The Byrds Albums Ranked From Worst to Best
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Joe's calling the shots this week, and he has selected the discography of The Byrds for us. Over the course of 12 albums The Byrds managed to pioneer folk/rock, power pop, psychedlic rock, and country rock. Which of these styles appeals the most to our Listographers? Stay tuned to find out.
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The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole consistent member. Although their time as one of the most popular groups in the world only lasted for a short period in the mid-1960s, the Byrds are today considered by critics to be among the most influential rock acts of their era. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar was "absorbed into the vocabulary of rock" and has continued to be influential.
Initially, the Byrds pioneered the musical genre of folk rock as a popular format in 1965, by melding the influence of the Beatles and other British Invasion bands with contemporary and traditional folk music on their first and second albums, and the hit singles "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!". As the 1960s progressed, the band was influential in originating psychedelic rock and raga rock, with their song "Eight Miles High" and the albums Fifth Dimension (1966), Younger Than Yesterday (1967) and The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968). The band also played a pioneering role in the development of country rock, with the 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo representing their fullest immersion into the genre.
The original five-piece lineup of the band consisted of Jim McGuinn (lead guitar, vocals), Gene Clark (tambourine, vocals), David Crosby (rhythm guitar, vocals), Chris Hillman (bass guitar, vocals), and Michael Clarke (drums). This version of the band was relatively short-lived and by early 1966 Clark had left due to problems associated with anxiety and his increasing isolation within the group. The Byrds continued as a quartet until late 1967, when Crosby and Clarke also departed. McGuinn and Hillman decided to recruit new members, including country rock pioneer Gram Parsons, but by late 1968, Hillman and Parsons had also exited the band. McGuinn elected to rebuild the band's membership; between 1968 and 1973, he helmed a new incarnation of the Byrds that featured guitarist Clarence White, among others. McGuinn disbanded the then-current lineup in early 1973 to make way for a reunion of the original quintet. The Byrds' final album was released in March 1973, with the reunited group disbanding later that year.
Several former members of the Byrds went on to successful careers of their own, either as solo artists or as members of such groups as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Flying Burrito Brothers, McGuinn, Clark & Hillman, and the Desert Rose Band] In 1991, the Byrds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an occasion that saw the five original members performing together for the last time. Gene Clark died of a heart attack later that year, while Michael Clarke died of liver failure in 1993. McGuinn, Crosby, and Hillman remain active.
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Thanks for watching. Be sure to leave your thoughts on The Byrds down in the comments. Leave a list of your own and tell us what you think of our rankings.
Next week: Three Dog Night
#TheByrds #AlbumsRanked #WorsttoBest
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I love hippy nonsense.
Their first 5 albums are wonderful. Notorious Byrd Brothers is absolutely one of the most underrated albums of the 60's
I'd say overlooked as many clearly and correctly rate Notorious highly...but maybe not enough people know it. Very good album for sure.
hell yes!!!
The Byrds are one of my favourite bands, love Gene Clark songwriting.
Lifelong fan of the Byrds, looking forward to your retrospective, feeling pleased they can be appreciated still today.
12. Farther Along ★★
The sounds of a band giving up.
11. Ballad of Easy Rider ★★ ½
It’s sad this record charted as well as it did as it gave them the idea they were on to something here. They weren’t. It’s All Over Now Baby Blue it’s one of the greatest songs of the 60’s but you wouldn’t know it from this version.
10. Byrdmaniax ★★ ½
The album so bad they apparently felt the need to rush out another record to apologize. And while this record is a bit of a mess, it’s also the bands last attempt at expanding their sound and taking risks. Like everything else on this album the gospely, Stonesy influence is hit or miss, but some of it works and could have been expanded upon. My biggest gripe with the concept of the ‘apology record’ is they didn’t try to go back to some jangly, dreamy folk pop nor take another dip into the psychedelic waters. Instead they turned back to churning out more snooze fest country tunes.
9. Sweetheart of the Rodeo ★★★
For my personal taste and what I’m looking for in The Byrds, this is a massive step down from the previous couple records. The album is bookended by it’s best two songs, which helps it out quite a bit. But the rest of the album doesn’t do much for me and feels longer than it’s runtime of 32 minutes. The Christian Life I find particularly grating. One of the worst songs in their catalogue.
8. Byrds ★★★
Better than it’s reputation. A pleasant, if unremarkable listen. Sadly this version of Laughing is not very good at all. You’ll want to check out If I Could Only Remember My Name instead.
7. Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde ★★★
6. (Untitled) ★★★ ½
A false dawn in their discography, this is a good record that with better songwriting could have been killer. I really dig the mood they are going for.
5. The Fifth Dimension ★★★ ½
Of their five first (and best) records, this is the one I can’t really get a grasp on. I like it but it serves more as a transitional record than a great listen.
4. Mr. Tambourine Man ★★★★
A very good record, you could argue Dylan is more important to the success of the album than the Byrds themselves which might put some people off. For me I can never get enough Dylan in my life so I don’t mind.
3. Turn! Turn! Turn! ★★★★
Some real highlights on this, the title track is a classic and Lay Down Your Weary Tune would get my vote for their best Dylan cover.
2. The Notorious Byrd Brothers ★★★★ ½
Even though a couple things are still in flux with my feelings on the Byrds, it seems clear to me the period after working out some kinks with the psychedelic sounds on The Fifth Dimension, and before taking a hard turn into country on Sweetheart of the Rodeo, is the Byrds at their peak. And while it was brief, they managed to put out two great albums in that timespan. Roger McGuinn really comes into his own as a songwriter here and there’s not a weak song to be found.
1. Younger Than Yesterday ★★★★ ½
While The Notorious Byrd Brothers was immediate, this didn’t do much for me on first listen. Second time around it revealed itself to be the most ambitious and most complete work they put to tape. Unlike some of their earlier works this is definitely an album, not a collection of songs. The balance between the poppy melodies and the psychedelia is struck beautifully. This one has a chance to be a five star album with more listens.
Apart from their biggest hits and most of the Dylan covers I knew very little of The Byrds. This is all done in a week so some star ratings and placements are subject to change, but this will give you an idea how I feel about them.
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is my favorite. Ballad Of Easy Rider isn't #2 but I have it very high on my list.
Giving up ? The first couple songs on farther along are pretty great -
Nice work there.
Completely agree with this top 5
i've been waiting for this one a long time lol The Byrds are my favorite American band from the 60s hands down, The Beatles have a stronger catalogue but as an American who lives on the West Coast there's something about the Byrds that's easier for me to relate to at times. Clarence White absolutely shreds but I've never really enjoyed the second part of their discography. The performances (apart from White) are often really sloppy, the songs are usually mid-tier at best, and as much as I love McGuinn, he really works at his best when he's surrounded by other people who can match his creativity. Younger Than Yesterday, Notorious Byrd Brothers, and Sweetheart of the Rodeo are 5 star records for me and are the only 3 albums of theirs where the song sequence works perfectly. The Byrds are one of the first bands that got me into music, I loved the Beatles and Bob Dylan and discovering the Byrds was like finding the missing link between them. Anyways, loved the video, very thoughtful analysis of a wonderfully creative band
Jason needs to "Drop Acid" and listen all day long to all the classic 60s Psychedelic albums! Maybe, then he'll get it?
Yeah there has to be a few songs on one of the Psychedelic Nuggets that Jason could like too. Could he like a song from Love's Forever Changes? Quicksilver Happy Trails? The Who Sell Out? Do you have a favorite drop acid album? I only did acid once and sort of have this conservative streak in me so I did half a tab and 4 hours later did the other half; cause I was cautious and scared.
The Byrds are my Beatles. You guys pretty much nailed it. Younger Than Yesterday, Sweetheart, and Notorious are my top 3. Constantly changing. Another great show guys!
The Moody Blues are another overlooked 60’s group. I would say their 60’s albums are proto-prog rock for sure. Some beautiful stuff.
Absolutely....I've been into the Moody's a few weeks now instead of doing discographies on here....loved it. Great band.😎👍
Nice material from the Moodies. But after "The Days of Future Passed" there are about 6 albums that contain tracks that are virtually interchangeable amongst those albums.
Symphonic rock is not progressive rock. Also, just because a song is long doesn’t make it progressive.
@@ArmandoMPRthere is a fine line between symphonic and early progressive rock. But i agree that they are more symphonic than progressive.
Sweetheart of the Rodeo is what turned me on to a genre that I didn't like in my teens and twenties so it is my favorite Byrds record. I've dug Untitled and 5D for some time. I need to give Notorious and Younger... more spins. Great show guys.
Jason's aversion to Eight Miles High and I See You is baffling. It was funny watching Kram and Joe's reaction as the air got sucked out of the room for a moment
Jason's aversion to Psychedelic Rock might be more egregious than Joe not liking Remain in Light.
I don’t dislike all psychedelic rock. The Beatles are my favorite band of all time. I also don’t dislike all blues or like all country. Too many, oversimplified generalizations about my taste by the other 2 in this video. -Jason
Have listen to The Byrds nearly my whole life. Today I think that Notorious Byrd Brothers are by far their best album, agree with every word Kramzer said about it. Timeless album. Some of their albums not so good but I like Younger than yesterday and Untitled a lot and Clarence White is one of the best guitarplayers ever. Lover of the bayou in a studio version can be heard on Untitled CD as a bonustrack. Some of my favouritetracks with the Byrds are My Back Pages, Chestnut Mare, Time of a season, Going back and I´ll feel a lot better and Ballad of easy rider.
I really enjoyed this video. It was interesting to see your order. My order is quite a bit different but it is all a matter of taste. The Byrds are in my top 5 bands of the 60's. I will do a Byrds ranking video one of these days. I don't have Younger Than Yesterday on vinyl. When I get it I will do a ranking. The Byrds almost always do Dylan songs better than Dylan.
Agree with Krammer, Notorious Byrd Brothers is my favorite.
Poison Parsons. lol
@@vinylrichie007 not sure the gram parsons hate. I believe he is the best talent ever in the byrds. and what amazing music parsons went on to do is simply amazing Cheers
@@bengalgangster I don’t hate Gram Parsons but I don’t think he is the most talented to come out of the Byrds. The Byrds were my second favorite band when Sweetheart came out. I bought Notorious Byrd Brothers when it came out and loved it. Sweetheart not so much. The album was a bomb and the Byrds never recovered. So am I a fan of Gram Parsons? No. Do I dislike the album now as much as I did then? No. People call it Country Rock but it is a Country record. And kind of a generic one. I’m a Rock person but I don’t hate Country. In my Ten Best Albums 1965 a Country album makes the list.
Yes its Notorious Byrd Brothers for me. No filler just brilliant
The Byrds first two albums, Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! Are really good and worth collecting.
As I was already 16 when Mr. Tambourine Man came out, its impact was seismic. Everybody was talking about that song and the debut album. That sound. Those harmonies. Their look. Those capes! I am not surprised that these three young guys didn’t rate it higher, but it was a beautiful unicorn in its day, the unforgettable debut of a visionary band.
It’s the whole covers thing. But I did give it 5 stars. - Joe
Heh, I had to look up to make sure the correct pronunciation of McGuinn wasn’t actually McGinn. BTW, when you get to The Kinks, the correct pronunciation of Davies is actually Davis, which *really* blew my mind when I heard about that.
Where did you hear that? Just curious.
@@Ianmackable On a Discord & Rhyme podcast episode a couple years ago about Christmas songs where “Father Christmas” was discussed. I forget what their source was for the pronunciation, but apparently the Wikipedia article for Ray has it pronounced as such.
@@Ianmackable
It's the British pronunciation. Therefore, Rick Davies of Supertramp is pronounced "Davis," too.
Ranking the classics:
1. Mr Tamborine Man- 4.5 stars. This is exactly what i wanted from the Byrds. This has some of their best covers and consistent Beatle-y tracks. Only one song makes this 4.5 stars, and its We'll Meet Again, which is a song i never liked in any form. Also, the album is short, so two more songs, maybe one more cover and one more deep cut, would help its standing, but thats how i feel about every Byrd album. Their songs and albums are so short that its hard to get truly into them.
2. The Notorious Byrd Brothers- 4.5 stars. Would have been five stars if the first and last track was better. This album has some of my favorite songs of the sixties, so it's a fantastic record.
3. Younger than Yesterday- 4.5 stars. Another fantastic record. Its the most consistent they've been since the debut. Its like 5 D, but the back half is more consistent.
4. Sweetheart of the Rodeo: 4 stars. I dont particularly like some lyrical choices on this album. Some songs are samey. I prefer folk. It's still a good album.
5. Fifth Dimension: 4 stars. Awesome first half. Second half, though, drops steeply after Hey Joe. Some of their best covers are on here.
6. Turn! Turn! Turn!- 3.5- I dont know why i dont get it. I think the production killed it. Some somgs also feel samey.
Jacques Levy cowrote most of the songs on Dylan's Desire album.
Oh i think Desire maybe my joint no.1 Dylan...didn't know that 👍
It's weird to think Levy wrote most of the lyrics on the album while Dylan wrote the music.
