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Week 24:
Gary Clark Jr.
Artist Introduction
Uncle Vinnie has been crushing it with all time great guitar players, so I thought I would add to the list by diving deep into one of the best modern day Blues guitarists. He is from Austin Texas, and is a recurring headline at the Austin City Limits. I've had the pleasure of seeing him live a year or 2 ago, and he was just an incredible musician. Hopefully this is a newer take on Blues rock that you're not overly familiar with, and let's rock!
Joe Cascella
Most Popular
Bright Lights
This is a really good introduction into the sound of Gary Clark Jr. As mentioned, a large blues influence to his singing and style of guitar playing. We also have his first of many solos following the second chorus, where he just shreds it pretty good. The meaning of the song is rather deep. It speaks to the internal struggles of Gary thinking that he’s going to blow up as an artist cause he made it to the big city of New York, but instead he lets his ego get in the way and he just parties too hard and ends up not at all making that name for himself, which he told himself he would be able to do. The lyric ‘I know it ain’t right, but it’s all in my head, I’m surprised that I’m still alive, I should be dead’ really stands out to how much of a mess he was. I think it’s a good song and he is obviously able to reflect on his own life experiences, but much more to come!
Don't Owe You A Thang
Yeah, this is really good southern rock n roll. Not a lot of guys who are around today are playing music like this anymore, but Gary still does it such justice. I often refer to this, but he has that cool guy sound. This is a bit faster, a bit more upbeat tone with some faster playing. Solid tune.
Low Down Rolling Stone
I feel like his guitar playing is uniquely powerful. It’s able to convey the message of his lyrics and make you feel the intensity. Lyrically, it’s another self-depreciating song, and he addresses the harsh reality that him being alone is best for everyone around him. In the previous song, it’s a little angrier toned, saying he doesn’t owe you anything, but here it’s him saying he’s the problem in all of his relationships. Although the solos are not incredibly fast, they just hit on a different level. The timing and choices are just so smart, and they allow him to segway through the song in a really smooth way.
Personal Favorites
When I'm Gone
I have a recurring problem where my first introduction to many of these artists just naturally fall into my favorites. Don’t get me wrong, I love this song, but it’s nothing too special. It’s a happier song, and a really well put together tune throughout. I like the rhythm, and we hear some vocal expansion for the first time, which you’ll see a lot of later on.
Maktub
This song could’ve fallen into the unique section, as this is an extremely funky rhythm with many different elements throughout. I really like the sped up vocal section with the building guitar at the midpoint of the song. Then you get some strong power chords that allow him to be free on the guitar and continue to lock in on the music. He also does a really nice job of blending his vocals into his groovy guitar playing to enhance the overall sound of the song. A unique style, but a really solid song.
When My Train Pulls in
Omg, Joe is doing a long form rock n roll song? Who does he think he is, dad playing Yes? The answer, same as the mentioned band, YES! The lead guitar and the drums on this one lead us into a pretty awesome song. Seeing this song live really elevated it to a whole new level, and it made me respect Gary as the world class guitarist that he is. I was with three guys who all play music, and all of us were just rocking out and completely mind blown. It was an incredible experience, and I hope he comes by us again soon, cause if you have the opportunity, he is very much worth seeing live! Looking back at the setlist he opened with Maktub and went straight into this, pretty awesome!
Unique Songs
Come Together
What would the Music Club be if I didn’t throw in an epic cover of an extremely popular song that tons of people cover. This one specifically was created for a superhero movie where they bring in characters from all different plot lines together to save the world. It’s by far Gary’s most listened to piece of music, with 80 million more listens than Bright Lights, which has about 40 million total. This is a much heavier version of the original song, with extremely loud distorted guitars throughout. I actually think he sounds like Rob Zombie vocally. In general, I’ll take this over the original any day. It’s heavily produced which makes sense since it’s for a superhero movie but it still has lots of edge and rocks pretty damn hard. A strong cover of a Beatles classic.
Pearl Cadillac
A song a few of you may know, because I was considering this for my mother son dance song at my wedding. The guitar almost reminds me of Clapton in a weird way. Vocally, Gary takes his voice to a much higher pitch, and I know mom has said this song almost reminds her of Redbone by Childish Gambino. I’m curious to know if she still feels that way. I think it’s a really nice song about taking care of his mom and making her proud.
