Gene Clark's post-
Byrds solo career was as fraught with false starts and unmet promises as his two years with
the Byrds were filled with fame, fulfillment, and recognition.
Firebyrd was an artistic triumph and a commercial disaster -- released to rave reviews and an enthusiastic response as one of the finest solo projects ever to come from an ex-
Byrd, it was killed by poor distribution (demand in Europe, especially Germany and Italy, where fan interest in
Clark and
the Byrds was very high, resulted in high premiums being paid for used copies). "Rain Song," "Rodeo Rider," and "Something About You" were some of
Clark's best songs in years, and his covers of two old
Byrds numbers, "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Feel a Whole Lot Better," are perfectly credible reinterpretations, and he even does justice to
Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind." Not a "lost
Byrds album" by any means, but a must-own for any serious
Byrds fan. [In 1995, an expanded version of
Firebyrd was released in Great Britain with the title This Byrd Has Flown.] ~ Bruce Eder