A real enigma from the late 70s southern scene in the US – a surprisingly soulful set cut by a group who should have been a rock or country combo, but who come off here with a really deep sound – a groove that feels a lot more like some of the work from the Bay Area on Fantasy Records, or some of the groovier groups out of Austin! Vocals have a definite blue-eyed soul feel – and the instrumentation is sharp and jazzy – played at a level that's really professional for such a small label release, with production to match – yet all with a sound that's never commercial at all, and which really keeps a spontaneous, organic, and personal feel to the music. Titles include "I Don't Want To Lose You", "When Did You Lose Your Love For Me", "Puerto Rican Hotel", "When I Call Your Name", "Trip On Your Lip", and "Time Stops". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

The first album in Dylan's so-called "Christian Period", but it's not really the uber-dramatic departure from the "old" Dylan that it was treated as at the time – gospel soul backing vocals and testifying lyricism for sure, but it sounds more like gospel has come to Dylan than it sounds like Dylan has "gone gospel". Slow Train Coming has a focused approach, ala Blood On The Tracks, even if this train doesn't come close to crossing over onto those particular tracks – and the return to a leaner, more focused vibe is welcome one. It's got stellar studio players in the mix, and producer Jerry Wexler's production touches on a soul sound, but smartly hews to Dylan's vocal style and lyrical focus. Dylan's high bar for a masterpiece given his trailblazing past didn't give this record or the following couple much a chance to succeed on their own merits back in the day, but all these years later...wow, this is really good, passionate stuff. Includes "Gotta Serve Somebody", "Precious Angel", "I Believe In You", "Slow Trait", "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking", "Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)", "When You Gonna Wake Up", "Man Gave Name To All The Animals", "When He Returns". (Cassettes, Rock) Cassette

A trio of albums from one of the most unique groups on the west coast scene! First up is Where's The Money – a classic live album from Dan Hicks and this mighty cool west coast combo – a set that's all stripped-down, and provides a great showcase for their amazing vocal and acoustic instrumental interplay! Dan's got two two female singers along for the performance – Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – both of whom do way more than provide backup, as they work with plenty of percussion, and harmonize along with Dan's lead on most tracks – in that cool blend of acoustic roots and jazzy inflections that made the group so unique. The lineup also includes violin, mandolin, and bass – plus guitar from Dan – on titles that include "News From Up The Street", "Shorty Falls In Love", "The Buzzard Was Their Friend", "Is This My Happy Home", "Dig A Little Deeper", "Reelin Down", and "Caught In The Rain". Striking It Rich features the great Dan Hicks at the height of his powers – working in a sublime acoustic mode that weaves together strands of gypsy swing, American roots, harmony vocals, and plenty more too – all in a mode that's lean and timeless, and which was one of the hipper new sounds on the west coast scene of his generation! Dan works with great support from vocalists Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – alongside instrumentation that includes guitar, bass, violin, mandolin, and plenty of percussion – all wrapped up with a sublime sound that has all the elements resonating together wonderfully! Titles include a great remake of his earlier gem "I Scare Myself" – plus "You Got To Believe", "O'Reilly At The Bar", "Moody Richard", "The Laughing Song", "Canned Music", "Skippy's Farewell", "Fujiyama", "Woe The Luck", and "I'm An Old Cowhand". Last Train To Hicksville is completely charming work from the great Dan Hicks – one of the few cats who could make us like music like this so much! Dan sings and plays rhythm guitar – and the group also features vocals from Maryann Price and Naomi Eisenberg – that lovely pair whose harmonies with Hicks really helped the group find their sound! As before, instrumentation is all acoustic, but used in these jazzy ways that are very unique – not folk, not string band, nor swing – but something very unique, and a real breath of fresh air in the 70s scene! Titles include "Long Come A Viper", "It's Not My Time To Go", "My Old Timey Baby", "Lonely Madman", "Cowboy's Dream No 19", and "Payday Blues". CD

Completely charming work from the great Dan Hicks – one of the few cats who could make us like music like this so much! Dan sings and plays rhythm guitar – and the group also features vocals from Maryann Price and Naomi Eisenberg – that lovely pair whose harmonies with Hicks really helped the group find their sound! As before, instrumentation is all acoustic, but used in these jazzy ways that are very unique – not folk, not string band, nor swing – but something very unique, and a real breath of fresh air in the 70s scene! Titles include "Long Come A Viper", "It's Not My Time To Go", "My Old Timey Baby", "Lonely Madman", "Cowboy's Dream No 19", and "Payday Blues". CD