This Land
Welp, I’m ending with a banger that I’m sure will get looked at in a few different ways. Gary uses this track to blend multiple different genres. Specifically, there are many hip hop elements that are blended with blues funk. This song boldly addresses the harsh reality that racism still very much exists in parts of the country. It’s got a F-you attitude and he’s letting you know he is here to stay. He worked hard to get where he is and what he now has was earned through years of hard work. I actually love the line ‘Well Fuck you, I’m America’s son.’ It speaks to the identity of our country as a whole, which is a home for people with all different types of backgrounds. The guitar work is once again unique, distorted, very dubby, and the blend with vocals creates a great sound. A powerful meaning and a strong ending.
Conclusions
Although considered a guitar great, it’s very different from the ones we’ve covered in the club so far. SRV and Van Halen are so technical and fast, where Gary is more distortion and pedal work. It’s really about the lead guitar setting the tone, and his ability to mix and match different styles and genres to create an overall sound. Vocally, he has some range and can mix it up a bit as well. His songs flow so well and his transitions are very smooth. I also really appreciate the transparency in many of his lyrics throughout the entirety of this listen. For an overall score, I am going with a 7.7
Cascella Family Reviews
Vin Cascella
I don’t know much about Gary Clark Jr. I think he has a great Tiny Desk but besides that I’ve hardly listened to his studio work. Based on the little I know of him, I’m expecting good things.
Bright Lights: A perfectly good modern bluesy rock song. Lyrically it reminds me of “Who Are You”, just waking up hungover in a different section of Manhattan. Not a whole bunch to say about this, it's good and safe. The outro solo is pretty solid. Seems to be a recurring theme with a lot of these selections that their most popular is not their best. Still a nice introduction.
Don’t Owe You A Thang: SRV, Thorogood, ZZ Top, Muddy Waters. This one sounds more like an homage to the greats before. It’s good but I know he’s got better than this. Normally I don’t watch extra stuff but the baby is sick and I’m just trying to distract her with music videos. Cool that he's finger plucking this guitar riff. His voice kind of reminds me of The Black Keys, I think it's the effect they both put on their voices.
Low Down Rolling Stone: I’m going to mention this a few times in my review. I even brought it up quite a few times in my Yes review.. His guitar tone is excellent and I like when he throws the little voice modification to match some of the effect of his guitar. I should probably look up if he also considers Clapton an influence cause he really loves his slow chords.Three songs in and I like it all but nothing too special yet. I know a couple of the songs coming up but I hope some of the unknowns pick it up a little.
*Oh baby, sometimes I’m smart: “Clapton served as a mentor figure, breaking Clark into the mainstream by inviting him to the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2010. Clark has referred to Clapton as a hero, performing alongside him and studying his blues-rock”*
When I’m Gone: I think this is the first song I was ever introduced to Gary Clark’s via his “Tiny Desk Concert”. It’s a really good song. Cool chords in the verses and nice lyrics throughout. A lot of little fun things are happening on the guitar and the drums in this song. Bunch of little fills, and trills. Good stuff. Something about Gary Clark Jr. that stands out compared to his peers is that he is pretty strong lyrically. Not only does he get the emotion out through his instruments but he tells a pretty decent story.
Maktub: This one is kind of in the middle for me. The song itself is nothing special or stand out but I do really like that he blends some hip hop and soul/gospel into the track. Actually after a few more listens this song has grown on me. It’s a bit different than his other stuff but in a good way, don’t think he’s stretching himself too thin venturing into the hip hop side. Also fun to hear some modern rap rock. This song could be something Denzel Curry or even Hyro the Hero would put out.
When My Train Pulls In: This is my favorite so far by a long shot. Big bluesy rock song with an absolutely ridiculous back half to the song. The first half is solid with big blaring guitar chords over a relatively slow building start. A nice little guitar solo leads us into the second half which I think is some of the best music I’ve heard in a while. 4:40 on we’re into something real special. Stylistically you can hear influences of some of the greats but overall that solo is entirely his own. I would love to see this live. Watched an extended live version on Youtube. They give him a full 5 minute solo at the end and of course it rips.
Come Together: Many have tried. And in my opinion all have failed to cover this song. The guitar reminds me a bit of Hendrix here. The drums are poopoo (turn that shit down, Lars Ulrich (dude catches strays even in music with nothing to do with him)). I think my problem with this song being covered is that people try to do too much and it just doesn’t work. Woof those drums are rough, why is everything in this song trying to blow out my speakers. I don’t fully blame him. Looks like this song was made for DC’s movie Justice League so it’s no surprise it's a big overproduced mess of a classic. *Random out of touch corporate executive blathering*
Pearl Cadillac: This is the second time one of his guitar solos reminded me of John Fruschante, which I think is a great thing. He’s able to do a ton without doing too much (hence why Come Together’s over the topness stinks, in my opinion). I like his voice in a higher pitch and of course I love the strings. The production of the outro is fantastic. I’d say this song is my second favorite on the list but after a few listen throughs the closing track is for sure my #1 or #2 of the selection.
