White Light

Album 140. White Light — Gene Clark (1971) I had higher expectations when I put on this country/folk album. Unfortunately, it was super forgettable and mediocre. 2/5 No liked songs

Nice but a bit too different from my usual playlist to include properly into my routine. I lack references in the genre.

Découverte de l'artiste. Album de ballades/folk agréable à écouter. Convient parfaitement pour une journée pluvieuse à l'abri des intempéries. Best song: 1975

Cool mais sans plus. J’ai bien aimé le style dans l’ensemble mais il est pas mémorable pour autant…

It's okay. Kinda sounds like music an AI would generate.

Neither here nor there on this. Maybe has become so imitated that it sounds uninteresting? Unsure. Might go back and listen to the Byrds. Guy can obvs sing and play, just ain't my thing I think.

Short and sweet. More of an outright country album than ‘No Other’, which I also enjoyed more. This was still an exceedingly pleasant listen, but because I know he’ll go on to do something more exploratory and unique, I’ll rate accordingly. It’s pretty, but also a little sleepy - understated to a fault.

Really enjoyed this album!

Good album. Nice folky music but doesn't lift to heights of even the byrds

I love Gene Clark. Great songwriter and singer. He was the sound of the Byrds for their first couple of albums. Unfortunately, the guy was a tortured soul and a roaring drunk. He couldn't get out his own way. I haven't heard this in years and it holds up well. Jesse Ed Davis' guitar work is, as always, stellar. One In A Hundred is the standout track for me.

Had never heard of this man until about a week ago when I got another one of his albums. I don’t know if he’s just worn me down, but I enjoyed this album much more than the other. More interesting guitar work. Still, I think it’s an exaggeration for him to have two of his solo albums on this list. His stuff isn’t that varied or exceptional.

I enjoyed this. Great, folky Dylan-esque songs from the most underrated Byrd.

Album No. 0184 on my list. This is my second (and last) Gene Clark album, and what can I say: I don't mind, actually. "White Light" may very well be the most boring album I've encountered on this list so far. It's not a bad album - I've heard much worse. But it's so remarkably unspectacular, it's hard to believe. The music is rather boring - very straightforward, simple folk stuff, but without any intimacy to it. The lyrics are, well, fine, I guess. Classic singer-songwriter stuff, but without anything interesting to them. This is whole album is really peak okay music. I'm sorry, Gene Clark probably poured his heart into this, but I just... it just doesn't get to me. I'll add "With Tomorrow", and "Because Of You" to my playlist (I didn't find anything special about them to be honest, but they're the two most played pieces of "White Light" on Spotify. 2/5 stars.

Wow. I wasn't expecting this. Solid rock/country album with a smooth mood.

I'm bored

Fine. Not bad not great.

Fantastic. I’ve not heard this one before. 5 stars

Another beautiful album I've discovered here by Gene Clark! Didn't quite enjoy this one as much as the other, but still very good 4 ⭐️

not for me,

Pleasant and full of demos?

The album summary for White Light by Gene Clark states that “It only achieved commercial success in the Netherlands, where rock critics also voted it album of the year. Like all of his post-Byrds records, it did very poorly on the US charts.” Ok, so, it didn’t chart so great, and no one bought it. I’ve often guessed that the point of this book is not to present you with the 1001 best albums of all time, but albums that are at least from prominent artists that you might not have heard before. After rolling this album today and being greeted by that wonderfully depressing header for the album, I did some barebones research and checked what Wikipedia had to say about the book. My initial assessment was incredibly wrong. Literally the second sentence for this book on Wikipedia states that “It compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics to be the most important, influential, and best in popular music between the 1950s and the date of publication.” Ok, so now it needs to be asked. What in all honesty is this album doing here on the list?? Honestly, I’m being serious here. They don’t follow their own criteria!! Unless you’re counting the Netherlands, this album is not important in the slightest, wasn’t influential for anyone, and certainly wasn’t popular. Hell, just going back to Wikipedia and searching for “White Light (Album)” puts this as the 6th result in the search results. I repeat, it’s the SIXTH RESULT when you SPECIFY that it’s also an album. What are we doing here guys?? We can do better than this. To make matters even worse if you can believe it, including this one, the book has 7 The Byrds related albums altogether. I guess the entire panel are just really big fans. There is absolutely no reason on Earth there should be more than 1 of these albums. But no, we must listen to all 7 apparently. Maddening. Anyway, all that being said, and regardless of why it’s here, I did like this album. It’s listed as Country on the site but I’d say it’s much closer to Singer Songwriter. The aspect that’s going to make me remember it is the harmonica. I won’t lie to you, I’m a sucker for a good harmonica, and this album’s got it pretty good. The singing is alright. Fine most of the time, just ok at others. Nothing special. The music is a little boring, I could for sure fall asleep to this. It’s not terribly impressive or amazing, it certainly shouldn’t be on this list, but I actually kind of liked it as a whole. It’s peaceful, kind of upbeat, his voice is ok, and the harmonica really brings it home and ties it together nicely. I don’t think it needs to be 51 minutes long, that certainly doesn’t help its case at all, but whatever. It was fine actually. I don’t think this album deserves to be under 3 stars, personally. Unless the reviews are mostly just raging over the fact that 7 The Byrds albums made the cut over something like Demon Days by Gorillaz, any single MF DOOM or Tool albums. Then I would completely understand the frustration and would agree it’s warranted. My favorite song was “For A Spanish Guitar”. Some good harmonica solos, pretty goated. Easy dub. 3.45 out of 5 as a whole. Better than I expected, but truly shouldn’t be here at all.

Pretty neat

Slow and sedate. A little like some chilled out Stones at times 2/5

OK.

Rather boring

6.5/10

the vibe was relaxed but the album quickly became background music for me and felt like the same song all the way through. I didn't hate it though.

