The Byrds: Classic Or Dud

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I think what I probably meant, Pinefox, was "Destroy: the habit of calling (all kinds of) things 'Byrdsy'". And plainly it would be superbly daft genuinely to denounce Byrds, The, on the strength of a vote in the ILM 2001 Poll (when the vote is in fact for someone else entirely, albeit someone with some lineal connection to, er, Byrdsiness... )

― mark s, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Awesome post from Dr C. I concur 100%!

x0x0x

― norman fay, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Pinefox and Norman, you are too kind! The aborted Peer Gynt- based musical was called "Gene Tryp", and there are a couple of other songs from it on "Untitled". Can't recall which ones exactly - "Just a Season" I think was one.

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

the pre-parsons stuff would be nice if only it wasn't for the lifeless choirboy singing.

i hate country music.

search: _chronic town_, _murmur_, husker du's take on "eight miles high."

― sundar subramanian, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

i hate country music.

Don't worry about it Sundar, nobody's perfect ;).

The Byrds = Classic. I don't listen to them all that often, but they sing pretty and I've liked almost everything I've heard by them.

― Patrick, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Thought I'd list a few slightly less well-known "Searches" I think I dealt with the "Destroy" list above.

So, Search for : "I know my Rider" and "Eight Miles High [RCA version] (extra tracks on the reissue of 5D) "All The Things" (from Untitled), "Don't Make Waves" (extra track on reissue of Younger than Yesterday), "She Don't Care about Time" (2 versions n the re-issue of TTT)

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 16 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

the pre-parsons stuff would be nice if only it wasn't for the lifeless choirboy singing

get out those Joe Cocker records! Soul baby!

― Pete, Wednesday, 16 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

two weeks pass...

Have just been reading the new Oxford Companion to Jazz - a truly crappy anthology, btw - and came across this in the chapter on Coltrane - "'India' appears to be based on a recorded Vedic chant (that is, with a text coming from the Vedas, religious books of the 1500s) that was issued on a Folkways LP at the time." Intriguing if true - the book is riddled with errors of fact and judgement, so I'm wary about taking anything in it as gospel - 'cos again McGuinn was one of the first Western pop musicians to show an interest in Indian music - 'Moog Raga' indeed - and I wonder if he was also familiar with Coltrane's source material when he and his pals set about writing/recording "Eight Miles High'.

― Andrew L, Saturday, 2 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

What's the date of Moog Raga, Andrew? If "Moog" means what I think it means, when 68 or after, has to be. In which case the direct raga-ness could easily have by then entered by another portal (Beatles, Brian Jones, Ravi of course, the NY avant garde, even). It's a great idea, tho: someone shd do something on how Folkways as a whole got unrock noises into the rock bloodstream. I vaguely remember Toop saying in Wire, years ago, that one of the Folkways records includes stuff by a man who had throat or tongue cancer speaking and breathing through a hole cut in his neck! (cf eg Mötörhead and the death-metal croak?!)

― mark s, Saturday, 2 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

"Moog Raga" was originally slated to be on the "Notorious Byrd Brothers" album, and I believe it actually appeared on the track listing in some promo/advertising material from the time. It's on the CD reissue of "NBB" (along with a studio argument where David Crosby is really snidey to Michael Clarke) "Moog Raga" is pretty duff IMO, which is a shame, as the sound conjured up in your mind by "the Byrds Moog Raga" is fantastic.

BTW, when Rog McGuinn first got his small Moog Modular system, he was completely stumped by it. He called Bob Moog, and was reportedly told that if he didn't know how to use it, then he shouldn't have bought it! This is as nothing compared to the other early synth pioneer Donald Buchla. I heard of one fellow who bought a used buchla system, and phoned buchla & co for service info. Buchla then phoned up the guy he'd bought it off, and shouted abuse down the phone along the lines of "HOW DARE YOU SELL THE INSTRUMENT i CUSTOM MADE FOR YOU!!!"

