Book Review: Steve Krakow's My Kind of Sound: The Secret History of Chicago Music Compendium (2016)

He may not be a household name, but writer, artist, and musician Steve Krakow (a/k/a Plastic Crimewave) is one of the most important and engaging music historians working in the field today. A self-taught expert on psychedelic rock and esoteric music, Krakow – under his ‘Plastic Crimewave’ nom de plume – launched his Galactic Zoo Dossier music zine in 1995. Published by the Chicago-based Drag City Records label, Galactic Zoo Dossier is a joyful celebration of the musical and pop culture flotsam and jetsam of the 1960s and ‘70s. Most notably, every issue of the zine (published roughly once a year to date) is hand-drawn by Krakow in his unique, psychedelic-tinged style.

Krakow’s bona fides extend beyond the publication of Galactic Zoo Dossier, although his eclectic tastes have led to interviews in those pages with such interesting talents as the Clive Palmer (Incredible String Band), Simeon (Silver Apples), Dave Lambert (Strawbs), Dick Taylor (The Pretty Things), and Arthur ‘Hellfire’ Brown (the zine takes its name from an album by Brown’s band Kingdom Come). As a musician, Krakow fronts Plastic Crimewave Sound, the avant-garde psychedelic outfit releasing half a dozen albums to date and, as a visionary, Krakow is promoter of the Million Tongues Festival in Chicago, exposing fringe and cult artists to a new audience.

Steve Krakow’s My Kind of Sound

Most importantly for our purpose here, Krakow is the creator of The Secret History of Chicago Music. Krakow’s hand-lettered and hand-drawn column has been published by alternative newsweekly the Chicago Reader since 2005. An outgrowth of Galactic Zoo Dossier, the single-panel strip was meant to showcase “pivotal Chicago musicians that somehow have not gotten their just dues,” and it runs as a semi-monthly feature in the paper. Krakow also hosts a regular “Secret History” segment on WGN-AM radio, taking phone calls related to the featured artist, some of whom join the conversation. Now nearly 200 of Krakow’s “Secret History” columns – more than a decade of his work – have been collected by publisher Curbside Splendor in a gorgeous hardback book.

Ostensibly an odd-shaped (6.75” x 8.75”) art portfolio with matte B&W covers and thick, semi-glossy paper, My Kind of Sound: The Secret History of Chicago Music Compendium is an invaluable, groundbreaking work of original research and hell of a lot of fun to read and pore over. Krakow’s enthusiasm as a fan comes through in every artist profile he presents, and his familiarity with the bands and their music is complimented by personal interviews whenever Krakow is able to track the down an artist or band member. Every pen-and-ink panel features a sketch of the band or artist (some more effective than others, but all of them enchanting) along with an insightful, informative hand-lettered bio that captures the essence of the subject, providing a bit of back story, the reasons why we should care about them and, when possible, where the musicians are today – no little feat for any writer.  

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

The scope of Krakow’s achievement with My Kind of Sound is remarkable by any standard, and the range of artists he covers is impressively diverse. From lesser-known Chicago bluesmen like Blind Arvella Gray, Fenton Robinson, and Mighty Joe Young to obscure rockers like Mason Proffit, the Ides of March, and Starcastle, Krakow gives ‘em all the deluxe treatment. Throughout the book, Krakow frequently covers more prominent artists like Bo Diddley, Rufus, and ‘Magic’ Sam Maghett, but he also gives a lot of love to true cult musicians like Skafish, Ken Nordine, Phil Upchurch, and the Illinois Speed Press, among many others.

It’s a heavy load to carry, but Krakow skillfully documents Chicago’s rich musical history in all its hues and facets, preserving it for the future. If you’re anything like the Reverend, Krakow’s My Kind of Sound will have you filling up your Amazon wish list and digging through vinyl listings on Discogs – and that’s the highest praise I can think of… Grade: A+ (Curbside Splendor, published January 5, 2016)

Buy the book from Amazon.com: Steve Krakow's My Kind of Sound: The Secret History of Chicago Music Compendium

Rage Against the Machine Debut gets Audio Fidelity release!

Depending on your age and musical perspective, rockers Rage Against the Machine are either to blame for the inexplicable commercial success of the rap-metal genre during the 1990s, with all that entails – Tool, the Deftones, Limp Bizkit (*shudder*) – or they were merely pioneers of a new hybrid style that rapidly went in the wrong direction.

