’s no polished production, revamped arrangements or sizzling pork on the LP — his only indulgence is adding drums and some Waylon Jennings-esque electric guitar to “Dublin Blues.” Instead, he stays faithful to songs like “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” “L.A. Freeway” and “The Randall Knife,” Clark’s deeply personal recitation of his complicated relationship with his father.
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Spill Magazine
Clearly a labor of love, Guy commemorates a friendship that spanned decades and was ended only by death. However, it still faces the classic problem of a cover album
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Louder than War
It’s an album that might not get Steve Earle recognised beyond Copperhead Road, but Guy is a respectful and fitting tribute from one artist to another.
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The New Yorker
Rather than reimagining his source material, Earle doesn’t monkey much with his late mentor’s melodies. He plays Clark’s songs the way Clark played them.
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Hot Press
The Dukes rise to the occasion too, offering suitably ragged and sympathetic readings of these marvellous songs. Earle should consider any outstanding debts to the great Guy Clark settled.
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Glide Magazine
”Old Friends,” with the large cast aboard, could be taken as an elegy but it’s a warm song where you feel the love of Clark’s many friends through the spoken passages and choruses. Earle has made a gorgeous tribute, every bit as good, maybe even a shade better than TOWNES.
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The Fire Note
Like his previous tribute to Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle serves up a collection of Guy Clark songs that celebrate his songwriting catalog.
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Americana UK
When Emmylou Harris and Earle blend harmonies with ‘Old Friends, Shine like Diamonds’ over plangent pedal and brushed snare, the harmonica and mandolin introduced subtly under the repeated vocal, end a collection which works both as eulogy to Clark, but as a fine Earle album in itself.
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MXDWN
The track also features vocals from Clark’s cohorts Terry Allen, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jo Harvey Allen, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris. The song is beautiful and touching because of the honesty and endearment that runs through this song. It is uncomplex but serves its purpose perfectly as the final musical and personal tribute to the legend of Guy Clark.
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The Arts Desk
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. “Old friends, shine like diamonds,” he and Emmylou sing on the closing track. Sums it up pretty good.
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Riff Magazine
On his newest album, Guy, Steve Earle and his band the Dukes pay tribute to one of his foundational influences, Guy Clark. Earle covers 16 of the country and folk great’s most prominent songs and indirectly reflects upon his intimate relationship with the legendary songwriter.
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All Music
the execution isn't quite as strong as Earle's good intentions on Guy, though if he wanted to either remind old fans on the greatness of Clark's songs or convince new ones to explore his body of work, he makes his case will eloquence and affection.
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