Tag: Guy Clark

Guy Clark’s Life and Music in “Without Getting Killed or Caught”

The documentary “Without Getting Killed or Caught” does an excellent job of recounting the music and life of legendary Texas singer-songwriter Guy Clark.

The recent documentary about the life and music of Guy Clark, Without Getting Killed or Caught, is now available for renting on Amazon Prime. Is it worth watching?

All fans of Guy Clark will enjoy learning more about the great Texas singer-songwriter from the documentary based on Tamara Saviano’s 2016 book of the same name and the diaries of Clark’s wife Susanna Clark. The film was produced and directed by Tamara Saviano and Paul Whitfield, it was written by Tamara Saviano and Bart Knaggs.

The film does a good job of recapping the music of Guy Clark, while also revealing more about his personal life, including the complicated relationship among him, his wife Susanna Clark, and singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Fans of Van Zandt will also find much about his life and death.

The film provides a proper place in history to the person often overlooked in the story, Susanna Clark. While understandably overshadowed by the talents of Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, the film highlights how she was an important part of the lives of both men. It also gives more context to her own talents in painting and songwriting. Additionally, the film literally gives Susanna Clark a voice through home audio recordings and narration in her voice by actress Sissy Spacek.

If there is any weakness in the film, it would be that it leaves one wanting to know more about Guy Clark’s music. The movie does a good job giving space to the songs in the time it has, but it probably was inevitable that a movie about someone with such a deep catalog would leave viewers wanting more.

One also may be curious to know more about Clark’s personal life and his feelings about his complicated relationship with his wife and Townes Van Zandt. But of course one film can only cover so much ground.

The movie largely rises to the challenge of exploring the life and music of Clark. It also makes the case that Guy Clark is one of the great American singer-songwriters who is too often overlooked.

(Below is a featurette about the film, featuring Jack ingram, Lyle Lovett, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell and others. For more about the film, here is a link to an interesting conversation between Steve Earle and filmmaker Tamara Saviano.)

What is your favorite Guy Clark song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • New Documentary About Guy Clark
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    • Nanci Griffith’s Superstars on Letterman: “Desperados Waiting for a Train”

    In 1998, Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Eric Taylor appeared on David Letterman’s stage to support a new release from Nanci Griffith.

    There are not many times there has been such a collection of talent onstage together since July 21, 1998, when Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker and Eric Taylor appeared together on the Late Show With David Letterman. Griffith had just released the excellent album Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful). And the album featured an all-star version of Guy Clark’s song “Desperados Waiting For a Train.”

    Only such an outstanding talent as Griffith could shine even while ceding so much of the song to these other legends of music. On both the album and the Letterman performance, she does not even sing solo until late in the song.

    The songwriter Guy Clark starts off the song, and it is clear that the beautiful performance is all about respect. There is Griffith’s respect for Clark’s song and the legendary talent of the other singers. But there is also an amazing amount of respect from those legends for Griffith, coming together for this performance on both the album and on Letterman’s show.

    Check out the performance of “Desperados Waiting for a Train” below.

    Most who love music of this genre will recognize the big names here for their work as singers and songwriters: Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and Jerry Jeff Walker. But you might or might not recognize Eric Taylor, who is probably the least well-known of the group. Taylor also was a well-respected Texas singer-songwriter, and his songs have been covered by people such as Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. He also was married to Griffith for 1976-1982. So it is also cool to see Griffith invite her ex for this amazing performance. Taylor passed away less than two years after this performance from liver disease.

    Of the group on stage that night, we have also lost Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Letterman clearly knew he was hosting a special gathering on his show at the time, but many may have missed it. We were certainly lucky to have the music of these folks, and extra lucky to have them together for this song.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Why “GUY”? (Steve Earle album review)
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    • Buy from Amazon

    New Documentary About Guy Clark

    A new documentary about the life of Guy Clark is being released. Without Getting Killed or Caught recounts the music and life of the legendary Texas singer-songwriter.

    Guy Clark is one of my favorite artists, so it is great to see his work getting more attention. One of my favorite all-time songs, Clark’s “L.A. Freeway,” provides the line that is the title of the upcoming film.

    The documentary started out and was partially funded as a Kickstarter project. The film features commentary from many of those influenced by Clark, like Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell.

    The movie is adapted from Clark’s wife’s writings in The Diaries of Susanna Clark, including the complicated relationship shared by her, Clark, and Townes Van Zandt. In the documentary, actress Sissy Spacek voices Susanna’s narration.

    Additionally, the movie is based on the book Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark by Tamara Saviano. Below is the trailer.

    Without Getting Killed or Caught is being released March 13, 2020.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Guy Clark’s Life and Music in “Without Getting Killed or Caught”
  • Nanci Griffith’s Superstars on Letterman: “Desperados Waiting for a Train”
  • Why “GUY”? (Steve Earle album review)
  • Guy Clark to Be Focus of New Book and Documentary
  • Heartworn Highways . . . Revisited
  • Tribute to Guy Clark CD is “Stuff That Works”
    • ( Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Willie Nelson: “Immigrant Eyes”

    Willie Nelson has released a video for his cover of Guy Clark’s song “Immigrant Eyes.” The track appears on Nelson’s new album, Ride Me Back Home.