(Folk/Country, Rock) CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Tony Joe White working at Muscle Shoals – a great southern combination, and one that makes for one of White's most unique albums! There's a bit grit in the rhythms, and a bit more of that well-rounded Muscle Shoals soul – as Tony works primarily on acoustic guitar, on tunes that get some slight sweetening from Arif Mardin a times, but in a way that never dims his soul at all. White's great vocals still drive the whole show along – with that strong current of soul that made him a surprisingly big crossover act at the time – and titles include "Sidewalk Hobo", "The Migrant", "As The Crow Flies", "300 Pounds Of Hongry", "Beouf River Road", and "If I Ever Saw A Good Thing". CD

An incredibly groovy album – filled with instrumental tracks that shift between funky big band and groovy 60s soundtrack – all arranged by Mike Nesmith and Shorty Rogers! The feel here is like that of some of Rogers' other groovy late 60s instrumental one-off albums – like his hot rod, dune buggy, or surf-orchestra sides – and Nesmith brings in a slightly cynical tone that manifests itself in the choice of some of the instrumentation for the tracks, and the overall setting of the record. Think Monkees instrumentals gone groovier, and you've got part of the picture – but there's also plenty of snippets of Sunset Strip hip and Warner Brothers longing for the past too! Titles include "While I Cried", "Don't Cry Now", "Tapioca Tundra", "Nine Times Blue", "Carlisle Wheeling", and "You Told Me". (Now Sound, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Includes 6 bonus tracks. CD

A weird idea for a collection, but a great one too – a set that brings together a batch of train-themed tunes from the 60s, and uses the transportation narrative as a way to unlock ideas of personal freedom and social change! The "train" here isn't just a gimmick – and instead focuses on the way that the mode of transportation helped open up new ideas and new vistas in the postwar years – a way of getting out, and getting past – served up here in a range of soul, blues, and other styles too! The set's got 25 tracks in all, put together with the usual top-shelf Ace Records approach – and titles include "Freedom Riders" by Harold Jackson, "Steam" by Caroline Day, "Number 9 Train" by Tarheel Slim, "Hurry Hurry Choo Choo" by Sharon Tandy, "Memphis Train" by Rufus Thomas, "Won't Be Long" by Dusty Springfield, "The Downbound Train" by Chuck Berry, "Train To Skaville" by The Ethiopians, "Go Go Train" by Jackie Pain, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "This Train" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Up The Line" by Little Walter, "Death Train Blues" by Daddy Long Legs, "Stop That Train" by Keith & Tex, "Country Line Special" by Cyril Davies, and "Big Train" by Bobby Wayne. (Soul, Rock) CD

(Funky Compilations, Rock) CD

(Funky Compilations, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A set issued on a small Pennsylvania label – with work from The Mad Violets, The Left, Ben Wah, Slickee Boys, Velvet Monkeys, Lone Ketamine Millipede, Billy Synth & The Turnups, and Yard Trama. LP, Vinyl record album

Aerosmith's second album – and a prime slab of badass mid 70s rock – coming close to, maybe even equalling Toys In The Attic as ultimate Aerosmith badassery! It's got a tighter, punchier sound than their debut – courtesy of producer Jack Douglas – who would continue to produce Aerosmith in their pre-blowout 70s best. It opens up with one of their staples, "Same Old Song And Dance" and other tracks include their kickass cover of "Train Kept A Rollin'", plus "Lord Of The Thighs", "Spaced", "Woman Of The World" and "Pandora's Box". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure UK group, and one who blend together hard rock modes with some slightly more sensitive moments – all with production and arrangements from John Weathers, in his years before more progressive sounds with Gentle Giant! The music here is a lot more down to earth, and plenty earthy too – and showcases that post-psych, post-blues rock use of guitar turned up to 11 – a quality that also comes through in the vocals of Gareth Mortimer, who sometimes sounds as if he's processed a bit to blow out the speakers with the guitars! Titles include "Eagle Song", "Where The Snow Lies Forever", "Odd Song", "Don't Want", "Mystic Mountain", and "Prelude To A Blind Man". Features the bonus track "Freedom Train (alternate)". CD

