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. Willie Nelson might also be considered part of this outlaw country gang, although we all know Willie is really in a class by himself.
Clark has been on the scene as a leader for over 30 years, even more as a songwriter for others. He might not have any songs as widely known as, say, "Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother," but he's written plenty that others, better known than him, thought enough of to adopt for their own, like "L.A. Freeway," "Heartbroke," and "Oklahoma Borderline." But even some of Guy's lesser known songs are gems worthy of his legacy as a master songwriter.
One of those hidden gems that comes to my mind is "Stuff That Works." This composition is officially credited to both Clark and his long time colleague Rodney Crowell, but it's classic Clark all the way. From his 1995 release Dublin Blues, "Stuff" is one of the more quiet, introspective numbers in this collection.
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