The Byrds Album: “Greatest Hits [Remaster]”

I happened to be visiting relatives in LA in 1964 or '65 when I had the good fortune of catching the Byrds television debut on the Lloyd Thaxton Show. I was struck as much by what I heard as what I saw: America's first answer to the Beatles.

At one time I owned all the Byrds albums on vinyl up to "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and "Easy Rider." Later I created my own "greatest hits" cassette, a full 90 minutes worth.

This "Greatest Hits" album falls far short of all the wonderful music produced by Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons and others, but for someone wanting to have a prime sample of early Byrds, heavy on the trademark Rickenbacker 12 string fingerpicking sound, this is a great place to start.

This "Super Bit Mapping" recording is superior to other recordings I have heard of the Byrds and manages to bring out subtleties in the early recording process that were the subject of many rumors. Most notable is that it's much easier to pick out the various layers of overdubbing (both the Rickenbacker 12 string and McGuinn's vocals).

True fans of the founders of folk-rock will want to supplement this album others. Be sure to get your hands on tunes like "He Was a Friend of Mine" and "Lay Down Your Weary Tune."

Incidentally, Roger McGuinn has an interesting web site with free downloads available of a lot of folk songs, many of which were staples of the 50s and 60s coffeehouse folk scene. Most of those recordings feature an acoustic Martin 12 string guitar, as well as some banjo picking.

The Byrds were one of the best and most influential bands of the 1960's.They married the folk songs of Bob Dylan("Mr. Tamborine Man","Chimes Of Freedom","My Back Pages","All I Really Want To Do") and Pete Seeger(Turn Turn Turn,Bells Of Rhmney) to Beatles-inspired rock n' roll,thus creating the genre "folk-rock".They also wrote terrific originals like "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better","It Won't Be Wrong","Set You Free This Time","Have You Seen Her Face".They also went into psychedelia with the groundbreaking "Eight Miles High","Mr. Spaceman" and "5D(Fifth Dimension)" and showed a sense of humor with the jaunty "So You Want To Be A Rock n' Roll Star?".This album collects all the songs mentioned.The stereo SACD release features a much warmer, richer,fuller sound than the standard Columbia/Legacy CD,with Roger McGuinn's 12-string Rickerbacker guitar jangle never sounding as clear and alive as it does here.This is a highly recommened choice,folks! (Note:This will NOT play on a standard CD player!)

Yep, even 30-plus years later,the early Byrds have proven their high standing in 60's pop-rock. Where else can you get their unique chimelike 12-string,matched by some superb harmonies,even if the songs don't always stand up quite as well? TURN,TURN,TURN,right out of Eccliasiates, always sounds just fine. "Bells of Rhymney" , Pete Seeger's ballad about a coal mining disaster, has not lost it's sadness. EIGHT MILES HIGH still flies with perfect harmony,even if the guitars get a little too noisy."5 D" and "My Back Pages" fill the package perfectly, the latter a less known example of making a Dylan tune enjoyable. Still, a couple of these don't hold their own ("Spaceman" and "Rock and Roll Star"), and could have been replaced by a couple less known numbers from YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY. Still, the best one CD Byrds' package. They went off later to do some "country/cowboy" things,etc. but none of that has the uniqueness of this, their earliest and best.

Anyone alive and kicking in the early 1960s remembers the Byrds fondly. Who but this unlikely group of very talented but inherently quirky young musicians could have made such an instant splash as they did with a quick succession of chart busters such as "All I Really Want To Do", Mr. Tambourine Man", and "Turn, Turn, Turn"? They had tyhe audacity and courage to assaultwhat was then the British-dominated pop charts and in the process became a wildly successful group, one who wound up pioneering the realities of the American rock star phenomenon. As they describe in "So You Want to Be A Rock & Roll Star", the chance to do so was real, at least for them. And they succeeded far beyond their wildest expectations!

All of their best efforts are here, and although it was true that the tender ages and very high level of talent and abilities of each of the members led to their relatively quick demise as a group, it is also true that the abilities of each as musicians and songwriters and performers is evident here. Who can resist the magic of a song like "Eight Miles High" or "My Back Pages"? They had an obvious sense of humor, as is evident in "Mr Spaceman", and also had a social conscience, as they proved with "Chimes OF Freedom". In fact, they helped enormously to establish Bob Dylan's music in the hearts and minds of the sixties generation, and from "Mr Tambourine Man" to "My Back Pages" to "All I Really Want To Do" , they popularized the themes of intelligent questioning of social issues with their music. No one has a complete sixties music collection without this album. Buy it and enjoy!

I have never been a huge Byrds fan, but have come to appreciate their place in rock history. After listening to their Greatest Hits on SACD I was throughly took by the warmth of the and feel of the music. The jangling guitars and tamborine had a more realistic sound than any CD version I've heard. If you're a total digital dork and don't like to hear any noise(tape hiss) then you will probably find fault with the production. But if you appreciate when the analogue quality of the original master is preserved you will likely agree this recording sounds incredible, and justifies the existence of stereo SACD.