This Land: Hell yes. This shit rips so hard. Some rap rock with blaring guitars, fire. Reminds me of the anger of Rage Against the Machine “Fuck You I Won’t Do What You Tell Me”. My only gripe with this song is that I wish there was one more verse or a bridge where he went all out. A spoken word bridge at 3:45, leading into the last ⅓ of the song would have been wild. Cascella Music Club going back to back weekends with artists absolutely shitting on closed-minded small country in two completely different ways. But yea, I haven’t heard a rap rock diss track in ages and I love this.
That was a solid set. I didn’t care for the cover of Come Together but the highs way outshadow the lows. Gary Clark Jr’s music is a modern take on blues rock while mixing elements of a whole bunch of genres. You can hear his influences all over his work but he for sure has carved out a sound of his own. I would love to see him live.
7.9
Dad Cascella
Gary Clark Jr. I was introduced to this artist firstly by watching his Tiny Desk performance, which I thought was real good, especially his guitar work. After that, I’ve seen a few live clips of G.C. Jr on YouTube. That’s all I know. Let’s dive.
BRIGHT LIGHTS- Cool guitar chords to open, with guitar distortions giving off a very bluesy sound. Didn’t like the echoing or autotune singing or whatever during some parts. But the lyrics during the verses were real good. Simple, slow lead at 2:45 mark absolutely works, with great buildup. And the low bass line throughout also worked really well. Is this autobiographical with him trying to make it in the big city? Classic, bluesy lyrics to a very good start for these selections.
DON’T OWE YOU A THANG- A bit faster. Yup, kind of rock-a-billy style that’s working for me. This song kind of reminds me of George Thorogood (a good thing) but G.C. Jr has his own different style. This song is fucking cooking, must be great live (I took a look at live versions, it’s even better). Lyrics are good, but they’re nothing special. But who cares, keep giving me that rock.
LOW DOWN ROLLING STONE- Well, that’s a different start (and a bit too long). Slower, deeper, bluesy’er song. I wasn’t crazy about the full guitar sound and bigger production (tho live version was better stripped down). Lead guitar definitely helped, but studio version just didn’t do it for me.
WHEN I’M GONE- Starts like a 1960’s rock song from Motown and continues throughout (which is usually not a bad thing), but it’s not what I’m looking for from this guy. It’s Smokey Robinson meeting The Four Tops. Basic song with basic lyrics. An o.k.song.
MAKTUB- Not sure about the beginning. It’s Gary Clark Jr. meeting Stevie Wonder meeting Edgar Winter. The echo’ed voice, meh!! And spoken word midway, again meh. Again, it’s not what I’m looking for with G.C. Jr. The Radio City Music Hall version (06/14/24) gives me the impression that he uses this song to warm up at the beginning of a concert. I did like him letting loose at the 2 minute mark, but overall, the song didn’t do it for me.
WHEN MY TRAIN PULLS IN- Oh my God, it’s YES!! The beginning anyway. After that, everything that’s right about blues rock is wrapped up in this song. Just when I thought I was out, he pulls me back in. Classic, blues sound with intense, haunting guitar work. Fuck, yeah, this one is as cool as cool gets. Up there with SRV. Absolutely love the slow guitar lead at 2:30 mark. And another great bass line throughout. Yup, keep going Gary, you’re cooking now. And he’s singing it with such passion, his best yet. It even has a bit of a Clapton feel. A long song that just keeps getting better. And from 4:40 to end, love the excellent guitar work. An absolute classic ROCK/BLUES anthem. I’ll bet he could do 20 minutes of this song live in concert and the crowd would scream for more. Check out live version from “The Current, 2013”.
COME TOGETHER- Wow, heavier version of a Beatles classic (though I was never a fan of the original). But I like this version, it’s kind of scary, having me look over my shoulder. And then he throws in his cool guitar playing. While I’m not a fan of the original, this version is better, as G.C. Jr. makes it his own.
PEARL CADILLAC- Wow, now Gary is Childish Gambino? It’s definitely different. It’s an O.K. song, with cool guitar leads. But just not for me.
