Gene Clark is perhaps not the most well known member of The Byrds, though he was the principle songwriter for them in the mid 1960s. This particular album is his first solo endeavor without The Byrds after leaving the group in 1966. The album didn’t perform well commercially, though it was received rather well. I really dig The Byrds and their other members’ solo stuff, but haven’t explored too much of Gene Clark’s solo work yet. With that said, I’m pretty stoked to give this one a listen so I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Echoes” starts out in a very folksy manner, almost like Clark is beckoning you through some sort of countryside meadow with the flute and the bright guitar. Oh wow, this song is awesome. It’s a really folksy feel with subtle undertones of country and western music. There’s a really great flavor combination between Clark’s folksy voice and the gently moving orchestral strings. Wow, this is pretty groovy so. The song really builds nicely for Clark to relieve tension through his drifting vocals. Really nice intro to this album.
Oh wow, “Think I’m Gonna Feel Better” has a really groovy western rock and roll feel to this one with those super groovy guitars that really jangle out and the dusty bass line that really evokes a western feeling from underneath. Great short tune.
“Tried So Hard” has a really neat sound of some sort of cowboy riding into a watering hole with a great country and western rock feel. I’m really digging the sound in this one with the country rock sort of feel. Oh wow, the lead guitar part is super tasty with the bright, twangy tone. There’s a really nice galloping feel to the drums in this one. Really pleasant tune.
“Is Yours Is Mine” has some super great flavor in this one at the beginning like it’s taking off for some epic journey. There’s almost a psychedelic sort of feeling in this one with the groovy layering of the lead and rhythm guitars. Oh wow, this little jam session near the end of the tune is really sweet.
“Keep On Pushin'” starts out with some really sweet twangy guitar and electric banjo that really sound really evoke a great country and western rock feel, especially in combination with the chorus vocals. Really groovy tune.
“I Found You” starts out with some nearly hollow twang from an electric guitar before dropping into a sort of psychedelic garage rock tune with some country flavor built in. Oh wow, I really dig this tune. The drums seem to have subtly moved to almost sound like they’re coming from behind and underneath the soundscape. Really groovy tune.
Oh wow, “So You Say You Lost Your Baby” starts out with some super great nearly synth like bright and droning guitar strumming, really bringing this again into a sort of psychedelic soundscape. The drums really have a great forward moving feeling while the guitars gently swish around some chords in the background while Clark manifests a psychedelic ballad-like soundscape with his vocals and the country inflected sweetness of the accompanying string parts.
Oh wow, “Elevator Operator” really brings in a groovy garage rock feel that still has some sort of country twang in the vocal performance. I’m really hooked into this album at this point. There’s definitely a certain psychedelic ominous feeling with the strangeness of the vocal melody and the way the electric guitar seems to ring out at times – really awesome.
“The Same One” has a sort of psychedelic country rock feel to it, which takes the flavors of a country and western tune and seems to drift the typical melodies towards a more psychedelic inclination. The background vocals really make me think of old country tunes like “Cool Water”, only sent through some sort of psychedelic machine that reforms the tune a bit. Really groovy tune.
“Couldn’t Believe Her” really reminds me a bit of Gram Parsons in this one with a really movin’ country rock tune. Holy smokes, this tune really gets going nicely while Clark’s vocals retain such a self-assured and nearly relaxed feeling. That bass really gets the song moving and the electric guitar really grooves along with it. Great tune.
“Needing Someone” has a really nice sweet and twangy country rock feeling to it. There are still some flavors of psychedelia laced throughout with the gentle accentuations of the second electric guitar and the general feel from the drums. This definitely sounds like Clark and the lead guitar are wrapping up the album quite nicely, as this was originally the final track on the album. Really groovy tune.
“Tried So Hard (Alternate Version)” has a really great folksy and country jangle between multiple acoustic guitar parts and some nice reverberated vocals with a sort of country-like galloping of the rhythm section. Oh wow, I really dig the lead guitar part – it reminds me a little bit of 1970-1971 Jerry Garcia in a certain respect. Really tasty version of a great tune.
Oh wow, “Elevator Operator (Alternate Version)” has a super groovy psychedelic rock feel that reminds me a lot of psychedelic rock of that same time period. There’s not as much country feel in this version, though there still is a really nice, muddy yet bopping bass with some great twangy guitar. Wow, this guitar solo at the end is super groovy and really tasty. This was a really groovy version of a great song.
“Only Colombe (Mono Version)” is a super delicate sounding folksy ballad with the bright, high notes on the acoustic guitar and/or piano. Wow, this tune really gets grooving quite nicely and feels like it’s not stopping for anything. Oh wow, there’s some sort of reversed instrument in the background of this massive conglomeration of music. Really great tune.
“The French Girl (Mono Version)” has a really nice, nearly club-like tune, as if Clark is serenading someone in the audience in the style of someone like Frank Sinatra. Meanwhile, the piano is walking down this really bright and tasty descending melody. Oh wow, there’s a really nice folksy singer/songwriter feel to this one.
“So You Say You Lost Your Baby (Acoustic Demo)” has a really raw, earthy vibe from the acoustic guitar and the gentle layered vocals in what turned out to be a somewhat psychedelic tune. This is a super interesting tune with the way it ended up earlier in the album. There’s a really great, nearly melancholic flavor in this one that seems to just continue marching in a really folksy way. Really tasty ending. Great tune.
“Is Yours Is Mine (Acoustic Demo)” has a really great feel on this gentle, acoustic rendition of this tune after the initial version sounded like it was starting you on some sort of epic journey at the beginning of the tune, and now the tune is revisiting that notion this time around as the final tune on the album. I’m really digging this version too, there’s definitely a sort of earthiness between the acoustic guitar and the scant percussion with the delicate vocals. Really nice tune to end the album with.
Wow, this album packs so many flavors of music in it. I can say I’ll be listening to a lot more Gene Clark in the future. With a mixture of country, western, folk, garage rock, and psychedelia all peppered in as needed throughout, Clark comes away with a really awesome listening experience for anyone who enjoys those genres. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the experience at least as much as I did.
-A