No matter, ‘cause Rage’s self-titled 1992 debut album hit the ears of American rock ‘n’ rollas like a mortar blast. Featuring bombastic tracks like “Killing In The Name,” “Bullet In The Head,” “Bombtrack,” and “Freedom,” which offered frontman Zack de la Rocha’s machinegun vox, guitarist Tom Morello’s flamethrower fretwork, and a truly explosive rhythm section in bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk that re-defined the meaning of ‘heavy,’ the album quickly achieved triple Platinum™ sales status with over 3m flapjacks sold.

The Reverend remembers his first hearing of Rage Against the Machine – on a cross-country repo job, I was driving a fire-red pickup truck with dodgy provenance from Oakland to Nashville. I picked up a copy of the Rage Against the Machine album on cassette tape from a truckstop in Nevada, and blasted it full-tilted through that state, across Utah’s Salt Lake Desert, over the mountains of Colorado, and over the badlands of Kansas. On June 24th, 2016 Rage Against the Machine will receive a long-overdue (IMHO) upgrade when our esteemed friends at Marshall Blonstein’s Audio Fidelity reissues the album as a limited-edition, hybrid SACD.

The band’s energetic mix of punk furor and heavy metal thunder mixed with free-flowing, politically-charged, left-leaning rapped vocals was fresh, exciting, inciting, and seemingly laboratory-created to blast loudly from a car radio or shoulder-held boom box. Rage Against the Machine also included guest appearances by Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins on the song “Know Your Enemy.” The album only rose as high as #45 on the Billboard magazine chart but would follow its critical acclaim with worldwide success, charting in the UK, Australia, Sweden, and Germany. The angry dynamics of Rage Against the Machine can only be enhanced with re-mastering and reissue in a high-resolution Super-Audio CD format.

Rage Against the Machine’s career was short, but groundbreaking in both influence and creativity. The band only released a total of four studio albums in eight years, with both their sophomore effort (1996’s Evil Empire) and third album (1999’s The Battle of Los Angeles) hitting number one in the US on their way to multi-Platinum™ sales. Even the band’s swansong, the covers album Renegades, rose to #14 on the charts and was subsequently awarded a Platinum™ Record.

Rage broke up in 2000, but has reunited sporadically for single shows and short tours; Morello is currently pursuing a solo career as ‘The Nighwatchman’ and has toured with Springsteen’s E Street Band while Wilk has been playing with Black Sabbath. It all began with that self-titled debut, a blockbuster album that was a true game-changer for rock ‘n’ roll!

Buy the SACD from Amazon.com: Rage Against the Machine's Rage Against the Machine

Album Review: Jimbo Mathus' Band of Storms (2016)

Roots ‘n’ blues artist Jimbo Mathus has certain stayed busy the last few years. Befitting his heightened status as an Americana icon, the talented journeyman has released five solo albums in as many years, including last year’s excellent Blue Healer. Mathus teamed up with his British counterpart Ian Siegal for a 2014 U.K. tour which resulted in the Wayward Sons live album, released earlier this year. And now, courtesy of the good folks at Big Legal Mess and Fat Possum Records, we have Band of Storms, a nine-song Mathus EP that’s available exclusively on glorious black vinyl and as a digital download.

The cover artwork of Band of Storms is by Erika Jane Amerika, the artist capturing the vibe of these songs with her portrait of Mathus standing in a cypress swamp – guitar in one hand and a fiery bible in the other – with an alligator at his feet alongside his Catahoula dog and a snake-handling Yemayá (the “great mother” of Santeria religion). The outsider folk cover artwork of Band of Storms accurately portrays the themes of Jimbo’s songs; musically, clocking in at around 23 minutes, Band of Storms offers Mathus’ typical inspired mix of roots-rock, blues, R&B, honky-tonk country, and outré Americana.

Jimbo Mathus’ Band of Storms

The party kicks off with the strong “Gringo Man,” a lowdown, funky romp with blazing horns courtesy of saxophonist Jim Spake and trumpeter Stu Cole. The song’s boogie-flavored rhythms flow around Mathus’ vocals, providing a swaying backdrop for his thin, piercing guitar licks. The New Orleans blues of “Can’t Get Much Higher” draw upon the legendary Professor Longhair for inspiration, Eric Carlton’s jazzy piano stomp providing a fine counterpoint to Mathus’ twangy, patois-strewn vocals, which would sound right at home blaring from a Bourbon Street juke.

