Yes Gene rocks- I'm sure I did No Other in Unsung, having first read about it in a free NME book and knowing Strength of Strings from Filigree & Shadow (& knowing the name from Byrds records). He did sometimes get back together with McGuinn, Crosby et al (Hillman was on many of his records) & the unreleased One in a Hundred/She's the Kind of Girl from an almost Byrds-reformation. The Flying High-compilation is a brilliant overview- though some of the oddities have turned up on the White Light/No Other reissues...
Gene Clark was the greatest- sad to think that after No Other, he lapsed into alcoholism and shortly before his death was peddling a version of The Byrds with Michael Clarke (which saw Crosby, McGuinn & Hillman reform briefly to settle the legal claim). Then he was gone...
As much as I like Gram Parsons, I think Clark is more the real deal, much more that cosmic American thang on No Other and a pioneer of that country-rock thing. A great vocalist and a brilliant songwriter- so many great songs: Spanish Guitar, From a Silver Phial, With Tomorrow, Here Without You, Train Leaves Here This Morning, Lady of the North, Feel a Whole Lot Better etc...
Gene ruled and deserves to be revered...Chris Hillman points out that Gene freaked out on a plane, so his fear of flying, Crosby making him not play guitar and McGuinn's jealousy of his songwriting saw him turfed out. Oh well...
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