3/5 It was alright... I don't really listen to country much, but this album very much felt like every song was the same. Nothing that really stood out to me, even though the vibe was nice and chill.

Pleasant surprise

Some more boring folk rock, there are a couple songs that save it but it's all too much the same

Gene Clark's later album No Other (1974) got a 4-star rating from me. It felt insanely underappreciated as a record. White Light is a slight dip in quality, but it still has some highlights. A chill, laid-back, surprisingly simple sound for the powerhouse year that was 1971. I guess I was hoping for something more intense/emotional, or at least something that pushes musical boundaries a little harder. That being said, the understated ballad With Tomorrow is gorgeous and I wouldn't mind one bit if the entire album were soft-spoken ballads with crisp acoustic guitar recording that tickles your brain. It's by far the strongest track on the album, though the opener The Virgin makes a solid showing. Stand By Me, despite being nowhere near as interesting or iconic as Ben E. King's version, is still great. Covers of that tune are hard to mess up. The title track has an extremely generic country-folk sound. I find with that genre, to stand out from the crowd, you either need to have a distinctive voice, distinctive lyrics, or both (exhibit A: Bob Dylan). The lack of standout instruments, chords, melodies, textures – *any* musical element whatsoever – really shows that this is a filler track. (Still enjoyable as a kind of guilty pleasure, though.) Speaking of chords, where are the interesting harmonies to make up for an otherwise horrific lack of complexity? I found myself jamming to the B-side-esque song "1975" simply because it had the first use of a ii chord amidst the sea of I/IV/V/vi. Same with Ship Of The Lord (with what I think is a VIIb chord). Good stuff. But these tracks are exceptions that prove the rule. The final two tracks, Opening Night / Winter In, are also good – but the fact that they have identical keys, instrumentation, chord progression, everything, is very odd. And a bit of a limp way to conclude the album if you're looking to go out with a creative bang. (I like that it has the same chord progression as Pink Floyd's Brain Damage, though. And this one came out first!) For A Spanish Guitar is iffy until the harmonica solo at the halfway point, which I could listen to for hours. But is the song played with a Spanish guitar? It sounds pretty region-neutral to me. Clickbaity title. 3/5 Key tracks: The Virgin, With Tomorrow, 1975

I had high expectations for this since I loved the No One album so much. This wasn’t as good for me for some reason. 3/8/26

A good album

Un tipo realmente especial, como Brian Jones con quien podría ser comparado. De White light puedes jurar que es un tema de Bob Dylan y nadie te lo negaría. For a spanish guitar es elegante como pocas y Because of you sienta cátedra entre los cantautores folkies. Tears of rage es simplemente brillante. Yo prefiero el debut Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers o No other, este se me hace un poco insulso, o es que lo he pillado demasiado temprano por la mañana.

Nice lil chill album, some of the riffs so classic I was thinking they were the start of modern songs. Nice chill classic country

Liked the slide guitar, liked the harmonica, loved his voice. But perhaps lacked a little edge.

If I wasn't working i'd have probably fallen asleep when listening to this. Best bits were the tracks with bits of outtakes.

Enjoyed this, felt a lot like something Neil Young might have recorded around the time he was making Harvest Moon

sympa en vrai, ca menerve qu'on puisse pas mettre des demi argh

There are a lot better folk albums than this

I understand why this did poorly in the US and don't understand why it did well elsewhere. I like the choice of instruments and his voice is good, but it all sounds the same to me.

2 stars was tempting because of how dull this album is, but decided that's not consistent with the rest of my rankings. 3 stars for being so plain that I have no opinion. - Love me some Americana/Folk... If it can hold up - A bit bland so far - Yeah I love the sound but it's not gripping me. Too high-brow/lyrical? Will have to impress me sonically to bother with the lyrics - Didn't finish. Not out of dislike, just boredom

Quite good

This is a fairly sedate folk pop record of which there were hundreds at the time. I suppose it’s soothing perhaps calming but nothing really stuck out and by the end I forgot that I was listening to it.

From reading other reviews I expected an abhorrent mess of an album. It's not THAT bad, don't get me wrong it's not good, it's generic early 70s country rock and there's certainly nothing about it that anyone needs to hear it

Weirdly a lot stronger when he's not singing covers

Was 2, then I heard the cover of Stand By Me and it was an immediate 1.

Dare I say a bit bland! Even the cover of Stand By Me was a bit mediocre and didn’t do much to lift a dreary album.

Bon folk relaxe.

I stan a singer songwriter Also love a harmonica moment Don't love songs by guys about virgins but I'll take my wins where I can. This is nice overall but kinda boring. Maybe I should just listen to harmonica solos. Tears of rage was kinda a banger. Oh, originally a Bob Dylan song about division over the Vietnam War. Cool. I could see listening to this again, as like background chill music.

Wasn’t ready for that. Wasn’t ready for it being what it was, nor for it to be as well done as it was. Guess I should be less surprised given the time when it was done. But did I really need to hear that before I died? Debatable.

Pleasant enough but not anything I'd revisit

Great vibes

Great piece of work

About as exciting as sticking your thumb in a vacuum nozzle.

It was entirely forgettable.

Yes, immediate yes from first harmonica chord. This is music.

A fine to good album, but nothing particularly noteworthy. I'm sure there are more influential or left-field picks out there that would be worthy of a spot on the list over this.

After this one and no other, I’m convinced I need to listen to more gene clark. That Byrds family tree is really something.

Listened to this then learned he was from The Byrds. Feels like very important context in hindsight.

Some decent tunes that make me think of James Taylor and Bob Dylan. Nothing that boldly stands out to me and there weren’t any clunkers either. Reading deeper on this revealed some cool bits about Clark coming from the byrds, the personnel (which includes a lot of late 60s characters from cool bands) and the general country fusion that he was trying. I guess I simply dont have the reference points to “get” this.

