Download

This week we’re not doing The Gaslight Anthem due to some scheduling issues, so we’ve pivoted to Gene Clark (y’know, of The Byrd’s fame) and his fourth album No Other.

When it was released this album was seen as a bit of a misfire for Gene. It didn’t land well critically, and given that it was turned in way over budget, it appeared that even the label, Asylum records, were keen to drop it in the dust bin of history. Indeed, they deleted the record from their catalogue less than two years after its release.

Clark then played things for the rest of his solo career, diving right into Southern fried country rock for the majority of it.

In the years afterwards, Clark lamented the lack of success and acclaim for the album and continued to state that it was his masterpiece. It wouldn’t see the light of day again until 1989, when a small German label reissued it around the time Clark’s solo career was on the wane.

After his death (and perhaps because of it) interest in his work began to climb again through the 1990s. This led to two songs from No Other appearing on a compilation that was released soon after. Yet it wasn’t until the late 2010s when the album was finally released again, this time given the full 5.1 surround sounds, SACD/Blu ray treatment. This super deluxe treatment, remastered at Abbey Road and loaded with alternate studio version of the tracks, stands as true testament to his genius. He was indeed right all along – it is his best work.

We go through his entire career in this episode, talking about the good and the bad. Join us next week as we dive into the album itself.