Moog modular synthesisers are available new from a company called moog custom engineering, but IMO those wishing to record moog ragas of their very own would be advised to check out:

http://www.synthtech.com http://www.wiard.com http://www.modcan.com

x0x0

― Norman Fay, Saturday, 2 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

The Bob Moog story is funny, tho I find it a little unlikely: he's a very civil and businesslike gentleman. The Buchla story I've heard — from Morton Subotnick? — and it sounds very in character.

― mark s, Saturday, 2 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Morton Subotnik is possibly the best name ever, especially as it sounds like '(Dr.)Robotnik' from the Sonic The Hedgehog games. Even the superb 'Bob Moog' pales in comparison.

― DG, Saturday, 2 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Mark - 'Moog Raga' recorded 1st Nov 1967. Here's what it says in the liner notes to 'Never Before', a collection of Byrds rarities/outtakes etc.: "McGuinn first encountered the Moog at the Monterey Pop Festival during the summer of 1967, and, duly impressed, purchased one of the early models directly from the inventor, R. A. Moog, for around $9,000. The only hitch was that the machine came without instructions... Mr Moog opined that if one didn't know how to use it already, one should not own it in the first place. "

Earliest ref to the Indian influence I can find is that in late '65, McGuinn used his Rickenbacker guitar to simulate the sound of a Sitar on the track "Why' ; first version of 'Eight Miles High' recorded at the same session. So quite early, but dunno if it predates 'Paint it Black' and George Harrison's first 'Eastern' influenced songs. And yes, "someone shd do something on how Folkways as a whole got unrock noises into the rock bloodstream." - I'll read it if you write it! The Smithsonian Institute are currently reissuing many of the old albs (many on CD-R!), and I have a pretty comprehensive catalogue for this, so I might do a bit more digging...

― Andrew L, Sunday, 3 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

That's the same liner notes Norman referred me too. Which is cool — except (a) you can't always rely on liner notes to be, er, reliable, and (b), what was Moog doing at Monterey if not pushing his brilliant techno-baby, and what kind of a twit inventor-salesman refuses to sell to those who aren;t up to speed. His whole pitch is: no one's up to speed yet, this is TOTALLY NEW... (Which it totally was.)

The raga stuff: so is it a case of parallel evolution (which is, like, not impossible) or is it chart-pop rivals jockeying for Best Use of this Week's Gimmick (which is the Secret Story of Rock, 64-68)? Lennon-McCartney (latter esp.) made a project of study of their whippersnapper competitors: could they even have been researching Byrds out-takes?

Folkways: It's another whole chapter. Oh joy. Or is that Oh fuck.

― mark s, Sunday, 3 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Gram Parsons was a spoiled rich-kid charlatan who couldn't write a country lyric or sing for shit, and I'm glad he's dead. Gene Clark forever!

― tarden, Sunday, 3 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Possibly earlier (the album Pisces, Capricorn, Aquarius and Jones was recorded between April 26 and Oct 4th 1967) than Moog Raga were The Monkees "Star Collector" and "Daily Nightly", both featuring some Moog from Paul Beaver and Mickey Dolenz respectively. Dolenz's Moog "skills" make his drumming seem up there with thelikes of Moon and Bonham.

― Dr. C, Sunday, 3 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Of course out in the world is what counts (in respect of who's copying who), not down the studio, BUT that name Krause is one to conjure with. And was McCartney keeping tabs on the Monkees? I'd put big money on it...

Brilliant: I knew the Byrds would one day deliver something of massive pleasure to me, and this is it. Respeck, Dr C.

(Actually when I was playing them earlier today the only track I wanted to give a second listen was 'Mind Gardens'! They're probably my number-one Yes-yes-I-know- they're-great-can-we-listen-to-something- else-now-please? band... Guess I must still not be playing them loud enough.)

― mark s, Sunday, 3 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Oops: Beaver = Krause, or rather doesn't, except in my head.

― mark s, Sunday, 3 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

People interested in the history and use of early synthesisers on pop tracks should read:

http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~tewing/rockmach.html

...and shudder in astonishment as FT actually prints something which is WELL-RESEARCHED (or *at all* researched)

― Tom, Sunday, 3 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

I read somewhere on the web today that The Monkees WERE the first to use a Moog. Astounding!

