Gene Clark's No Other? Oh, sure there's another, Geno!

I didn't know I'd need or want another No Other for the longest time. For the longest time, it was already difficult to even have the original No Other. Gene Clark's maverick outing was conspicously out of print and never issued on CD for almost two decades, no doubt amplifying the album's reputation as a lost materpiece in absentia. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or so I've heard. But I remember how difficult it could be to get your hands on Gene Clark albums in the late 90s and early 2000s before the great Clark renaissance, spurred by a whole bunch of cool indie artists espousing his genius and especially the genius of No Other. 

It's interesting how that album's reception changed in these lost decades. Nowadays, every music journalist will explain that the album is some sort of masterpiece, even with reservations. But for a long time throughout the 90s the album was considered more of a misshapen curiosity. Allmusic, of course also changed its tune. Now, you've got your in depth five star review pronouncing the misunderstood genius of the album, but the original write-up (for the book version!) was a decidedly different affair, awarding a mere three stars. "These arrangements are just over the top", opines Matthew Greenwald, "and Clark's songs and vocals are clearly weak under the weight." Despite mentioning "some fine songs" Greenwald (not the worst of Allmusic's writers at the time) concludes "Overall though, it's indulgent and the sound of the record say more about the '70s than the songs do. You can almost taste the cocaine."

Thomas Jefferson Kaye's production decisions have been at the heart of the discussions about No Other ever since the album came out. Supported by deep pockets at Asylum Records, Kaye really did indulge, adding overdubs over overdubs on the performances that already included playing from some of L.A.'s best session men. So, do these songs really need orchestral arrangements and luscious backing choirs? The choise is now mine, yours and everyone else's, due to the rennaissance of Clark as an inspiring musician for other musician's that finally led to a re-issue program worthy of its name. No Other had finally been issued as a no-frills edition on CD by Collector's Choice in the late 90s in the U.S. (and EastWest Recordings in Japan), but the rerelase in 2003, complete with liner notes and bonus tracks really got the ball rolling. In these bonus tracks it was also possible for the first time to listen to Clark's songs without the ton of overdubs Kaye imposed on them. 

Interesting as that was, it didn't really push me to even consider trying an alternate album version of No Other. For one thing, the songs seemed to be so intricately tethered to the very sound of the album that I considered the alternate, comparatively stripped-down versions as interesting asides, not the essence of the music. This attitude changed with the appearance of the No Other box set in 2018 by 4AD, not incidentally the home of many of those aforementioned cool indie artists stanning for Gene Clark and No Other. Here you really had a plethora of bonus tracks to skim through, truly being able to see how some songs got knocked in shape, and some roads not taken (you might remember Clark's funk version of "Silver Raven" that I put on All Pearls, No Swine Vol. 3 back in October). Going through some of these tracks two years ago, I finally decided to give a decidedly different No Other a try. 

Well, next time you have an unusual album to promote by a guy notorious for not helping out with said promotion, maybe go easy on the drag queen look...?!

All tracks here are without the massive overdubs of the released version. To really show the difference in approach, I decided to start things off with the title song, presented here in an uncluttered, more percussive version that has an almost agressive edge to it, not to mention that you can really hear a latin music sound influence in it which is difficult to hear in the official version. "Some Misunderstanding" sounds a whole lot more country now, with the pedal steel being elevated to lead instrument in the mix, whereas in "From A Silver Phial" you can now hear old comrade Chris Hillman's mandolin playing much clearer. The biggest change involved "Strength of Strings", which is now only half its original running time. I never was a fan of the 'banshee vocal' interludes, so I cut the opening and closing ones. I originally wanted to retain the one in the middle of the track, but - in what is clearly a run through/demo - Clark, enjoying himself and the music, introduces the bridge with a "here we go", so both the exclamation and the last banshee interlude are gone. What remains is now a surprisingly muscular, sinewy rock song. I wanted to finish with the most ethereal songs as a double climax, so "Silver Raven" and "Lady Of The North" in versions where you can really hear the instruments like Richard Greene's electriic violin, barely audible in the released version. 

An Other No Other is a much more relaxed listen than the original, where Kaye's aural delusions of grandeur have something oppressive and even manic about them, recalling Greenwald's comment about almost tasting the cocaine involved. In this version, we're much closer to Clark's usual stomping grounds between folk and country rock. Interestingly, my alternate albums of Clark zig where the originals zagged. Roadmaster was mixed to be as traditionally country rock as possible, whereas I reworked it into Shooting Star as way trippier and more psych, pointing out even clearer the way to No Other. And now An Other No Other goes the inverse route, toning the album's trippier sound way down, bringing its sound closer to the White Light/Mendocino Dream era. 

I'm not about to claim that An Other No Other is better than No Other, because I - like pretty much everyone - am not a hundred percent sure where I finally stand on No Other's production. I think there's some truth in all points of view. The relatively straight forward country rocker "Life's Greatest Fool" for example did profit from those dramatic gospel choirs that seemed to give it more urgency. It's not a weak song per se, but rather a so-so one that does profit from more production, whereas I think numbers like "Strength of Strings" can feel like they're toppling over under the layers of production. So yeah, No Other stays a conundrum wrapped in an enigma, no matter the configuration. But I think it's worthwhile to check out what a more relaxed, homily No Other would sound like, and that's what An Other No Other does, for whatever it's worth. 

PS.: This concludes for the time being my explorations of alternate albums of Gene Clark, though I might at some point have a look at the Silveradoes/Two Sides To Every Story era. But fear not, Clark fans, there's still a ton of Clark and Clark-related material I want to post here, so, as usual, stay tuned...