When Eminem unexpectedly dropped his new album, Kamikaze, on August 31, it made headlines around the world in a matter of hours — and rightly so. Em’s one of the most important artists on the planet, and I was totally in, ready to see who Mr. Mathers was entertainingly mad at this time around (Quite a list. I see you, Mike Pence).
Surprise albums are fun. The earth moves every time Beyoncé makes a phone call, let alone blesses us with Lemonade out of the clear blue sky. But those albums are rare because nearly every artist that can put two notes together – and some that can’t – telegraph their every move on social media. “We’re making music! Here’s a pic of us wasting expensive studio time! New album should be out…sometime!”
Little is unexpected in the music world, thanks to social media, and that’s fine. In fact, it’s better than the old record-company promotion model because, let’s be honest, record companies kinda sucked at promoting their artists, even those with piles of credibility, like Gene Clark.
Never heard of Gene Clark? Let’s talk about him!
Clark – a Missouri country boy inspired by The Beatles – was a co-founder of The Byrds, the archetypical psychedelic-folk-rock band of the 1960s. The Byrds gave us “Eight Miles High” (a song written about Clark’s fear of flying), “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, the clarion chime of Roger McGuinn’s Rickenbacker guitar, and the beginning of David Crosby’s decades-long crusade for the Bald Mullet & Walrus Mustache ensemble.
The Byrds influenced The Beatles and every other rock band worth their salt in 1965. Arguably, without The Byrds, Dylan wouldn’t have plugged in and stayed there. Without The Byrds, there’s no Crosby, Stills & Nash. Without The Byrds, there’s no Tom Petty (still miss you, dude). Without The Byrds, there’s no REM. And on and on.
But there’s more.
After Clark left The Byrds, his landmark 1967 album with the Gosdin Brothers helped give us (ta da!) country-rock, for better (Poco, CCR, The Eagles, Uncle Tupelo) and worse (Garth Brooks, nearly everything played on modern country radio, Garth Brooks again).
So, yeah, Gene Clark was rock royalty. And in 1974, he knew he was onto something with his solo album, No Other. He packed a studio with top-notch talent – including Chris Hillman, his former Byrds bandmate and founder of another country-rock giant, The Flying Burrito Brothers – and got busy on a planned double album. The only problem was that this was 1974, the dawn of corporate rock, when the accountants ascended to the plush corner offices of American record companies — and the wild-eyed ’60s dreamers stepped aside.
It was fine and dandy for George Harrison to crank out a triple album in 1970, but that was just after The Beatles broke up, and just before music became more about Industry and less about Creativity.
Studio time and top-notch talent cost money. Trainloads of it. And when Clark’s label bosses got wind of the bills being racked up for No Other, they dropped the hammer, squashing the idea of a double-album and ordering Clark to wrap things up pronto. And since it was up to the record company to distribute and promote an album – which also costs trainloads of money – guess what? No Other got neither. It was released, and then it died.
It’s difficult to completely blame the company suits for putting the kibosh on No Other, because at first listen there are no hits to be heard — certainly nothing that would’ve fit in with the likes of Grand Funk Railroad and Roberta Flack on Top-40 radio in ’74. However, a lack of hits doesn’t equal lack of quality, and No Other is positively sublime from beginning to end. It is a masterwork of songcraft, performance and production.
It all starts from the plaintive acoustic guitar opening of “Life’s Greatest Fool”, as down-home as a rusty pick-up truck and warm as a plate of biscuits & gravy. And Clark’s voice is nothing but pure High Lonesome, belying his rock-god status. That’s what’s so great about this guy: you think you have him pegged, only to have him bolt in an unexpected direction.
Before you know it, “Life’s Greatest Fool” has shed its country skin and blossomed into a sing-along, revival-style, praise Jay-zuss stomper, it’s “Do you believe?” chorus begging to be Jonathan Van Ness’ new alarm jingle. Same with the second track, “Silver Raven”, a moody backwoods chiller about — of all things — a satellite “far above the darkened waters, far above the troubled sky,” with a trippy guitar solo that sounds like it’d beamed down from Skylab (google it, kids).
But just when you think this album’s all about the country, the title track spins everything sideways. The bass-and-organ intro of “No Other” lets you know that you’re in for a lowdown, Sly Stone-style funk burner. Clark moves the proceedings from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to the gritty streets of Detroit, with plenty of wah-guitar and sassy background vocals — and enough cowbell to keep Bruce Dickinson’s studio space suitably explored. Listening to this song makes me want to put on a pair of gold sunglasses and cruise around in a Cadillac Eldorado.
The power of good art, right? It makes you feel things and take you places in your own mind. No Other is a musical road map, with Clark refusing to stay in his own lane, bolting onto every off ramp and backroad that looks even mildly interesting.
When an artist incorporates a menagerie of differing musical styles within a single album, the results can oftentimes be a garbage casserole. But not No Other. This album is genius.
I could do the typical post-op review and detail every song – okay, “Strength Of Strings”, “From A Silver Phial”, and “Some Misunderstanding” are goosebump factories, while “True One” and “Lady Of The North” end proceedings with pure, delicious country goodness – but what I want you to do is what millions were deprived of in 1974: I want you to listen to No Other by Gene Clark. Do it now. The record bosses aren’t in control anymore, we are, so slide on out to your favorite streaming service and give it a listen. You will not be disappointed.
Things are so different now, and that’s good. Thanks to social media, spreading the word about great art is in our hands, not the hands of The Man. Case in point: until a few months ago, I didn’t know No Other existed. Sure, I knew about The Byrds, like any good music dork, but I was clueless as to Gene Clark’s solo material. I stumbled onto it by chance. I was reading an interview with Stephen Malkmus of Pavement, and he made an offhand comment about an amazing record called No Other. I figured, if Malkmus is vouching for it, I’ll give it a listen. And I was not disappointed. I don’t think you will be, either.
Listening to this album reminds me that true artists give everything over to their work, but that work, sadly, can be overlooked. There’s so much out there yet to be discovered. When we trip across the good stuff, it’s within our power to tell everyone.
Gene Clark died in 1991, shortly after The Byrds were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It bugs me to no end that he died without seeing his masterpiece appreciated. I’ll tell everyone I know – and some that I don’t – about this record. It’s too good to keep hidden.
Do you believe? I do.
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It keeps resurfacing every few years,like Gram Parsons or Big Star.
Just 4 years ago,members of Fleet Foxes,Grizzly Bear,Walkmen and even Ian Matthews of Fairport Convention toured the U.S playing the album as recorded.They even made it to the U.K.
I’m in my 60’s,but the band I’m in still has a bash at Life’s greatest fool once in a while.
Hope your article stirs a few folks to check the album out.
Cheers,
Chris Moir(U.K.)
Very enjoyable to read in such a creative & refreshing new way about another Gene Clark discoverer. To many of us he is our American Dreamer. I graduated in 1974 & this No Other was heard across AM radio for a brief moment before disappearing into the ether. Like you kind of said, the times they were a’changin. He deserved better!!