Michael Fremer Rated 9/11 Music, 8/11 Sonics in his June 2012 reviews on www.analogplanet.com!
Legendary Gene Clark Album Assembles Abandoned 1972 Sessions And More!
Painstakingly Mastered Directly From Original A&M Analog Session Tapes!
By 1972, singer/songwriter 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 wondrous high-definition vinyl. It has been painstakingly mastered from the original A&M session tapes and its packaged with new album artwork. Add this recording to your collection and bear full witness to Gene Clark's panoramic musical vision.
"...the reissue is far superior in terms of transparency and especially dynamics, where it stomps all over the original. Combine superb sound by any standard and a very quiet high quality pressing (probably Rainbo) and you have a Gene Clark "must have" for those who must have all of Gene Clark's work. Count me among them. Thank you Sundazed!" - Michael Fremer, analogplanet.com, Music 9/11, Sound 8/11!
Features:
High-definition Vinyl
Mastered from original A&M analog session tapes
Musicians:
Gene Clark, vocals
Clarence White, guitar
Chris Ethridge, bass
Michael Clarke, drums
Sneaky Pete, pedal steel guitar
Byron Berline, fiddle
Spooner Oldham, piano
Selections:
Side 1:
1. She's The Kind Of Girl
2. One In A Hundred
3. Here Tonight
4. Full Circle Song
5. In A Misty Morning
6. Rough And Rocky
Side 2:
1. Roadmaster
2. I Really Don't Want To Know
3. I Remember The Railroad
4. She Don't Care About Time
5. Shooting Star
Legendary Gene Clark Album Assembles Abandoned 1972 Sessions And More!
Painstakingly Mastered Directly From Original A&M Analog Session Tapes!
By 1972, singer/songwriter 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 wondrous high-definition vinyl. It has been painstakingly mastered from the original A&M session tapes and its packaged with new album artwork. Add this recording to your collection and bear full witness to Gene Clark's panoramic musical vision.
"...the reissue is far superior in terms of transparency and especially dynamics, where it stomps all over the original. Combine superb sound by any standard and a very quiet high quality pressing (probably Rainbo) and you have a Gene Clark "must have" for those who must have all of Gene Clark's work. Count me among them. Thank you Sundazed!" - Michael Fremer, analogplanet.com, Music 9/11, Sound 8/11!
Features:
High-definition Vinyl
Mastered from original A&M analog session tapes
Musicians:
Gene Clark, vocals
Clarence White, guitar
Chris Ethridge, bass
Michael Clarke, drums
Sneaky Pete, pedal steel guitar
Byron Berline, fiddle
Spooner Oldham, piano
Selections:
Side 1:
1. She's The Kind Of Girl
2. One In A Hundred
3. Here Tonight
4. Full Circle Song
5. In A Misty Morning
6. Rough And Rocky
Side 2:
1. Roadmaster
2. I Really Don't Want To Know
3. I Remember The Railroad
4. She Don't Care About Time
5. Shooting Star