The country-flavored “Play With Fire,” co-written by Mathus with his late friend Robert Earl Reed, is one magnificent bastard of a song. Mathus’ somber, low-register vocals remind of the great Johnny Cash, the song’s brilliant lyrical imagery heightened by the singer’s passion in delivering this sparse tale of “devil may care,” living life to the fullest. The song’s sparse instrumentation is just enough to drive the spike home. Slowing down the pace even further, Mathus’ “Stop Your Crying” is a wayward hybrid of Dylan, the Band, Robert Johnson, and a hundred years of American music. A classic old-school murder ballad with centuries old roots, the song offers slow-burning, Tom Petty-styled vocals with swelling cascades of harmony and dense instrumentation.

Mass of Confusion

A ramshackle sonic assault, “Massive Confusion” is a greasy garage-blues rave-up with a sly nod towards 1960s’ psychedelic rock, the song roaring through your speakers like a freight train rattling down the tracks with double-tap drumbeats and scraped guitar strings that create a head-shaking miasma of sound. “Wayward Wind” is as close to an authentic modern ballad as Mathus gets on Band of Storms, the tune a tumbleweed-strewn lament with gritty, sandpaper vocals and anguished lyrics that come across as more earnest and sincere than one might believe at first blush. The instrumentation displays a slight Celtic influence, and Mathus’ elegantly-wasted fretwork stirs up memories of James Burton’s taut, wiry Telecaster tones.

The sunburned, Delta-flavored “Slow Down Sun” is a deceptively bluesy track, with Mathus’ languid, drawled vocals matched by resonant, rattletrap acoustic git licks and subtle percussion; the sizzling, slow-tempo performance isn’t so much a ballad as a slippery reflection caught in swamp water. The cockeyed and more than a little fractured “Keep It Together” is pure poetry set to clamorous but effective instrumentation with scraps of lovely guitar rising above the fray. Closing the EP, “Catahoula” is a real shit-kicker, with wired finger-pickin’, spry instrumentation, yelped vocals, and at least partially nonsensical lyrics that are delivered with all the brittle energy and unbridled enthusiasm of a 1920s-era jug band, i.e. some real ‘poop-puntin’ music,’ as me dear ol’ grandpappy used to say!

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

Jimbo Mathus seldom disappoints, and Band of Storms hits all the right notes in its ambitious and masterful exploration of American music forms. Although a bit on the short side – more Jimbo is always better – these songs were built for vinyl, and the EP delivers traditionalist sounds with a contemporary edginess. Kudos to Jimbo Mathus and his crew for another mighty fine record. Grade: A (Big Legal Mess Records, released May 6, 2016)

Buy the EP from Amazon.com: Jimbo Mathus' Band of Storms

Fear’s Lee Ving gets his own Throbblehead!

Philly native Lee James Capallero changed his name to Lee Ving in the late 1960s when he hooked up with the Sweet Stavin Chain Blues Band (which also included Michael Brecker), who played shows with legends like B.B. King and Buddy Guy. The singer and guitarist ran through a number of bands before moving to Los Angeles in the mid ‘70s and forming the legendary punk band Fear in 1977.

With Fear, Ving became a punk rock icon, albums like 1982’s The Record and 1985’s More Beer yielding memorable hardcore ditties like “Let’s Have A War,” “I Love Livin’ In The City,” and “Have A Beer With Fear.” As the band’s frontman, the bulk of Fear’s notoriety landed on Ving’s shoulders, and he parlayed his image into a fringe acting career throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, appearing in minor roles on TV and in movies like Flashdance, Streets of Fire, and Dudes. Fear also made a memorable appearance in Penelope Spheeris’ documentary film The Decline of Western Civilization.

A notorious performance by Fear on the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live, at former cast member John Belushi’s request, resulted in chaos when the band and slam dancers they enlisted to appear on stage (including Belushi, Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye, and the Meatmen’s Tesco Vee, among others) caused thousands of dollars in damages to the set and equipment. In spite of their total lack of commercial success – Fear’s 1980s-era albums were released by poorly-distributed indie labels like Slash, Restless, and Sector 2 Records – the band was influential beyond its reach, with bands like Megadeth, Soundgarden, Guns N’ Roses, and Bad Religion all covering Fear songs.       