    Clark’s original version of “Immigrant Eyes” appeared on his 1989 album Old Friends. But with immigration in the news, it is not difficult to understand why Nelson wanted to release his own version.

    In the song, Clark remembers his immigrant grandfather. The song connects many of us to our immigrant heritage, which in turn connects us to today’s immigrants.

    Sometimes when I looked in my grandfather’s immigrant eyes;
    I saw that day reflected and couldn’t hold my feelings inside;
    I saw started with nothing and working hard all of his life;
    “So don’t take it for granted, ” said grandfather’s immigrant eyes;
    “Don’t take it for granted, ” said grandfather’s immigrant eyes.

    Ride Me Back Home (2019), which includes covers and three songs written by Willie Nelson, is available now.

    What do you think of Willie Nelson’s new song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Why “GUY”? (Steve Earle album review)

    Steve Earle has released a wonderful tribute to one of his mentors, Guy Clark, with his album GUY. Yet, the album is a bit of a surprise. Earle has long been outspoken on important issues, incorporating political messages into many of his songs. So, one may wonder why, during a crazy period of American political history, Earle’s new music is largely silent on the issues of the day. The question about why Earle is doing this album at this time is further complicated by the fact that there is already an outstanding multi-artist tribute to Clark. So, why GUY?

    During the George W. Bush administration, Earle released the album Just an American Boy (2003), along with a documentary by the same name. The album featured songs criticizing the war, and Earle provoked controversy with his song humanizing “enemy combatant” John Walker Lindh (“John Walker’s Blues”). When Bill Clinton was in the White House, Earle called for Woody Guthrie and other activists to “come back” in “Christmas in Washington.” When Barack Obama was president, Earle sang about a “City of Immigrants.” Going back to the beginning of his career, Earle was never afraid to take on important issues, recording several songs about capital punishment.

    But now, as the current occupant sits in the White House, Steve Earle gives us a tribute album for his friend? Really?

    What “GUY” Is

    Let’s start with the fact that GUY is one of Earle’s best albums in recent years, perhaps since 2004’s The Revolution Starts Now. As a starting point, Guy Clark was one of the great American songwriters, so Earle had a great group of songs from which to choose.

    And Earle and the Dukes sound great. Earle and the Dukes, for the most part, do not change a lot in their interpretations of the songs. There are a few exceptions, like a more rocking version of “Out in the Parking Lot.” While Earle does not radically rework “Dublin Blues,” Earle and the band highlight the boasts in the song (“I’ll stand up and be counted”). While Clark’s voice emphasized the sadness in the lyrics.

    Throughout the album, the Dukes give new energy to the songs, and the band’s work is a large reason to get this album. The Dukes include Kelley Looney (bass), Ricky Ray Jackson (pedal steel guitar), Eleanor Whitmore (fiddle and mandolin), Chris Masterson (guitar), and Brad Pemberton (drums).

    And the world can always use another version of “L.A. Freeway.” It is one of the best songs ever written about leaving somewhere.

    GUY is a personal album for Earle. Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt were two important mentors to Earle. Earle has jokingly explained that the reason he made GUY was that he had already created a tribute album of Van Zandt’s songs, Townes(2009). So, he feared meeting Clark in the afterlife and having to explain why he made an album for Van Zandt but not for Clark.

    It is a funny story, but perhaps there is a sense of obligation that helps explain why Earle made GUY. And it gives Earle a reason to gather together friends like Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Emmylou Harris to sing Clark’s song, “Old Friends.”

    So Come Back Steve Earle, Come Back To Us Now

    So, why GUY? Well, Earle crafted a beautiful album of wonderful songs played with energy by the Dukes. And even in troubled times, we need to affirm personal values and our own lives and bonds. Like Earle, who recently saw the ending of his marriage to singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, all of us must trudge on with our own real lives.

    So, singing songs about friends, fathers (“Randall Knife”), broken hearts (“Dublin Blues”), old men (“Desperados Waiting for a Train”), and other personal connections is needed in troubled times, perhaps even more than other times. We need to remember our departed friends, as Earle is remembering Guy Clark. We all need sanctuary from the evening news and our lives.

    So if you do not have this album, which is one of Earle’s best, get it. He will get around to the political message songs. Earle says he has already been working on such a political album. He plans to release it in time for the 2020 election.

    What is your favorite Steve Earle song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Tribute to Guy Clark CD is “Stuff That Works”
  • Nanci Griffith’s Superstars on Letterman: “Desperados Waiting for a Train”
  • Steve Earle’s “Ghosts of West Virgina” (album review)
  • Steve Earle: “Dublin Blues”
  • The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris
  • New Documentary About Guy Clark
    • ( Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)


    Buy from Amazon