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Music gives soul to universe, wings to mind, flight to imagination, charm to sadness, and life to everything.

Plato

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Gene Clark - Roadmaster (1972 us, excellent country folk rock, 2011 Sundazed issue)



By 1972, Gene Clark had settled into a new life in Mendocino far from the intrusive media glare and fan adulation that still surrounded someone of his stature as a former member of the Byrds. However, he still owed A&M Records one more album. Gathering together the cream of the Los Angeles country-rock fraternity—innovative guitarist Clarence White, Chris Ethridge on bass, ex-Byrd and Burrito Brother Michael Clarke on drums, pedal steel guitarist extraordinaire Sneaky Pete, Byron Berline on fiddle and pianist Spooner Oldham—Gene set about recording an album of pure country rock unfettered by any commercial dictates.

Although the spring 1972 recording sessions were ultimately abandoned, Gene left eight precious songs in the vaults. “Full Circle Song” (later recorded by the reunited Byrds and a bona fide country-rock classic) and “Shooting Star” reveal a deep, introspective soul-searching. “I Remember the Railroad” and “In a Misty Morning” reflect a longing for the simpler days of his youth. The sessions also produced spirited versions of Flatt & Scruggs’ “Rough and Rocky,” the country standard “I Really Don’t Want to Know,” Freddie Weller’s rollicking “Roadmaster” and a reinterpretation of his standout Byrds song, “She Don’t Care About Time.”

Gene’s manager Jim Dickson took these eight tracks and paired them with three additional unreleased recordings to assemble Roadmaster. The unreleased tracks chronicled two previous attempts at a Byrds reunion (“One in a Hundred” and “She’s the Kind of Girl”) as well as the stunning “Here Tonight,” with Gene backed by The Flying Burrito Brothers. 

Originally a 1973 European-only release, imported copies of Roadmaster soon found their way to North America as fans came to recognize the brilliance in the ill-fated sessions. “The album itself I was proud of,” acknowledged Gene years later. “I was proud of the writing and proud of the bunch of people who played on it.” This legendary recording makes its Sundazed debut on compact disc and wondrous vinyl. It has been painstakingly mastered from the original A&M session tapes and is packaged in new album artwork. CD includes extra photos and new liner notes by Gene Clark biographer John Einarson. Add this recording to your collection and bear full witness to Gene Clark’s panoramic musical vision. 


Tracks
1. She's The Kind Of Girl (Clark) - 2:59
2. One In A Hundred (Clark) - 2:45
3. Here Tonight (Clark) - 3:29
4. Full Circle Song (Clark) - 2:44
5. In A Misty Morning (Clark) - 4:56
6. Rough And Rocky (Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs) - 3:14
7. Roadmaster (Clark) - 4:12
8. I Really Don't Want To Know (Howard Barnes, Don Robertson) - 4:35
9. I Remember The Railroad (Clark) - 2:31
10.She Don't Care About Time (Clark) - 3:37
11.Shooting Star (Clark) - 4:38

Musicians
*Gene Clark - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Clarence White - Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Spooner Oldham - Keyboards, Vocals
*Byron Berline - Fiddle
*Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Michael Clarke - Drums
*David Crosby - Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Roger Mcguinn - Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Chris Hillman - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Rick Roberts - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Bud Shank - Flute

more from Gene Clark
1971  Gene Clark - White Light
1964  The Byrds - Preflyte

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14 comments:

  1. Gene Rules!
    new demos CD expected late March
    with
    1. WHITE LIGHT
    2. HERE TONIGHT
    3. FOR NO ONE
    4. FOR A SPANISH GUITAR
    5. PLEASE MR. FREUD
    6. JIMMY CHRIST
    7. WHERE MY LOVE LIES ASLEEP
    8. THE VIRGIN
    9. OPENING DAY
    10. WINTER IN
    11. BECAUSE OF YOU
    12. WITH TOMORROW

    ReplyDelete
  2. Magic word this time is The_Loner

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you very much. Gene Clark forever.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Many thanks, marios & Cor for this wonderful masterpiece! Now i can put
    my special nederlandse A&M vinyl aside and enjoy this fine edition.

    edit: there has been a non remastered (as i remember)cd on EDSEL Records in Europe. Released in 1986.

    Thanks again, you made my day.
    lplover

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  5. Is there a link somewhere to this file? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you Marios for the new links.

    Greetings,
    buckeye

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you so much - I just got a puppy who really likes country and western, and especially Gene Clark. Great Blog!

    ReplyDelete
  8. could you re-up? the link is dead....thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wernermuehlemann,
    links are ok, just check the password, it's different here.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete