I really didn't know much about the life and times of Gene Clark other than that he wrote some of the Byrds' best early songs until he left the group in 1966. After that I confess to knowing next to nothing about his subsequent music, evidenced and parallelled I guess by the lack of commercial success of really any of his following projects, but for me, this only attracted me the more to this documentary.
With very little film footage of Clark talking, his story is told in time-honoured back-to-front fashion with narrative commentary and interview insertions by family, friends and fellow-musicians. The story they tell of this maverick, who as one commentator says at one point, with a self- destructive quality which would metaphorically see him put out on a boat after the fleet had already gone, is certainly intriguing, his mystique added to by his rebellious personality, addictions to drink and drugs, plus of course his songwriting talent.
To be honest though, I'm no fan myself of country music, especially the hillbilly bluegrass type (I hate "Sweetheart Of The Radio" and "Nashville Skyline") so I'll not be looking to download his expeditions with Doug Dillard anytime soon, but the film certainly made me curious about his 70's work, wayward as it sometimes seems to have been. I was sorry his marriage broke down, although his ex-wife and children still seem to remember him with affection and then of course he surrendered to the ever-available drink and drugs which probably contributed to his early death in his 40's.
Clark comes across as a complex man, talented but shy, ill-served by record-label owners and producers looking only for the next big hit. Like I said earlier it would have been nice to see more footage of the man himself, especially in conversation but he clearly touched the lives of those around him, if the reactions of band-mates McGuinn, Hillman and especially a mordant David Crosby are anything to go by.
This well put-together biography has already got me fishing out my early Byrds CD's and I'm looking forward to getting to know more of the man's solo music.
With very little film footage of Clark talking, his story is told in time-honoured back-to-front fashion with narrative commentary and interview insertions by family, friends and fellow-musicians. The story they tell of this maverick, who as one commentator says at one point, with a self- destructive quality which would metaphorically see him put out on a boat after the fleet had already gone, is certainly intriguing, his mystique added to by his rebellious personality, addictions to drink and drugs, plus of course his songwriting talent.
To be honest though, I'm no fan myself of country music, especially the hillbilly bluegrass type (I hate "Sweetheart Of The Radio" and "Nashville Skyline") so I'll not be looking to download his expeditions with Doug Dillard anytime soon, but the film certainly made me curious about his 70's work, wayward as it sometimes seems to have been. I was sorry his marriage broke down, although his ex-wife and children still seem to remember him with affection and then of course he surrendered to the ever-available drink and drugs which probably contributed to his early death in his 40's.
Clark comes across as a complex man, talented but shy, ill-served by record-label owners and producers looking only for the next big hit. Like I said earlier it would have been nice to see more footage of the man himself, especially in conversation but he clearly touched the lives of those around him, if the reactions of band-mates McGuinn, Hillman and especially a mordant David Crosby are anything to go by.
This well put-together biography has already got me fishing out my early Byrds CD's and I'm looking forward to getting to know more of the man's solo music.