Noel McKay recently sat down for a chat with Honky Tonk Times contributor Tony Sexton. — Photo by A.Golliher
Noel McKay chats with Whiskey Preachin BY TONY SEXTON HTT Contributor “Craftsman” and “poet” are two words often bandied around when discussing songwriters. Undoubtedly, many songwriters put their all into their craft, and few people would dispute that it is an art form. Irish poet Brendan Cleary once told me that while a song’s lyrics may be poetic, writing even the most poetic of lyrics does not make someone a poet. It makes them a songwriter, which is as distinct a mode of writing as the novel or the short story, or journalism for that matter. It may be apposite to describe a songwriter’s
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work as poetic, but that does not make her, or him, a poet. In the world of music writing, where adjectives abound, and superlatives fly like shrapnel, one might wish to avoid this trap. Describing a songwriter as a “craftsman,” however, seems appropriate, even if we should try to use the term sparingly when truly justified. A bit like “genius.” Words have more weight when used with care and deliberation. Noel McKay is a craftsman. Guy Clark, who disliked being described as a craftsman himself, was a friend of Noel McKay. They wrote songs and even built guitars together. On his new album, “Blue, Blue, Blue,” McKay
sings a wonderful version of his old friend’s song “Flying and Falling,” where he captures the phrasing and feel of Clark’s original beautifully. The song fits perfectly with the set of songs McKay has pulled together for “Blue, Blue, Blue,” an album that is very easy to leave on repeat for hours. So, I was very pleased when our esteemed editor asked if I would like to get in touch with Noel McKay for this interview. As well as asking him about the album and his songwriting, I was keen to ask the talented songsmith his opinion on the “lyrics as poetry” question. TS: “Blue Blue Blue” could be a
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