Of all the artists whose work fits the qualifications for
this column, Gene Clark’s albums are the archetype, the inspiration for this
endeavor. His work is absolutely
essential, and all but forgotten.
Honestly, any record from his slim solo output could have been
spotlighted here. However, for any
curious reader, the best place to start would be the record that could be
considered the most accessible, the one that represents an overview of all the
artist’s strengths. So, for your
reconsideration, here is Gene Clark’s excellent Roadmaster.
First, a bit of background. While his solo work may be woefully
neglected, Clark will always have a place in rock history as one of the
original members of The Byrds. He was, during
his short tenure, the group’s strongest songwriter, penning “I’ll Feel A Whole
Lot Better,” “The World Turns All Around Her,” “She Don’t Care About Time,” and
“Eight Miles High,” just to name a few. The problem was, at that time, as well
as being the band’s best writer, he was also the only writer, which led
to Clark making more money than the other members of the group. This led to resentment by the others,
particularly Roger McGuinn and David Crosby.
Add in a serious fear of flying, and Clark was out of the group by early
1966, just a year and three albums into the life of The Byrds.
After several excellent but overlooked albums, in
particular his self-titled album (also referred to as White Light by
fans), Clark entered the studio in 1972 to work on his next record. These sessions were eventually aborted, but
the eight songs composed during that period make up the bulk of what would
eventually become Roadmaster. By
this point, Clark had been one of the originators of country-rock (although
contemporary work by his former band and Bob Dylan, with Nashville Skyline,
overshadowed his albums), and this album is definitely rooted in that
style. It’s also apparent that Clark had
a true gift for this style. All of the
songs are fantastic and cover a wide range of emotions and styles within the
confines of country-rock.
“Full Circle Song,” which would be re-recorded a year
later during the ill-fated Byrds reunion sessions, is a beautiful tune with
great lyrics about how life is just an endless loop of cycles, or as Clark put
it, “first you’re up, and then you’re down again.” With it’s impassioned vocal delivery and
tasteful instrumentation, it’s a true lost classic. “In A Misty Morning” follows that song up
nicely, a country ballad with impressive dynamic, starting quietly and building
to a great ending, with Clark adding emotion to his vocal, but never resorting
to histrionics.
Elsewhere, the title track tells the well-worn story of
life on the road, and rolls along on a laid back, but definitely rocking, rhythm,
and “She Don’t Care About Time” updates his classic Byrds track into a touching
country ballad, giving the poetic lyrics a bit more gravity than in the
original version.
As great as these songs are, tensions between the record
label and Clark resulted in the sessions breaking down and the songs being
shelved. However, Clark’s producer, Jim
Dickson, not wanting the album to gather dust, dug up three more tracks that
had been recorded in 1970 and never used, and added them to the track
listing. One of those, “Here Tonight”
has The Flying Burrito Brothers backing Clark on another classic country
ballad, with his former Byrd member Chris Hillman adding great harmony vocals.
The remaining two songs, while the album is consistently great throughout, provide
its greatest moments, as they are both full Byrds reunions, recorded to help
Clark’s flagging solo career, but, once again, problems with labels preventing
their release before this record. “She’s
The Kind Of Girl” and “One In A Hundred” are simply fantastic songs, featuring
Roger McGuinn’s 12-string Rickenbacker jangle and David Crosby’s plaintive
harmonies in their full glory. The vocal
combination of Clark, McGuinn, and Crosby is just beautiful. When Crosby’s voice cracks during the bridge
of “One In A Hundred,” followed by McGuinn’s guitar jangling just as the line “hear
the bells chime” kicks in, you know you’re listening to a great band.
Gene Clark was a man who should have had it better than
he did. He had all the talent in the
world, but outside influences and bad luck always seemed to get the better of
him. He died in 1991, having never truly
gotten the credit he deserved. Luckily, Roadmaster
is still here, as are at least four other records that represent a truly
great artist. Genius, even.
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