With a pedigree like this, Lee Ving deserves the ‘Throbblehead’ treatment from Aggronautix, and in the summer of 2016 the Fear frontman will get his own bobblehead figure. The Ving ‘Throbblehead’ will be a 7” polyresin figure limited to 1,000 numbered units, packaged in a custom-designed box with gritty artwork by Marco Palumbo of No Front Teeth U.K. Ving’s ‘Throbblehead’ is the 30th to be released by the company and can be ordered from the Aggronautix website.

All ‘Throbblehead’ figures released by Aggronautix (including bobbleheads of G.G. Allin, Wendy O. Williams, and “Handsome” Dick Manitoba, among others) are available at independent record stores, comic shops, and tattoo parlors, as well as from www.aggronautix.com.

Lee Ving's Throbblehead box

Real Gone Music Revisits The Tubes' Early Years

The Tubes are one of those frequently-overlooked classic rock bands that has been mired in obscurity for almost 30 years, but has still managed to eke out a living to this day. This isn’t quite the contradiction that it seems – the four albums the band released during the mid-to-late ‘70s were largely critically acclaimed and earned them a reputation as a talented musical outfit with brilliant chops in rock and pop, a sharp satirical perspective with bite, and electrifying, almost manic theatrical live shows. The band scored a Top Ten chart hit in 1983 with “She’s A Beauty” before slipping out of the spotlight.

The Tubes’ self-titled, Al Kooper-produced 1975 debut album made quite a splash in the free-wheeling ‘70s, and it – along with Outside Inside, which includes the aforementioned hit single – are the only titles in the band’s catalog that have largely remained in print since their release. On July 1st, 2016 Real Gone Music will release the Tubes’ second and third albums, 1976’s Young & Rich, and the following year’s Now, as a two-disc set with new liner notes by writer Gene Sculatti that are drawn from a new interview with Tubes’ drummer Prairie Prince. Both albums have been out-of-print for years.

The Young & Rich album was produced by Ken Scott, who made his bones engineering for the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and the Pretty Things before moving into the captain’s chair, producing essential albums by David Bowie and Supertramp, among others. Scott did a fine job in capturing the band’s anarchic energy and satirical edge, a hard-rockin’ combo of Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart – avant-garde rock ‘n’ roll with edgy pop melodies. Young & Rich scored a minor AOR radio hit in the breathless “Don’t Touch Me There,” which hit #61 on the singles chart, while the album itself outpaced the band’s debut in reaching #46 on the albums chart.

Now didn’t fare nearly as well, barely pulling itself to #122 on the chart, but still yielded some interesting songs like “Hit Parade,” “I’m Just A Mess,” “Cathy’s Clone,” and raucous covers of Captain Beefheart’s “My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains” and Lee Hazlewood’s “This Town.” Working with notable British producer John Anthony, who shepherded albums by Genesis, Queen, and Roxy Music to completion, Now was originally meant to be a two-album set until recording delays (criticized by their label A&M Records as an attempt to jack up the band’s union fees) cut the project short. Both Young & Rich and Now remain essential documents of the Tubes’ catalog, capturing the essence of the band at what was arguably their creative peak.

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: The Tubes' Young & Rich/Now

Real Gone Music Announces July Slate

The good folks at Real Gone Music have announced a rather intriguing slate of releases for July. Among the titles announced for July 1st, 2016 release by the archive label are Action, the 1967 album by Question Mark and the Mysterians; the Electric Prunes’ The Complete Reprise Singles; and an ambitious ‘two-fer’ from Sea Level that includes both the band’s self-titled debut album and Long Walk On A Short Pier, their final album.

Garage-rock legends Question Mark and the Mysterians scored a minor but enduring hit in 1966 with their classic tune “96 Tears,” following up the single with the acclaimed album of the same name. The band released its sophomore effort, Action, in 1967, claiming another minor hit with their cover of “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby.” The album included a number of other ramshackle, organ-driven rock ‘n’ roll tunes like “Smokes,” “Hangin’ On A String,” and the Isley Brothers’ gem “Shout.” Real Gone is reissuing Action as a yellow, 500-copy limited edition album on glorious vinyl, which has been mastered at 45rpm for the proper sonic effect.

The Complete Reprise Singles features all 23 of the Electric Prunes’ original singles for Reprise Records, released circa 1966 through ’69, including the hits “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)” and “Get Me To The World On Time,” the tracks featuring various band line-ups and the work of producers like Dave Hassinger and David Axelrod. The songs are presented in the original mono mixes, which were frequently different from the versions that appeared on the Prunes’ albums at the time. The CD includes track commentary by the several band members, liner notes by noted rock historian Richie Unterberger, and rare photos of the band and the original 45s.

