When Gene Clark left the Byrds sometime last year, an integral, a genuine and soulfully beautiful portion of their sound left also. Gene Clark is more or less on his own now, with a twosome called the Gosdin Brothers. His first album on Columbia (CL2618) is a beautiful experience. The L.P. is simply called GENE CLARK WITH THE GOSDIN BROTHERS. In one cut on the album called “Echoes,” his music is not only heard, but felt, a velvety smooth and pure sound.
A fellow from this area called Spyder Turner is not just a George Kirby type of guy that survives by simply pretending or sounding like someone else, for an example of his hit single “Stand By Me.” In the L.P. of the same title (MGM E/SE 4450) there is not a bad cut in the entire album. Some are great like “Morning, Morning,” and “Hold On I’m Coming,” but none are average. The title song is six minutes long and includes even more vocal take-offs on other artists. This cat goes through many changes, but he is a man to watch. Spyder Turner—Great!!
Two new blues L.P. s have come out recently. Charlie Musselwhite’s SOUTH SIDE BLUES Band on VANGUARD and BLUES BREAKERS, John Mayall with Eric Clapton on London. Charlie Musselwhite’s record may be endlessly compared to the BUTTER-FIELD BLUES BAND’s last L.P. release—with good reason. The music is similar, though instrumentally the Musselwhite band is just as good if not better on record. In Mussel-white’s Mob there are two fantastically talented and tuned in musicians, Harvey Mandel on guitar and Barry Goldberg on organ.
Andy Warhol introduced his favorite group on VERVE, an unlikely label for such a far out vocal-instrumental mob. Their sound is not similar to any other sound heard locally before. They are in a bag by themselves. Nico, a girl vocalist whose morphine moanings somehow get to you, sings with the group on a couple of cuts, she’s OK. She looks like she sounds. The best song on the L.P. is called “Heroin Mainline Music.”
Two really good local 45 releases are “Break Out The Wine” by THE SPIKE-DRIVERS and “Psychedelic Used Car Lot Blues” by the SOUTHBOUND FREEWAY. The SPIKEDRIVERS new single on Reprise is an exceptional record, well done but somehow tuned down during production.