― Dr. C, Monday, 4 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

I too want this to be true, Dr C, but it is possible also to "read on the web" — at, say, http://members.home.net/veganmozfan — that aliens enabled Morrissey, through the use of song, to predict Princess Di's carcrash...

― mark s, Monday, 4 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

You mean THEY DIDN'T?????

Heaven knows I'm miserable now.

― Nicole, Monday, 4 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

I only just read veganmozfan's site, and have misled you all: not "aliens" but "one old alien" (= anag. Alain Delon, coverstar for — wait for it — THE QUEEN IS DEAD).

I am a convert, needless to say.

― mark s, Monday, 4 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Point taken Mark! The sleevenotes of the Rhino reissue of PAC+J had already led me to work out that they were ONE OF the first to get mooged-up. Sound samplers and test recordings apart, it looks like the Monkees may have been the first to use it on a *pop* record, and it's fantastic that it was Mickey Dolenz!

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 5 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

four years pass...

The Doc was great on this thread.

But I am reviving now to say: THE PREFLYTE SESSIONS: SEARCH! Or Destroy, whatever you want. I just want to hear some views on that collection. 'You Movin'' - wow!

― the byrdfox, Tuesday, 5 July 2005 13:48 (twenty years ago)

It's good, from what I remember

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLY CLASSIC. Mostly Gene Clark meloncholy gems, but it's all good. I have the orig. Columbia vinyl and the Poptones CD, but there's other versions, most recently on Sundazed I think, with a few extra tracks maybe?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 14:00 (twenty years ago)

I've got Cassette version of it that had extra trax

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 14:01 (twenty years ago)

so THIS was the thread with the Monkees Moog stuff on it.

I haven't listened to The Byrds for ages, apart from Untitled. I enjoyed the live stuff especially and I am forced to concede that I was possibly too harsh on Gene Parsons upthread. S.Battin is still a tool.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I like Gene Parsons! He's got a nice voice and he wrote some good songs. There's a song he wrote for the Flying Burrito Bros. which is a real classic, can't remember the name of it. Saw him live once and he was most entertaining!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

... but Skip Battin was a bit of a disaster, especially when Kim Fowley was involved

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

My favourite Gene Parsons / Burritos song is "Sweet Desert Childhood", though "Wind And Rain" is also pretty great.

I'm amazed I didn't rise to the bait of the Doc ragging on Gene Parsons, because I'm a great admirer of his solo "The Kindling Album". His LP "Melodies" is less good, despite the promising title.

I think "Yesterday's Train" is beautiful, even.

I've never heard "Pre-Flyte", having always worked on the assumption that I don't really like The Byrds pre-Gram. I have a horrible feeling that this is a contrarian position I once took, sometime around 1987, and then the wind changed and I got stuck like that.

Perhaps I have some treats in store.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 15:34 (twenty years ago)

"Wind and Rain", that's it!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

I go back and forth about my favorite classic '60s band. Stones, Beach Boys, Byrds, Love, Moby Grape? Well, Moby Grape only had maybe an hour of great material. I think "Notorious" is one of the best records ever made; ditto the first Byrds album. The others are more spotty, sure, but I think "Sweetheart" is really good. I don't believe that the Byrds really took country music all that seriously, myself, even with Gram Parsons. Even given the somewhat lackadasical production, "Gilded" is certainly the greatest "country-rock" album, isn't it? I think it's authentically country as far as it goes--as a rip on Buck Owens and the Bakersfield sound, that is. Coltrane was pretty much a god by the time they did "Eight Miles High," and I hear parallels between the somewhat fake-o "modalism" of "Love Supreme" and lotsa "rock music." But I put that song down to the perception that "Indian" music and American modalist jazz had some kind of affinity, not so much to Coltrane himself. And anyway I find a lot of Coltrane great but boring, and frankly I listen to 'Trane for Elvin Jones, not so much for the man playing sax. Who is indisputably great, I just think his ideas are kind of weak a lot of time, maybe his rolling around in his own sweat swings but it's not something I always enjoy as much as I like Cannonball Adderley or Don Byas or any number of other players. So I guess I think the '60s worship of 'Trane was a hype, something that people who didn't maybe like jazz-as-jazz could latch onto. But the Byrds: I can't think of another great group where the drummer was so shitty, yet it works. Not a big fan of anything after "Notorious" but I love Clarence White immoderately, what a great guitar player, and some of the stuff on "Ballad of Easy Rider" is really good, some of "Untitled" is interesting, but overall it's a footnote to their '65-'68 work. Still, I think McGuinn was a pretty great musical thinker, a cold bastard most likely, and he developed one of the most distinctive guitar styles of the era, picked good songs, and so while I won't say the Byrds were the sound of the '60s, they were a big part of it in my book (I actually get more " '60s" out of Gal Costa or someone like that, these days). So, fucking classic. And the two Raven "Byrd Parts" comps, while spotty, contain much fine shit, including White's amazing instrumental "Ode to Billie Joe."

