The Smiley Smile Message Board

Anyone for the bryds....?

Favorite songs?

xoxoxoxo
suga

BYRDS!!!!!!!!!  ;D
Yes, one of my favorite bands ever.

Eight Miles High.

Must get "Fabulous Bird Brothers", see what all the fuss is about ;)

 My Back Pages is on the top  songs of all time

Ian faviorte song?

suga

NOTORIOUS BYRD BROTHERS!  ;D

Hmm, can't decide on one, here's some favorites:
Chestnut Mare
I See You
Goin' Back
Ballad Of Easy Rider
I Come And Stand At Every Door
Have You Seen Her Face
The World Turns All Around Her
She Don't Care About Time
Old Blue
Wasn't Born To Follow
If You're Gone
Lover Of The Bayou

Damn, I'd have looked a right prat if I went into the CD shop and ask for the "Fabulous Bird Brothers"...

Thanks mate ;)

oh yeah I love have you seen her face.... Bells of Rhemny is good too


xoxoxo
suga

Notorious has two great Crosby tunes,  Draft Morning and Dolphin Smile. Plus "Triad" as a bonus track.
Also a Gary Usher production , Matinee.
Go get it, it's good. Better than good.

Tribal Gathering is a great Crosby tune too!

Favorite Byrds song.. that's tough..

pre-country: The World Turns All Around Her
country: The Christian Life

Tribal gathering too, yep, forgot about that. Some staggering harmonies there.

I must say, I'm not really into Country Music... and this is probably the best place to ask, what is the easiest way to get into it?  I've got the Kinks "Muswell Hillbillies", but I must say I prefer most of the non-'straight country' tunes on it (Oklahoma USA and Alcohol are brilliant, etc)

Aie, so  I don't want to jump in the deep end, so maybe some bands that were predominantly pop but with country influences creeping in'd be appreciated... like the Byrds no doubt... Is "Notorious Byrd Brothers" straight country or a nice mix?

Ugh... that was  longwinded.

I'm a HUGE fan up to and including Sweetheart, not so much after that, though untitled is good and does include both Chestnut Mare and Just A Season. Much more a fan of the Crosby era, for the quality of all the songwriters, the songs, the sound, everything. Another band whose CD's are infinitely better than the original short (but sweet LP's). My fave? Lady Friend. As joyous as joyous can be. Notorious is their masterpiece, even it there are better songs on the earlier albums.

It's barely country AT ALL - more West Coast pyschedelia meets visionary pop group having dumped their best songwriter but used his songs anyway - there is a slight country influence and some great Clarence White guitar playing but GET IT!!!!!!!!! You won't regret it.

Notorious and its sister Younger Than Yesterday are great places for you to start then, because country and bluegrass are just a few of the many influences that you'll hear on these amazing albums.  When you've "gotten" songs like "Time Between" and "Wasn't Born to Follow", then it's time to make the leap to Sweetheart of the Rodeo which was recorded in Nashville with Gram Parsons in tow.  I have no doubt that you will love this album if you give it a chance, and then you can follow the logical progressions to the later work of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Bros, Gram's solo stuff, Gene Clark's albums (amazing!  start with Gene Clark and the Gosdin Bros.) and the Dillards.

Also, are you at all into the Monkees?  Mike Nesmith did so much to bridge country and rock 'n' roll, and his songs on those Monkees LPs are uniformly great.

Perfect post and recommendations, Jason, as always.

Yeah, thanks Jason and alan...

I wish I was into the Monkeys... Ian and others says the "Pisces, Aquarius" things are fantastic, but all I ever find in stores is a recent 'best of' (probably released on the coattails of the Shrek film)... is this a wise start, a best of?  or an original album the way to go?

fave Byrds songs -
Mr Tamborine Man, Lady Friend, She Dont Care About Time, Get To You, Renassaince Fair, Everybody's Been Burned, Turn Turn Turn, Set You Free This Time....

fave byrds album? Younger Than Yesterday, bitches.  Their "Sunflower" where all participants shine.

fave Byrd?  Cros.

Matinee, wait for Pisces. Definitely the best intro.

While I'm at it, one of the true "Bands" of rock, where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.  That original trademark Byrds sound was McGuinn/Clark/Crosby/Hillman/Clark

And the only band to go through so many great lineups. Total changeovers, always remaining great.

Beaut, see that's what I love about this place, short, succinct answers.

Thanks guys.

