Gene Clark - Gene Clark (aka White Light)
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CD Details
Artist: Gene ClarkEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Import, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2002-09-24
Music Label: Ume Imports
Soundtracks:
- The Virgin
- With Tomorrow
- White Light
- Because Of You
- One In A Hundred
- For A Spanish Guitar
- Where My Love Lies Asleep
- Tears Of Rage
- 1975
- Because Of You
- Stand By Me
- Ship Of The Lord
- Opening Day
- Winter In
Music reviews of Gene Clark (aka White Light)
Music Review: "More like a dream than reality" is dead-on
Rating: 5 Stars
It really is more like a dream than reality that Gene Clark could make an album like White Light then all but disappear from the annals of American pop music history without ever achieving mainstream success and recognition. This record is my first non-Byrds introduction to Gene Clark (excepting a great cover of "Spanish Guitar" by Plainsong). Let me tell you, it's a purchase I'm glad I made and I can't wait to pick up more of his music (the other best are The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark and No Other).
White Light, in spite of its comparisons to Neil Young, Dylan, etc. surprised me--it's a quite laid-back affair. At its heart it's an acoustic record--the lead electric guitar is clean and the songs are always driven by the acoustic rhythm guitar and the percussion is generally not the standard in-your-face rock kit drumming that usually accompanies folk rock. Admittedly, the album's overall mood failed to grab my on first listen. However, this isn't dime store pop--the merits of Gene Clark and White Light aren't in throwaway hooks that get old after one listen.
Here's what makes the album classic for me: Clark's got a great voice. It's not derivatively Dylan-esque like a lot of similar artists of the day. Clark sings simply and evocatively, channeling the emotions of his songs in a really compelling way. The songwriting is great--excellent, somewhat melancholy lyrics that are accessible but ambiguous enough to retain a bit of mystery. Last, the arrangements are great. The lead guitar may not be hardcore, but most every song has a great lead line (often slide guitar) that really accompanies the mood of the songs and is actually pretty gnarly from time to time (i.e. the opening line on "The Virgin" and the melodic counterpoint on "One in a Hundred"). Despite the album's overall mellow vibe, there's actually some pretty rocking numbers, like "White Light" and "1975," in which the drums really kick in and the country bass starts to accent the beat in a harder way. The only weakness here, in my opinions are the keyboards. They're pretty much buried in the mix on most of the songs, making them less of a part of the band and more of a support for the mood. I guess they do add to the record, but I wonder what they could have contributed if used in a more melody-oriented position.
Some highlights for me are the desolate solo guitar and voice on "With Tomorrow," the immediately accessible and haunting "Because of You," and the cover of "Tears of Rage." Although it doesn't obviate Richard Manuel's soulful, definitive take from Music from Big Pink, it's definitely well-chosen and a rocking reinterpretation that really works. Really, though, all the songs on here are great and essential. I can't pick out a track (bonus tracks excepted) that doesn't contain meaningful lyrics, memorable musical moments, and characteristics that don't set it apart from the others. I highly recommend White Light to fans of Dylan, Young, the Byrds, folk, folk rock etc., and also to fans of similar newer music. Congratulations on finding one of the 70's best-kept musical secrets--I hope you take the opportunity to capitalize on your discovery!
Description of Gene Clark (aka White Light)
As founding member of folk-rock pioneers the Byrds, Gene Clark had emerged as a uniquely gifted singer/songwriter and master of the minor key melancholy ballad. His departure from the group in 1966 was met with critical anticipation and commercial indifference. Tiring of the Hollywood fast lane by 1969, Gene and new wife Carlie moved up to Mendocino on the Northern California coast where the tranquility, pastoral beauty and laid back lifestyle of the coastal community appealed to his country boy roots. It inspired a body of songs unlike anything Gene had composed before. Their stark simplicity and stripped down arrangements--acoustic guitar, harmonica and voice--evidence a deeper insight into life and an overall optimism rarely found in his previous body of work.The resulting album, White Light, produced by renowned guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, remains one of Gene's most accessible and much-loved recordings among fans and critics, topping several domestic Best Album of the Year lists and being voted "Album of the Year" by rock critics in the Netherlands. Songs like "For a Spanish Guitar," "With Tomorrow," and "Where My Love Lies Asleep" are delicately evocative while the title song draws on Gene's appreciation for country music. "One in a Hundred" harkens back to his finest Byrds compositions.
Buoyed by his new surroundings, friendships, marriage, a feeling of contentment in his rural retreat and the imminent birth of his first child, White Light reveals singer/songwriter Gene Clark at the top of his game. Rolling Stone declared the folk-based album "a fresh and innovative look at what came before in a new framework. One of the most interesting and exciting records of 1971." Relive that excitement on this Sundazed edition! Mastered directly from the original A&M analog session tapes, it is offered to you on compact disc and deep groove vinyl. CD includes extra photos and new liner notes by Gene Clark biographer John Einarson. Let White Light be your soundtrack for the road less traveled.
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