Gene Clark: Two Sides To Every Story (High Moon Records/2013)

The late, great Ex-Byrd Gene Clark never quite had the record sales to reflect the quality of his work. The soulfulness of his material was nearly without equal and the depth of feeling of his voice is truly exceptional. Recorded in 1976 on Clark's own dime, and originally released on RSO Records in 1977, on his fifth solo album Two Sides To Every Story, even if his muse seems to come and go, Clark is fine form.

The album's best original songs; "Silent Crusade", "Past Addresses", "Kansas City Southern", "Home Run King" - the album's lone single -  and "Lonely Saturday" all plainly lay bare Clark's greatest strengths. His ability to simplify his lyrics and still be somehow amazingly poetic are over these tracks. The covers of "Give My Love To Marie" and "In The Pines" are well-executed.

Clark is aided by plenty of country rock luminaries; Emmylou Harris, Doug Dillard and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter are all well-accounted for. The album was produced by Thomas Jefferson Kaye who produced Clark's previous album, the legendary No Other album. However, whereas No Other was wonderfully excessive, Two Sides To Every Story is a fairly scaled-back affair.

Reissued in 2013 on High Moon Records for Record Store Day in a limited-numbered pressing of 5,000 copies. It comes with a beautiful twenty-four page booklet and an MP3 download card twenty-one bonus tracks including a full set from 1975 and a twelve-minute promotional interview from 1974. However, it does not contain the album itself, only the twenty-one bonus tracks.

A beautiful package and a must have for fans of The Byrds, Gene Clark or classic country rock from he 1970's.

Here's the video review:

The Byrds: Sanctuary IV (Sundazed Music/2002)

The Byrds are one of the most influential bands of the 1960's. They seamlessly blended British Invasion pop with folk music. Incorporating psychedelic rock and raga rock. And finally overlapping traditional American country and Bluegrass music with contemporary rock music. Sanctuary series is a four volume collection on Sundazed Music. Volume four is a collection of outtakes and alternate versions of tracks from the bands groundbreaking Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album.

Gram Parsons had joined the band in February of 1968 and immediately asserted his influence and persuading original band members Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman toward Honky Tonk/Country music. This wasn't too difficult as Hillman and McGuinn had their roots in traditional country music. But it was virtually unheard of for a pop band to tackle this. Their Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album confused fans at the time and only reached # 77 on the charts and the classic single “You Ain't Goin' Nowhere” only reached #74. The album is now regarded as a classic and made Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of all-time list in 2003.

Sanctuary Four collects several of the Gram Parson vocal tracks that were originally intended for the Sweetheart album. Those tracks were later released with Roger McGuinn on lead vocals as Parson was still contractually obligated to his previous contract with Columbia Records for his time with The International Submarine Band. Including “One Hundred Years From Now”, “Life In Prison” and “You Don't Miss Your Water”. Plus fantastic non album tracks “Lazy Days” and “You've Got A Reputation”.

Sundazed Music, once again, does a fantastic job on the authentic packaging and liner notes. Recommended for Byrdmaniax and Gram Parsons fans alike.  

Here'e The Video Review:

Special Thanks to doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com

(They Rule)

The Rip Chords: Sting Ray 7" (Sundazed Music/2006)

The Rip Chords were southern California surf pop band that were signed to Columbia Records. They released two unsuccessful doo-wop influenced singles (“Here I Stand” & Gone”). Columbia Record producers Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston - also of the surf pop combo Bruce & Terry - came in shortly thereafter and took over the lead vocal duties. The band then had huge hit singles with “Hey Little Cobra” and “Three Window Coupe”. The band released two albums and subsequently had one more charting single with “One Piece Topless Bathing Suit” before calling it a day in 1965.

The always reliable Sundazed Music later reissued the bands two albums and a best of compilation that also contained a few unreleased items. Sundazed also released a single on colored vinyl on yellow wax.

“Sting Ray” is a boogie woogie rock and roll song that references The Beach Boys “Little Deuce Coupe”. “Red Hot Roadster” is a song that appeared in the motion picture A Swingin' Summer, that the band actually appeared in and the band performed said song. “Shut Down” is the a cover of the Beach Boys classic and appeared on the the Hey Little Cobra And Other Hits album. Terry Melcher went on to produce The Byrds and Paul Revere And The Raiders. Bruce Johnston joined the Beach Boys in the Spring of 1965 and is in the band to the day. And a touring version of The Rip Chords still tours the oldies circuit.

Highly recommended for fans of The Beach Boys and 60's Surf Pop. 

Here's the video review:

The Byrds: Sanctuary III (Sundazed Music/2001)

It might be easy to forget now, but behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & The Beach Boys - The Byrds were quite possibly the most popular and influential band of the 1960s. They ushered in folk rock, raga rock, acid rock and country rock all with equal creative success. Sundazed Music has released all of their albums in both stereo and mono along with a line of revisionist alternate releases as well. They've released a series of four albums of all unreleased and alternate versions of tracks on vinyl. Sanctuary III is the third of these releases and it contains tracks from the Ballad Of Easy Rider from 1969 and their Untitled album from 1970. The band are in their country rock period here and are just starting to sound comfortable as such.

This version of the Byrds included bassist John York and drummer Gene Parsons. The Untitled tracks feature Skip Battin on bass. The best tracks here are a cover of The Pentangle's "Way Behind The Sun", a version of "Mae Jean Goes To Hollywood" written by a then-unknown songwriter by the name of Jackson Browne, a longer version of "Ballad Of Easy Rider" that features virtuoso guitarist Clarence White and an alternate version of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now Baby Blue". The band made a tradition of covering one Dylan song on each album. And I daresay their version of "Baby Blue" is the very best of these.

 There are also a few interesting instrumentals ("Build It Up" and "White's Lightening Parts I & II") which make for a nice showcase for the late, great Clarence White and his B-Bender Telecaster. The majority of the Sanctuary tracks have all appeared as bonus tracks on the respective album's CD reissues for which they were recorded for. However here the tracks have a nice unified cohesive whole, instead of appearing as also-rans after each album's original tracks. If you are a fan of the Byrds and are looking for a nice vinyl series in which to invest, by all means pick up the four records on 180 Gram vinyl on Sundazed Music that make up Sanctuary series.


Here's The Video Review:

Special Thanks: Sundazed Music.