Sad majesty: Is Gene Clark's No Other a PERFECT album?

Support me on Patreon, if ya like:   / mickybeatz   Gram Parsons may have coined the term 'Cosmic American Music', but Gene Clark (formerly of the Byrds) perfected it with 1974's No Other. Chapters: 1. Introduction 00:00 2. What it means to me 02:58 3. About Gene 07:06 3. What is a perfect record? 24:08 4. Themes 27:04 5. Life's Greatest Fool 38:18 6. Silver Raven 40:53 7. No Other 42:19 8. Strength of Strings 44:27 9. From a Silver Phial 47:58 10. Some Misunderstanding 50:15 11. The True One 52:32 12. Lady of the North 53:53 13. Final thoughts 57:21 Names dropped/discussed: Gene Clark (obvs) The Byrds Elton John The Carpenters Barbara Streisand Willie Nelson Jerry Jeff Walker Neil Young Bobby Gillespie The Beatles Michael Clarke Buffalo Springfield The Wrecking Crew Roger McGuinn David Crosby CSNY Bob Dylan Glenn Campbell Leon Russell Clarence White The Gosdin Brothers Paul McCartney Wings Elvis Costello and the Attractions Alex Chilton Kurt Cobain Vincent Van Gogh The Coen Brothers Doug Dillard International Submarine Band The Black Crowes Scott Walker Jeff Buckley Thom Yorke Muse John Lennon Jesse Ed Davis David Geffen Thomas Jefferson Kaye Led Zeppelin Michael Jackson Katy Perry Phil Spector Glyn Johns Jeff Lynn Marvin Gaye Van Morrison The Rolling Stones Terrence Malick John Bonham God Sly Stone Pink Floyd Ian Stewart The Louvin Brothers David Bowie The Flying Burrito Brothers Stephen Stills Graham Nash Carla Olson Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best-known originals from this period, including "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "She Don't Care About Time", "Eight Miles High" and "Set You Free This Time". Although he did not achieve commercial success as a solo artist, Clark was in the vanguard of popular music during much of his career, prefiguring developments in such disparate subgenres as psychedelic rock, baroque pop, newgrass, country rock, and alternative country. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Byrds. No Other is the fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Gene Clark. Released in September 1974, it was largely ignored or lambasted by critics and was a commercial failure; the studio time and cost were seen as excessive and indulgent. The record label, Asylum Records, did not promote the album, and by 1976 had deleted it from their catalog. Clark never recovered from the failure of the album. Just prior to Clark's death in 1991, No Other was reissued in its entirety on CD. In 1993, an Australian CD compilation entitled American Dreamer 1964–1974 included two songs from No Other, while in 1998, a double disc compilation, Flying High, was released with three songs from No Other. Then in the early 2000s, No Other was reissued a second time in its entirety to positive critical reappraisal; publications have referred to it as "a lost masterpiece" and "one of the greatest albums ever made." A highly praised, newly remastered reissue campaign by 4AD was launched on November 8, 2019, with the album reissued as a standard CD, vinyl LP, deluxe double-CD set, and an expansive super deluxe box set with three SACDs, one Blu-ray disc, a silver-colored LP, and commemorative 80-page book.