Limp dick James Taylor

I really liked this and need to listen again. But it wasn't an immediate 5 stars.

Album 1052 of 1089 White Light - Gene Clark (1971) Rating : 2.5 / 5 This one came across as low-key and laid back from start to finish. Nothing flashy. Nothing trying too hard. Just a straightforward, mellow presentation of songs delivered with quiet confidence. I wasn’t put off by it at all. In fact, it was a perfectly pleasant listen. Clark’s voice sits comfortably in that folk-rock space, and the songwriting feels thoughtful and sincere. It just never quite broke through for me. No track jumped up and demanded attention. No moment made me stop and think, “Now there it is.” Everything felt adequate - and I don’t mean that negatively. The musicianship is solid, the production is clean, and the mood is consistent. It simply stayed on the same even plane throughout. Some albums grab you immediately. Others grow over time. This one may fall into that second category, but on first listen, it remained steady rather than striking. Not a bad album by any stretch - just one that didn’t quite catch on with me.

3.5

It's fine. It's okay. It's just there.

I can't really explain why I liked this album. It's probably not the most interesting or significant music I've heard. But I enjoy how open and simple it is. Great music for a lazy weekend.

A decent country album, nothing special. The harmonica is mixed a little too sharply, and can sometimes hurt your ears. Simple and easygoing music, but nothing crazy or original that caught my attention. Lovely sounding stuff though.

Not a bad album by Gene Clark. A folk/country album that's mellow and easy on the ears, which lends itself to several listens, aided by the short album length. This is more palatable than something by Bob Dylan, and I liked Clark's version of Dylan's "Tears of Rage." I think Clark could've relaxed a bit with the harmonica, because we already have one Bob Dylan and that's more than enough for us. Anyway, Clark's at his best with his love songs, and I will die on this hill.

Who knew that after trudging through all the Bob Dylan on this project, I'd have one more harmonica folk album to endure in the form of "White Light" by Gene Clark. To be fair, his voice is not nearly as annoying as Dylan's, but turns out I still don't really care for a lot of folky harmonica music, no matter who the artist behind it is. Not difficult to listen to, but ultimately just boring. Really just not my thing.

I'm a bit behind, so it's interesting that I'd get a Gene Clark album and my next one will be The Byrds. Are they trying to flip me a double Byrd or something? Anyway. This is folksy and pleasent.

Eh. It's folksy stuff. No complaints, I guess.

Not sure if it was really my style of music but won me over with great guitar playing, wonderful voice.

Nothing wrong with it, but I was underwhelmed.

Dutch rock critics picked this over Led Zeppelin IV which was also a 1971 record. Shows you what critics know. It's fine, it's a style that has been done to death. I hear some basic music and basic lyrics. Not hearing anything innovative or worth a re-listen. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.

5 stars if it was 1001 albums you need to listen to when waking up. But it is not, it was an absolutely forgettable album.

This was pretty underwhelming.

Caught be by complete surprise. This is not the type of music I normally enjoy. Was pleasantly surprised.

Not something I would choose to listen to myself, but it was nice on my drive to work.

Didn't enjoy

Not quite John Denver. Not quite Simon and Garfunkel. Not quite Jackson brown. Not quite Hayden… not quite right. The covers on this album are so fuckin bad.

This is perfectly fine. I wasn't exactly bowled over by it, but it's... pleasant. 5/10

It's nice. It's fine. I can totally see the influence on Beck's Sea Change, which I love, but apart from a couple of tracks it didn't really resonate with me.

A bit monotonous but not bad.

This felt about 20 hours long...

听过了叮铃哐啷之后，开始觉得乡村无聊了

I couldn’t get into this one

This is a pretty chill album - relatively old, so it was at around the time when music was starting to get a bit too intense, but I assume people would enjoy having this in the background, as I did today. Overall, a bit meh from a staying-entertained point of view, but it's not too bad.

Easy peasy Toe tapper Steadfast Replay

Nice!

bored but mostly fine overall

Still relevant, still terrific music.

Very pleasant to listen to. The guitar interplay is quite nice. "Tears of Rage" is a standout. Probably nothing I'll revisit or remember too much, but a good enough listen.

2.5. nit schlecht, halt bissl fad

Listened while driving to work. Nine out of ten doctors agree: do NOT listen to this album while operating heavy machinery. Two stars because it wasn't actively painful to listen to, and I'm sure it goes hard in the sleep study waiting room.