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

A great look at the work of Eddie Bond – an underground rocker on the Memphis scene during the early years of Elvis, and one who also cut some rare tracks for Sun Records – plus a variety of other labels too! Bond has roots in country, and that definitely comes through in the twang that you'll hear in the vocals and guitar – but all the cuts here certainly resonate with the upbeat, hard-burning style that Bear Family presents in this great "Rocks" series – which, as usual, features great sound and very detailed notes on the music! The set features a whopping 35 tracks in all – including rare gems from later years too – with titles that include "Boppin Bonnie", "Here Comes The Train", "Hey Joe", "Love Love Love", "This Old Heart Of Mine", "Satisfied", "Show Me", "I Can't Quit", "Boo Bop Da Caa Caa", "Broke My Guitar", and "The Monkey & The Baboon". CD

Beautiful early work from British singer Vashti Bunyan – an important figure in the acid folk scene at the end of the 60s, heard here on some really wonderful work from a few years before! Some of the tracks have a really trippy style, and others are a bit more like conventional Brit girl pop of the time – but given a very weird twist overall, with a sound that's quite hard to describe! Vashti's vocals have these really dark qualities overall – and even when the backings are fuller (which often they are not), there's a sad, earthy feel to her singing. But equally great is her guitar work – heard with more prominence on most of the album's previously-unissued tracks from mid 60s tapes. Bunyan plays with these warm harmonics that kind of nestle and bristle underneath her vocals – pushing the tunes up with a sense of brightness in contrast to the voice – almost in a Nick Drake sort of way (and trust us, we don't throw around comparisons to his music easily!) The package is a wonderful look at these almost-lost years of Vashti's career – and it features both sides of her Decca and Columbia singles, an unreleased Immediate single, and a lot more tracks pulled from rare tapes from 1964, 1966, and 1967! Set features 25 tracks that include "Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind", "Train Song", "Love Song", "Winter Is Blue", "Leave Me", "How Do I Know", "Go Before Dawn", "Girl's Song In Winter", "Don't Believe", "17 Pink Sugar Elephants", "Someday", and "I Know". (Rock, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". CD

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an earlier generation of Americanist composition too. The process of the record mimics some of Byrd's famous work in New York – and has a very collaborative feel overall, with elements of electronics, acoustics, and vocals coming together beautifully! There's some great tabla, harpsichord, moog, and organ on the record – plus more serious woodwinds and brass – and vocals from Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange, Christie Thompson, and Ernie Anderson – plus Joe himself. Titles include "Kalyani", "Moonsong Pelog", "You Can't Ever Come Down", "Gospel Music", "Nightmare Train", "Leisure World", and "The Elephant At The Door". CD

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an earlier generation of Americanist composition too. The process of the record mimics some of Byrd's famous work in New York – and has a very collaborative feel overall, with elements of electronics, acoustics, and vocals coming together beautifully! There's some great tabla, harpsichord, moog, and organ on the record – plus more serious woodwinds and brass – and vocals from Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange, Christie Thompson, and Ernie Anderson – plus Joe himself. Titles include "Kalyani", "Moonsong Pelog", "You Can't Ever Come Down", "Gospel Music", "Nightmare Train", "Leisure World", and "The Elephant At The Door". LP, Vinyl record album

A shot of tequila and a whole lot more – one of the few albums issued by the legendary Champs, a group who helped reinvent the sound of instrumental rock at the start of the 60s! The group's classic "Tequila" is a very familiar mix of raunchy sax, strutting guitar, and some slightly south of the border rhythms – and the other tunes here follow suit beautifully – offering up some of the grittiest side of late 50s/early 60s instrumental rock you could hope to find. The album's a definitely all-killer, no-filler set – and in addition to "Tequila", titles also include "Go Champ Go", "I'll Be There", "Sky High", "Lollipop", "Night Beat", "Robot Walk", "Midnighter", and "Train To Nowhere". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the crowning masterpiece by The Clash – and a record that certainly pushed them out of the punk rock ghetto and into the collections of countless mainstream folks over the years! This is the set that really pushed the group over the top – the one that harnessed all the best energy of the previous two records and gave it a strong new focus – one that draws on roots as deep as the late 50s Elvis reference of the cover art, but which also bubbled over with newly approaching 80s musical ideas and politics! Yet the message never gets in the way of the guitar-heavy tuneful appeal of the songs – ringing out for decades on classics like "Train In Vain", "London Calling", "Spanish Bombs", "Lost In The Supermarket", "Guns Of Brixton", "Clampdown", and "Rudy Can't Fail". CD

