The Byrds

The late-period Byrds recorded a great version of Dylan's "This Wheel's On Fire". Unfortunately, it was not the studio version released on "Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde", which was marred by strange sound effects. No, the great version is on a CD of them live at the Fillmore in '69. Another thought is how impressed I am that one man, Roger McGuinn, can come close to creating an entire band with one guitar and a voice, as is evident on the solo live version of "Tu... MORE

This song has always been a favorite of mine from this kinda spotty Byrds album. I always thought it sounded like an old folk tune, but it was apparently written by head Byrd Roger McGuinn. "We lowered him down with a golden chain And every link we called his name..."... MORE

This song came up on the iPod this week and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I have it on that first boxed set, I do not own its source album "Untitled" Hmmm...maybe time to re-think that decision...

and we don't get those too often around these parts this time of year. This song could go on another couple of minutes for sure.

during the debate the other night they asked the democratic candidates to name their favorite bible verse- some of them apparently had a problem coming up with one. Not sure i could name one either, but i do know a bit of Ecclesiastes, courtesy of The Byrds. on second thought, my favorite might be "blessed are the cheesemakers," but i'm not sure it's meant to be taken literally...... MORE

Part 5: The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968) The Notorious Byrd Brothers is not a record my dad and I ever listened to - yet I can recall its cover rather well. This cover shows the band now as a trio - McGuinn, Hillman and Clarke, with a horse supposedly to represent the ousted David Crosby. Crosby was a bit frustrated with the band's decision to use another Dylan cover as the lead single, as well as the fact that his tale of a three-way relationship, "Triad," was going to b... MORE

Of the many songs by the Byrds that I love, this is the one that has played hard-to-get for some 40 years. Written by Gene Clark, "She Don't Care About Time", it was the flip side to the single "Turn Turn Turn" and was just as good as, if not even better than, the A-side. Yet, it did not make the album of the same name, which instead included puzzlers like "Oh Susannah". So a decade or two ago, when that first box set of 4 CDs came out by the Byrds, I was thr... MORE

The Byrds and I is a series of essays that tell the story of my life through each album from my favorite band. Part Four: Younger than Yesterday (1967), The Best of the Byrds (1967), and Blur's Think Tank (2003) y education on the Byrds first came from my father, and for the most part it involved the band's first four albums. I did skip ahead a little to 1968's Sweetheart of the Rodeo but, in general, my knowledge of post-1967 Byrds was seriously lacking. While ... MORE

Part Three: Fifth Dimension (1966) Fifth Dimension marked the beginning of major changes for the Byrds. Internal conflict that would follow the band around forever started with the exit of Gene Clark. His absence was attributed to a fear of flying, which he described on the album's first single, "Eight Miles High." Backed with another Clark composition, "Why," "Eight Miles High" is seen as the first record of the psychedelic era. Psychedelia is present all over Fif... MORE

The Byrds and I is a series of essays chronicling the story of my life through each album from my favorite band. Part Two: Turn Turn Turn (1965) Re-reading what I've thus far written and hoped to pass off as part two of this series, I can't help but feel a little bit unsatisfied with what I've put down. It feels a bit unfocused to me - but at the same time I think it reflects a very honest portrayl of what my writing used to read like. I actually haven't tack... MORE

The Byrds and I is a series chronicling the story of my life through each album by my favorite band. Part One: Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) To anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis, or to anyone who knows me personally, my love and passion for music is very apparent. While this has grown into obsession in recent years, this passion is something that I've carried with me for almost as long as I can remember. My father is the one to blame, as his record collection... MORE