Kazuhiro Goda's Liner Notes for
"The Box Set"

"I Don't Want to See You Anymore," the opening song of this seven-CD set, may completely catch the listener off guard. Who would have expected such a pop song with bright peppiness from Gene Clark? Byrds archivist extraordinaire Johnny Rogan wasn't impressed with this song (Timeless Flight Revisited, p. 501). But I LOVE it!

I have always liked the songs that came from Brill Building ("Loco-Motion," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Oh Carol," etc.). "I Don't Want To See You Anymore" has the same quality as all those great hits. You may say that the peppiness has more to do with Pat Robinson, Gene's co-writer, and the way it was arranged, produced and showcased, than Gene himself. Whatever the reasons, I think this song illustrates Gene's talent as a great melody maker. The song keeps me smiling from beginning to end, although it is about lost love. The chemistry between Gene and Pat Robinson is equally appealing in their other joint ventures included in this set: "Carry On;" "I Need To Fly;" "Sleep Will Return;" "After the Storm;" "Look Who's Missing Who;" "Somewhere After Midnight;" and the beautiful "My Marie," which remains one of my favorite Gene Clark songs since I first heard it on the bootleg, High Flying Byrd.

Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive. Although I knew there were eighteen great as yet unreleased songs to follow on Disc One - and six more CD-Rs waiting to be savored - I couldn't help but press the button on my remote control to return to the opening song. It simply makes me feel great to be alive! But, of course, each song is a gem. We can really sense that Gene is enjoying singing each of them.

Listen to the intro of "Life and Times" (recorded at the Cinegrill, only six weeks before Gene's untimely death). It's obvious that he delays the timing to start singing the first line so that he could enjoy the rhythm and feel that the introduction of the song was generating - particularly the Booker T. Jones style keyboard play. I cannot recall ever having heard the keyboard used in this manner before in Gene's songs; refreshing.

Another thought that occurred to me upon listening to this collection was that, had he lived, Gene could have collaborated on Brian Wilson's 1998 release, Imagination. Gene would've been in good company with Brian's other chosen collaborators, which included John David Souther, Jimmy Buffet, Russ Titleman and Carol Bayer Sager.

Let me comment on another song, "Straight From The Heart." What a beautiful song! To this day, I can't believe that it never came to see the light of day in his lifetime. "Straight From the Heart" appears on the previously mentioned bootleg High Flying Byrd, followed by "Love Wins Again" and "You And I." The sound quality of these songs wasn't very good on the bootleg; however, the quality in terms of writing and feeling is so high that I simply drift off into the world of Gene's music. Now we can enjoy these songs in near-perfect fidelity!

After listening to discs one and two, I sat quietly for a long while, trying to figure out my emotion. I was overwhelmed with great delight as a fan of Gene's - and as a music lover. Then I became very sad. Why have none of the twenty-nine songs in this set ever been released officially? Is this what the music business is all about - opportunities missed, passed, lost, neglected and squandered?

It is often said that a true genius is never appreciated in his lifetime. Is it true? I considered Don McLean's song about a Dutch painter:

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now.

Vincent van Gogh painted such beautiful pictures; yet he sold only one painting in his lifetime. How tragic, when such passion and talent go unrecognized by the public! At least we could say to Gene that he had many avid fans all over the world in his lifetime, and that we still buy his records and CDs.

This world is meant for one as beautiful as you, Gene. You were appreciated, admired and respected by your fans while you were with us, and our admiration increases as time goes by. I express my admiration for Gene Clark and his music with the same level of pride as someone who proudly says that he/she graduated from a renowned university. Gene, you must be proud of yourself and what you left for us. If only the Internet had existed in the 70s and the 80s; you could have been far more assured of being loved by your fans all over the world. You wrote so many beautiful songs for us.

While many singers and bands struggle to make music for an album to fulfill contracts, Gene made albums for music. Gene needed a new album so that he could let the world know there were more beautiful songs coming from him. Carla Olson says that Gene never had a job. She's right. He was a natural born singer/songwriter. Music and poetry came to him as a gift from God.

I think of Gene's son Kai, now grown and a musician in his own right. In John Lennon's song, "Beautiful Boy," he sings to his son Sean:

I can hardly wait to see you come of age
but I guess we'll both just have to be patient
It's a long way to go, a hard row to hoe

Sean Lennon once said to Brian Wilson, "I wish I had my dad around to help me with music, maybe give me some advice or something." Kai might be thinking the same way.

Gene, when we finally get where you are, we hope to bring you a lot of great news. Please meet us at the gate. And don't forget to bring your guitar. I will bring you sets of new strings. Let me organize your concerts regularly Up Above. Some of them will be exclusively for the members of the Gene Clark List. These concerts will be the greatest shows in Heaven - the perfect appreciative audience for the perfect artist.

Jazz pianist Fats Waller used to shout out a phrase when his playing was absolutely brilliant and hilarious: "Somebody shoot me while I'm happy!" When I finished my first listening of this set into which Tim put so much time, effort, love and respect, I was inclined to agree with Fats' sentiment. But not now. I need to listen to these CDs over and over again, for the next 20-30 years.

Please let me conclude with the following quotes:

"Gene Clark, the Tambourine Man, the most prolific songwriter in the group, physically the strongest (the only one with obvious muscles), vocally the deepest, emotionally the warmest, and a founder member." - Derek Taylor

"Through it all, that beautiful voice, warm and haunting, so deeply human, enhancing everything it graced, always singing with such conviction, whether a self-penned song or a cover. And the face, always arresting, always handsome, always a bit sad and vulnerable even when smiling." - Pam Richardson

"Gene Clark will always be missed and remembered by so many people that he touched with his voice and songs. We who are living in this amazing time will always have the music he left behind to brighten our lives." - Cheryl Jennings

Geno, after all these years, you're still doin' alright for old people!

Kazi
January 2001