@@archieleechjb Hey, John, it's ex-edmontonian here. Yes, very weird to think Dylan would just hand over the words like that. I remember an interview where the journalist asked a long, involved question about "Joey" only for Bob to say something like "I don't know. I didn't write that song."
I don't love country, but Sweetheart of the Rodeo fuckin rocks. You Ain't Goin Nowhere is a Top 50 song of all time for me.
Love that song!
Notorious at 7???🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 Jason....cmon man....😂 Now you are pushing it...I love dolphin smile 🐬🐬🐬😀♥️
Kram… you can’t get mad at Jason for ranking Fifth Dimension at 9 when you turn around and rank their debut at 8
The debut had the great "Feel a Whole lot Better" and other fine songs.
10) Farther Along
9) Ballad of Easy Rider
8) Byrds
7) Untitled
6) The fifth dimension
5) Mr Tambourine man
4) Sweetheart of the Rodeo
3) Turn, Turn, Turn
2) Younger than Yesterday
1) The Notorious Byrd Brothers
Loved The Byrds, at 72, I got into them at first hearing in real time when I was 14. One of my very favorite top of the line bands through the first few albums, but after Sweetheart Of The Rodeo days, they fell off their cliff and in addition had lost so many members that it wasn’t The Byrds anymore anyway. The only outstanding highlight of the later Byrds was the outstanding Clarence White.
I did a deep dive on the Byrds a few years back. My recollection is that "Notorious Byrd Brothers" and "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" were the real discoveries. "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!" were really good, but not as good as I thought they would be. I quite like "Younger Than Yesterday" and "Fifth Dimension," but none of those first 4 Byrds albums were any more than 4 stars. I think I liked Untitled, but not much of the rest of them. "Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde" was also surprisingly good.
That's not a "deep dive", that's just listening to the Byrd's albums.
Great band often cited as a pop band from the 60s but far from it physadelic rock County and experimental music brilliant band 8 miles high is a musical masterpiece and Jesus is just alright later covered by the Doobie brothers
Also a very good live band
12 Byrdmaniax
11 Byrds
10 Father Along
9 Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde
8 Ballad of Easy Rider
7 Fifth Dimension
6 Sweetheart of the Rodeo
5 Turn Turn Turn
4 Untitled (1970)
3 Younger Than Yesterday
2 Mr Tambourine Man
NUMBER ONE: (by some distance) NOTORIOUS BYRD BROTHERS
I am a huge Gram Parsons fan and never really listened to The Byrds much other than what he did and the hits (which kinda drove me nuts - my parents had the Greatest Hits album and all those songs are pretty much persona non grata with me now lol). So this was a nice dive into their works!
Also, Jason! Love the Supergrass shirt. Been a fan since I Should Coco came out in '95.
Keep up the great stuff!!!!!
1. Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) 5/5
2. Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965) 4.5/5
3. The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968) 4.5/5
4. Younger Than Yesterday (1967) 4.5/5
5. Fifth Dimension (1966) 4/5
6. Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968) 4/5
7. The Ballad Of Easy Rider (1969) 3.5/5
8. Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969) 3/5
9. Farther Along (1971) 3/5
10. Byrds (1973) 3/5
11. Byrdmaniax (1971) 2.5/5
12. Untitled (1970) 2.5/5
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:
5.0 Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
4.5 Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965)
4.0 Fifth Dimension (1966)
4.5 Younger Than Yesterday (1967)
4.5 The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
4.0 Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968)
3.0 Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969)
3.5 The Ballad Of Easy Rider (1969)
2.5 Untitled (1970)
2.5 Byrdmaniax (1971)
3.0 Farther Along (1971)
3.0 Byrds (1973)
An important and multifaceted band- gorgeous harmonies; an instantly recognizable sound; an ability to re-interpret Dylan for the masses; and keepers of rock 'n roll's ultimate secret weapon: Gene Clark. It's a shame the original lineup couldn't have stayed together a little longer (but then Gram Parsons might've never been a Byrd, which would be unfortunate.) Almost all their records up through The Ballad of Easy Rider in '69 are very good. The albums they made after that are okay but are really only for Byrd fanatics. The fact that some of their songs are covers puts a slight damper on their overall star ratings. But they're still a top 50 rock 'n roll act in my book- their influence is far-reaching and undeniable.
MY RATING SYSTEM:
5.0 = major classic
4.5 = minor classic
4.0 = great
3.5 = very good
3.0 = good
2.5 = fair
2.0 = poor
1.5 = awful
1.0 = historically awful
I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible I don't care to differentiate anymore. Anything I rate 3.5 stars or higher is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.
You and me think a lot the same on this one. Onto the boys..
@@ttmilbr The original lineup that included Gene Clark is the best period of the band. It's when they reached their highest peaks, imo. Although, they were pretty great after he left, too.
I didn't do a list because I wasn't familiar enough with their 1969 and 70s stuff (though I know some of it from compilations), but I have a feeling my ranking would be pretty close to yours. I definitely like the early stuff the best.
Are you going to do Three Dog Night? They didn't write hardly any of their songs.
@@179rich I probably will. I don't dislike albums that rely on cover songs, but it does make it harder for them to get to 5 stars. The Mr. Tambourine Man album got to 5 stars for me because it launched the Byrds iconic sound (on top of being excellent top-to-bottom). I think it's one of those albums everyone needs to listen to in order to understand rock 'n roll history.
Damn Joe, the love for Sweetheart at the end there was heart-warming. I've got to mention Gary Usher, who produced those great albums, Notorious, Younger Than Yesterday and Sweetheart. The Byrds gave birth to so much cool music, and other great bands, what a legacy to have.
Glad you guys did this one finally. Been waiting for it. I love the Byrds. You guys hit on it several times, but they had such uniquely talented people come and go through their ranks and what is cool is that their music allows those personalities to shine through. Gene Clark...so great. I suggest everyone go explore his solo work (like Joe has). You talked about Clark's songwriting, but that voice! There is something so melancholy and beautiful about his voice. And good to see the Clarence White love. Sadly, Clarence was killed by a drunk driver way too early in his career. Imagine more decades of Clarence. I have never gotten onboard with the Gram Parsons worship, though. The first Burritos album is brilliant, no question, though.
I go...
