An intimate look into a former-Byrd’s soul

As a founding member of the Byrds, Clark was known for both his singing and songwriting, having written and sung several of the Byrds most memorable tunes. His departure in 1966 led to a one-off recording with the Gosdin Brothers whose fusion of country and rock pre-dated the Clark-less Byrds turn (Sweetheart of the Rodeo) by a year. Clark rambled further on the country-rock road with Doug Dillard for a pair of albums, and finally recorded his first solo release in 1971. His songwriting and singing remained strong throughout, but his commercial fortunes never matched the success he’d found early on; even a 1973 reunion of the Byrds’ original lineup failed to generate any real sparks in the marketplace; what it did provide was an introduction to David Geffen, who offered Clark a solo deal on Asylum.

The resulting 1974 solo album, No Other, was miles from the rootsy directions Clark had been exploring, befuddling listeners with layers of instruments and studio effects. His label was likewise nonplussed, cutting the planned double album to a single, failing to fully promote the release, and providing little tour support; the album disappeared after slinking on to the bottom of the chart. So it was in the shadow of these failures that Clark set out on a lengthy tour of club dates with a trio composed of himself, Roger White on guitar and Duke Bardwell on bass. The artist’s disappointment and sadness is evident on this 1975 live recording in both the weariness of his vocals and the dismissal of the album with only two tracks (“No Other” and “Silver Raven”) on his set list.

The drumless, stripped-down sound of the trio is fleshed out with harmonica and three-part harmonies. This follows from Clark’s earlier country-rock work, and his pre-Byrds career as a folkie shows in the directness of his singing. Besides the folk-country staple “Long Black Veil” and the traditional “In the Pines,” the songwriting is all Clark’s. He reaches back to the Byrds first two albums (1, 2) for “Here Without You” and “Set You Free This Time,” each more weary and resigned than the originals, and Dillard & Clark’s nostalgic mid-western train song, “Kansas City Southern,” a mainstay of Clark’s live set, is less bluegrass-frenetic than the studio original and and more country-soul groove. Drawing “She Darked the Sun” from Dillard & Clark’s first album, Clark turns in his most focused and heartrending (if not always on-key) performance of the set.

In addition to a pair of songs from No Other (“No Other” and “Silver Raven” the latter included as an encore), Clark includes a song cut from the original release, “Train Leaves Here This Morning,” and a pair of new songs “Daylight Line” and the poetic, metaphorical “Home Run King.” The CD’s 65-minute running length includes some of Clark’s between-song banter, revealing the intimate space (both physical and personal) in which the show was performed. In many ways it’s fitting that the emotional strain of Clark’s lyrics are underlined by the physical exertion of club touring; this may not be Clark’s best recording, but it’s lack of artifice provides an unobstructed view into the songwriter’s soul. [©2008 hyperbolium.com]