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To many people, Roy Clark remains an enigma
of sorts. Most of you readers may know Clark from watching
Hee-Haw with the grandparents when you were a tot or on the
occasional Beverly Hillbillies re-run. You probably don't
know diddly about him or the music...you just know the name,
Roy Clark. That is why Roy Clark is a pop culture icon. He's
this mysterious name that pops up from time to time, and you
may wonder why. I'll tell you why: Roy Clark is one Hell of
a picker. He can do some serious banjo pickin'. Now before
you turn up your nose at this, you gotta remember that this
crazy bluegrass music informed a lot of early rock musicians.
If it wasn't for fancy pickin' by his earlier contemporaries,
there would be no blazing-hellfire guitar solos that were
explored in rockabilly, which mutated into modern rock. But,
rest assured; on this live record he keeps to the guitar to
showcase his talents.
Live At Billy Bob's Texas is a solid foundation
and schooling in the intricacies of Roy Clark. Recorded at
the famous bar/rodeo ring/honky tonk, this disk represents
most of the great Clark tunes, a bit of comedy in addition
to that white-hot pickin'. Although the intro is cheezed up
a bit, Clark busts out of the gate immediately on the Duke
Ellington standard "Caravan." His smooth tone and ease of
playing exhibit his now trademark style of jabbing and stabbing
those notes. But this number shows only just a small part
of his abilities. There is a well of emotion waiting to explode
from the grooves of "Riders In The Sky," a now standard tune
that owes as much to rock as it does to country. His band
also exhibits their abilities on songs like "Roanoke," where
Clark and his guitar trade licks with the fiddler and the
steel player. His backing vocalists aid his presentation of
the classic country number "Making Believe." He also turns
the stage over to Jimmy and James Henley (banjo and guitar,
respectively) for a speedy rendition of the standard "Foggy
Mountain Breakdown." This one's a hoe-down in a box. Then
Clark takes up a challenge and goes into "Dueling Banjos"
with Jimmy (after a long Hee-Haw styled comedy bit involving
instrumental high jinx.) This is where Clark shines as they
trade licks back and forth, attempting to outdo each other
at every turn-and it's obvious that they're having fun. Clark
busts out with the anti-work song "I Never Picked Cotton,"
which is a bittersweet yet rebellious tune (with the traditional
sad country ending.) You'll also get his number one hit "Come
Live With Me." Clark and his band even tackle non-country
numbers "Lara's Theme" and "Moscow Nights" with aplomb. How's
that for versatility? Not everything hits on this record-there's
some sappy numbers like "Love Takes Two," and "Yesterday When
I Was Young," which exhibit strong musicianship, but also
a touch of droll country style (and his singing isn't quite
what his pickin' is.) You may want to skip these couple of
numbers to focus on Clark's instrumental strengths.
It's easy to see why Clark has transcended
the generations to still be the figure that he is. As with
any pop culture icon, there's an element of cheeze that is
to be expected. But with Roy Clark, he uses it to his advantage
and never becomes a mockery of himself and his bits of humor
between songs are kitchy without being stupid-just like Hee-Haw--but
it does not overwhelm his virtuosity. This is a valuable start
if you're wanting a taste of the Clark style and sound. Clark
has made a career introducing folks young and old, punk and
rocker, all about hillbilly music. We should all take notice
of his favor to us all.
-tom topkoff
Track Listing:
1. Caravan
2. Love Takes Two
3. Roanoke
4. Come Live With Me
5. Thank God And Greyhound
6. Riders In The Sky
7. I Never Picked Cotton
8. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
9. Dueling Banjos
10. Moscow Nights
11. Lara's Theme
12. El Cumbanchero
13. If I Had To Do It All Over Again
14. Making Believe
15. Salty Dog Blues
16. Yesterday When I Was Young
17. Malaguena
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