Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This was hard to get and took months to arrive when I finally found it. A terrific book that does justice to truly great writer in Guy Clark. Fascinating, his relationship with Susannah and Townes and his drug use. Researched and written with love but also without papering over the flaws.
Incredible book. Beautifully written and brutally honest. Saviano weaves the music of Guy Clark with the growth and birth of Americana Music, as both shaped the broader category of Country Music. Highly recommend!
Personal note:
I was fortunate to see Guy Clark about a dozen years ago. I’m a huge Lyle Lovett fan and a friend of mine was a big fan of John Hiatt. So when we heard Lovett and Hiatt were doing a show with Joe Ely and some other guy, we were pretty excited.
“Some other guy”, of course, turned out be Guy Clark. Neither of us had heard of him at that point, but we both walked out of that concert amazed by what we’d just witnessed. And I’ve been listening to his music ever since, increasingly in awe of his talent.
Personal note:
I was fortunate to see Guy Clark about a dozen years ago. I’m a huge Lyle Lovett fan and a friend of mine was a big fan of John Hiatt. So when we heard Lovett and Hiatt were doing a show with Joe Ely and some other guy, we were pretty excited.
“Some other guy”, of course, turned out be Guy Clark. Neither of us had heard of him at that point, but we both walked out of that concert amazed by what we’d just witnessed. And I’ve been listening to his music ever since, increasingly in awe of his talent.
I'm not a big fan of Guy Clark, but I hoped that this book would provide a glimpse into an important era in Texas music. I enjoyed reading about Clark's childhood and upbringing and about the many songwriters he influenced. For me, the most compelling parts of the book were about Susanna Clark, both in her relationship with Townes Van Zandt and as an accomplished and dynamic artist herself.
Granted, I love Guy Clark.
But this book makes him come to life in new ways. A great read about an unusual and extraordinary life. I regret that I only saw him live in concert once - but I'm grateful that I caught him that one time. I wish I could have seen him in his prime.
The book is at once insightful and personal - not detached and objective, but a passionate, affectionate telling of a life. That said, the book doesn't paint over Guy's many rough spots. All in all, a great book I enjoyed reading a lit.
But this book makes him come to life in new ways. A great read about an unusual and extraordinary life. I regret that I only saw him live in concert once - but I'm grateful that I caught him that one time. I wish I could have seen him in his prime.
The book is at once insightful and personal - not detached and objective, but a passionate, affectionate telling of a life. That said, the book doesn't paint over Guy's many rough spots. All in all, a great book I enjoyed reading a lit.
I’m very happy that Saviano wrote this book about one of my all-time favorite songwriters and performers. That said, it’s not a well-written book.
The life of Guy Clark is better than a novel, but here it is related as dry documentary.
Too much attention is given to mundane things to the neglect of much more important things. The triangular relationship between Guy, his fascinating wife Susanna, and the brilliant but enigmatic Townes Van Zandt is a major thread, but in an almost superficial way. That story is fascinating as Grecian myth, but I left with as many questions as answers.
This is also a missed opportunity to completely tell the story of the moveable feast of 1970s Nashville. In so many ways, this magical time is the country music version similar to expats in Paris in the 1920s. The characters of this magical time are named and some of their motivations are identified, but the vibe just didn’t come across as vividly as it should.
Lack of appropriate structure is mostly to blame. The bones of the narrative are based on chronology, which is appropriate, but the book would have benefited had theme and philosophy given them better shap Major, major transitions were simply mentioned in passing: Susanna’s sister, who is dating Guy, commits suicide and then—next thing we know—Guy and Susanna are a couple. How did that happen? Didn’t they find that complicated? And how did they explain this to themselves?
I’m grateful for this book as it is almost alone in giving me greater insight into this fascinating couple and their eventful times. But I still don’t feel that I walked on Music Row in 1975, or that I fully understand how Susanna came to love both Guy and Townes so deeply, and how Guy really felt about all that.
The life of Guy Clark is better than a novel, but here it is related as dry documentary.
Too much attention is given to mundane things to the neglect of much more important things. The triangular relationship between Guy, his fascinating wife Susanna, and the brilliant but enigmatic Townes Van Zandt is a major thread, but in an almost superficial way. That story is fascinating as Grecian myth, but I left with as many questions as answers.
This is also a missed opportunity to completely tell the story of the moveable feast of 1970s Nashville. In so many ways, this magical time is the country music version similar to expats in Paris in the 1920s. The characters of this magical time are named and some of their motivations are identified, but the vibe just didn’t come across as vividly as it should.
Lack of appropriate structure is mostly to blame. The bones of the narrative are based on chronology, which is appropriate, but the book would have benefited had theme and philosophy given them better shap Major, major transitions were simply mentioned in passing: Susanna’s sister, who is dating Guy, commits suicide and then—next thing we know—Guy and Susanna are a couple. How did that happen? Didn’t they find that complicated? And how did they explain this to themselves?
I’m grateful for this book as it is almost alone in giving me greater insight into this fascinating couple and their eventful times. But I still don’t feel that I walked on Music Row in 1975, or that I fully understand how Susanna came to love both Guy and Townes so deeply, and how Guy really felt about all that.
Tamara Saviano spent years working on her biography of Guy Clark, and the result is a book worthy of the great songwriter. There is a tremendous amount of research behind the book: many hours spent with Guy, his wife Susanna, Rodney Crowell, and many others who worked with Guy over the years. There are many insights into Guy's writing process and influences. Saviano dives deeply into exploring his relationships with Susanna Clark and Townes Van Zandt, and she doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable moments. The ending, which takes us past Guy's death to the subsequent celebrations of his life, is poignant. Highly recommended.