Roadmaster [IMPORT]

Gene Clark

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 16, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1972
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Edsel Records UK
• ASIN: B0000011SZ
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,716 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #39 in

  Music > Indie Music > Folk > Folk Rock

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Roadmaster is a collection of various Gene Clark recordings after leaving The Byrds, all the original Byrds are present on three tracks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GENUINE PRIME GENE CLARK, March 25, 1999

By	S. F Gulvezan (Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This CD is made up primarily of sessions Gene Clark, co-founder of the Byrds, did on A&M records, which were abruptly cancelled by the record company. Several years later, some of the songs from these sessions, along with two Gene Clark songs recorded by the original Byrds, "One In a Hundred" and "She's the Kind of Girl" were released in Holland - where Clark has always had a strong following - under the title, ROADMASTER. Needless to say, the entire entire album is Gene Clark in his prime, once again ahead of his time with a soulful mix of country, folk, and rock sounds. Songs from this CD such as "Here Tonight" and "In a Misty Morning," have become underground classics, while the two Byrds tunes are considered by many to be the best reunion work the original group ever did. A classic.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uneven but fascinating follow up to "White Light" , April 17, 2005

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

While called "Roadmaster" this wasn't the album that Gene Clark had intended to release after "White Light" (aka "Gene Clark"). The "Roadmaster" sessions collapsed admit chaos due to drugs. Evidently Sly Stone came in while Gene wasn't working on the album and ran up the tab in the same studio (with Gene's producer at the helm)causing the project to go overbudget (food and drugs contributed to that) and A&M ultimately cancelled the album sessions.

It's a pity. Much of the material is promising. Sadly, this doesn't feature the mixes by co-producer Hindshaw which reportedly are far superior to the versions released here. As a result, the album, while featuring marvelous songs, sounds rather flat. The 8 tracks completed for "Roadmaster" are augmented by a single recorded the original line up of The Byrds and a track recorded with the Flying Burrito Brothers. While it's inconsistent, the glow of the powerful songs frequently breaks through the flat mixes. Hopefully, A&M will see fit to finally issue this on CD with Hindshaw's rough mixes augmented by the other tracks here as well. Then we'll have a version of "Roadmaster" closer to Clark's original vision.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong collection of Clark's work, August 2, 2005

By	Mark Blevins (Lindside, WV United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Listening to this disc, it's hard to believe these are a group of outtakes. The songs, overall, are strong and some of Clark's best. The original members of the Byrds backed Clark on two songs, while assorted members of the Flying Burrito Brothers backed him on several other songs.

I prefer the sound of "Roadmaster" to the sparse and acoustic "White Light," but others may disagree. Both have stand-out tracks. The title track itself is a slow bluesy rocker, which feels out of place and is the weakest on the disc. Also, Clark may have felt the need to re-make the classic Byrd song "She Don't Care About Time," but the re-make can't match the Byrds version.

Despite these two drawbacks, the rest of the album is wonderful. Songs such as "Full Circle Song," "I Remember the Railroad," and "Shooting Star" are some of the best Clark ever wrote. For these three songs alone, it's hard to fathom that this album wasn't even released in the U.S. Of all of Clark's albums, this one has some songs that could have been hits. Thankfully, Clark's discography is being re-evaluated and re-discovered. For Gene Clark fans, this is an essential disc.