And we love you, man.

very interesting but true (for my knowledge).  Who else could survive the loss of Gene Clark, and then the loss of Gram Parsons?  The one and only Bryds.

I only go as far as Notorious.  What do you recommend from there.  Ballad of Easy Rider? S/T? Untited? Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde (?)

Ballad may be my favorite Byrds album. So I'd go for that. But Dr. Byrds is criminally underrated. Incredible album.
Untitled is mostly great. Farther and Byrdmaniax have their moments but are inferior. I hate the reunion album, but others don't.

Dr Byrds is their "Who By Numbers" their "Hot Carl and the Passions" their "Walls and Bridges" their "Back to the Egg" their "Goats Head Soup" their "Landing on Water" their "Street Legal.".....

Notorious is THE best sequenced album of all time.  Deal with it.

You start off with the hazy horns and altered vocals of Artificial Energy, an attempt to paint a picture of a speed trip if you will. An aggressive and IMO successful experiment.  As it ends, it immediately starts up with the dreamy Goin Back.  Crosby may have hated the fact that Goffin/King wrote the song, but the song itself shimmers, with some beautiful slide guitar from Red Rhodes and Rick chimes from Roger, along with the (on this album) omnipresent strings.  The lyrics combine a wistful nostalgia with a progressive view of the future.  It fades gently after a particularly nice set of harmonies into Natural Harmony, which uses an unusual mix of pedal steel and Moog synthesizer powered by a great Hillman bass line and some more altered vocals.  This slowly drifts into the album's great masterpiece gradually, Draft Morning, an early anti-war song (as re-written lyrically by Rog and Chris, music by Crosby), perhaps the most inspired Byrds arrangement ever, with Michael Clarke's best playing, a devastating bass line and perfectly set gunfire percussion.  As the song fades with Taps playing on the Rick, it floats dreamlike into the other Goffin/King song, Wasn't Born to Follow.  The most country like song on the album, it starts off sounding like early country rock, but on the startling bridge detours straight into pure 1967 pyschedelia before returning to the original feel.  The production matches the yearning for freedom spoken in the lyrics, and it was an obvious choice for Easy Rider a few years later.  The song actually ends, so a slammed door is an abrupt transition into Get To You.  This is a very hazy country waltz as filtered through an acid consciousness.  Thus ends the original side 1.

Side 2 opens with Change is Now, with some of Roger's most inspired altered sounds on the instrumental break and full band harmonies as all four Byrds play here.  The next song is one I especially like, Old John Robertson, as I like the phasing effect on the cello break and the subject matter (a silent movie star as seen by kids in 60's Hollywood).  Tribal Gathering is one of Crosby's crazy time signature pieces most likely influence by some jazz artist (Coltrane?  Davis?) that he was playing at the time.  The lyrics are another paean to some California love-in gathering that he loved so dearly.  This fades into the heavily processed sounds of McGuinn rubbing his fingers against his guitar (sounds a lot like a Dolphin) as Dolphin Smile comes in, an escapist fantasy about the sea.  This is one of the key songs on the album as Clarke was unable to play it correctly (listen to the hidden bonus track on the CD), leading to his eventual departure towards the end of the sessions (almost half the album was McGuinn and Hillman with session men).  The album closes with Space Odyssey, a track that should be near and dear to JRausch's heart.   ;D  It is from the original short story that inspired 2001, The Sentinel, and it is much clearer than the movie as to what is supposed to be happening.  The spaciest song on the album, it strives to get a spacey effect (it just makes it my least fav track on the album).

The CD adds a neat raga on Moog, an unused instrumental track, the famous outtake of Triad, and alternate versions of Draft Morning and Change is Now.

This is simply the best Byrds album, one of the best albums ever, essential to anyone hanging around this board.  You can tell that Gary Usher was hanging around the cream of LA psychedelia throughout the album and the playing is continually inspired.  If you have not heard the entire album from start to finish, GET IT NOW!

Oh, I also love these Byrds songs:

Renaissance Fair
Time Between
Thoughts and Words
Lady Friend
Nothing Was Delivered
Hickory Wind
Bad Night at the Whiskey
Wheels of Fire
Fido
Tulsa County
Chestnut Mare
All the Things
Lover of the Bayou

The expanded Untitled is my favorite of the later albums.  But of course you need Sweetheart of the Rodeo, one of the most important albums ever.

sweetheart is after notorious I thought?  Oops.  Yes I have it, but file it under Gram.  Seriously.

Essay it, Jeff. Expound and essay it. We need that kind of stuff at the SS. Great writing.

