Matt Wilson wrote:It's worth noting that so many around here consider themselves to be Gene Clark nuts and think the band was never the same without him yet very few actually choose either of the first two Byrds LPs as their favorite.
That's true in every Byrds poll and magazine career summary. I think the first two albums sound "dated" to a lot of listeners; people who didn't grow up with those albums find them too narrow/focused.
Matt Wilson wrote:In an ideal world, Gene never would've left the band - adapting a Brian Wilson-like role of stay-at-home songwriter while the others toured the globe. The band (and McGuinn, especially - though Crosby comes to mind too) could've been more supportive of Gene's idiocyncrasies thus allowing him to remain a Byrd. Imagine how good Younger Than Yesterday would've been with about four Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers songs on it. Or Notorious Byrd Bros with some Fantasic Expedition Of... cuts. Hell, those songs would've benefited Sweetheart as well.
Agreed. The fact that he came back into the fold for a few weeks during the Notorious sessions is interesting. He appeared with the Crosbyless group on TV during that short reunion and did a few concerts too.