Quite possibly the crowning masterpiece by The Clash – and a record that certainly pushed them out of the punk rock ghetto and into the collections of countless mainstream folks over the years! This is the set that really pushed the group over the top – the one that harnessed all the best energy of the previous two records and gave it a strong new focus – one that draws on roots as deep as the late 50s Elvis reference of the cover art, but which also bubbled over with newly approaching 80s musical ideas and politics! Yet the message never gets in the way of the guitar-heavy tuneful appeal of the songs – ringing out for decades on classics like "Train In Vain", "London Calling", "Spanish Bombs", "Lost In The Supermarket", "Guns Of Brixton", "Clampdown", and "Rudy Can't Fail". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the crowning masterpiece by The Clash – and a record that certainly pushed them out of the punk rock ghetto and into the collections of countless mainstream folks over the years! This is the set that really pushed the group over the top – the one that harnessed all the best energy of the previous two records and gave it a strong new focus – one that draws on roots as deep as the late 50s Elvis reference of the cover art, but which also bubbled over with newly approaching 80s musical ideas and politics! Yet the message never gets in the way of the guitar-heavy tuneful appeal of the songs – ringing out for decades on classics like "Train In Vain", "London Calling", "Spanish Bombs", "Lost In The Supermarket", "Guns Of Brixton", "Clampdown", and "Rudy Can't Fail". CD

Fantastic freewheeling sounds from Cos – a 70s Belgian group who were equal parts jazz and prog – often working with a tight quality that really drew the best of both worlds together! Cos has a lineup that changes often over the years – and which includes work on keyboards from the mighty Marc Moulin, and bass from Marc Hollander – before his later fame in Aksak Maboul – but the real giant here might well be multi-instrumentalist Daniel Schell, whose work got the group going in the first place, alongside female vocalist Pascale Son! Like Schell, Son's got plenty of roots in jazz – but the duo work here with the other musicians in this evolving exploration of the hippest corners of 70s music – a journey that's got plenty of funky jazz along the way, and the great keyboards you'd expect from Marc Moulin – but also some nicely offbeat art rock moments too. This collection brings together the group's best tracks from their mighty run – and titles include "Einstein J'Taime", "Oostend Oostend", "Babel", "L'Idiot Leon", "Nog Verder", "Flamboya", "Postaeolian Train Robbery", "Achtung TV Watchers", "Perhaps Next Record", and "Halucal". LP, Vinyl record album

Creedence Clearwater Revival may not have actually been born on the bayou – they were long-timers in the San Francisco scene of the 60s – but they do a hell of a job of reinventing swamp rock on this second stunning album! The quartet are a masterpiece of spare, unbridled power – the tremendous guitar and vocals of John Fogerty, strong rhythm guitar support of brother Tom, driving drums of Doug Clifford, and rolling bass of Stu Cook – all forged into a sound that's maybe more perfectly a summation of the blend of blues, funk, rock, and soul than some of the groups of the south were turning out at the time. Tracks include the huge hits "Born On The Bayou" and "Proud Mary" – sitting nicely alongside even more compelling numbers like "Bootleg", "Graveyard Train", "Penthouse Pauper", and "Keep On Chooglin". CD

Lots of early classics – "Boys Don't Cry", "Killing An Arab", "Let's Go To Bed", "The Hanging Garden", "Charlotte Sometimes", "Jumping Someone Else's Train", "A Forest", "The Walk", "Lovecats", "In Between Days", and "Close To Me". CD

Fantastic work from Delta 5 – one of our favorite groups from the UK post-punk years, and a group whose funky, dubby approach to punk rivals the best work by groups like The Slits or Gang Of Four! Like both groups, they have smart songs with interesting lyrics – but focused down right into the groove, with lots of heavy interplay between bass and guitar – captured with a razor-sharp sound, and that inherent sense of darkness we love in so many productions from the time! Female singer Ros Allen is in the lead, really belting out the tunes with a great sort of edge – and the set includes the group's three rare singles on Rough Trade, plus BBC sessions and live material – making for an overdue full length collection from these years. Titles include their classic "Mind Your Own Business" – plus "Now That You've Gone", "Try", "Colour", "Make Up", "Triangle", "Innocenti", "Train Song", "Anticipation", "Final Scene", "Shadow", "Circuit", and "Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

