Gene Clark's obscure imagery

As the first lead singer of The Byrds it was obvious that Gene Clark should be destined for brilliance. His talent was evident not only in the strong vibrato of his singing voice but his prolific songwriting talents. Writing The Byrds' best material from 1965 and 1966, ("I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better," "Set You Free This Time," "Eight Miles High," etc.) other members of the group have said they didn't even want to try to compete with him. Clark quit the group in 1966 because of a fear of flying, ironically.\nHis lyrics had been almost too abstract and poetic for pop music, but he had held it together with a sense of melody rivaling that of Paul McCartney. Clark's solo material was critically acclaimed for its blend of poetic imagery with high musical distinction. His refusal to tour and promote sealed his fate of obscurity however and he is virtually unknown today.\nGypsy Angel contains the previously unheard music from Clark's later years. On all but one track he is accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. Four of the songs are from the mid-'80s, the other eight from 1990. Unfortunately, Gene Clark died in 1991 from a bleeding ulcer and a drinking problem. \nThe songs from 1990 show Clark at the peak of his lyrical abilities. The stories drip and curl with paradox and fear, made all the more real by the fact he would die only a few months later. \nThe four demos from the mid-'80s, are from a period that his music was at a low point artistically. But the songs "Gypsy Rider" and "Back In My Life Again" contain unique minor key guitar arrangements, although the lyrics reveal a redundancy and a concession pop sensibilities.\nThe songs on Gypsy Angel reveal a lot of Clark's personal condition at the time of the recordings. With the rise in popularity of other nakedly-personal acoustic albums like Skip Spence's Oar and Nick Drake's Time Of No Reply, this album has all the elements to gain a cult following. \nWhatever it is that introduces people to Gene Clark's music doesn't really matter, as long as it is heard.