Interesting that you should mention Gene Clark, because I've been going through a small GC phase recently myself - though just from Kazaa downloads so it's a bit hit and miss. Re second tier artists / records, I do like a lot of it, but I've always assumed that you knew all of the same music. I'll pretend for now that you don't.....Some of the thoughts that come into my head are: start with the Byrds. Certainly "Sweetheart of the Rodeo", the first album on which Gram Parsons joined in, and then get your hands on "Ballad of Easy Rider" if you haven't already - it's a beautiful country rock record. Their reunion record from 1973 (cleverly entitled "The Byrds") is not nearly as good but has a few gorgeous folk/country rock (FCR from this point forward) tracks, particularly two Gene Clark numbers ("Changing Heart" and "Full Circle").

If you haven't worked over the early Grateful Dead records you should - I'm sure you have...but Workingman's Dead and American Beauty are quintessential. A lot of my other fave FCR artists come out of that San Francisco scene. New Riders of the Purple Sage made some very appealing FCR in the early seventies - I own two albums, the first one and the "Panama Red" one, and they're both very engaging and well worth a listen. Loved Moby Grape, and although it's not as purely country as Gene Clark etc, a lot of it is very bluesy-country and fits the bill. I have a great box set that I can lend you. I know you know all the Springfield stuff but for those following along at home it's all excellent. Another record (well, records) I would highly recommend is the Beau Brummels "Bradley's Barn", as well as its predecessor "Triangle", from '67 or so. The BB's are best known these days for some light pop around 1964 ("Laugh Laugh" and others), but they made two great country-rock records a few years later. The Youngbloods (you know "Get Together") also made a couple of very nice FCR records in the late sixties as well.

Re Stills etc, his work with Manassas is really very good, particularly the first record (there are two I think). And re solo records, I picked up some related stuff last year - the first solos for David Crosby (If I could Only Remember My Name) and Roger McGuinn (self-titled) and they were both very very good. Not FCR strictly speaking but diverse and interesting.

Enough for now...Any that you want to mention?