WITHOUT GETTING KILLED OR CAUGHT: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF GUY CLARK
By Tamara Saviano
Without a doubt, this is the best biography of a musician/artist/songwriter I have ever read, and I’ve read quite a few. There is no question that Tamara Saviano knew and loved Guy Clark. She treats the story of his life and music with utmost respect and yet doesn’t varnish any truths about his life, his marriage to Susanna, or his friendship with Townes Van Zandt. Having grown up in Houston myself, I loved the references to all of Guy’s ties to our city and to Texas in general, many of which are special to me, as well. Tamara took such care to authenticate everything she wrote, and she included multitudes of photos, lyrics, interviews with Guy’s family and the many musicians with whom he co-wrote, befriended and mentored over the years. By the time I finished this book, I felt like I knew Guy intimately myself. I also loved learning tidbits that I would never have known otherwise, such as the fact that Guy married his first wife in my childhood church, and that Susanna was born in a tiny Texas town where some of my family has lived for many years. Of course, those are personal references that others may not relate to, but they endeared me to the story of his life, and I’m sure there are enough other facts about his life included that anyone who reads the book will be fascinated as well. It’s very well-written and kept me interested throughout. To be honest, I had the book for several months before I actually read it. I don’t know how to explain that, as I was dying to get into it; I’d heard nothing but positive feedback on it. I think I was so afraid I was going to get part-way through it and not pick it up again because it wouldn’t be as good or detailed as I wanted it to be. Sadly, I’ve done that with other books about musicians. I didn’t need to worry. Once I started reading it, I was hooked. I did read it slowly, however. I didn’t rush through it or skim over anything. I absorbed this book. I will probably read it again. No, I’m sure I will. It was so interesting and so chock full of insight into the kind of person that Guy was, that my heart actually hurt after I finished it, knowing that even though I probably heard him play in Houston or Austin when I was young, and I love so many of his songs, I’ll never get to meet him in person. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Guy Clark’s music and the music of other singer-songwriters, or just to anyone who wants to read a compelling story about the music scene and the evolution of Americana music in Texas and Nashville from the 60’s to the present.
Reviewed March 2017
House of Black and Blue 