I am utterly fascinated by the briskness and certainty with which Wikipedia insists on informing me that this album achieved commercial success **ONLY** in The Netherlands. I am fascinated for two reasons: firstly, why has Wikipedia deemed this piece of information second sentence worthy? Secondly, how did Gene Clark (of The Byrds) manage to release an album that was, implicitly, a commercial failure everywhere *except* for The Netherlands. I have decided to do a (small) amount of research into this, instead of just reviewing the fucking album. I have discovered, per Dutch professor of sociology, Mel Van Elteren, that, "All kinds of American popular music have been embraced by large groups in the Netherlands during the postwar era. One major exception to this general tendency is country and western music. Although its various brands, from old-time music to country-rock, do have their enthusiastic groups of Dutch aficionados, none of these draws a really large audience, comparable to, let's say, middle-of-the-road pop music, rock, or even rap music. Country is hardly visible or audible in the public realm." This is a little helpful, but mostly just confusing. Am I to believe that niche, sub-cultural interest in Americana on the part of the Dutch public is enough to constitute a commercial success in the eyes of Gene Clark's label? It is possible, but still doesn't make a ton of sense to me. Also, while I haven't taken a particularly close look at this facet, I have also found discussions about "Dutch Americana". This leads me to believe that Americana originating from The Netherlands is at least prevalent enough to warrant a unique genre descriptor, which may be an indicator that the country has *some* broader interest in the genre. Similarly, I have discovered that several (fairly recent) Eurovision performances from The Netherlands have been Americana inspired, which is another point in favor of public interest. However, this is just about everything I can find on this topic without expending resources on actual literature regarding the subject. So I will call it for now with the tentative conclusion that the success of White Light by Gene Clark in, and only in, The Netherlands *may* make some small amount of sense. Anyways, we're here to discuss whether on not this is any good. And it's fine. Gene Clark's take on Americana is not particularly inventive or unique, but the songs here are largely well-written and well-performed. A couple of psychedelic flourishes mix things up now and then, but this is mostly meat and potatoes folk rock. Which is to say, if you like folk rock, this will keep you fed, and you'll probably find something to enjoy. But if you're not sold on the genre, White Light probably won't change anything. Although, I would like to mention the lyricism here before wrapping up. Even though his style of writing isn't exactly new, he does manage to pen a few really exceptional images. but all in all, I thought this was fine. I'm kind of baffled by how much this website's top reviews of this album seem to absolutely hate it. Much in the same way that I'm kind of baffled by how The Netherlands alone seemed to love it.

Another somewhat anonymous sounding folk rock record. I'm sure this guy was pretty big in his time (and in his location) but I could and should be listening to way better 70s singer-songwriters instead. What does Mr. Clark bring to the table that's better or unique? Oh, of course, he is one of the guys from the Byrds. That makes sense why this sounds so generic then.

Not horrible but I don’t know why this album is on the list when we already have Bob Dylan and Neil Young. A bit too slow for me.

Nothing really stood out here for me

A harmless folk record, nothing more. I'm starting to think my records could be part of this list too.

Consistently pretty boring

Ευχαριστο αλλα περισσοτερο θα το ακουγα χαλαρα γυρω απο ενα camp fire το καλοκαιρι. Επισης ακουγεται σαν soundtrack απο καποια αμερικανια που ομως θα εβλεπα.

It's pleasant enough, but did I really need to listen before I die?

If I was already into The Byrds, I could see enjoying this as a personal solo effort. Not being that into The Byrds, this is just okay.

Just okay. Similar to Dylan and Jackson Browne at times. Kind of a one note album. 2.5/5 Won't listen again

not much to say about this

Some parts were ok but a bit too country for me

Initially was going to give it one star but it grows on you after a few listens. Still, not my kind of music and no tracks that I would want to revisit.

3.43

he does not need to be here twice. No other was better. He didn’t grow as an artist to me, he kept at the same thing without diverging. Did not enjoy the daughter song, gave me the creeps! Let daughters be angry honestly!!

Background country and nothing more

+1 for the album cover -1 for that cover of Stand By Me

Pretty decent.

Среднинький звук , хороший голос , слишком обычный текс , один раз стоит послушать , но не больше

Not my kind of music

He's alright I suppose

It’s really unfortunate for Gene Clark that I got a Bob Dylan album a couple of days ago because this just does not hold up in comparison 😭 Was dithering between 2 and 3 stars because giving 2 stars makes me feel a bit like I’m kicking a puppy for some reason, but I’m sorry it’s gotta be done. It’s pleasant, it’s inoffensive, his voice is quite annoying, I nearly turned it off a couple of times but stuck with it, and now it’s done and I’m gonna go about the rest of my day completely unchanged.

A really fun and overall pleasant album to listen to. I definitely felt myself gravitating towards the more folk songs than country, but that comes down to personal taste. Very underrated and solid listen. Top tracks: The Virgin, Because of You, 1975

His second solo album. Folk / Country / Rock. The White Light track is about as close as it gets to outright copying Bob Dylan. That whole track could be construed as a rip off. The album does have some good lyrics and storytelling throughout though but just how authentic is it ? It's an okay album but that's all.

White Light didn't stand out to me quite like No Other did, as it lacked the same teeth. However, there's something about Gene Clark's music that I really appreciate and enjoy; its intimate. The harmonics, acoustics, occasional slide guitar, the Byrds-esque vocal tones, the country-western twang. I could go on and on, but the music just has the perfect amount of everything. Nothing forced, nothing overdone. Top tracks: The Virgin, Because of You, Tears of Rage

Our second installment of Gene Clark on this journey and I have to say, I definitely like the first one better. This album has some nice moments but to me, there wasn't a single song that really stood out from the rest and as a whole, it's pretty forgettable. Even that cover of Stand By Me, one of the greatest tracks in the American Songbook, was lacking any kind of oomph. It all pretty much fell flat for me

White Light, No Heat. Tepid country-folk from Gene Clark who in breaking away from The Byrds, really just seemed to fall into doing Bob Dylan imitation. The band is doing good work and sometimes Clark seeks out something a touch more interesting or varied than running back Valley/Village hybrid folk. The last track points out a new direction and some of the bonus tracks (which I'm not factoring into the rating) are better than most of the A Side including a superior mix of Because of You. It's not enough though. The other Gene Clark album on the 1001 (inexplicably there are two though this is a far stranger add than No Other) is a lot more developed. Sometimes with the picks I'm not huge on, I try to deduce what exactly brought it into the fold. Looking at the master list, there are 32 albums from 1971. 1971 was an excellent year for music, even for the 70s, and to be clear, White Light ain't bad but it's a little dry relative to its peers. Those bonus tracks allow Clark to let his hair down and jam a little bit and you really hear a difference there. Thankfully he'd follow that track all the way to No Other, which is awesome. Favorite Tracks: White Light, Tears of Rage (dylan cover, quelle surprise), 1975 Bonus Track: Because of You (alt. mix), Ship of the Lord, Opening Night

Country smooth rock solid

Skoro sam zaspala. 1/5, 1/10

It was chill

Not offensive but just generic cheesy early 70's empty uninspired folk.

