So Rebellious A Lover

They Say...

Review by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

So Rebellious a Lover caused quite a stir when it first appeared on the Demon label in 1987, and was hailed as a return to form for Clark. Carla Olson, the Austin native who transplanted to L.A. (and is criminally underappreciated in America), was the perfect foil for Clark. As a songwriter, her lean and taut lines resonate her visions of weary hearts and broken but hopeful lives. Her tunes are rooted in the Americana tradition of Townes Van Zandt, Clark, and others. Clark's tunes here are inspired and free of the weighty lyrical entanglements of some of his other '80s projects. These sessions were born from an informal living-room encounter, and that ease and freedom of license is everywhere evident. Proof in the pudding is in the recording of Clark's "Del Gato," which contains the lyric of the album's title. The story is an elegiac one, full of yearning and downtrodden vision, and the two singers' voices ache with desperation, regret, and the hint of redemption on the margins of the tune. Olson's "The Drifter" is a third-person tale of tragedy and legend. It is Old West mythology that, in the grain of the singer's entwined vocals, becomes a present-day passion play. And then there's Clark's haunted "Gypsy Rider," which could have been recorded for White Light. Olson's harmony drips with an ache at once ghostly and immediate. The mandolin-drenched (courtesy of Chris Hillman) backcountry read of John Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night" recontextualizes the song and turns it into a singalong. In addition, the cover of "Hot Burrito No. 1 (I'm Your Toy)" is as moving and transcendent as the Burritos and far more intimate. And while there are no weak tracks here, Olson's waltz "Are We Still Making Love" deserves special mention for its searing honesty and barely contained passion in the depth of its regret. But everything here reveals a synchronicity and symbiotic spirit that sound organic and whole. This reissue contains six bonus tracks in addition to the original album. The duo's brilliant cover of Phil Ochs' "Changes," which originally appeared on the tribute album True Voices, is a standout. There are four demo recordings of Clark with Olson's band the Textones, which were used to try to secure another deal, and "Broken Hearts and Broken Dreams," originally issued as a bonus track on Olson's debut album in Europe. So Rebellious a Lover has been given very special treatment by a label not distinguished for doing so. It is a reissue that feels as relevant and fresh today as when it was released. For those who missed this gem the first time around, don't wait.