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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Ask Me Why, August 22, 2002
If you want my consumer advice, get this before it reaches the "limited availablity" status of NO OTHER. Though more laid back in terms of production, WHITE LIGHT remains one of Gene Clark's most signifigant releases. If you're into Graham Parsons, Townes Van Zandt or Neil Young, Gene Clark's right up your alley. As his work with the Byrds goes to show, he had the uncanny ability to write a great pop melody, off-set by an inescapable sense of longing and melancholy. In a way, he's a bit like a country-fied Nick Drake. Much like Drake and the very early Tom Waits, he seems to have strived to establish a particular mood in his solo work. A kind of opiate feel, complimented by a set of baroquely reflective lyrics. The end result is an album of slow burning intensity. "Spanish Guitar" is a prime example, a song Dylan professed a great admiration for. Another gem is "With Tomorrow" with the haunting opening line, "it was more like a dream than reality"---a phrase that perfectly captures the tone of this album. The bonus tracks are a real plus. "Opening Day" is particularly notable and one couldn't ask for a better closer with, "Winter In". Like so many songs on this album, it's guilty of infectiously lazy hooks and baffling, evocative verse. Though released at the height of the Hippie Era, Clark was a shade or two darker than his contemporaries. All of which may account for his lack of commercial appeal. Sure, he should have been huge, but in the end what can you do but write a good review some 30 years later? Fortunately, the music's still around and currently gaining rapid cult status thanks to a roster of fickle critics, and a few hard working musicians who took the time out to drop his name. Still it's a shame NO OTHER is available only on import while Clark's last full-length solo album languishes out of print. In lieu of the compilation FLYING HIGH and the tribute, FULL CIRCLE, I would heartily recommend WHITE LIGHT and THE FANTASTIC EXPEDITION OF DILLARD & CLARK instead. Not to mention the desperately epic, NO OTHER. That should be enough to make you cross your fingers for the eventual reissue of this album I keep hearing about. I'm not sure of the title, but I think it's called,TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
classic, sparse, and beautiful, November 17, 2003
This is a gorgeous record and possibly the most neglected gem in the Gene Clark canon. Simple, rustic arrangements call to mind The Band's "brown album" or Neil Young's "Harvest": acoustic guitar, harmonica, bass, drums, a little melancholy piano and stirrings of hammond organ and slide guitar. This album's mood also reminds me of Bob Dylan's "Desire". Gene Clark's poetic lyricism is genuinely moving, and his bittersweet, autumnal emotion shines through beautifully. I would also recommned this album to fans of modern bands like Red House Painters, Mojave 3, or Mazzy Star. GREAT
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic album with great remastered sound, February 19, 2004
"White Light" stands as a snapshot of Gene Clark at his song writing peak. The songs are all heartfelt, full of interesting melodies and delivered with his sweet, soulful vocals. I've noticed a couple of reviews that have knocked the production and mix. Both are very much of their time. You have to keep in mind the album was recorded and released in 1971 and reflect the era it was recorded in.From the opening bars of "The Virgin" to the powerful "1975", "White Light" (aka "Gene Clark") is one of Clark's finest solo albums. Jess Ed Davis' guitar solos perfectly compliment Gene's low-key songs. The instrumentation is perfect for the material Gene wrote. The remastered sound is terrific and a huge step up especially when you compare it to tracks recorded after this and released much later on "Roadmaster". The instrumental tracks have better depth and separation and compare very favorably to the material recorded by Clark's contemporaries (including his old band The Byrds). Differences in the sound can be attributed to both the acoustics of the studio and the desired effect that Clark and producer Davis wanted to achieve. The bonus tracks are outtakes recorded during the album. They aren't cast off tracks either. While the instrunmental backing tracks aren't quite as full or perfect as those for the tracks from the album, these are complete recordings. Clark had a lot more time to record because of the stripped down approach and late nights he and Davis put in recording the album. As a result, Clark had much more material recorded than was needed (a similar situation to the album "No Other" although on that reissue/import the bonus tracks are alternate takes with only 1 previously unreleased re-recording of "Train Leaves Here This Morning"). Definitely the album to become acquinted with Clark's solo albums with and worth having for fans of The Byrds as well.
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~ Gene Clark
~ Gene Clark
~ Gene Clark
by Gene Clark 
