The Byrds Album: “Play Dylan”

Those thinking about buying this CD should be aware that there is an Australian version with alternate programming available from Amazon [ASIN BOOOO5K2U3]. Here is a quick comparison of the USA and Australian CDs:

I. CONTENTS:

Both use the same 20 tracks. These include the 1965 take of `It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' (in stereo), but not the dramatically different 1969 track on "Ballad of Easy Rider." This is a glaring omission, considering there are alternate versions of four other songs.

Still, here are sixteen songs from Bob Dylan's most creative period, with each of the various Byrds line-ups performing on at least one or two tracks. This makes for a rich listening experience, though the dramatically different styles of the various line-ups makes programming these tracks a challenge.

II. PROGRAMMING:

An earlier reviewer pointed out the strange programming choice for the USA CD. He's right - it appears to be simply alphabetical through track 13! When playing the USA CD, I usually set my player to "random" or "shuffle"; it's mostly random by alphabet anyway, and this often generates some interesting alternate programs.

The strongest point of the Australian CD is that it largely succeeds in an attempt to program these songs for enjoyable listening. (See Amazon's listing of the Australian CD for this alternate program.)

III. SOUND QUALITY

The remastering on the USA album is excellent, in that all tracks from a wide variety of sources play at about the same volume and EQ setting.

For this reason, some tracks may not have the same full bodied richness of the original album tracks, but when played loud the sound quality is excellent and will not disappoint.

The Australian CD tends toward a slight "import" sound, but is nonetheless also excellent.

Bottom line: very good to excellent sound on both USA and AUS versions.

IV. PACKAGING

The US release features 2 color photos of the post-Clark Byrds. Its 12 page booklet contains more photos and a 2002 essay by David Fricke that explores the Byrds' special relationship with Dylan.

The Aussie version has only a single fold-open sheet with a one page essay by David Humphries written in 2001.

The two CDs have different covers, but both are shown on Amazon so buyers can decide for themselves about these.

OVERALL:

This album is pretty much a "must have" for Byrds fans, though almost anyone familiar with either Dylan or the Byrds will probably also enjoy it. I recommend the USA version with its superior packaging for die hard fans. But the Australian program is (in my opinion) much superior for listening, so I reccomend that for casual buyers.

ALSO SUGGESTED:

Those interested in this album will surely also enjoy Mcguinn's fine duet with Dylan on 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door.' See "The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5 - Bob Dylan Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue" (Legacy C2K 87047).

This album gives a great overview of the different eras of the Byrds career. Almost every Dylan cover on this album is just incredible. But, I have to agree with an earlier reviewer that it would have made better sense for the songs to listed chronologically.

Every Dylan cover on this album is just stellar, with one exception. I would have given this album 5 stars if the horrid single version of Lay Lady Lay had been excluded and left for possible inclusion on some parody comedy album. It is embarrassing to listen to a gospel choir singing about getting a lady into bed.

I think that the stripped down alternate version of Lay Lady Lay, also included here, is infinitely superior to the single version. I would hope that some producer, and not the Byrds themselves, made the misguided decision to ruin this song by overlaying the choir track.

Beyond this collection being polluted by that one egregious exception, I don't think that I can give a high enough recommendation of this album. The rest of the songs are great from start to finish. I don't think I have ever heard another group do such a great job of covering another artist's material.

This is a must have cd for any fan of Dylan or the Byrds. Although many of these songs have appeared in the expanded reissue versions of the Byrds catalog, this is a must have cd in order to have all of this great material/performances on one cd. If you are new to the Byrds (how?), this is a great place to begin your flight. Take off and buy it! (Wayn-o, does any of this get through?)

"The Byrds Play Dylan" -- do you remember the magic you experienced the very first time you heard Roger McGuinn's elecric twelve-string Rickenbaker piercing your mind from the radio? . . . you can experience that magic once again on this cd collection of The Byrds playing Dylan.

The selections are tracks recorded between 1965 up to 1990. And the miracle melodies are all here intact.

My personal preference leans toward the earlier years - when the "sound" had changed the folk approach of Bob Dylan to electric and electrifying folk/rock and "rock with a message" or "poetic rock" - call it what you like. The sound hit you right in the face and mesmerized you and captivted you and entranced you. But even with personel changes in the line-up and the passing of years(to "Sweethearts Of The Rodeo" period) The Byrds

stil delivered their tansforming effect with all of their music . . .and especially with the art of Bob Dylan.

This collection includes original studio recording and several "live" tracks and altrnate versions of songs.

I recommend this collection to any fan of The Byrds or Dylan . . . or to any fan of the "sixties phenomenon music" . . . and to new listeners who may have never heard this music when it mad its initial epiphany . . . you will enjoy the magic! . . . and like The Holy Modal Rounders once sang . . . "if ya wanna be a Byrd it won't take much to get you up there . . ." -- just this "The Byrds Play Dylan" cd collection should just about do it! :)

I found this item new in a music store bargain bin, for even less than the price above, but if you like either Bob or The Byrds, it's worth more than that. Earlier reviewers are right that Dylan songs were not the Byrds' only contribution to folk-rock of the mid-60's, and The Byrds were not always the ones to produce the very best versions of Dylan's songs. They were, however, among the first, and they gave Dylan's often strange poetic lyrics wilder settings than the other folkies did. I was always ambivalent about The Byrds: on "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" and "The Times They Are A'changin'" the group is fabulous. On a bunch of other Dylan covers, not quite as satisfying. However, for this price it's a quite nice collection that merits repeat playing. I like it for driving. The songs are familiar enough to me, having lived when they were fresh, so I can tune them out, so to speak, if traffic gets heavy, and crank them up when the road gets open. I've always liked early Dylan better than anything past about 1969, and that's what this CD offers. It's a good value.