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

just recently i was listening to 'Sound of Goodbye' by the Godsin Bros - got some great Byrds-a-like material on it, inc. an awesome unreleased track w/ Michael White, Chris Hillman and Clarence White - def. one for the byrds looking for that last nugget of twang

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

The Byrds entire sound is classic. They rank with my other 60s favorites (Hendrix, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, the Who)--classic I say!

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 02:55 (twenty years ago)

His LP "Melodies" is less good, despite the promising title.

(Classic.)

― the byrdfox, Wednesday, 6 July 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

Disc 2 is rougher than Disc 1. Possibly I prefer it.

The martial drumming on electric 'Tambourine Man' is interesting. It's like Larry Mullen Jr just out of Mount Temple, not Michael Clarke.

Gene Clark was a pretty good songwriter for a young age. But then, I'm not sure how young he was.

'Boston' and 'You Movin'' are the ones that have pushed out new motorboats for these ears. Cor.

There are a handy lot of good photos of the Byrds, and some of them are in the booklet for the collection.

Today I listened to 'Wild Mountain Thyme' for first time in a while - wow; I suppose the verdict is: later Byrds are even better than earlier Byrds. I love the strings and the 12-string solo on that track.

― the byrdfox, Wednesday, 6 July 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

They're good, yeah. But I almost like the Monkees more. :-)

Funny coincidence since my grandfather was the publicist for the Monkees and how he recalls the Byrds being there all the time.

― Cunga (Cunga), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

The first record is so great, also the single for Why? is totaly classic . It's a shame 5th dimension kind of sucks. The bonus stuff on the reissue is better than the record I think.

― dan. (dan.), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

I have some sympathy with this view, although 'sucks' is a bit strong. There is certainly a ultra-classic 40-minute LP hiding there amongst all of those 5D era recordings taken together.

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

edd s hurt OTM, especially when he says "I can't think of another great group where the drummer was so shitty, yet it works." Usually when I like a group I don't worry about anybody's chops, I just feel like everybody is doing their job and I'm happy about that, but Mike Clarke is bad enough to make me stop and wonder.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

There is a hidden bonus track on one of the recent rerelease CDs with Mike C deliberately playing an inappropriate generic backbeat (badly played, too) to sabotage a song they are recording. You can hear the producer saying something like "Mike, can you listen to Dave and Chris and Roger are playing and play something more like that?" and, best of all, David Crosby saying "Michael, play drums right!" I never thought I'd take David Crosby's side in anything, but.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 8 July 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

Haha, that's on "Notorious Byrd Brothers", and IIRC CRosby comes out w/all this repellent but comical pseudo-psych talk as well "Michael, it's about something called your ego" and so on.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 8 July 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

Whenever I "overhear" folks talking about California, Byrds, Monkees, country rock, etc., I always mention the Beau Brummels, Triangle, Bradley's Barn, and Everly Brothers' Roots, even if it has nothing to do with the conversation.

