Genre Folk, rock
Evaluation Right from the start I have to say I am not a big Byrds fan. They’re not the kind of group that comes out and blows you away with driving rock ’n’ roll or incredible music and lyrics, however, they are very pleasant and easy to listen to, emphasis on the easy. You may not love the Byrds but it’s hard to hate them, kind of like your family coming over for the holidays and playing the piano you’ve got sitting in the corner of the room. It isn’t Rubenstein, but they’ve taken enough lessons that the music they make is pleasant enough. That’s the Byrds. This album will give you a very good taste of their music if you’ve never heard them before. I highly recommend it in order to get to the heart of the Byrds sound. Having said that, here are the albums hi-lights.
1) Mr Tambourine Man A very pleasant and easy to listen to song. Oddly I wouldn’t call this your typical Byrds sound as they have a wide variety of shades in their music, all be it that each shade is of the same color. This song is more to the groups mellow side. It is also one of their biggest hits.
2) Turn Turn Turn Very similar in style to Mr Tambourine Man, this song is taken from a passage in the Bible that they did a really good job on. Also very easy to listen to and another big hit. Their harmonies are very relevant in both of these songs, which is one of the groups strengths.
3) Eight Miles High Came out during the psycodelic era. This song makes you feel like you’re on a high just listening to it. Not exactly what I would call hard rock but a little bit harder than the first 2 songs. While not a big hit during it’s release, this song went on to become almost a signature song for the band. One of their best in my opinion.
4) So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star Honestly a little bit silly but still a pleasant enough toon. The crowd applause and the la la la end chorus is cute. This too was not a big hit but is getting more airplay today than it did during it’s original release.
5) Chestnut Mare One of their more obscure tunes yet arguably their best. The story of the man trying to catch the mare is classicly told and a masterpiece. The music fits perfectly. I will never understand why this wasn’t a big hit. Again, maybe it is because the Byrds may have been too subtle for some people, myself included.
Bottom Line You won’t get blown away by this album. But there is some good music on it that needs to be heard. Over the years I have developed an appreciation for the Byrds music. I don’t know what you will feel when you listen to this album. One thing I can promise you is it won’t be a feeling of hatred or even mild dislike. The Byrds are just too easy to listen to.