Very good, subtle vibrato on his voice with soothing guitar melodies, strong album.

I was surprised to find myself singing along to With Tomorrow, but then realized that This Mortal Coil covered it (beautifully, of course). This is not my cup of tea. I guess if I were on a really long road trip and ran out of other options, this would be a decent pick. Kind of slow and a bit too folksy for my taste, but otherwise inoffensive. I was going to be more generous in my star rating, but the overuse of harmonica changed my mind.

after a quick look at other reviews, I can say I'm excited to dive into this record. Maybe I need to stop looking beforehand. What he may lack in storytelling, he makes up for by not sounding as nasally as Bob Dylan. Is it wrong that "Because Of You" gives me James Taylor vocal vibes, but "The Virgin" sounds like a Dylan imitation? This record is not offensive, but I'm not really loving it either. It's getting a 2, but should be a 2.5

Sounds like Jerry Garcia and even has notes of Dylan

Decent singer songwriter stuff but didn’t really keep my attention on this one listen.

felt like I stepped out of the wreckage and chose clarity over volume. no grandiosity, just earned grace delivered in a near whisper. I like stripped countryrock.

bell’album folk, ci stava come atmosfera da inizio anno anche se a tratti un po’ malinconico. comunque apprezzato molto forse anche 3,5

Album carino per iniziare il 2026. Folk abbastanza allegro con una punta di malinconia

I liked it but it didn’t stir me

I love folk music from the 60s and 70s, but this felt pretty basic. It’s not bad, I can imagine it being a good entry point for people who want to get into this era of folk, but there are much better albums out there. The songwriting is pretty good, but then it includes a Dylan song towards the end, basically just reminding you that you could be listening to Bob Dylan instead. 3/5

Solid stuff.

kinda meh, couldn’t finish it

okay wait i kinda like the virgin giving chill summer boat vibes -with tomorrow is giving something i just don’t know what i like it though like okay -so far these 3 songs have such a different vibe -lowkey giving bon dylan a little i’m actually enjoying this -because of you is so happy byler coded omg -one in a hundred is fine -for a spanish guitar is kinda nothingburger -and where my love lies asleep -these past couple songs have been good background that i would listen to in the summer but no stand outs but honestly i still like this -random stand by me cover okay -is ship of the lord a christian song…. -wait why is winter in lowkey stranger things finale coded if it was good ya know

Faded into the background. There was a little harmonica in one song that I liked. And one song that I recognized and was able to sing. Other than that just background noise

Well I wasn’t expecting to like this so much. Great songwriting, lovely songs. I can realisten to this for sure.

Very much liked the lyrics

I found it to be Dylan-esque at time in a good way. An enjoyable album.

Sigh. We’re in basically the final stretch of this project, less than one third to go, and I’m definitely in another kind of low point where it’s been a minute since any of the albums “hit” in a real way. Maybe a month or so. Happened once or twice before. Usually it passes but it’s been fallow recently. Like, what is this? A boring folk pop album from one of The Byrds? What made this necessary at all?

Standard

Didn’t really speak to me. Like a Bob Dylan copycat but slower and not as much storytelling

This was great. I had no knowledge of anything Clark did outside of the Byrds, but this is right there with anything Crosby, McGuinn, or even Gram Parsons ever did. Loved it. Also, fuckin' great harmonica on this record.

This record is meh. There are a couple of songs that I sort of liked, but nothing that really captivated me. Favourite Track(s): Tears of Rage, 1975 Least Favourite Track(s): One In A Hundred, Where My Love Lies Asleep

Me estoy encariñando con el folk-country, ya tengo mi playlist y todo. Llego a escuchar una armonica mas y me pego un tiro tho Un 3,8, favs: The Virgin, With Tomorrow, One In A Hundred

It wasn't my favorite album but I don't see why it received many low ratings in the 1 to 2 star categories. I have to give this a 3 since I actually did not mind the second half of the album. The first section was pretty annoying with that harmonica and vocals and if the album continued in that direction, I would have given it a 2.

Gene was brilliant but not 1001 album brilliant. This changes nothing. Adds nothing. It’s good but not worthy.

With Tomorrow and Because of You are everything that was great about Gene, sadly they sets a benchmark which he can't maintain across the record. It is, sadly, pedestrian. He'd kind of lost his way and Townes Van Zandt was doing what Gene can't do here. As much as I love him I can't recommend the album. However the two aforementioned tracks are well worth a good listen deadbeats.

So many Byrds and Byrds-adjacent records on this list. This ticks a lot of Dimery's checklist boxes: - Byrds-adjacent - Country rock - 'Forgotten' album unavailable for many years and hence (really) culturally irrelevant - 'Tortured genius' wracked with mental health issues (check), drug addiction (check) and/or other personal suffering (also check - in this case homelessness and cancer) The album itself is pretty but not outstanding or influential. I want to say three stars of overall listenability, but I'm actually a bit pissed off that Dimery included this irrelevancy on the list, so two.

Started alright but then got quite boring quite fast

Bon ben c’était pas trop mon truc. Sympathique, agréable à écouter, mais c’est simplement pas fait pour moi. Cela dit, je peux dire que j’ai passé un bon moment.

Listening to this album reminds me of my dad’s socks

Second Gene Clarke album on the bounce. Equally good, similar style country but with an element of cool. Worth the listen.

If I ever need to be lulled to sleep, this is the album I'll put on.

precursor to yacht rock

I will always have a hard time truly hating songs because they're not in a genre I listen to. The first song on this was not bad, and the songs that were closer to country rock (had electric guitar in them) were decent. I found most of the acoustic songs forgettable. My guess is I would prefer his album "No Other" to this one (and I prefer the Byrds albums as well). Did not hate it by any means, but the lack of things to come back to gives this 2 stars.

