Dillard And Clark - Fantastic Expedition / Through The Morning, Through The Night (1968-69 us, essential country folk rock, MFSL remaster)

Gene Clark was the greatest underrated singer/songwriter to emerge from the '60s rock explosion, and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Neil Young. This album, his debut as a duo with virtuoso banjoist/guitarist Doug Dillard, is perhaps his most brilliant recording.

Out of the ashes of the Byrds and a brilliant false start of a solo career (the excellent Echoes album), the 1968 Dillard & Clark project found Clark collecting some of his finest material (basically the entire album) and putting it in the familiar context of bluegrass and country, a good year before these elements became vogue in the pop world. But Gene Clark was always ahead of his time.

Bookended by two exquisite autobiographical explorations into consciousness -- "Out on the Side" and "Something's Wrong" -- the album's other tracks run from mournful ballad statements such as "Radio Song" to joyous celebrations like "With Care from Someone." There is also a very hot cover of the gospel number "Git It on Brother," which features Chris Hillman on mandolin. Doug Dillard's playing on the record is uniformly excellent. Not only a virtuoso musician, Dillard is a truly smart player who never gets in the way of the songs. Graceful, spellbinding, and tasteful all at the same time.

Combined together, these 20 songs are an essential addition to any country-rock collection and are also indispensible to fans of the Byrds or the Flying Burrito Brothers. The duo's two albums are combined on one CD, making for more than an hour of great listening. Mastered in state-of-the-art sound that still holds up years later, this is the version of the two albums to get.
by Matthew Greenwald and Bruce Eder

Tracks
The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard And Clark 1968
1. Out On The Side (Clark) - 3:49
2. She Darked The Sun (Clark, Leadon) - 3:10
3. Don't Come Rollin' (Clark, Dillard, Leadon) - 2:54
4. Train Leaves Here This Morning (Clark, Leadon) - 3:49
5. With Care From Someone (Clark, Dillard, Leadon) - 3:49
6. The Radio Song (Clark, Leadon) - 3:01
7. Git It On Brother (Lester Flatt) - 2:51
8. In The Plan (Clark, Dillard, Leadon) - 2:08
9. Something's Wrong (Clark, Dillard) - 2:57
Through the Morning, Through the Night 1969
10.No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine (Don Reno, Red Smiley, Swift) - 3:16
11.Through The Morning, Through The Night (Gene Clark) - 4:06
12.Rocky Top (Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant) - 2:47
13.So Sad (Don Everly, Phil Everly) - 3:21
14.Corner Street Bar (Gene Clark) - 3:35
15.I Bowed My Head And Cried Holy (Traditional, Arranged By Dillard & Clark) - 3:33
16.Kansas City Southern (Gene Clark) - 3:40
17.Four Walls (George Campbell, Marvin Moore) - 3:40
18.Polly (Gene Clark) - 4:22
19.Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms (Bill Monroe) - 2:50
20.Don't Let Me Down (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:52

Musicians
*Gene Clark - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Doug Dillard – Vocals, Banjo, Fiddle, Guitar
*Bernie Leadon - Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Chris Hillman - Mandolin
*Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Jon Corneal – Drums, Tambourine
*Michael Clarke - Drums
*David Jackson - Bass, Piano, Cello, Vocals
*Byron Berline - Fiddle
*Donna Washburn - Guitar, Tambourine, Vocals
*Donald Beck - Mandolin, Fretted Dobro
*Andy Belling - Harpsichord

Related activities
1964  The Byrds - Preflyte (2012 Retro World)
1971  Gene Clark - White Light (Expanded edition)
1972  Gene Clark - Roadmaster (2011 Sundazed)

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