12. Farther Along: 2 stars (agree, it sounds tired. But "Bugler" is gorgeous)
11. Byrdmaniax: 2 stars (totally agree on your takes, the production they hated is actually interesting)
10. Byrds: 3 stars (not as bad as its reputation. Gene Clark brings the best stuff)
9. Untitled: 3 stars ("Chestnut Mare" is gorgeous)
8. Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde: 3 and a half stars (agree, this one has a cool, creepy vibe. and Clarence White)
7. Sweetheart of the Rodeo: 4 stars (I do not see how this is an innovation in country/rock. It sounds straight country)
6. Ballad of Easy Rider: 4 stars (I think you guys underestimate this one)
5. Turn! Turn! Turn!: 4 stars (Great, but kind of a retread of the debut)
4. Younger Than Yesterday: 4 stars (if not for "Mind Gardens," this could have been a *****)
3. Mr. Tambourine Man: 5 stars (one of the great debuts of all time. One of the few records that changed music)
2. Fifth Dimension: 5 stars (There are some missteps, but the great outweighs them. I think "Eight Miles High" is the greatest single of the 60's. Sorry Jason.)
1. The Notorious Byrd Brothers: 5 stars (There is no record that sounds like this record. It is brilliant. Would have been even better if they had let Crosby's "Triad" on)
Yep, Sweetheart is far more country than rock.
Your argument for the Mr. Tambourine Man album is spot on. There aren't too many records you can point to that are true game changers, sonically... but the Byrds' debut album is one of them.
Geez, interesting run-down. I'm a long-term Byrds fan who remembers when Mr Tambourine Man was the hit of the day. Few things you've missed - they were the "American Beatles" because they traded albums and sounds with the Beatles for a few years (and they had the same publicist, Derek Taylor). The Beatles did a few songs imitating the Byrds sound as a tribute, and they used to send each other tapes/messages.
Every Byrds album represents a step in their musical evolution, and in the evolution of pop/rock: Mr Tambourine Man was a revolutionary album sonically, but still rooted in the folk songs they had all been playing up until then. Turn Turn Turn and 5D moved gradually away from folk/Dylan roots, but introduced jazz/raga and psychedelic influences (8MH), and by this stage they were being exposed to drugs and the West Coast acid scene (especially Crosby). Younger than Yesterday moved right into this new area, without Clark, and with Hillman taking a front stage role for the first time and writing songs as well, and Crosby's songs starting to go off onto the Jefferson Airplane psychedelic road (Mind Garden, Triad, and Wooden Ships which the band didn't want to do, so he left). What you've missed here is that Clarence White turns up on several of these songs, and really introduces the "Bakersfield sound" that shifts the Byrds across a few lanes musically (e.g. on Time Between). Notorious is indeed a masterpiece - stripped back group, but again, Clarence White is right at the centre of much of it musically, especially the amazing "Wasn't Born to Follow".
Clarence was a legendary guitarist already, already considered one of the top bluegrass guitarists, inspiring followers like Jerry Garcia, and he switched to electric when the bluegrass circuit dried up. So the Byrds were already going down a country/trad music road with Clarence being used in the studio when Gram Parsons showed up, and they were all ready to go the next step.
Sweetheart included session musicians like John Hartford, who was a master of old-timey sound, and when you added in Clarence White you got an authentic re-interpretation of rural music for a modern audience - Gram's "Cosmic American Music". Gram and Hillman took off to keep this strand going in the Burritos, but it is worth noting the Gene Clark had already got there with his first album (again with Clarence), and The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark, and this engendered a whole slab of 70's and subsequent music (Eagles, Ronstadt, Denver,,,,). There were contractual issues with Gram's vocals, but you can now hear his original vocals on the expanded versions of the album. McGuinn tried to copy his styling with his re-recorded vocals, so I don't place a lot of credit on it being malicious.
Following the departure of Hillman and Parsons, McGuinn turned to Clarence, who had really been with him on the journey for several years already, and added in his pal Gene Parsons. The subsequent albums are quite different, but really are perhaps best seen as showcasing Clarence's guitar melded with McGuinn's Byrds heritage. Clarence went from being one of the clearest and most precise of acoustic guitarists to a fuzz-heavy electrified guitar sound that was the structure that carried songs along without being showy or obvious. (an anti-guitar hero guitar hero). Guitarists (including Jimi Hendrix) used to line up on the left side of venues to watch Clarence play live because he was doing amazing things that blew their minds. After Dr Byrds, they spent a lot of time playing live, and kept a bluegrass streak in their show. Some of the recordings from these shows are phenomenal. Personally, I love "Ballad of Easy Rider," which is a further evolution of their "mountain stream meets electric guitar" journey. Dylan actually said that their version of Baby Blue was much better than his own.
Untitled/Unissued has great live cuts, which show what the band was mostly doing with their time. The studio sides, though, stand as fairly perfect examples of Clarence's construction of acoustic/electric soundscapes, with intricate picking and soaring steel sounds disappearing behind the lyrics and harmonies. Gram came back for this album, and played piano and sang harmony on "All the Things", and he and Clarence actually planned to start playing together later, when Clarence was killed. Byrdmaniax and Farther Along are two albums sadly in search of inspiration and song-writing, but both have their moments, and Bugler is still one of the saddest songs you'll ever want to hear.
McGuinn was a phenomenal and ground-breaking guitarist, and the original Byrds (Clark, Crosby, Hillman) spawned so many different offshoots and imitators around the globe that their legacy can't be underestimated. Clarence took guitar to a whole new place, and there is a dedicated crew of guitarists who are still trying to pin down what he did and how. Each of their records belong in their respective times, but were almost always ahead of the wave, with others trying to catch up. Byrds was a mistake, apparently engendered by Crosby, but I saw McGuinn Clark and Hillman, and McGuinn and Hillman solo a few times, and they were/are still amazing.
It is worth listening to "Silver Meteor" and "the New Kentucky Colonels live" in Sweden or Holland to hear where Clarence was going before he was killed. He probably would have been a massive icon like Ry Cooder or Jerry Douglas if someone arsehole hadn't got drink and decided to drive.
12. Byrds
In theory, a reunion album should have been a surefire win, but it’s clear that no one’s heart was really in this, particularly Crosby and Hillman. Roger McGuinn’s “Sweet Mary” is haunting and beautiful, and Clark’s “Full Circle” is fine. The rest are tuneless and forgettable without any of the Byrds’ signature harmonies.
11. Turn! Turn! Turn!
The first three tracks are nice enough, but this mostly feels like leftovers from the Mr. Tambourine Man sessions, with tepid Dylan covers and uninspired originals. Why was “She Don’t Care About Time” left off the album? It’s better than any of these.
10. Farther Along
A somewhat tired final album for this lineup, but it has its moments. Clarence White’s “Bugler” is beautiful, “Antique Sandy” has a nice sound to it, and the title track is a good cover. It also features "America’s Great National Pastime,” which is far and away the worst song in their whole discography.