Okay. Good.

Don't really feels like a must listen when his bio starts with "best known for his short period in the byrd". It's okey, nothing special or groundbreaking but it isn't unlistenable either.

Pleasant enough at first but soon wears out its welcome. 2/5

bored

Parfait pour Stardew Valley

This is the 2nd Gene Clark album I've gotten. Strong James Taylor-esque singer-songwriter vibes with an occasional flash of Dylan. Honestly, it's not bad and I kind of enjoyed listening to it. I guess I must be part Dutch. Who knew? If you're listening on Spotify, the original release is just the first 9 songs.

Discount Don McLean.

Wish he had a better backing band. Definitely some good songwriting here but it fell flat for me. I’d rather listen to the Byrds.

A mixed bag, but overall more good than bad. A handful of times the songs almost felt like Simon and Garfunkel, which was great! But then there were things like the bland and uninteresting cover of Stand By Me that was okay at best. Not my favorite country album, but it still beats any rah-rah patriotism modern-day country album.

Ich denke, es ist wichtig, das Album zum richtigen Zeitpunkt zu hören. Heimkommen nach einem stressigen Tag, "White Light" an, alles gut!

Dosadnoooo

Nice easy listen, some really good tunes.

Oh dear. This was just irritating. It reminded me of camping with people who own guitars and although not asked to make sure they perform an impromptu concert. Actually this is usually me!! But I would never inflict a harmonica on peoples ears the way this dude does. Hated it

You lost me at harmonica. What a snoozefeet

A very comforting album. Maybe it's the acoustic guitar and harmonica, but I see myself sitting by a fire pit in the desert with a glass of red wine in hand, listening to this album.

Not an album I’m familiar with and not one I will rush again to listen to. Big chance to give it just one star because according to the new super duper summary page that the Head 1001’er has devised, folk is my favourite genre. This is not strictly a true reflection. Like this one, Wiki seems to lump American Country music under the folk music banner. In my book American Country and English Folk are as different as chalk and cheese. They may both be classed as music from the ages but sound nothing the same. So whilst I do generally like English Folk (because I’m English) I do not like American Country (because I’m not American) unless if one day I am lucky enough to go on a road trip to Nashville and it will be compulsory to listen. 1/5 7/12/25

This has to become one of my favorite country rock albums. I just love how dark and introspective it is. I'll be coming back to it really soon

Good folk to play with a good ol' can of beans by the fire.

Beautifully heartfelt and introspective folk album. A gentle, bittersweet breeze.

I listened to this earlier today and hardly remember what it sounds like.

Nice and chill. What I needed today.

Pleasant enough I suppose

This is what Dylan songs would sound like if he could sing…

1.5 stars another nail in the coffin of me thinking The Byrds are not good. This is Bob Dylan-lite, this is sober Townes Van Zandt. It all feels fake and strained and unnatural much like the other material The Byrds and all their permutations put out. The fucking rainbow imagery and flowers and covering Bob Dylan, fuck you. I still maintain that Sweetheart of the Rodeo is very good.

White Light is nice folksy poetry set to calm harmonies with a sixties hippie feel and a slight religious vibe. Although Gene musta had a harsh falling out with his daughter, that’s a rough one. Album is very professional, just didn’t do much for me, would be good coffee shop background listening. (2.85*s) Gene didn’t make as a solo artist but was evidently a music influencer with The Byrds (so that’s why White Light makes the 1001 Must Hear List. (

Gene got a Don McLean/Bobby D vibe on this album (not surprised to see Mr. Zimmerman featured on "Tears of Rage"). It's pretty good, a bit slow at times but these soft, folky tunes have some depth. Original release ends at "1975" and I'm glad it did cause the additional tracks are not as strong. The cover should have had Clark in front of a full moon to give it the White Light. Prefer Gene's work as a Byrd but not a bad effort trying a new genre on this record...1.87 stars.

Yet another 70's folk rock album from an artist I don't know but am aware of some of their classical connections. I didn't expect much heading into this but wasn't disappointed. It's pretty run of the mill folk album. Thankfully it's a tad more upbeat than some of the prior entries but still nothing special. Overall, I'm getting a little tired of folk rock albums but some of them are better than the others this one being on the higher end. 1.85 stars

Pretty nothing of an album

Why is this here

Very 60's singer/songwriter folk. Not particularly exceptional IMO, and loses a star for the more country influenced songs.

Un peu de douceur dans ce monde de fils de pute.

I’d never heard a note of this before today, but damn if it isn't pretty good. It’s moody and heartfelt in all the right ways. It’s got that rustic, lonely vibe that hits the spot on a quiet afternoon. Think Neil Young, but less nasal and more tender. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - The Virgin - With Tomorrow - Because Of You - For A Spanish Guitar

Gene Clark was maybe my favorite member of the Byrds during his tenure in the band, and although I am not super well versed into his solo career, I had heard this one in the past, so it was nice to revist it. this one lives somewhere in between early country rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter. there is some great stuff on here and gene's voice is great as ever. and although the original songs here are pretty great, my favorite is his version of 'tears of rage' which gives a completely different feel than the band's version a few years prior. my only qualm with this album is that some of the ballads here drag on a little too long or don't have a lot of meat on the bone. but the album as a whole is an underrated entry in early 70s singer-songwriterdom.

3,5

A lesser man’s Bob Dylan. But not as talented

Okay, very folky.

fine

He reminded me of bob dylan

Very soft, not a single bad song.