― Justin Farrar (Justin Farrar), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

All I can think about when you talk about the California scene like that is Terry Valentine in The Limey.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

That character has hotta be at least partly a nod to Terry Melcher, who I once read was described as "evil" during the late-Sixties (poss., in a Sly Stone book) — after all, the guy was Manson's intended target.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:53 (twenty years ago)

Matthew, I seem to remember that we had that discussion on this thread.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:55 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

which other THE BYRDS songs will i like if i like 'IT WON'T BE WRONG'?

thanks in advance byrds-fan types!

― pisces, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 11:30 (eighteen years ago)

Just get all their records, you won't be dissapointed.

― dan selzer, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 13:01 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 239 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I’m also waiting for y’all to accuse me of slagging on Levon Helm or not appreciating Clem Cattini.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:18 (three years ago)

Not a big enough fan of Christopher Mars.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:19 (three years ago)

Oh hey, I just discovered the awesome discofied version of “Eight Miles High” on
Flesh and Blood to distract myself while you circle the wagons.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:23 (three years ago)

Maybe I should go on a Pink Floyd thread and see what people are saying about Nick Mason.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:24 (three years ago)

it's cool sorry if that came off more aggressive than intended

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:27 (three years ago)

You’re making me sorry, sorry somehow.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:29 (three years ago)

Okay, I’ll stop

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:29 (three years ago)

One of my favourite Byrds covers is Grant McLennan's 'Ballad of Easy Rider'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAcPJfbHQro

― aphoristical, Friday, 2 June 2023 01:32 (three years ago)

Wow, never knew that existed, thanks! I say this and haven’t even clicked yet.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 June 2023 01:38 (three years ago)

Many xxx-posts...

Surprised no-one posted the bonus track from the Notorious... reissue with the recording of McGuinn and Hillman fighting with Clarke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsVs9-W0eSQ

― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 2 June 2023 04:27 (three years ago)

Maybe it was already posted upthread? Plus it’s definitely David not Roger- and he even mentions a horse!

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 June 2023 06:30 (three years ago)

The Troggs did it better. Crosby might be an asshole but he's right about the drumming on this track.

― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Friday, 2 June 2023 06:42 (three years ago)

Lol about The Troggs.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 June 2023 06:58 (three years ago)

Fairport cover Gene Clark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvWxOxme9Lw

― dow, Friday, 2 June 2023 17:20 (three years ago)

They sure had good taste.

― dan selzer, Friday, 2 June 2023 17:32 (three years ago)

^love this one!

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 June 2023 17:33 (three years ago)

Think I first heard it as part of some BBC sessions.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 June 2023 18:52 (three years ago)

Which that is, I now see in the fine print.

― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 June 2023 18:53 (three years ago)

Yeah, I've just got it on the original Heyday, which is like 10-12 performances from the Beeb; the 2002 reissue is 20 tracks, and the 4-disc box is still around, and yeah they had taste for sure. Don't think they did any more Byrds-related material, unless some of the same trad.
The Hillmen s/t doesn't have any Chris originals, but they do a couple of Dylan songs, like this one--whole reissue is here (note inclusion of the Gosdin Brothers, later with Gene, and with Clarence White on their own late 60s The Sound of Goodbye)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8VP7kIXKDY

― dow, Saturday, 3 June 2023 00:45 (three years ago)

I believe Joe Boyd would bring a lot of records over from the US for them to listen to. Also he was involved with the Move in some way and they covered the Byrds, Moby Grape and Love.

― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Saturday, 3 June 2023 00:52 (three years ago)

The Move covered all of those?!
Gosdin Brothers' Sounds (plural) of Goodbye has Byrds appeal, as well it might:

The GOSDIN BROTHERS - Sounds Of Goodbye . Us . 1968 .
(Folk Rock) (Country Rock)
Vern Gosdin - Vocals , Guitar , Songwriter
Rex Gosdin - Vocals , Guitar , Songwriter
&
Gib Guilbeau - Rhythm Guitar , Fiddle , Songwriter
Gene Parsons - Drums , Harmonica
Clarence White - Lead Guitar , Rhythm Guitar , Dobro , Songwriter
Wayne Moore - Bass , Rhythm Guitar , Songwriter
Gary S. Paxton - Producer , Songwriter
Kenny Johnson - Guitar
Dennis Payne - Guitar , Bass

I was led to it by young Kelsey Waldon's cover of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdDHi6gIdKw

― dow, Saturday, 3 June 2023 00:59 (three years ago)

The Move covered all of those?!