9. Byrdmaniax
Yes, this features two terrible Skip Battin songs (“Tunnel of Love,” “Citizen Kane”), and yes Terry Melcher took a big Spector all over the productions. However, the gospel stuff works pretty well, and “Jamaica Say You Will” and “Pale Blue” are really nice tunes.
8. Fifth Dimension
As with a lot of Byrds’ albums, it starts off strong and kind of peters out at the end. “Eight Miles High” is the only memorable track on side two, but I love the title track and the cover of “Wild Mountain Thyme.”
7. Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde
A bit of a transitional album as McGuinn had all new bandmates here, but the first half is really nice. As for the second side, “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” is as great of a country rock song as anything the Flying Burrito Brothers ever put out, but the last few tracks are pretty bland.
6. Younger Than Yesterday
Chris Hillman really starts showing off here, as he contributes some great country rock, as well as some amazing bass playing. “Renaissance Faire” is a perfect slice of baroque pop, but I find “C.T.A.-102” and “Mind Gardens” to be quite annoying.
5. (Untitled)
Some of McGuinn’s absolute best songwriting, complemented by Clarence White’s lovely guitar work. “Just a Season” feels like his spin on “My Back Pages,” and “Chestnut Mare” is a beautiful ballad. It’s not a perfect album, but it’s pretty great.
4. Ballad of Easy Rider
It might be mostly a covers album, but so is Sweetheart of the Rodeo. In spite of a few tracks that don’t quite work (“Oil in My Lamp,” ”Fido”), there’s a wistful, late-night reflective quality to this album that I’ve always loved. Gene Parsons has a great, straightforward country voice that really makes his songs shine, and the title track is perfection in two minutes.
3. Mr. Tambourine Man
Still one of the greatest debuts of all time. That jangly 12-string guitar creates some beautiful sounds right out of the gate, and it doesn’t let up until the end. McGuinn’s has one of my favorite voices of all time, and the harmonies are gorgeous.
2. Sweetheart of the Rodeo
It invented country rock, but despite my love of country and rock, this one didn’t click for me at first. I love it now though, as the covers and the Gram Parsons originals are all great. Subtle, understated, and brilliant.
1. The Notorious Byrd Brothers
No contest, one of the greatest albums of all time. A folk/psychedelic rock symphony in under 30 minutes, as each song carries over into the next a year before the Abbey Road medley. It’s hard to even pick out favorite songs, because you have to listen to it as one package. Brilliant from start to finish.
That's a massive underrating of Turn, Turn, Turn and overrating of Easy Rider. Otherwise I'm pretty much with you, especially regarding #1, my favourite album of all time.
I think you are spot on with Ballad 👍👍 I love it....but I'm where you started with Rodeo....was a honky tonky chore....
@@Ianmackable Oh yeah, I'm totally aware I'm in the minority in regards to both of those haha.
Thanks for this discussion. I was hooked from Mr Tambourine Man and bought all the albums over the years. YTY showed they were moving from Dylan songs and Hillman was emerging as a songwriter. The first chords of Artificial Energy introduced me to amazing production and songwriting, and Notorious remains the best album I have ever heard. Nothing comes close. I was disappointed when Sweetheart was released, now I can see where they were going at the time. Amazing that the first 5 albums were released in such quick time with such strong songs and changes of style. The biggest disappointment was Byrds. Mostly covers and they sound as if they are just going through the motions. A group that were a huge part of my early life and continue to be my alltime favourite band.
Byrds are one of those bands I have known all my life, I was six when their first hits were played. My first LP of them was the 1967 Greatest Hits, a flawless compilation at that time. I had all their LPs since 1968 as they were released and collected the earlier ones over time, means I know their whole discography since 1973. Still occasionally play them. They were rather a song band than a album band, and even if they were unique and undoubted influential, they were never a top favourite - just a pretty good band most of the time with their occasional flaws.
The good thing about their records is that they remained pretty fresh and listenable.
12. Byrdmaniax 3,0
11. Ballad of Easy Rider 3,0
10. Byrds 1973 3,0
9. Dr. Byrds and Mr Hide 3,5
8. Farther Along 3,5
7. Untitled 3,5
6. Turn Turn Turn 3,5
5. Sweetheart of the Rodeo 3,5
4. Fifth Dimension 3,5
3. Younger Than Yesterday 4,0
2. The Notorious Byrd Brothers 4,0
1. Mr Tambourine Man 4,5
Very interesting to check the Byrds family tree albums (NO, not that Crosby, the least talented band member they ever had, I mean the real ones...). Some top choices for me are Roger McGuinn's self titled debut from 1973 and his Cardiff Rose (with Mick Ronson as they were both members of Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. His version of Dreamland is a candidate for "Best Joni Mitchell Cover")
@@roxannewalsh
Agree. I love Cardiff Rose!
Nice show guys, but you´re missing the main factor here: GARY USHER, who produced their 3 best and most creative / innovative albums. A safe statement would be that he was responsible for at least 50 % of the outcome. Be sure to listen to the 2 fantastic GARY USHER BYRDS INTERVIEWS on TH-cam where he´s telling the whole story. You will be amazed !!!
Good call by Joe…great band, one of my favs. Top 5 are the first five released. Number 1 is Younger followed by Notorious, 5th Dimension, Tambourine, Turn. Those top three albums are all in my top 20 of all time. Just phenomenal. Agree with Kram, Sweetheart is way too country and lives in their bottom half of the catalogue.
I haven’t watched yet but I won’t be surprised if someone picks the turd called Sweetheart at #1. I’ll watch later and see.
Booo this man. - Joe
It’s not really a turd because I don’t think the Byrds made a bad album. What I dislike about Sweetheart more than anything is that it ruined their career.
@@vinylrichie007 Yeah, when a band takes a stylistic "hard left turn" their audience doesn't always come with them.
Vinyl Richie I love you😂😂😂😂😂🤠
@@threestringsomg Nice to know that some one does.
McGuinn is credited on four songs on Younger Than Yesterday: "So You Wanna Be A Rock and Roll Star", "CTA 102", "Renaissance Fair" and "Why". Lead vocal on "My Back Pages". I do feel he stepped back a bit, and almost effaced himself on this album.
If he did it made for a well rounded album with strong contributions from Crosby and especially Hillman.
The first 4 to 5 albums were beyond excellent. They've been UNDERATED for years.
McGuinn has a great 12 string solo on Tiffany Queen and there is some pretty rocking live footage of the McGuinn-White-Battin-Parsons lineup.
