Search - Byrds :: Full Flyte (965-70)

Cramming the Byrds in one Cage

Morgan Broman | Alexandria, VA United States | 01/25/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is impossible to do an overview of a group like the Byrds because of their various incarnations and the fact that most of their material was of such a high quality. However, Raven Record of Australia has done the best job possible (nearly all Raven releases are worth seeking out). The only constant here is Byrds leader Roger (nee: Jim) McGuinn, who piloted these wildly talented ensembles through the mid-1960s hit years (cuts 1-16), the roots-psychedelic masterpiece "Notorious Byrds Brothers" (cuts 17-20), the rock-meets-Nashville classic "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" (cuts 21-23), and the late-1960s-early 1970s country rock version (featuring the brilliant Clarence White on guitar) (cuts 24-26). Much has been said about "artistic tensions" in the group, but however much David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, and - later - Gram Parsons faced off with McGuinn and each other, it never seemed to translate into the grooves of the original LPs. These songs, from "Mr. Tambourine Man" through "Eight Miles High" and onto "Hickory Wind," are just timeless and sound as good today as the day they were released. The Byrds didn't aim for the heart with love songs; they aimed for the mind and they had an intellectual sensibility rarely found in pop music. If this is your first Byrds disc, I guarantee you will be moved to seek out their original albums, almost all of which still shine today."