THIS LAND- Synthesized beginning leading into a distorted guitar? So far, so different. Now he’s kinds Rappin? And Uh, Oh, a statement song? These are not Rock, or Blues, or Soul lyrics. While I’m not liking the song or lyrics, I’m finding myself concentrating on the background guitar work, which is great. Too bad, it could have been a real good song. At the 3 minute mark he does what he does best, making the guitar sing. But it’s overshadowed by the other stuff.
This has been an excellent listen for me. To start, the Gary Clark Jr I saw on Tiny Desk does not give justice to this fantastic guitarist. I mentioned earlier comparisons to Thorogood, SRV, and Clapton. After giving multiple listens (studio and live), I also have to say he may be closest to Joe Bonamassa with his guitar playing, I found it that good and somewhat similar to Joe B. Did I like all of these selections? Nope, I didn’t like when he strayed from Blues Rock, and I most definitely didn’t like when he sings falsetto. I read a few articles, and many times it’s mentioned he doesn’t exactly have a good voice. To that I say, Writers Are Idiots!! For the blues rock that G.C. Jr. plays, his voice is perfect for that music. And his band is very solid, especially the bassist, as they play excellent rhythm music and allow Clark to do his thing. While I didn’t mention lyrics to much in my reviews, I found them classic bluesy with some introspective thrown in. And while I didn’t particularly like some of his social commentaries, I get mostly what he’s is conveying. As for him personally, I say, “Move over Lenny Kravitz, There’s a new King of Cool, and his name is Gary Clark Jr. Because I’m a sucker for bluesy rock guitar, I’ll go with a 7.0
Uncle Vin Cascella
Opening Statement: I have heard of Clark but I can’t say I know any of his work. Looking forward to a newer blues/rock guitar man.
BRIGHT LIGHTS: Ahhh, can’t go wrong when you start with all that reverb! Really cool sound throughout. I like his voice, and apparently the lyrics refer to a gig in NYC where he figures we would all know his name after he plays. Apparently he did a lot of drinking and whatnot- which is only about the 1 millionth time that happened to a musician. Decent song if a bit long.
DON’T OWE YOU A THANG: Mmmm very tasty finger pick of a lick. And I love the pace- kind of a honky tonk vibe. Simple lyrics, drinking at the bar, yada, yada, yada…. Love this one- his guitar work is fun.
LOW DOWN ROLLING STONE: Nice opening with added keys. I like the structure too. Introspective lyrics- from 2019, he’s down on himself, wants the GF to fly away, save herself. A true blues tune! I like the slightly different, fuller sound with a cleaner guitar lead at the end. Also- great vocal!
WHEN I’M GONE: Cool opening- singular riff with percussion. Really good tune with some fine (and some sneaky) stuff going on. Really good vocals. At first I thought it was about leaving his kid but then the “be your oh, oh man” straightened me out!
MAKTUB: Wow! This one is a tremendous track. Wonderful performances not the least of which is the production and sound engineering. I was a little lost as to the early beat- which is a difficult thing to do to me! It had a Stevie Wonder vibe (and influence, no doubt). Great plea for social change lyrics and absolutely awesome guitar work throughout. Great feckin song, bro. Now: why in God’s name is it called Maktub? Google says that it means “it is written” in Arabic. Fate or destiny. Well ok then!
WHEN MY TRAIN PULLS IN: Straight up blues tune. Nice riffs running throughout, and I really like the pace. Some typical blues lyrics but sung well. The last 3 minutes are all lead- interesting production choice- he definitely smokes it, showing some fine work. Is he angry? At whom? Himself or the system?
COME TOGETHER: It’s never a bad idea to drop a Beatles tune into the mix. I’ve heard this one but for some reason I thought it was Lenny Kravitz! He does a nice job- kinda basic.
PEARL CADILLAC: Super interesting production choice- falsetto vocals over some sparse music with a riff twist after each line. Very cool. Then full sound for the choruses was expected but still cool. The lyrics are very personal which is fine- until he runs out of words and repeats “your love” 8 times! The lead work is more melodic than some of his other work, which I like.
THIS LAND: Nice synth sound. Ut oh- “paranoid and pissed off” I sensed his anger a few songs back. I love this one musically- great production- with a lot going on. And the lyrics obviously fit the song really well. Some excellent guitar work going on!
FINAL SCORE: there is a lot to like on this 9-pack. Some great guitar work, cool vocals and productions. When he does straight blues he’s really good. There are 2 tracks that I would add to my playlist IF I HAD A PLAYLIST! He gets a solid 7.3.
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