My top five best to worse
1. Notorious
2. Younger than yesterday
3. Mr trombrone man
4. 5d
5. Sweetheart
1-Sweetheart of the Rodeo
2-Younger than Yesterday
3-Notorious Byrd Brothers
4-Mr Tambourine Man
5-Byrds
For as much as I love GP and Americana and Alt-Country, I don’t love Sweetheart of the Rodeo as much as most others. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really great. I think just knowing all the history behind the album really sours my experience of it. Great band, though. And I still don’t feel as confidently familiar with their output as I should be. Notorious Byrd Brothers is probably my favorite. Younger Than Yesterday is fantastic, too. Tons of shots fired in this video, boys. One of these days Joe or Kram are gonna pull a Jim Everett… haha ✌🏻
Sweetheart is a turd.
Hahah. Maybe if we were all in the same room. - Joe
My Top Five:
1. Younger Than Yesterday
2. Notorious Byrd Brothers (very close second)
3. Mr. Tambourine Man
4. Fifth Dimension
5. Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Love the Byrds. Clarence was such a great player. I loved his contribution on the albums after Crosby left.The ultimate hippie band in my opinion. Great episode guys. ✌️🇨🇦❤️
Ps Can you do Little Feat? Great band.
I'm a big gram Parsons fan but I actually like him as a solo artist and flying burrito brothers much more than when he was in the Byrd's. I still have it top five but sorry Joe and Jason not quite as high with it, and sadly not as bad of a country fan
I can’t give away my complete rankings, but I’d probably have the first Flying Burrito Bros and Grievous Angel ahead of the Byrds if you included all their solo albums.
Very influential band. My favorite genre of music "jangle pop" started here.
Clarence White was absolutely brilliant. My favorite song on Sweetheart of the Rodeo is One Hundred Years From Now. The combination of steel guitar and Clarence chiming in, basically playing his Tele with a banjo technique. That stuff, along with those timeless all things fade lyrics just gets me everytime. I always wish the ride-out lasted longer. It fades too quick. I can listen to Clarence do that all day. What he did with The Byrds was nice but he and his brother Roland were the real deal. An amazing acoustic guitar player, he had the admiration of Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and many other great bluegrass pickers. Marty Stewart owns that famous Telecaster played by Clarence now. A worthy player and performer in his own right.
I like a bunch of songs by the Byrds. A list of 10 would be tough to settle on. I'll refrain for now. I'd say that about 20 songs from their first four albums are stone-cold classics.
12. Birdmaniax
11. 5th Dimension
10. Farther Along
9. The Notorious Byrd Brothers
8. Ballad of Easy Rider
7. Byrds
6. Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde
5. Untitled
4. Younger Than Yesterday
3. Mr Tambourine Man
2. Turn Turn Turn
1. Sweetheart of the Rodeo
As someone who’s recently become a huge Byrds fan (I completed their discography a couple of weeks ago) I was really looking forward to this video!! Aside from one big, glaring difference - Fifth Dimension being my personal favourite - I found myself very in tune with Jason’s picks. He’s the one who spoke more highly of Easy Rider and Dr Byrds (both albums I really like and find very underrated), I almost 100% agree on his assessment of the Mr Tambourine Man/Turn Turn Turn comparison and I also believe Sweetheart of the Rodeo and Younger Than Yesterday are their absolute best, most perfect albums (although my personal 2 and 3).
12. Farther Along (1971) ★★
11. Byrdmaniax (1971) ★★½
10. Byrds (1973) ★★½
9. (Untitled) (1970) ★★★
8. Ballad of Easy Rider (1969) ★★★
7. Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969) ★★★½
6. Fifth Dimension (1966) ★★★½
5. Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965) ★★★½
4. The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968) ★★★★
3. Younger Than Yesterday (1967) ★★★★
2. Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) ★★★★½
1. Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968) ★★★★½
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
Oh btw… about The Notorious Byrd Brothers having segues…
What about… The Moody Blues??
ZZ Top would be fun too, even more so with Joe and Jason wearing the beards and shades galore.
1-Notorious Byrd Brothers
2-Sweetheart of the Rodeo
3-Younger Than Yesterday
4-Fifth Dimension
5-Mr. Tambourine Man
6-Turn! Turn! Turn
7-Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde
8-Untitled
9-Ballad of Easy Rider
10-The Byrds
11-Byrdmaniax
12-Farther Along
The original Byrds was four guitarist and a conga drummer. I bet their best songwriter Gene Clark didn't really enjoy his short stint as a tambourine player. Roger McGuinn (then still James/Jim) McGuinn was the only Byrd actually playing an instrument with their first single, the cover of Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man. So no Crosby, Clark or Hillman, but then unknown Leon Russell and a bunch of other studio guys from the LA canyons.
Nice call, Neil Young's cover of Oh Susannah is great. Also I do like the Byrds (Crosby) cover of For Free. Even though that reunion album does not sound like the Byrds
5. Younger than Yesterday
4. 5D
3. Sweetheart of the Rodeo
2. Mr. Tambourine Man
1. Notorious Byrd Brothers
Really nice to read all this. Since most Byrds fans seems to prefer the 3 Gary Usher albums I would really recommend that you check out the 2 "Unique Gary Usher Byrds Interviews" on TH-cam. Fantastic stuff revealed ! Gary Usher was a great guy, incredible talented and a BIG part of the final results. When they changed producer it wasn´t the same anymore.
I always remember "the 3rd guy" on Apollo 11 simply because of the song on The Ballad of Easy Rider. (Sill my favorite Byrds album.)
My second favorite band. Love the Clarence White era almost as mush as there early stuff. Love all there albums but Dr. Byrd's and Mr. Hyde has always been my least favorite.
I think 'Younger Than Yesterday' would have really benefitted from the other David Crosby song at the time 'Lady Friend' on it. The 1995 CD reissue includes it as one of the bonus tracks ,but, it's a shame they only released it as a single ,(which sadly bombed with a very mushy mono mix), and didn't consider it for the album. My favourite Byrds albums tend to be the first 5. 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo' has it's moments ,but, I could never really fully warm up to it. My absolute favourite Byrds album is "Notorious Byrd Brothers'. It's a masterpiece that flows so beautifully. It's remarkable. It was recorded with depleted forces and with such turmoil in the band. It's a masterful miracle of an album.
Clarence White is a good guitarist? Is Jimi Hendrix a good guitarist? Just released an album of Gene Clark songs with musical compatriot Pete Mancini on Paradiddle Records on Long Island called Silent Troubadour. Their influence is stronger and deeper than any other American band.