I have considered writing a Notorious essay, but wasn't sure if it wasn't too obvious ground for it.  If Old Rake likes the idea I could be easily persuaded to write more...

Rake, tell him.

Notorious has two big flaws: Arttificial Energy and Space Oddyssey. Two songs that I can't get into at all. The first one has no melody and no flow, and the second one is a boring drag.

The remaining tracks are pure genius. Especially the three Crosby tracks, but also Change Is Now and the dreamy version of Goin' Back. (The best version of this song! Sorry, Dusty and Carole.)

Is there a Draft Morning version with Crosby on it? Does anyone know the original lyrics? They mention in the liner ntoes that it was rewritten by McGuinn and Hillman.

Younger Than Yesterday is their strongest album from start to finish. The remixed CD contains the original version of Old John Robertson, which I find superior to the Notorious album version with the phasing experiments. Note that several songs on the remixed CDs are longer than the original mix. They extended Mind Gardens by some 20 seconds (as if that was necessary :) ).

Favorite songs:
I'll  Feel A Whole Lot Better
Bells Of Rhimney
She Don't Care About Time
Set You Free This Time
Renaissance Fair
Thoughts And Words
Everybody's Been Burned
Lady Friend
Draft Morning

ok i registered especially to post this reply........

some thoughts:

1) the sequencing on Notorious - agree its one of the best with one exception - Draft Morning. that shouldve been at the end of side 1, so we could have a complete ending, rather than having to fade it out and merge it with Wasnt Born To Follow

2) Crosby was the byrds best songwriter? puh-lease! i admit he has own unique style, but Gene Clark is clearly superior, as was Hillman in my opinion.

3) If you want something country that sounds like the byrds (sorry, cant remember who asked about that) try Wheatstraw Suite and Copperfields by the Dillards. From 1968 and 1970 respectively.  What used to be a bluegrass band goes country - pop. tis great. oh and the Sounds of GOodbye by the Gosdin Brothers, is a must. especially the new expanded version, even though they mess with the track listing.

4) Favourite Byrds SOngs - Time Between
                                         - Why
                                         - Gunga Din
                                         - Yesterdays Train
               

5) Anyone else agree that I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better has to be the most ripped off song ever?

and finally

6) Just picked up Guilbeau and Parson's Cajun Country - anyone who likes the byrds' Your Gentle Ways Of Loving Me, should definately hear the original version. Much better.

oh actually this is my final point

7) i think i actually like the later period byrds - they seem to have more soul. early byrds were a bit too clinical and robotic. you may get the odd duff song later on, but they play them with more feeling.

hmmm..........no this is my final thought.

8) anyone else like Skip Battin? surely the most  hated byrds member, but i really like him.
not the best singer, but one of my favourite bassists and his songs arent that bad apart from on Byrdmaniax, which nobody comes away from looking that resepctable.


well there you go. my first post.
sorry if it was long winded.

Look, can we get back on-topic? As interesting as these posts are, this is a Bryds thread, okay?

I always liked "Guitar Man," myself.

I'm tellin' him. Jeff, MORE NOTORIOUS! Come o'er the other side and write us an essay.

I love me some Bryds! "Baby I'm'a Want You" is good too.

I thought it ripped off Needles And Pins.

Keooddiii there and Andreas, nice posts...

Jeff, DO IT UP BABY.

So Notorious has 2 Goffin King songs (Goin Back and Wasn't Born to Follow).  And it's produced by Gary Usher.  Hmm, any connection there?  Since I would associate all three of those artists (Jerry, Carole, and Gary) more with pop than folk.  Folk being another Bryds fixation.  And no Dylan covers on this record.  Hmm...  it's like a substitution almost--exchanging the Dylan for the Goffin/King.

Any serious Byrds fan should get "The Sounds of Goodbye" by the Gosdin Brothers.  Its as essential as Gene Clark or Gram Parsons.  PM me for more information.

It pains me to see the band's name misspelled in the title (for shame!), but yeah, I dig the Byrds.

I like them up to about Untitled, then my interest just goes away. Sweetheart of the Rodeo is their finest album, with Notorious Byrds Brothers a distant second.

I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better

About as perfect as a pop tune can get.

Where's the essay dude!!!! ;D(http://images.google.ca/images?q=tbn:-6dRoe5H_gO5QM:upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/33/Byrds-NotoriousByrdBrothers.jpg/200px-Byrds-NotoriousByrdBrothers.jpg)

These Byrds threads keep popping up and I keep responding.  I love it.  While I've listened to their songs from the beginning, I became the lifelong fan that I am on discovering Younger than Yesterday.

