By 1967 Clark had left The Byrds, reportedly due to his fear of flying. He was ready for a solo career, as he had been greatly respected as a songwriter during his time with the group. His first solo album was Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers, stylistically much along the same lines as the folk-rock of the Byrds' early albums. However working in a solo context rather than as part of a band gave him more freedom and variety in his approaches to material and instrumentation. Backing him on the album were past Byrd bandmates Chris Hillman (bass) and Michael Clarke (drums), as well as guitarists Clarence White (who would later be a Byrd himself) and Glen Campbell, banjo player Doug Dillard (of The Dillards), keyboardists Van Dyke Parks and Leon Russell (who also contributed string arrangements), and Vern and Rex Gosdin, the brothers of the album's title, who sang backing vocals throughout.The album was a hit with the critics, and proved Clark's worth as a singer-songwriter. However it failed to do well commercially, perhaps as it was released at the same time as The Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday. This would prove to be the fate of much of Clark's career - hailed as a great by the critics, but never selling as many records as he would have liked to.
Also of note are the tracks "Tried So Hard" and "Keep On Pushin'", which are often cited as among the earliest examples of country-rock. The former would later become a classic of the genre, being covered by numerous other artists.
|> White Light (1971)
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3 comments:
An excellent album.Thanks.
The vinyl-only version of this album called "Early LA Sessions" is well worth seeking out. Gene re-recorded most if not all his lead vocals, and by the early 70's, his voice was considerably richer and more confident. The instrumental tracks were left alone, but remixed and remastered. A short, but extremely satisfying album. The "Early LA" mix of "Tried So Hard" is the definitive version.
Superb album. In my view Clark never got the credit he deserved for his contribution to The Byrds. His solo albums White Light and No Other are outstanding.
Anything he did is worth getting, definitely.
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