While the world has gradually woken up to the value of sadly late ex-Byrd GENE CLARK’S cosmic Americana masterpiece ‘No Other’ from 1974, its’ erstwhile follow-up, 1977’s ‘Two Sides to Every Story’ has remained deleted and unavailable for far too long.
Step forward vigilant NYC label High Moon Records: a quality re-issue label dedicated to re-introducing under-rated, long deleted LPs from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s back to the marketplace. Thanks to their good offices, ‘Two Sides to Every Story’ is finally in circulation again for the first time in two decades and you’ve the choice of a deluxe 2CD set or the 180g vinyl version with a download card for extra tracks. Hurrah!
It really is a due cause for celebration, too, because while ‘Two Sides to Every Story’ falls a little short of ‘No Other’ in terms of gobsmacking genius, it’s still an excellent album, and its’ rehabilitation is surely overdue.
If you’re expecting something as sonically lavish as ‘No Other’, however, you might initially be disappointed. While ‘No Other’ producer Thomas Jefferson Kaye was retained behind the console and the musicians included Emmy Lou Harris, guitarist Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter (Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan) and long-time Clark collaborator Doug Dillard, the album’s opening clutch of tracks are considerably more low-key and roots-y than anything from its’ acclaimed predecessor.
However, while the spirited ‘Home Run King’, the burnished lament of ‘Lonely Saturday’ or the Gospel-tinged Appalachian folk-blues setting of ‘In The Pines’ (yes, as in Leadbelly, the Louvin Brothers and/ or Nirvana’s ‘Unplugged’ set) are all pleasant enough, they’re a lot closer to the down-home country sound prevalent on the two Dillard & Clark albums and seem a little inessential when compared to ‘No Other.’ The balls-y, Stones-esque train song ‘Kansas City Southern’, meanwhile, is stylish and rocks considerably harder than anything else here but also sounds a tad underwhelming.
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It’s with the fifth track, ‘Give My Love to Marie’ that ‘Two Sides...’ starts to show its’ true colours. Ironically, one of only three non-Clark originals here (written by James Talley), it’s a classic coal miner’s lament (“the old black lung’s got me, no life left in me”) featuring one of Clark’s finest high lonesome vocals, a delicate kid glove performance from the band and a gloriously discreet wash of strings.
From thereon in, only the so-so bar-room brawler ‘Marylou’ can disturb a succession of four typically introspective Clark beauties. Urged on by gentle Fender Rhodes piano and a heart-meltingly lovely Clark vocal, ‘Sister Moon’ immediately whispers ‘classic’, only to be usurped by the graceful pianos and sighing steel of ‘Hear the Wind’ and the gloriously sparse, poetic resignation of ‘Past Addresses.’ If all these weren’t enough, the subtle denouement is provided by ‘Silent Crusade’: a nautically-themed thing of wonder which (to these ears) even betters David Crosby’s ‘Wooden Ships.’ Enchanting, in a word.
‘Two Sides to Every Story’, then, isn’t the sort of record that will ever man the rooftops to shout of its’ genius to all and sundry. In fact, in spirit – rather than the widescreen ‘No Other’ - it’s more like a belated follow-up to Clark’s warm, intimate ‘White Light’ from 1971: another album which has quietly gained in critical appreciation in recent times. Give this one a chance to blink in public for a second time and it too will finally get the notices it richly deserves.
High Moon Records online
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