Album Review: Steve Earle & The Dukes, Guy

The connection between Steve Earle and the late Guy Clark, who Earle has referred to as “the greatest story songwriter that ever lived”, goes back a long way. They first met in Nashville in 1974 and Earle sang backing vocals on Clark’s celebrated debut album Old No. 1, which was released a year later. Earle would even go on to tour as Clark’s bass player for a while, and recorded the first demo of his own songs in Clark’s house. This tribute album to his late friend isn’t, therefore, exactly much of a surprise, following as it does Earle’s nod to another of his song writing heroes, 2009’s Townes, a doff of the cap to Mr and Mrs Van Zandt’s son.

Some of the sound of Earle’s last record, 2017’s hit and miss So You Wannabe An Outlaw, carries over into opening track ‘Dublin Blues’, beefing up Clark’s more subdued original. Earle’s razzled voice marred some of that album but it really suits Clark’s song writing, and it is these great songs that make this the better record. He’s happy to trot out Clark’s well known material, the likes of ‘LA Freeway’, ‘She Ain’t Going Nowhere’ and the unavoidable ‘Desperados Waiting For A Train’ – and they all sound great – but he also shines a light on lesser heard numbers. Amongst them are the brilliant ‘The Randall Knife’, a song about Clark’s father, and, ‘Out in The Parking Lot’, which could have been written for Earle in the first place.

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.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2z0IDfKBeLFuAhYi3ztrIJ?si=OkmLlq4_T9S6v_iSDInJsg