I thought it was very boring. I don't really care for the Byrds so this didn't really do anything for me. I went into it with an open mind as my Spotify recently suggested a Beatles cover by Gene Clark that I really enjoyed but this just sat there.

nice

I don't often like folk, but this was better than the usual drivel offered. It wasn't amazing by any stretch, but it was easy listening and listenable at least. A little samey and mono tone, but have heard worse.

Nice solid country album

Jesus fucking christ

"It only achieved commercial success in the Netherlands". Enough said.

Inoffensive folky stuff

Little notes about this album, just 50 minutes spent on an album that could very easily have been removed from this list. This never felt like an album someone really should have listened to, there are many albums like it that are way better. 1/5

Not too bad

Correcto

Chill mais un peu trop chill finalement, blues rock

Sympa mais oubliable

Je suis pas très fan des vibes un peu country mais quelques pistes sympa 3/5

Some of these tracks are literally “we have Bob Dylan at home” songs. And others sound like they were written by whatever teenage guitar shop employee first taught Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) how to play guitar licks. Then there are times like “Where My Love Lies Asleep” where I can hear exactly how Neil Young would sing the song in his signature falsetto, but Gene Clark doesn’t have that kind of dynamism. If you think all of those artists are OK, then this middle-of-the-road folk album might be the OK-est way to aim all of that apathy at one record. Folk music for people who have only ever said “scrambled” when asked how they want their eggs cooked. Ironically, the song “Tears Of Rage” started playing while I was wrapping up the thoughts above (yes, I’m only 1/2 way through my listen). Quite apropos. Edit: I’ve now heard his version of “Stand By Me” and feel completely vindicated about my previous notes.

Kinda pleasant, kinda boring. I don't really enjoy this kind of harmonica playing.

I enjoyed this well enough. It is fairly chilled out and easy to listen to. Occasionally reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt, but never actually that good. It didn't leave a huge impression on me.

Probably more of a 3.5 but pretty basic folky stuff that doesn't get me that excited. Clark did it better with The Byrds.

Better than I was expecting but a lot of it sounded the same

kjedelig også...

Yaaaawn. It's not BAD, but I see no reason to listen to this when a much better version of this type of music exists in the form of the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young etc.

not bad but all of these songs be sounding the exact same bro. putting me to SLEEP 2/5

Que lindo clássico, melancólico e potente

Definitely not the worst country rock album I’ve heard. I prefer the vibe of Gene Clark albums over more traditional country, but this album was still way too calm and mellow for me. I really enjoyed No Other (which was surprising to me because I very rarely like anything country related), so maybe the problem was that I was expecting something similar, but this album felt a lot less interesting conceptually and a lot closer to a lot of basic country rock I don’t particularly like. It was still fine, I guess, but certainly not on the same level as No Other.

That guitar was so relaxing and chilled

Honestly put one ear through the other. I dont know what it was bit I was not gripped.

I had never even heard of Gene Clark before today. Now I know why. The only song that actually caught my attention was "Tears of Rage", until I discovered that the lyrics were actually written by Bob Dylan. And that's the entire problem; this guy wants to be Bob Dylan so bad, he writes an entire album of simple melodies and supposedly complex lyrics that lead anywhere but the heart. There is no depth. There is no great metaphor. There is no originality. All we got is the country twang. 2 stars, only because Bob Dylan saw something worthwhile in this doof.

Lifeless. He has no magnetism or compelling energy in his songs, neither in his voice or the melodies. Not a fan.

A bit dreary

I'd never heard of Gene before, so I went in with no expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed this - will listen again.

Reasonably pleasant if forgettable

This album is so bad. The music is bad and simple, the lyrics are laughable, the fucking harmonica is relentless, all the songs sound the same. I just hate everything about this. It's like he's trying to be James Taylor but absolutely failing in all regards. I did like the guitar solo on 1975 and I mean at least he's playing real instruments and this was long before autotune so it's not without its checks in the pro box but I really struggled to get through this one. Maybe I'm just grumpy today but I don't think that's it. 1.5/5

I was chilling with this, really liked the intro instrumental to For a Spanish Guitar, but then the harmonica kicked in; and the Stand By Me cover is absolute dogshit and i lost a lot of respect for the album there, though otherwise it's pretty fine. favorite song: idk they all run together

Perfectly fine singer-songwriter album

I actually quite enjoyed this. Sounds like the inspiration for a lot of the vocal sound used by Del Amitri.

Couple of good tracks

Rentoa folk rokkia ja kantria. Kesäiltaan sopivaa. Parhaat: 1975, With Tomorrow, For A Spanish Guitar

6 - AVERAGE

Poor man's bob dylan

later

Surprised I’d never heard of this one. Wonderful despite the Bob Dylan cover.

wasn't a big fan of this one, but it wasn't bad 3/5

Mom: “We have Neil Young and Bob Dylan at home” Neil Young and Bob Dylan at home: This album It’s a fine album, but I’ve heard others do the same stuff much better

Pretty chill. Bob Dylan vibes

Not too bad, had sort of a Bob Dylan vibe. Was a bit repetitive in style but overall enjoyable. Standout Songs: The Virgin White Light Tears Of Rage

The lowest of 4s. Beautiful sound, but I can’t remember a single song. And I literally just finished listening to it

Simply lovely

A pleasant and low key record which is ultimately a bit one note for the running time. I could have done with Gene letting rip at some points but though it’s clearly emotional and smart it’s also restrained.

Low 4 for me, very enjoyable, especially the second half, could grow on me more with time

It was hard to really focus on any of these songs. The album was not explicitly bad, but sounded very generic and quickly became background music for me. Not sure why it made it on this list.

Its ok.

125/1001 | **Gene Clark - White Light (1971)** Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: ⭐️⭐️ Fave tracks: *1975* This was largely inoffensive with some Bob Dylan vibes but rather passed me by. I can understand why people would like it but not for me.