"So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star" (and "Goin' Back" and "Eight Miles High"!), "Hey Grandma" and "Stephanie Knows Who".

― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Saturday, 3 June 2023 01:02 (three years ago)

Richard Thompson has mentioned this before (and it may be in his recent memoir), but when Fairport Convention covered their favorite contemporary songwriters, they purposely chose songs that weren't so well-known at the time. As a result, they produced just as many definitive or near-definitive versions of Dylan songs as the Byrds: "I'll Keep It With Mine," "Million Dollar Bash," "Percy's Song," "Dear Landlord," "Si Tu Dois Partir" (aka "If You Gotta Go, Go Now"), etc.

― birdistheword, Saturday, 3 June 2023 01:34 (three years ago)

Whenever I listen to Another Side of Bob Dylan, I almost feel like I'm listening to a demo session for the Byrds - four of the best songs became great Byrds recordings. Only "Chimes of Freedom" was equaled by Dylan simply because it's a great, epic set of lyrics and so much of it was cut out by the Byrds.

― birdistheword, Saturday, 3 June 2023 01:39 (three years ago)

Don't think they did any more Byrds-related material

this is beautiful, technically a mcguinn/dylan tune

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1qlcBWC0EI

― buzza, Saturday, 3 June 2023 02:19 (three years ago)

also Iain Matthews did a few Gene Clark songs post-Fairport

― buzza, Saturday, 3 June 2023 02:23 (three years ago)

Ah! Thanks!

Sandy Denny: vocal; Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol: guitars; Ashley Hutchings: bass; Dave Mattacks: drums.
This was Fairport Convention's encore at the time. Recorded at Sound Techniques in 1969 as part of the Liege and Lief sessions, it was later released on Richard Thompson's collection (Guitar, Vocal), on the Sandy Denny anthologies No More Sad Refrains and A Boxful of Treasures, and as bonus track of the 2003 reissue of Fairport Convention's album Unhalfbricking.
A live version without Sandy was released in 1977 on the Island Records 2LP set Richard Thompson Live! (more or less)

https://mainlynorfolk.info/fairport/songs/balladofeasyrider.htm

― dow, Saturday, 3 June 2023 02:47 (three years ago)

Then you’ll probably enjoy this:

https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-139-eight-miles-high-by-the-byrds/

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, May 30, 2023 4:58 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

i started this and it seemed great, so i actually ended up going back to the first episode. so now i'm all up in lionel hampton and big joe turner etc but i'm excited to hear this someday

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 9 June 2023 15:18 (three years ago)

one year passes...

I have to say, if I was enrolled in Environmental Issues at UC Berkeley, I never would imagine Roger McGuinn would be a guest lecturer.

― birdistheword, Thursday, 19 September 2024 01:06 (one year ago)

i recently got a copy of the last byrds album - y'know the one zhat reunites all the orig members & for years was reputed to be "bad" - got it for 1 buck & it's mostly pretty good. it got a rough rap on acct i think of sounding more like bits from all the members' solo careers & subsequent projects than like "the byrds" & it's true, that's what it does sound like. it's good tho (mostly).

fav byrds alb - notorious byrd bros

fav solo thing by ex byrd - no other by gene clark (haven't listened much to d. crosby's if only i could etc etc but if i had, maybe it'd be that)

― pere uwu (doo rag), Thursday, 19 September 2024 04:51 (one year ago)

one year passes...

i enjoyed reading these reminiscences about Michael Clarke

http://die-augenweide.de/byrds/speak/aboutclarke.htm

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 4 November 2025 05:28 (seven months ago)

ok i see Ward Fowler linked it a couple years back during the discussion about Clarke's drumming

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 4 November 2025 05:36 (seven months ago)

had never heard the Roger solo album from '73, this kind of hazy depressing vibe is really up my alley

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 4 November 2025 17:30 (seven months ago)

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