The best thing about my fairly late exploration of The Byrds was the discovery of Gene Clark. I'd take White Light, Roadmaster and No Other over any Byrds album. I also prefer The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark over anything in The Byds discography. I've never considered them a top tier band. I do like The Byrds but some of their albums are damamged by including terrible songs. I guess the best example is Mind Gardens helping to bring down the quality of the otherwise decent to great Younger than Yesterday. Crosby has a lot to answer for. That said, I still rate Younger than Yesterday quite high but The Byrds discography is another that's difficult to rank so I won't. Kudos to you guys for doing so. Gene Clark's solo albums are much better but I like quite few songs from most of the Byrds albums.
I like Sweetheart of the Rodeo quite a lot but it is the odd duck in the canon. One thing I will note is the generous inclusion of bonus tracks and alternative takes on all the Columbia reissues and Sweetheart really benefits by including all the different vocal takes so we can hear how differently Gram or Rog interpret some songs. Although I honestly have no idea how to rank these albums I fully understand Joe placing Sweetheart at number 1.
Nice to see No Other getting more and more recognition as the years go by. It's an indisputable masterpiece. And in the category of ex-Byrds making albums equal to any Byrds album, Gram Parsons did it twice, in the same calendar year: GP and Grievous Angel.
I agree re: Gram and also forgot to mention The Flying Burrito Brothers. All great. I bought 4AD's special edition of No Other a few years ago and it was one of the best reissues/box around a single album sets I own. The alternative takes/demos etc are really worth hearing as is The White Light demos release.
thx great review as always, guys. jason only got one chair roll, exciting stuff
"NOTORIOUS" easily #1! Crosby's vocals are a heavenly boost, too bad he was fired. it only loses 1/2-star bc too many songs are just too damn SHORT! and not loving the final track. GOIN BACK is perfection
There is a case for every Byrds album to be their best , with the exception of Byrdmaniax and Farther Along, which are dreadful. Roger should have called time after 'untitled' . That said the reunion album isn't as bad as some say.
Farther Along is underrated
Love The Byrds! Though my time digging into them was kinda short, a couple years 15 years ago, but they left their mark on my taste and I always smile when I randomly hear them. Definitely underrated, even their biggest hits like Rock and Roll Star barely get played on any radio anymore. Alas. My top 5: 5. Sweethearts of the Rodeo 4. Turn Turn Turn 3. Fifth Dimension 2. Younger Than Yesterday 1. Notorious Byrds Brothers.
Hopefully the panel is already aware that later editions of Sweetheart include bonus tracks that restore more of Gram’s lead vocals. It’s now possible to assemble a version of Sweetheart that has Gram as the dominant lead singer. If this version were the original it might be my favorite Byrds album. As it was originally, it’s my third-favorite, after Notorious and Younger.
Then again, I loved the comment that Younger Than Yesterday had been called “the west coast Revolver”. Perfect.
Everybody's Been Burned is a classic. Check out Sebadoh's cover of it 🎸
My rating of the first six albums (before I watch):
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Mr. Tambourine Man
Younger than Yesterday
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Fifth Dimension
Revisit, with full attention, and as for the first time, Sgt. Peppers and Pet Sounds. And then do the same with The Notorious Byrd Brothers.
Roger McGuinn's first solo studio album may be one of the most underrated albums of all time. banger after banger
Nope cannot agree with that. McGuinn's solo career was a downhill run . The first album was i give you the best ,but songs like ;draggin' bag full of money etc are second rate-and there the ones i remember, i dont even know if i still own the album !!! , Peace on You was even worse and Cardiff Rose has to be one of the worst albums ever released.I;ve never bought anything by Roger since. I love the Byrds, but McGuinn unlike ex band mates Chris, Gene, David and Gram who all made great records outside of the band but Roger seemed to need them to bring out his best work.
~ When you get the chance, check out the documentary on a portion of their first hi wire stage act put together by none other than Hitchcock himself‼️
Hey guys, please, it's pronounced "Roger Muh-Gwwinn."
I bought a 25 song compilation CD called "Full Flyte" on Raven records many years ago. I listen to it from time to time and like it. Don't have any of the individual LPs but would pick up anything up to Sweetheart if I saw it at a record fair or in a charity shop. I have Gene Clark's No Other CD which is one of a kind and really worth getting, along with Burrito Deluxe by the Flying Burrito Brothers. Surprised that Eight Miles High didn't feature on the guys' songs of the year picks.
It just missed mine. - Joe
really adroe dr bryds and mr hyde cause its the more hard rock side companion of C & W music music byrds style to sweetheart of the rodeo being the real mellow rustic side of c &w
The Byrds ended with Notorious Byrd Brothers. What came after was "Byrds " in name only.
Boooyyyzzzz leave the commentators to have a go at Jason ffs. Play nicely. Word
I wouldn't agree the Beach Boys were fading by 65/66, and the Byrds didn't see much in the way of commercial success past early '67 outside of their Greatest Hits LP later that year.
On the flip side though, I would consider the Byrds' best work to be in that 67/68 period, and they did seem more of a stylistic response in terms of leading the charge with the folk/country rock movements.
12. Byrdmaniax
11. Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde (in one ear, out the other, even though it rocks harder)
10. Byrds
9. Farther Along
8. Easy Rider
7. Turn, Turn, Turn
6. Sweetheart of the Rodeo (drastic change. I prefer Gram Parsons on his own and with the Burrito Brothers. The first two tracks are incredible though)
5. Untitled
4. 5th Dimension (One of the strongest first halves, drops off a cliff in quality on the second half)
3. Mr. Tambourine Man (most consistent work, very pleasing to the ear)
2. The Notorious Byrd Brothers
1. Younger than Yesterday (The psychedelia was a little less on the nose than on Notorious. Its more tasteful and just so effortlessly great)
I pretty much agree. As a long time Byrds fan I think I would swap 6 and 7 and also 11 and 12. Dr Byrds vinyl recording is bad.
Lol, love the dinner comments after Jason’s slamming of 5th Dimension!!
Actually, all I’m familiar with is the great Essentials From The Box-compilation, but this convinces me to get the Complete albums set.
Thanks, guys! 👍
After the upcoming batch, how about…
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Gentle Giant
Van Der Graaf Generator
P-Funk (Funkadelic/Parliament)
Tori Amos?
What a fantastic band!
Their first 6 records (released within 3 years!) are incredibly solid, filled with wonderful songs and so inventive.
It's amazing how quickly they evolved and constantly came up with a new sound that single-handedly created a new genre one after the other.