Sea Level was a curious bird, the late 1970s outfit ostensibly thrown in amongst the redneck Southern Rock horde while they plumbed the possibilities of rock, jazz, R&B, and funk music. Formed by former Allman Brothers Band members Chuck Leavell (keyboards), ‘Jaimoe’ Johanson (percussion), and Lamar Williams (bass) with guitarist Jimmy Nalls, Sea Level released its self-titled debut album in 1977, the band masterfully weaving their way through invigorating instrumental romps as “Tidal Wave,” “The Rain In Spain,” and Leavell’s keyboard showcase, “Grand Larceny,” performing with the vigor of their ABB jam-band roots.

By the time that Sea Level recorded its fourth and final album – Long Walk On A Short Pier – in 1979, their careful musical chemistry had changed. Jaimoe returned to the Allman Brothers Band and Sea Level added guitarist Davis Causey and multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett. Due to contractual issues with Capricorn Records, their label, the album wasn’t released until 1998. Both albums will be reissued by Real Gone on a single disc, so start saving your pennies ‘cause there’s a lot of great music to be had on July 1st!

Buy the CDs from Amazon.com:
The Electric Prunes - The Complete Reprise Singles
Sea Level - Sea Level/Long Walk On A Short Pier

Jeff Healey CD Giveaway!

The late Jeff Healey remains one of the most beloved blues-rock guitarists on the planet. Fans have been treated to a number of posthumous Healey albums, but none of them quite as good as his latest, Heal My Soul. Don't believe me? Read the Rev's album review and you'll run for your credit card...

But don't hit that "order" button on Amazon quite yet, true believe! We have a limited number of copies of Healey's Heal My Soul to give away courtesy of Provogue Records. To enter for a chance to win a copy of this rockin’ disc, email the Reverend the name of your favorite blues artist to thatdevilmusic.com [at] gmail.com (yes, the ‘dot com’ will work) before May 31st, 2016.

I will pick winners at random and notify you by email for your mailing info; your free CD will be sent out in the beginning of June.

CD Preview: Royal Southern Brotherhood’s The Royal Gospel

Damn, these Royal Southern Brotherhood guys are a prolific bunch…the band is about to release its fourth studio album in a like number of years on June 24th, 2016 when The Royal Gospel hits the streets. Like all of the RSB’s previous albums, The Royal Gospel will be released by the good folks at Ruf Records. The album features a line-up of singer Cyril Neville, guitarists Bart Walker and Tyrone Vaughan, drummer Yonrico Scott, and new bassist Darrell Phillips. Guest keyboardist Norman Caesar provides some tasty B3 organ on several songs.

The follow-up to 2015’s Blues Music Award-nominated Don’t Look Back album, The Royal Gospel was recorded in a mere seven days in February 2016 at Dockside Studios in Louisiana. Working with noted producer David Z, the band played together live in the studio, their chemistry allowing them to capture many of their performances in a minimum of takes. “We walked in not really knowing what we were gonna do,” Philips says in a press release for The Royal Gospel. “Cyril and Bart come to us with chord progressions, tempos, and ideas and we build together. We’d just fall right into the thing and all of a sudden, there’s the song. On this record, we came together as a band. It was a magical thing to witness.”

The Royal Gospel pushes the band’s blues-rock roots even further, taking advantage of Walker and Vaughan’s intertwined guitars to build a more electric sound that rocks. Hard. Listening to a preview of the album, a number of songs stand out. “Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire” burns like an open flame with its scorching fretwork and soulful vocals. “Blood Is Thicker Than Water” features stellar instrumentation, and the intro alone will blow your mind, the song itself a high-octane mix of the Neville Brothers’ New Orleans soul and blistering blues-rock guitar.

“I’m Coming Home” pairs wonky, angular guitar lines with bluesy vox and martial drums to stunning effect while “Land of Broken Hearts” is a monster, a fire-breathing tsunami with torrents of guitar and crashing percussion. “The whole record is geared toward making a joyful noise,” says Neville in the album’s press release, “but while we’re partying, we still need to be thinking about what’s going on around us. It covers what we’ve seen in our travels over the last few years, and what we’ve lived personally as citizens of the world.”

