The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard and Clark is my favorite country rock record. But 'country rock' is not really a good description for what's on offer here. It's more like country pop, with Gene Clark's penchant for two-minute romantic tragedies entwined with Doug Dillard's bluegrass textures. The ensemble cast of backing players from in and around the Byrds' orbit - folks like Clarence White, Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon, and Sneaky Pete Kleinow - give the record a vibe that's traditional sounding enough but never veers into purist territory, and for this I'm thankful. As with so many things Clark was involved in after the Byrds, it's a shame that Fantastic Expedition was a commercial failure. The record is what country rock should be - charming, catchy, accessible, and light. Today's song is Gene Clark doing what he does best and features lovely strings arranged by Van Dyke Parks.I believe it was released as a single at or around the time of Fantastic Expedition and only subsequently was added to the album as a bonus track. No matter. After the first few listens, I bet you'll be singing along with the chorus. How does one make heartbreak sound so joyful?
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