I liked every song on the album, even Mind Garden. 

It was my introduction to country rock and the beginning of my appreciation of Chris Hillman and Mike Clark as a rhythm section.  The whole album is good.  Its like Pet Sounds or Rubber Soul.  To borrow a phrase from Brian Wilson, the whole album is a gas.

Many people call it a transitional album, which may be true, but this band was in transition for years, all for the good, as it turned out.

I have every LP on vinyl.  In fact, it was my first complete collection of a group's albums.

My second favorite, the other one I've played the most, is Untitled.  The live version of Eight Mile High on this LP is UNSURPASSED.  Anyone who disagrees is itching for a fight.

The man speaks sense.  That live version is awe inspiring.  Can you imagine the albums that could have been graced with Clarence White's guitar had he not met his untimely end. A real musical tragedy.

I still like the single version the best...the vocal harmonies of Croz, McGuinn & Clark are essential to the song...granted Clarence really rips some great playing on the live version but then again he did on every track he played...

i think every version of eight miles high are great.
the 5D has the harmonies, and michael clarke is on great form.

the original unreleased version is better produced. nice and beefy.
shame mcguinn fluffs the solo at the end.
listening to that you can really tell that mcquinn's guitar parts were inspired by saxomaphone.

and never mind clarence's performance on the live version, parsons' drumming is the highlight!
totally on top of his game there.

I can't get enough of "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." Those Byrds remasters sound better then any vinyl I've ever heard! 

"Younger Than Yesterday" is great too.

"Nortorious Byrd Brothers" has some great tunes, but that phasing merda in every song ruins it.

KT

Parsons drums are indeed on fire on the live untitled 8MH.

The band was smokin.  Question is , jus WHAT were they smokin?

I've always been convinced that session was fueld by some sort of hi test! ;)

Notorious and Younger are certainly tops, but I reckon the post Sweetheart albums are underated.

Especially Father Along. That got such a hammering in most books I read I was expecting a real turd. But It's One of my faves.
I'd say Byrdmaniax is the worst album but I even like that. Pale Blue and Kathleens song especially.

Sweetheart is one I'm listening to most at the moment.
Can't get enough of "The Christian Life"  Love Roger and Gram's versions equally.

The Byrds really are The Beatles american counterpart , more than the Beach Boys in that they played on the records and all contributed to the writing and creativity of the music.

Gotta say Notorious is my fav...it gels all the best of the Byrds together...Pop, Country, Psychedilic, Space rock, folk, ballad....12 string included...Sorely missed on Sweetheart...

the post Sweetheart albums are definately underrated.

i think theyre all better than Sweetheart, in fact.
for the first time, the byrds had a real rhythm section.
as far as i can see, the only real criticism is that they kind of stood still for that last few albums rather than changing like they always did in the past, and their harmonies werent as good.
but then the musicianship was way way better.

i remember reading in Record Collector, where someone said teh bluegrass instrumental on Farther Along was a discgrace to teh byrds' name.
bloody typical, that is.
thats absolute nonsense, given that Chris Hillman was a bluegrass musician and gene clark clearly liked country music and that byrds toured with the DIllards.
bah!

richardsnow - have you heard the boxset version of kathleen's song? without all the strings. really lovely.
wish that had been left on (Untitled)

Kathleens song without strings:
isn't that on the expaned UNTITLED aswell. I'm pretty sure I have heard that yes.
Just a beautiful song, can't go wrong with it.

Moog Raga.

the version of Kathleen's Song on the (untitled)/(unissued) without the strings is different to the box set version.
i dont think any box set tracks were used on the last 4 reissues.

anyway, the box set version is the Byrdmaniax version just without the strings.
could probably live without it, but the strings are a little overbearing and so without them the guitars are much crisper and clearer.
its basically better without the strings.

goshdarn that just reminded me how much i wish the box set version of Willin' was on the (untitled) reissue.
i love that song. and i never listen to the box set.
grrr!

The bonus tracks on the regular CD's...I dont ever consider the box set anymore....but it has a few tracks not found anywhere else...and there is supposed to be a new box set imminent with DVD etc....but delays delays...

Some of my favourite bonus tracks is the hidden one on Byrdmaniax(with Clarences father), the alternate of One Hunded Years (1997 Sweetheart CD), Fiddler A Dram on Easy Rider and the live version of It's All Right Ma on Unissued....