The Byrds' seventh studio album Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde was released in 1969. It was released to positive reviews and was the Byrds' highest charting album since 1967's Younger than Yesterday. After Gram Parsons left the band, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman focused on created a new lineup for the band. They recruited guitarist Clarence White and drummer Gene Parsons (no relation to Gram). Then, Hillman left the Byrds to form The Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons, which left McGuinn to hire a new bassist, John York, as well. Hillman left before sessions began for the new album. The album saw the band combining country and psychedelic rock, both genres they had previously experimented with separately.
Welp, we finished the saga of the Byrds! I'm going to listen to one more Byrds' album and post it on their discography page before we move on The Flying Burrito Brothers. To be honest, the main reason I finally got around to doing the Byrds was because I really wanted to listen The Flying Burrito Brothers' debut and it made sense to listen to the Byrds beforehand since Hillman and Gram Parsons both started in Byrds. As I prepared to dive into the Byrds, however, I became much more excited to do them and now that I have finished going through the best of their albums, I can say they exceeded my expectations. The most impressive thing about the Byrds, which I mentioned in the review above, is how often they changed directions and experimented with something new. They're also the best Dylan interpreters out there. Knowing their most popular songs does not allow you to fully appreciate the band because the songs are generally restricted to their signature sound and their first four albums--before The Notorious Byrd Brothers and Sweetheart of the Rodeo! Therefore, I recommend listening to the albums listed below (you could swap Mr. Tambourine Man and Fifth Dimension with their first greatest hits album The Byrds' Greatest Hits (1967) to save time) instead of listening to their five most famous songs and being satisfied.
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' album. However, there's too much half-assed songwriting and McGuinn, who was trying to keep some of the Byrds' 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
(scroll down for a ranking of the Byrds' best albums!)
Here's a ranking of their best albums:
4. Fifth Dimension (1966)
The psychedelic rock and ambition of The Notorious Byrd Brothers was first introduced here to quite breathtaking results, which is why I was pretty sure this was the better than their debut Mr. Tambourine Man when I reviewed it. However, upon re-listens for this ranking, the track list of Fifth Dimension is slightly inconsistent. That said, this is still quite strong--"Wild Mountain Thyme" has one of my favorite string arrangements. B+
3. Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
My expectations for the band were already exceeded when I sat down and listened to their debut for the first time. The fact their debut was this impressive blew my mind because, basically outside of Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles, no one was releasing studio albums without filler in 1965. The only thing working against the album is the singularity of the album's sound. B+
2. Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)
To be fair, I can see why this isn't included on most of the Byrds' greatest hits albums--it's basically Gram Parsons's album and he wasn't even a member of the band for more than six months. However, the album's quality is undeniable and it's one of the reasons the Byrds have proved so influential. "Hickory Wind"! A-
1. The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
I know I suggested that Sweetheart of the Rodeo could have been as good as this with Gram Parson on lead for every vocal, but that was a wild exaggeration. Nothing bests this--it's simultaneously the most experimental and calming album I know. There are numerous examples even into the mid-70s where bands were experimenting with synthesizers to utterly terrible results, but somehow the Byrds were able to perfect the use of the technology when it was only four years old. Every time I listen to it, I change my mind on what the best song is--right now I think it's "Old John Robertson." A
Click here to see the reviews for the Byrds' albums all in one place.