The Byrds: Listener's Guide

on
I started listening to the Byrds in early January 2021. I recommend checking out Mr. Tambourine Man, Fifth Dimension, The Notorious Byrd Brothers, and Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Mr. Tambourine Man (1965): A- [Originally: B+]
Fifth Dimension (1966): B+
Younger than Yesterday (1967): B [Originally: B-]
Ballad of Easy Rider (1969): B-


Not only do the Byrds come right out of the gate with a revolutionary sound, they're already a pretty disciplined band too. Despite the fact that over half of the album consists of cover songs, the band has already proven themselves to be excellent songwriters and arrangers--each of the four Dylan songs is beautifully reimagined and turned in on itself to create a pop masterpiece. As excellent and well-crafted as their sound is though, the jangly guitar and tambourine make the album occasionally sound monotoned, highlighted by the vapid tracks "We'll Meet Again" and "You Won't Have to Cry." B+ [Later: A-]

"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" are the first Dylan covers from the band that are definitively worse than the originals (an additional compliment to their debut, by the way). Although the album doesn't sound monotoned like their debut does, the individual songs are often significantly worse and only "Turn! Turn! Turn!," "It Won't Be Wrong," and "The World Turns All Around Her" stand as excellent--or strong for that matter. The rest, including the Dylan covers, plays mostly as adequate, but flawed filler. B-

On side one, the Byrds are back and better than ever--not only do "I See You" and "Mr. Spaceman" represent the pinnacle of the sound they introduced on their debut Mr. Tambourine Man, but "Wild Mountain Thyme" and "Fifth Dimension" exhibit the band brilliantly succeeding in their ambitious delve into psychedelic pop. On the flip side, however, side two is a little bumpy. Although they don't touch the strength of "John Riley" and the excellent "Eight Miles High," the out of place "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)" and the disappointing "2-4-2 Fox Trot" do weaken the instrumental track "Captain Soul," which needs better company for me to give it a chance. B+

With the dreadful "Mind Gardens" as the pinnacle of his horrors, Crosby has already turned into a pompous 60s washout, pumping out challenging psychedelic music with druggy lyrics to satisfy his highbrow and well on his way to becoming the lame fuck that would tout "Triad" as a masterpiece. Roger McGuinn also disappoints. His contributions aren't as plentiful as they should be--he's the band leader after all and should take that responsibility more seriously--but he does contribute two classics, "Why" and his interpretation of "My Back Pages." And with the creative space left behind, Chris Hillman has quite unexpectedly turned into a top-notch songwriter and vocalist, with two of his compositions, "Time Between" and "The Girl with No Name," boasting a noticeable country influence thanks to the incomparable Clarence White and his B-Bender guitar. Occasionally, McGuinn's and Hillman's excellent material is hurt by somewhat flat vocals but since its adjacent to Crosby's bullshit, who's going to notice? B

As experimental as the album is, the Byrds are able to perfectly blend this with their signature soothing harmonies and melodies to create an album that looks boldly to the future without being too challenging or discordant. It also boasts a cohesion and direction that past Byrds' albums have failed to achieve. Fifth Dimension certainly had its own unique character, but it wasn't without filler and McGuinn's vision wasn't crystal clear like it is here. Additionally, the songwriting is superb--"Dolphin's Smile" is probably my favorite song Crosby has ever written and "Get to You" is one of my favorite Byrds' lyric--and music is dense with significant, but not excessive texture. Beautifully sequenced too. A

Continuing in the footsteps of The Notorious Byrd Brothers, this is a wonderfully recorded album from the banjo and fiddle on "I Am a Pilgrim" to the piano and pedal steel guitar on "You're Still on My Mind." Reverence for the genre and the country standards they cover exudes from the band, particularly Gram Parsons, who steals the show. Although Parsons sings lead on only three songs, the two originals he contributes are among the best songs the Byrds have ever recorded--the achingly beautiful "Hickory Wind" may, in fact, be my favorite Byrds song (is that cheating?)--and his vocal performances outshine McGuinn and Hillman, who are currently on the top of their game. A-

If nothing else, this is a great testament to why the Byrds have proved so influential. Although the album prominently boasts a country influence, McGuinn continues experimenting with different genres and displays this on the opening track "This Wheel's on Fire," which features a searing and heavy guitar solo--something I never expected on a Byrds' song. However, there's too much half-assed songwriting and McGuinn, who was trying to keep some of the band's signature sound intact, shouldn't have let any of the new members sing harmony with him--even McGuinn's vocals are far from top-notch. Although the playing is consistently excellent and the majority of the songs are worthwhile efforts, the lackluster moments--"Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man," "Candy," and the "My Back Pages" medley--ultimately define the album much better than its best moments. B

Ballad of Easy Rider (1969):
Folk-country is another excellent genre for the Byrds to explore, but the result ends up being close to the worst project the band has released up to this point. Mostly, the vocals are terrible--just because it's laid back doesn't mean it can't have bite--and the choice of covers is questionable. Despite excellent playing from the new lineup's second album, the album never offers substantial enjoyment outside of the title track. B-