A mellow masterpiece of sunshine country rock from Dillard & Clark – a duo that featured Gene Clark of the Byrds and Doug Dillard of the Dillards – in a wonderful blend of Cali longhair harmonies, back porch psych, and expert Byrds-y tunefulness! Dillard provides lots of great banjo and some chirping fiddle – along with mandolin and chiming acoustic guitars that bring a bit of bluegrass into the sound – but the record has California written all over it thanks to the vocal harmonies and wistful tune craft. Really close to perfection – and deserves as much praise as the better known country rock benchmarks of the era – including the early two classics by Flying Burrito Brothers. Tracks include "Out On The Side", "She Darked The Sun", "Train Leaves Here This Mornin", "With Care From Somewhere", "Git It On Brother", "In The Plan", and "Don't Come Rolling". LP, Vinyl record album

Two seminal albums from Doug Dillard and Gene Clark – back to back in a single set! Fantastic Expedition is a mellow masterpiece of sunshine country rock from Dillard & Clark – a duo that featured Gene Clark of the Byrds and Doug Dillard of the Dillards – in a wonderful blend of Cali longhair harmonies, back porch psych, and expert Byrds-y tunefulness! Dillard provides lots of great banjo and some chirping fiddle – along with mandolin and chiming acoustic guitars that bring a bit of bluegrass into the sound – but the record has California written all over it thanks to the vocal harmonies and wistful tune craft. Really close to perfection – and deserves as much praise as the better known country rock benchmarks of the era – including the early two classics by Flying Burrito Brothers. Tracks include "Out On The Side", "She Darked The Sun", "Train Leaves Here This Mornin", "With Care From Somewhere", "Git It On Brother", "In The Plan", and "Don't Come Rolling". Through The Morning Through The Night is the amazing second album from the great duo of Gene Clark and Doug Dillard – and a record that's maybe even better than the first! Even though the set's a key part of the late 60s Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers legacy – the vibe is probably more like the latter than the former – that is, more country than rock – in a way that really has the Clark/Dillard team getting even more confident with that side of their sound – drawing both on Doug's roots, and pointing the way toward his years to come. Clark provides some excellent songwriting, and his vocals are what really set the album apart – and the album also features some backing vocals from Donna Washington, amidst a mostly acoustic lineup that includes bluegrass instrumentation – and guest work from Sneaky Pete Kleinow on steel guitar, Chris Hillman on mandolin, and Bernie Leadon on guitar. Titles include "So Sad", "Corner Street Bar", "I Bowed My Head & Cried Holy", "Kansas City Southern", "No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine", "Polly", "Four Walls", and "Through The Morning Through The Night". CD

Two seminal albums from Doug Dillard and Gene Clark – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! Fantastic Expedition is a mellow masterpiece of sunshine country rock from Dillard & Clark – a duo that featured Gene Clark of the Byrds and Doug Dillard of the Dillards – in a wonderful blend of Cali longhair harmonies, back porch psych, and expert Byrds-y tunefulness! Dillard provides lots of great banjo and some chirping fiddle – along with mandolin and chiming acoustic guitars that bring a bit of bluegrass into the sound – but the record has California written all over it thanks to the vocal harmonies and wistful tune craft. Really close to perfection – and deserves as much praise as the better known country rock benchmarks of the era – including the early two classics by Flying Burrito Brothers. Tracks include "Out On The Side", "She Darked The Sun", "Train Leaves Here This Mornin", "With Care From Somewhere", "Git It On Brother", "In The Plan", and "Don't Come Rolling". Through The Morning Through The Night is the amazing second album from the great duo of Gene Clark and Doug Dillard – and a record that's maybe even better than the first! Even though the set's a key part of the late 60s Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers legacy – the vibe is probably more like the latter than the former – that is, more country than rock – in a way that really has the Clark/Dillard team getting even more confident with that side of their sound – drawing both on Doug's roots, and pointing the way toward his years to come. Clark provides some excellent songwriting, and his vocals are what really set the album apart – and the album also features some backing vocals from Donna Washington, amidst a mostly acoustic lineup that includes bluegrass instrumentation – and guest work from Sneaky Pete Kleinow on steel guitar, Chris Hillman on mandolin, and Bernie Leadon on guitar. Titles include "So Sad", "Corner Street Bar", "I Bowed My Head & Cried Holy", "Kansas City Southern", "No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine", "Polly", "Four Walls", and "Through The Morning Through The Night". Bonus tracks include "Why Not Your Baby", "Lyin Down The Middle", and "Don't Be Cruel". CD