In 1974,
Gene Clark of The Byrds released the solo album No Other. Though the album
received little critical acclaim, and was even deleted from the catalog of Asylum Records, it has garnered contemporary
adulation and become lauded as a "cult favorite." On January twenty-second, indie rockers Victoria
Legrand and Alex Scally of Beach House, along with Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold,
Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen, and members of The Walkmen gathered in
Philadelphia to perform Clark's esoteric magnum opus, note for note.
Prior
to the performance, Beach House released this statement concerning Gene Clark
and the album:
"Though we generally love all of his music, we
are most infatuated with his 1974 record, No
Other. It feels like a special moment in Gene Clark's songwriting. At
first, the overdone, studio nature of the album feels overbearing: the electric
violin, the female chorus, the bass riffs, the layered guitar sequences.
However, with more listens, Gene Clark's very unique lyrics, voice and
spirit become the central focus. It's one of those records where each time you
listen, you love a different song the most. Every song is nuanced and amazing
in its own way."
The performance began with a viewing of the 2013 Gene Clark
documentary, "The Byrd Who Flew Alone", which both provided insight
into the making of Clark's forgotten work of art, yet left the audience with
many unanswered questions. When the
musicians took the stage, the sublimely familiar voices of Robin Pecknold and
Victoria Legrand, entwined with the sentimental sounds of the 70s, transported
the audience to a time of no return. It
truly was a performance like no other.
No comments:
Post a Comment