Gene Clark - Two Sides to every Story

RSO Records - RS -1-3011 - 1/77

Home Run King
Lonely Saturday
In The Pines
Kansas City Southern
Give My Love To Marie
Sister Moon
Marylou
Hear The Wind
Past Addresses
Silent Crusade

The Freewhelin ’Groover returns to deal with the great Gene Clark, who is here. as mentioned, he is adored unconditionally.

After the Byrds experience, Clark released in 1967 "Gene Clark With the Gosdin Brothers" wonderful album that anticipates country rock by a few years and after the two discs in collaboration with Doug Dillard (see post), in 1971 for A&M he gives light one of the most beautiful records of all time: "White light", also known as "Gene Clark"

For the Dutch market in 1973 (Ariola label, a subsidiary of A&M) the beautiful “Roadmaster” collection of outtakes with exceptional guests (Clarence Carter, Spooner Oldham, Michael Clark) was released, in 1994 it was also reissued for the American market. Today it is considered a fundamental album and in the original version it is highly sought after by fans and collectors.

In 1974 he moved to Asylum and published the ambitious "No other", which was crushed by both critics and the public.

This destroys morally and also physically (the slating of "No other" will lead Clarke even more to get lost in the fumes of alcohol and drugs) Gene, who despite a three-year hiatus will never recover from the failure of "No Other" .

"Two sides to every story", released in 1977 for the RSO label, is a record that was born and lives in the shadow of the disappointment of "No Other" and one of the darkest periods in Clarke's life (the alcohol, separation from wife), the malaise is felt in all the grooves, but despite this it is a great record with some really memorable songs. In the endless list of possible names to give to this blog, “Two sides to Every Story” occupied a very high position.

The album was not very well received - it was cut short by Rolling Stone - released in 1977 in the midst of punk and Discomusic explosion for a label that at the end of the seventies aimed a lot at the more commercial record (it was the label of the Bee Gees and the soundtrack of the Saturday night "), showed on the cover Clark with a bum and a Redneck dress, an image that is now very Hipster, but which at the time was very far from the tastes of the average public and of the music lover who had found the new verb in punk .

Musically he paid the duty of Thomas Jefferson Kaye's inadequate production (perfect for “No Other” but not for this work) and for the choice of some songs that were not “very suitable”. The record returned to classic country folk rock, and in several places reached fantastic creative peaks.

With Gene Clark we find among others Emmylou Harris, Sammy Creason on drums, Doug Dillard on banjo, Al Perkins (formerly with Manassas) at Pedal Steel.

The first three songs are three very classic oriented songs, “Home run king” halfway between country and rock song, the country song “Lonely saturday” and a beautiful blue grass version of the traditional “In the pines”.

"Kansas City Southern" is a weak point of the record, already present in "Through the Morning, Through the Night" by Dillard - Clark, is here arranged and treated like a watered down rock 'n' roll, really a misstep.

Closes the side "Give my love to Marie" beautiful ballad in perfect Clark style, the voice of Gene here is creepy.

Side B contains the best songs on the record, songs in which Clark's compositional skills, arrangements, lyrics and voice come out great.

Side B contains 5 songs, the cover without infamy and without praise of "Marylou" - r'n'b song by Otis Clay, and then four beautiful ballads: "Past Address" and the long and elaborate "Sister moon" with a beautiful arrangement and the two masterpieces the biographical "Silent Crusade" which talks about his addiction to drugs and alcohol and his state in the mid-seventies:

Silently the truth speaks more loudly

Than what falls from my mouth

From its wind comes the light of inspiration

And the darkness of doubt

Situations, weigh the anchor once more.

Sail away

Finally, the beautiful "Hear the Wind" alternative folk country ballad as it would be defined today.

As mentioned, the record came out in full disco and punk phenomenon and was obviously neglected, it was not followed by music lovers who got lost behind punk and new wave and not even by the average listener who spent time chasing disco music, indeed the part more obvious than the disc.

This failure locked Clark even more in his world (it was his last solo record on major), he released two records in 1979 and 1980 with Hillman and Mcguinn, but that I return to release a solo record only in 1984 with "Firebyrd" on Takoma Records.

In 1987 together with Carla Olson (singer and guitarist of the Textones) he released “So a Rebellius lover”. He died in 1991 devastated by a life of excess.

Gene Clark: a genius.

Photo of the label of my vinyl copy of RS-1-3011, original copy. Gene Clark's records are highly sought after by Clark collectors and fans, on the internet an original copy of "Two sides to every story" has an average price of around $ 50.

Tracklist

A1 Home Run King 2:57

Backing Vocals – Emmylou Harris, Steve Soles

A2 Lonely Saturday 4:04

Backing Vocals – Daniel Moore, Matthew Moore

A3 In The Pines 4:22

Arranged By – Gene Clark

Backing Vocals – Douglas Dillard*, John Hartford, Pepper Watkins

Written-By – Traditional

A4 Kansas City Southern 4:38

Backing Vocals – Daniel Moore, Matthew Moore

A5 Give My Love To Marie 6:05