"gene Clark"

Three CDs. Gene Clark Collected brings together a full overview of the legendary singer/songwriter's extensive career. Though he never reached stardom as a solo artist, Gene Clark inspired many of the greats with his songwriting, including Robert Plant, John Mayer, Gram Parsons and many more. This release contains both his work with groups and duos like The Byrds, The Gosdin Brothers, Dillard & Clark, McGuinn, Clark & Hillman and Carla Olson, as well as many tracks from his highly regarded solo albums. The 3rd disc contains a beautiful selection of rarities, demos and outtakes. The cover photo is a previously unseen photo by legendary L.A. photographer Henry Diltz, the digipack and booklet contain more photos, albums and singles artwork and extensive liner notes.

Always forward-looking, always prolific, Clark left behind a rich legacy of professionally recorded music both released and unreleased. This album introduces previously unreleased studio sessions from Clark's pre-Byrds days in 1964, to his 1982 reunion with former bandmates, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke, as Nyteflyte. Since his passing in 1991, many of Gene Clark's home demo recordings and various live recordings have been released. Actual studio recording sessions were rare and their existence was more rumor than fact until now! This collection of "lost" studio recordings has been lovingly restored by Sierra Records to ensure the best possible sound quality and is presented here for the very first time. This is essentially an alternate history of Gene Clark's most productive years as a songwriter. To call them revelatory would be to understate their importance.

Gene Clark's 1971 classic “White Light” is a bittersweet and knowing statement from a singer/songwriter at the peak at his creative powers. Having fronted The Byrds, Clark on his own here is stripped down in guitarist Jesse Ed Davis' stark production. The lyrics, singing and guitar playing are so powerful that less production here is immeasurably more musically. The album art is beautifully restored by IR's Tom Vadakan.

SUPERB MID 80s PERFORMANCE BY GENE CLARK BACKED BY COUNTRY-ROCK ROYALTY In the early 1980s, Gene Clark spent some time living in Hawaii attempting to get clean . Upon his return to the US he formed The Firebyrds, with whom he recorded one album, which came out in 1984. The release coincided with the emergence of jangle-rock , by the likes of R.E.M. and Tom Petty, who had sparked a renewed interest in the Byrds music. Clark now began developing new fans among LA's roots-conscious Paisley Underground scene. It was in the midst of such acclaim that Gene Clark, alongside The Band s Rick Danko and Richard Manuel, fellow ex-Byrds Michael Clark and John York, ex- Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin and the Flying Burrito Brothers Rick Roberts, came together as Gene Clark & Friends to perform what was to be a superb show at The Three T s - a small club in Evansville, Indiana - on 15th May 1985.

Gene Clarks 1974 masterpiece gets the reappraisal its long overdue. One of the greatest albums ever made. Initially celebrated for its obscurity, No Other is now celebrated for its magnificence. It was in every way a magnum opus: epic, sprawling, poetic, choral, rococo. 45 years on and recently remastered at Abbey Road, 4AD are giving No Other the reappraisal it deserves. As stated on 4AD's website, the original tapes were remastered at Abbey Road Studios, featuring a 5.1 surround mix of the album created for the first time. All the studio tapes were forensically worked on and mixed by the duo of Gene Clark aficionado Sid Griffin and producer John Wood; the extra tracks have not been edited or composited in any way, "allowing for everything to be heard exactly as it went down in the studio and before any overdubbing took place".

With Carla Olson and Gene Clark two extraordinary talents met. In each of the songs you can feel the bond between the two musicians. Olson's powerful singing blends wonderfully with Clark's soulful performance.

So Rebellious a Lover Review by Matthew Greenwald
An exquisite pairing of talent, the duo of Carla Olson and Gene Clark apparently came out of casual living room sessions while Clark was preparing for another project. The feeling of spontaneity and closeness of spirit engulfs all of the cuts here. Olson's strident and powerful vocals mesh beautifully with Clark's slightly world-weary, soulful performances. As for the material, both songwriters obviously put their best foot forward here. Olson's "The Drifter" and "Are We Still Making Love" are excellent country-folk outings. Clark contributes one of his finest later compositions, "Gypsy Rider," a multi-leveled song that can easily be viewed as autobiographical. Excellent support is provided by an array of backing musicians, especially Stephen McCarthy (lap steel and dobro) and guest Chris Hillman (mandolin). Chemistry is the operative word here. The only sad thing is that So Rebellious a Lover was to be the only studio effort by the duo before Clark passed away in 1991. This record is important not only for what it is, but for what it could have become.

Echoes is a repackaging of Gene Clark's debut album, Gene Clark With the Gosdin Brothers. The Byrds comparison is really unavoidable: it's both Clark's best solo work and, not coincidentally, the one which resembles the Byrds most strongly. Indeed, this could easily pass for a somewhat less-than-average vintage Byrds album, with actual Byrds Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke forming the rhythm section and Vern and Rex Gosdin on guitar (hence the title).