Royal Southern Brotherhood was formed in 2011 as a sort of roots ‘n’ blues ‘supergroup’ by New Orleans music legend Cyril Neville and guitarists Mike Zito and Devon Allman – all three successful solo artists in their own rights – along with bassist Charlie Wooten and drummer Yonrico Scott. The five released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album in 2012, its blend of rock, blues, jazz, and funk music finding a ready audience. RSB followed with a live CD and DVD, Songs From The Road, later that year, the set subsequently winning a Blues Music Award.

The equally-acclaimed Heartsoulblood album followed in 2014, after which Zito and Allman left the band to pick up their solo careers. RSB didn’t skip a beat, adding Nashville blues-rock guitarist Bart Walker and Tyrone Vaughan, son of blues legend Jimmie Vaughan, and the new roster recorded Don’t Look Back in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. As good as their albums are, though, it’s the band’s entertaining and dynamic live performances that have won them a loyal and enthusiastic and sure enough they’ll be hitting the road again in the wake of The Royal Gospel. Check out RSB’s summer 2016 tour dates below and plan on catching one of the most electrifying touring outfits in the blues today when they hit your town.

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: Royal Southern Brotherhood's The Royal Gospel

Royal Southern Brotherhood's The Royal Gospel Tour:
06/03/16 @ Ruby’s Roadhouse, Mandeville LA
06/04/16 @ Ocean Springs Live!, Ocean Springs MS
06/09/16 @ The Oriental Theater, Denver CO
06/10/16 @ Stargazers Theatre, Colorado Springs CO
06/11/16 @ Snowmass Free Summer Concerts, Aspen CO
06/14/16 @ Zoo Bar, Lincoln NE
06/15/16 @ Barleycorn’s, Wichita KS
06/16/16 @ Shrine, Tulsa OK
06/17/16 @ Uncle Bo’s, Topeka KS
06/18/16 @ Crossroads KC, Kansas City MO
06/24/16 @ Bayou Boogaloo, Norfolk VA
07/08/16 @ Callahan’s, Auburn Hills MI
07/09/16 @ Kalamazoo Valley Blues Festival, Kalamazoo MI
07/10/16 @ S.P.A.C.E., Evanston IL
07/14/16 @ La Fete de Marquette, Madison WI
07/15/16 @ Vegetable Buddies, South Bend IN
07/16/16 @ Bastille Day Festival, Milwaukee WI
07/30/16 @ Big Bend Blues Bash, Pomeroy OH
08/06/16 @ Burnaby Blues Festival, Burnaby CAN
08/12/16 @ Calabogie Blues & Ribfest, Calabogie CAN
08/13/16 @ Donnacona Blues Festival, Québec CAN
08/20/16 @ Calabogie Blues & Ribfest, Calabogie OH
09/10/16 @ Big Blues Bender, Las Vegas NV
09/11/16 @ Big Blues Bender, Las Vegas NV
10/30/16 @ Pennsylvania Music Festival, Lake Harmony PA

Royal Southern Brotherhood 2016

CD Review: Guy Clark's Workbench Songs (2006)

There’s a reason why heavy-hitters like Steve Earle, Vince Gill and the late Johnny Cash considered Texas-born songwriter Guy Clark a legend. A dozen albums into a 30-year-plus career, Clark never ceases to amaze, not only for his subtle, sublime wordplay but also for his flawless, effortless vocal delivery. There’s nobody else in country music that can match Clark’s comfortable drawl or his brilliant lyrical imagery, so rather than beat him, they just record his songs...

Workbench Songs is another solid Clark effort, a masterfully crafted set of folk-country tales as dry as West Texas mesquite and as smartly worded as anything Clark has recorded. Often co-writing with fellow travelers like Lee Roy Parnell, Rodney Crowell, Darrell Scott, and long-time foil Verlon Thompson, Clark’s wry perspective on life, love and the pursuit thereof results in tunes like the hilarious, upbeat “Expose,” the bittersweet “Magdalene,” and the dour “Funny Bone.”

Whether knocking out “No Lonesome Tune,” the obligatory Townes Van Zandt cover; a spicy Tex-Mex original like “Cinco De Mayo In Memphis;” or a duet with Thompson on the folksy, traditional “Diamond Joe,” Clark strips modern country of its prime-time glamour and takes it back to its dusty roots. Guy Clark takes his time between albums, but Workbench Songs again proves that the results are always worth the wait. (Country Standard Time, 2006)