This is my list:
1. Younger Than Yesterday (1967). 9
2.Fifth Dimension (1966).8.75
3.Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965). 8.5
4.Mr. Tambourine Man (1965). 8.5
5.Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968). 8.25
6.The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968). 8
7.Untitled (1970). 7.75
8.Ballad Of Easy Rider (1969).7.5
9.Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969). 7.25
10.Farther Along (1971). 6.75
11.The Byrds (1973). 6
12.Byrdmaniax (1971). 5
Their first 5 albums are where it's at. Sweetheart Of The Rodeo is overrated.
It's pronounced like Mc-GWINN.
Got into the Byrds as a senior in HS in 1972 so my choices reflect how I felt at the time. Became one of my top 5 bands along with Beatles, Beach Boys, Moody Blues, and The Who. Their country stuff never appealed to me in the slightest. Besides I was a huge Gene Clark fan. Saw him play live in LA just before he died in 1991. I sat about 15 feet from where he was playing. He looked terrible and you could tell something was wrong. But he sounded great.
12. Farther Along
11. Byrdmaniax
10. Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde
9. Sweetheart of the Rodeo
8. Easy Rider
7. Untitled
6. Byrds
5. Younger than Yesterday
4. The Notorious Byrd Brothers
3. Mr. Tambourine Man
2. Turn, Turn, Turn
1. 5th Dimension
My favourite Byrds' is The Notorious Byrd Brothers. All the previous albums are great. I never listened to what came after.
Jason really lose with me number ,7 pickkkk
Thankfully, the Legacy Edition of "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" features the Gram Parsons vocal takes on the songs that wound up being being overdubbed by McGuinn. McGuinn admitted he was basically imitating Parsons who was the more natural country singer.
Poco Deliverin’ is a fine live country rock album
I think the byrds were really the beating heart at the centre of the 60's
All this talk of country rock, and the somewhat sparse presence of female artists among your lists, got me thinking…You should consider doing a listography for Lucinda Williams someday. Yes, I know, the queue is long.
Nice choice Joe! Love The Byrds. Well thought out and fair rankings. Gene Clark was their secret weapon on the first records. His best song was You Won't Have To Cry. Surprised it did not make any lists. Had an interesting career after leaving with some awesome albums that couldn't get any play. For me Sweetheart was a grower. Took a while to get used to the stone country sound. In my opinion it is the best Parsons ever(yes better than any FBB). I also enjoy McGuin's solo LPs. Similar to later Byrds but more consistent. Nothing great but all are very enjoyable and worth a listen. Lastly, drummer Gene Parsons put out 2 low key albums in the 70's that are awesome.
1. The Notorious Byrd Brothers (very high 4, almost 4.5 stars)
2. Younger Than Yesterday (another very high 4 - definitely would be 4.5 if not for “Mind Gardens”)
3. Mr. Tambourine Man (4)
4. Fifth Dimension (4) (yeah, the last 4 songs keep this from going a bit higher)
5. Turn! Turn! Turn (4)
6. Sweetheart of the Rodeo (3.5) (I wish I liked Gram Parsons more, a figure who hasn’t clicked with me that much yet - GP and Grievous Angel are kinda middling for me - but I like him decently enough here, and the 2 Dylan covers are really good)
7. (Untitled) (3.5)
8. Byrds (3.5)
9. The Ballad of Easy Rider (3.5)
10. Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde (3)
11. Farther Along (3)
12. Byrdmaniax (3)
This was a tough one for me, as the top 3, 6 through 9 and bottom 3 tiers I could basically scramble around in any order. Also, if you just considered the best half of each of the first 5 albums, Notorious Byrd Brothers might actually be my least favorite of them, but I think it flows together the best in a “greater than the sum of its’ parts” sort of way despite being all over the place in style (although “Goin’ Back” would definitely be in my top 10 songs individually) to rank as my favorite overall album. After those first 5 albums there’s definitely a drop off in quality for me, but even at their worst the band is at least listenable and the playing is still good (I’ll have to pay more attention to Clarence White’s guitar work). Although I don’t think they quite lived up to their super innovative potential on record (it didn’t help that in addition to being a bit too low on original material, a lot the albums are really short as well) but still a good catalog overall.
Nice list! I would submit you slightly underrated Turn Turn Turn. The title track is about as iconic as music gets and there are a couple-three Gene Clark originals on that album that 🤯🤯🤯.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 I think my thoughts on that album pretty much echo what Jason said.
I pray you don't shit on gram Parsons in this . Can u do love next
Jason - totally agree with your assessment of tracks 4, 5 and 7 of the Notorious Byrd Brothers. Those are the best on the album.
For me it's tracks 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. I have trouble separating those 5 from each other, I like 'em all so much.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Those other tracks are very good as well. Only Space Odyssey is weak.
I get the feeling my appraisal of Ballad of Easy Rider will not prove popular. But give me some credit for actually really enjoying a country album....and putting money where my words are (bought a copy last night)..... Yeeeehah!🤘🤠🤠🐎
Dylan's original of My Back Pages was released two years before the Byrds cover. But I agree that the Byrds improved it.
They improved most of the Dylan songs they covered, IMO. Their versions of "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Spanish Harlem Incident," "All I Really Want to Do," "Chimes of Freedom," "My Back Pages," and "This Wheel's on Fire" all improved on his original recordings.
Gunga Din is a poem by Rudyard Kipling.
Joe is right, the Byrds are overlooked. Other than the three massive hits, I knew next to nada about the Byrds, so I learned a lot. Enjoyed hearing your comments very much. The interplay between you three is one of the best parts of the channel.
1. The Notorious Byrd Bros. (By far their best)
2. Fifth Dimension
3. Mr. Tambourine Man
4. Younger than Yesterday
5. Sweetheart at the Rodeo
6. Turn! Turn! Turn!
7. The rest
No room for Younger than Yesterday??
@@TastesLikeMusic That was a massive oversight on my part. That would be #4. Correcting now.
I'm in absolute agreement with you. Untitled was a shocking abomination and ended my relationship with the "group", a collection of players showcasing an exceptional guitarist, but zero ability to produce a decent lyric and an affront to the legacy vocally after two of rock's very best, Crosby and Clark departed. What the real Byrds accomplished in the studio with Gary Usher particularly, what they produced in the Notorious/5D sessions specifically was more technologically groundbreaking than even the Beatles and I'm sure that songs like Eight Miles High and Dolphins Smile were in the consciousnesses (?) of 80's British post punk/new wave musicians who melded together advances in technology with really intelligent lyrics and melody to create a decade's worth of some of the best music in rock history. That influence and their first five albums are what to remember about The Byrds, not these substitute space/cowboy dudes with McGuinn who sauntered off to become a bar/ arena band featuring 18 minute Eight Miles High guitar solos! PS. I always felt Ballad of Easy Rider would've made a nice Byrds' album. Can't explain why.