No Other

When the heavily produced No Other went absolutely nowhere commercially, the eternally stage-frightened Clark was practically forced go on tour with a minimal backing band in an effort to bring in some cash and remind the world that one of the greatest songwriters of the 60s and 70s was still crafting extraordinary songs. While the tour was hampered by Clark’s alcoholism, if Live 75 is any indication, there were many stirring moments when Clark’s beautiful tenor combined with the scaled back virtues of a 3 piece band to produce profound readings of some of the gems in the Clark songbook.

Gene Clark - Spanish Guitar [buy]

Gene Clark - Here Without You [buy]

The night these songs were recorded Clark shared the bill with Tom Waits. Here's a clip of Waits doing his drunk at the diner shtick from 1975.

Gene Clark

While still working within the boy-girl context (he had yet to absorb the Dylan school of abstract lyricism), Gene was far better equipped to express his emotions openly in lyrics than were the others in the group. “Gene was fairly mature in an emotional, romantic kind of male way that I wasn’t,” offers Roger, acknowledging Gene’s gift for penning emotionally charged love songs. “I couldn’t sincerely even sing a song like [“Here Without You”], much less write one. And Gene was like a latin lover compared to me. He was a handsome guy, very suave and cool with it. He was popular with the ladies.”
-from Mr. Tambourine Man

Gene Clark, latin lover, who knew. Maybe the key aspect to Clark’s emotional maturity as a songwriter, which colored so many of his best songs, was his vulnerability and refusal to give into resentment. An early articulation of this appears as the tinge of self-doubt in the famous “probably” in Clark’s “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better.”

The Byrds - I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better [buy]

On his album with the Gosdin Brothers, Clark wisely takes a long-view of the ups and downs of relationships with “Tried So Hard” and “Think I’m Gonna Feel Better.” Both songs have someone walking out on the singer, but Clark feels that not only will he get through the loss, but he’s mature enough to hope that the one leaving him will “see the sun” as well.

Gene Clark & The Gosdins - Think I'm Gonna Feel Better [buy]

Fast forward to the the Byrds last studio album and even after 8 years of walking off the plane, Clark’s “Full Circle” once again gives evidence to his being, at least in song, the emotionally mature Byrd. This time instead of the rising sun bringing emotional renewal, Clark employs the image of a spinning wheel to express the cyclical nature of love and loss -- in a way it’s Clark’s own version of “Turn! Turn! Turn!”

The Byrds - Full Circle [buy]

But for me it’s with the The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark cut “Out On The Side” that Clark, writing from what feels like a space of great pain, pens his most powerful song on the necessity for openness and refusing the easy charms of self-righteous pride.

No I'm not looking to find any holes
From what I think has been denied
That's not the feeling of love when it flows
I hope I can lose that much pride

Dillard & Clark - Out on The Side [buy]

somehow

Vermont milk cows looking at me like the fool I am.

Somehow this bluebird contraption has made it past the one year mark. So I figured I’d celebrate with a six-pack: Waylon’s on the road again, Gene Clark is a genius again, the early Byrds hit the road for Boston, George cries in his booze again, as does Commander Cody, and James Talley casts those daily grind troubles aside and takes the wife out to raise a little hell. And while I'm celebrating, I want to thank Odie, Brendan, and Mike for helping me get and keep this thing rolling. And, folks, do yourself a solid and check out the links over on the right. If you aren’t regularly going to The Rising Storm, The Adios Lounge, Groover’s, or the other sites listed, then you are depriving the brain cells of vital musical oxygen. And speaking of oxygen, it's time to crack a cold one and listen to Waylon and the boys.

Waylon Jennings - Laid Back Country Picker
Gene Clark and the Gosdin Brothers - Is Yours Is Mine
The Byrds - Boston
George Jones - Why Baby Why
Commander Cody - Wine Do Yer Stuff
James Talley - You Can’t Ever Tell