I had previously heard of Gene Clark, because of his association with The Byrds, but was not familiar with this album. After listening to this, it is apparent how much influence he had in The Byrds' sound. This album was a fine and pleasant listen, but was not particularly memorable. I would listen again, however.

Like it 3/5

Not my jam

great folky

As if a yawn became music.

3.5 Lovely and understated album - enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to.

Was hoping for something exciting for my 100th album. This was just dull.

*1971. *Singer-songwriter style, which is normally a fave genre for me, but this was largely meh. Pleasant, but meh. *I guess Gene Clark was in The Byrds. Huh. *Stand by Me cover randomly toward the end of the album is a nice surprise, but a boring cover. RATING - 5.5/10

A snoozefest.

Listened to quickly and not very focused so a bit unfair. Chugging title track a bit dull. Not sure why it’s on the list.

Pretty dull compared to his previous album on the list

Will inevitably suffer by comparison to No Other, but had it's moments of beauty - Because of You and especially the guitar on the incredible Where My Love Lies Asleep - as obvious an influence on Beck's Sea Change as any I have heard.

I like the Byrds, I like Gene Clark, I love “No other” This is not “No other”, there little in the way of cosmic country rock to be unveiled here. To me ear, it’s a collection of broadly accomplished songs which don’t really demand that much attention. Easily skippable TBH

Very laidback country rock, can hear his influence he had on the Byrds despite leaving in 66

Meh…

Прослушал и забыл. Какое-то обычное кантри

Pleasant enough for early seventies folk rock - a bit Dylanesque, but not aggressively so - but it's one of those albums that slipped out of my head entirely as soon as my streaming switched to another artist. I mean, *technically* I listened to it before I died, right? Even if it didn't stick?

It was okay, but I probably wouldn't listen again

I am a sucker for a good harmonica solo

Pleasant and a worthwhile listen. Easily one of my more recent favorites. 4.5

Ok

Very middle of the road but pleasant to listen to so middle score.

#736. Not the worst post-fame solo album I've ever heard. 3/5: acceptable

Well made but not my thing

More than one person on the 1001 committee grows their own potatoes... ..and wears sandals with socks.

17.10.25 klo 10.30, hima, varvas, qobuz miellyttävää, pientä, mies, kitara, perjantai

The famous Tears of Rage cover was more like Sniffles of Peevishness

Interesting Byrds-y not bad - but probably won’t get another dedicated listen.

Don’t have much to say about this one besides the standard: holy cow do folks on here hate it. I’ve heard this one maybe a couple times before and have a Gene Clark record but No Other is his true masterpiece.

It has moments of Americana excellence, but ultimately in terms of cosmic country it pails in comparison to similar act the FBB, or Crosby. A little too mild, a little too long, and a little too inferior to true country and western.

Pleasant enough, but I don't feel like sleeping right now.

This is the second album I got by Gene Clark and guess what…I liked this one too. Maybe I’m just a boring person, but I like this guy’s style and voice. It’s so chill and simple. It wasn’t fantastic or groundbreaking or anything, but it was nice. Real nice. That and I just really like this dude’s pic on Spotify. That’s all I’ll say about it. I think that’s all that needs said.

***An ok, easy listening album

He was a better songwriter than a singer. He really need the harmonies of the rest of The Byrds to drown out his vocals.

++: White Light, One in a Hundred, Tears of Rage, 1975 +: The Virgin, With Tomorrow, Because of You, Where My Love Lies Asleep +-: For a Spanish Guitar 6,9/10

I loved this. Maybe it struck me in the right mood, but I didn’t know about this and listened to the whole thing. Loved it.

The album art got me excited and then was proceeded by some milquetoast half baked country album. The stand by me cover should have a Honky tag on it like the explicit content warnings

Not a fan of the vocal style. The Byrds are over represented on the list and this album isn’t necessary either.

Pretty stereotypical 70s singer-songwriter stuff; soft vocals, bongos for percussion, heavy lyrics, lush acoustic instrumentation. Having said that, it’s a very good version of those tropes.

Det her va et sånt hyggelig bekjentskap æ aldri har hørt om før, og kanskje aldri kommer til å høre på igjen, men likevel satte stor pris på å høre på mens æ hørte på det. Veldig opp min gate, men mangla det lille ekstra som gjør gjenhør nødvendig.

Pretty easy listening with a good mix of slow and upbeat songs

Pretty enjoyable. 3.5

I really enjoyed the other Gene Clark album 'No Other' which features on this list. But whilst that album was brimming with creativity, this one is much more straight down the line folk/country and far less interesting for it. The song 1975 is the high point for me with it's repetitive but funky bassline, I also quite liked the closing song Winter In. The low - Stand by me, just dull dull dull. Most of this is a pleasant listen but pretty forgettable. At times (White Light) it felt like Gene was imitating Bob Dylan. Nicely recorded and played by all musicians involved. Sorry, Gene.

Pretty enjoyable

I remember really liking No Other (still do!) so I was looking forward to listening to this. Unfortunately, this disappointed me. He just spends so much time trying to be Dylan without carving out an identity for himself. Best songs here were For A Spanish Guitar and Tears of Rage.

I wasn't thinking I'd like this much, but it surprised me. Moe Dylan than honky-tonk, with a lyricism that I could see getting embedded in my brain.

Lo detuve a la mitad. Todas las canciones sonaban iguales. Y no, no tenía el repeat activado.

4/10 - very meh but inoffensive

Nailed the pastoral sound.

This felt like an extremely bland and boring album to me. Had Willie Nelson's 'Stardust' before this, and it certainly felt similar, but just way worse in all regards. I didn't find any kind of variance at all on this record, and the singing felt laboured. Not much to say, just didn't like this at all. Weak 2.