Mickey Clark
Kentucky veteran singer-songwriter Mickey Clark epitomizes the term “flying under the radar.” There’s no listing for him at the otherwise fairly comprehensive All Music Guide website; there are no back albums on Amazon for sale; Google searches for his name turn up “Mickey Gilley” and “Guy Clark” more than Mickey Clark.
After an early career in folk clubs, Clark took time out to raise a family and returned to music in 2004. Four years of woodshedding later, he has an album that’s professional and polished, imbued with soul in both the vocals and the playing. Producer Jim Rooney’s contribution cannot be understated; the Grammy-winner brings mature sensibilities to Clark’s work, as he has previously done for John Prine, Iris DeMent, Hal Ketchum, Nanci Griffith (that Grammy) and particularly Ian Tyson, whose cowboy-country sound is the best comparison to this.
Robin & Linda Williams sing harmony on three of the fourteen cuts, adding aural dimension to “Red Velvet Cake”, which also boasts Sam Bush on mandolin. Bush turns up again in the Spanish-flavored “Tijuana Tequila”, which features Tim Krekel contributing an electric guitar lead. For his part, Clark puts his all into Dwain Story’s passionate “Wendigo”, Utah Phillips’ nostalgic “Goodnight-Loving Trail”, and his own “Rodeo Fool”.
The maturation level is lowered as the hilarity level rises on “Don’t Piss On My Boots (And Tell Me It’s Rainin’)”, a Texas-swing-style all-hands-in party song featuring traded verses by Prine, Kinky Friedman, Jerry Jeff Walker and Clark that really should be played at happy hour near a hardwood floor.