Dillard & Clark's second outing was a disappointment in relation to their far more eclectic and original prior effort,
The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark. The primary difference is that whereas the earlier record had leaned on
Gene Clark's original compositions, and a reasonably adventurous attitude toward country-rock fusion in general, the follow-up saw them turning into a much more traditional folk/bluegrass act. In part this was due to the addition of guitarist
Donna Washburn on harmony and occasional lead vocal, and the departure of
Bernie Leadon. But in the main, it was because
Clark wrote just four of the tracks, surrounded by covers of songs by
Reno & Smiley,
Bill Monroe,
the Everly Brothers, and even
the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down" (which is actually one of the better songs on the album). Taken on its own, it's a fair, pleasant, heavily bluegrass-flavored outing with few surprises. The
Clark originals sound considerably more personal and contemporary than the more traditional tunes, though
Clark's "Corner Street Bar" was a surprisingly dreadful comic barroom lament. Either the band didn't realize that
Clark's voice and compositions were their greatest potential assets, or
Clark himself was not assertive enough in pushing himself to the forefront. ~ Richie Unterberger