Clear Light (album)

Clear Light
Clear Light
Studio album by Clear Light
Released	September 1967
Recorded	April – May 1967, August 1967
Studio	Sunset Sound Recorders Hollywood, California
Genre	Psychedelic rock
Length	31:59
Label	Elektra
Producer	Paul A. Rothchild

Clear Light is the only studio album by the American psychedelic rock band Clear Light, released in September 1967, by Elektra Records. The album was a moderate success.

Clear Light was released in September 1967 and peaked at number 126 on the Billboard pop albums chart. It combined elements of folk, rock, psychedelic, and classical music. It is an AMG music pick.[1] While the album was not a success at the time, it was considered as creative, coherent and competent. The album featured the unique characteristic of including two leading drummers on their tracks.[2] The album also includes three tracks written by guitarist Bob Seal.

Recording

Recording commenced in April 1967 at Elektra Recording Studio in Los Angeles. The majority of the material was completed during these sessions, but the developments were postponed to replace Robbie Robison on guitar. Instead of a new guitarist, the band recruited keyboardist Ralph Schuckett, and, following a month of concerts, the band returned to recording in Sunset Sound Recorders Studios. The studios had just recently upgraded from a 4-track to an 8-track. A highlight of the recording sessions was the band's psychedelic interpretation of the Tom Paxton composition "Mr. Blue".[3]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Village Voice	D−[4]

In his 1976 review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave Clear Light a low rating of "D−" to an A+ to F scale.[4] Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic was more positive to the record, calling it a "very good slice of Los Angeles psychedelia."[1]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Black Roses"	Wolfgang Dios, Clear Light	2:09
2.	"Sand"	Douglas Lubahn	2:38
3.	"A Child's Smile"	Clear Light, Michael Ney	1:37
4.	"Street Singer"	Greg Copeland, Steve Noonan	3:17
5.	"The Ballad of Freddie and Larry"	Cliff De Young, Ralph Schuckett	1:56
6.	"With All in Mind"	Bob Seal	2:58

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Mr. Blue"	Tom Paxton	6:25
2.	"Think Again"	Clear Light, Lubahn	1:37
3.	"They Who Have Nothing"	Seal	2:34
4.	"How Many Days Have Passed"	Seal	2:24
5.	"Night Sounds Loud"	Lubahn	2:26

The CD reissue of the album includes a bonus track, "She's Ready to Be Free", which was the B-side of the group's first single.

Personnel

Musicians

Cliff De Young – vocals
Bob Seal – guitar, vocals
Douglas Lubahn – bass
Ralph Schuckett – keyboards
Dallas Taylor – drums
Michael Ney – drums
Robbie Robison – guru
Lee Housekeeper – seer and overseer

Technical

Paul A. Rothchild – production
Bruce Botnick – engineer
Jac Holzman – production supervisor
Gordon Anderson – executive producer

References

Greenwald, Matthew. "Clear Light — Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
"Clear Light". therisingstorm.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
"Official Clear Light". officialclearlight.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
Christgau, Robert (December 20, 1976). "Christgau's Consumer Guide to 1967". The Village Voice. New York. p. 69. Retrieved June 22, 2013.

External links

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[allmusic-1] Greenwald, Matthew. "Clear Light — Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 16, 2020.

[2] "Clear Light". therisingstorm.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.

[3] "Official Clear Light". officialclearlight.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2015.

[Christgau-4] Christgau, Robert (December 20, 1976). "Christgau's Consumer Guide to 1967". The Village Voice. New York. p. 69. Retrieved June 22, 2013.