Roy Clark/The Entertainer

AMG Review of Roy Clark/The Entertainer

Greg Adams
All Music Guide

Roy Clark wears many hats on Roy Clark/The Entertainer, an album that would seem crazily diverse if not for the fact that Clark has so much history performing each style. Besides being a premier singer of country-pop allads, Clark is a virtuoso guitarist, fiddler, and banjo picker, so the album includes a twin-banjo rendition of "Dueling Banjos" (with Buck Trent as Clark's banjo foe) and an easy listening guitar instrumental, "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes." "Chomp'N'," the album's final instrumental piece, is altogether different -- a funky, electrified romp reminiscent of Jerry Reed. A few slick country songs (including the Top Five hit "Honeymoon Feelin'"), a couple of pure pop allads, and covers of Charlie Rich and Olivia Newton-John hits round out the program. It's tempting to criticize Clark's unrestrained eclecticism, but he's obviously a man of broad interests and talents, many of which are on display on Roy Clark/The Entertainer.