133. The Byrds | Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
2. I Am a Pilgrim
3. The Christian Life
4. You Don't Miss Your Water
5. You're Still on My Mind
6. Pretty Boy Floyd
7. Hickory Wind
8. One Hundred Years from Now
9. Blue Canadian Rockies
10. Life in Prison
11. Nothing Was Delivered

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Sweetheart of the Rodeo is n superb album. On this album, and with the addition of Gram Parsons who wanted to blend rock and roll and country, the Byrds decided to go country. Most of the songs are written by folk and country musicians like Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, the Louvin Brothers and Merle Haggard. However, Gram Parsons contributed two songs and Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman co-wrote one.

I don't have an ear for country music and I don't have a deep sense of the culture, but to me it's impressive that a folk rock/psychedelic rock band was able to pull this off as well as they did. To me, it's the real deal. In fact, I think of the five albums that the Byrds have on the 1001 Albums list, this is the best one by far. (Roger McGuinn snotty, smarmy singing is at a minimum.)

This album certainly deserves to be on the list and would be a great addition to any collection. The only negative thing I have is that, with this album, the Byrds probably helped usher in the easy-listening country rock music that emerged in the 1970s and continues to plague radio stations to this day.

All of the songs are excellent, but the stand outs are: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, I Am a Pilgrim, The Christian Life, You Don't Miss Your Water, Pretty Boy Floyd, Hickory Wind, Blue Canadian Rockies and Life in Prison.

★★★★★★★★★★

119. The Byrds | The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Artificial Energy
2. Goin' Back
3. Natural Harmony
4. Draft Morning
5. Wasn't Born to Follow
6. Get to You
7. Change Is Now
8. Old John Robertson
9. Tribal Gathering
10. Dolphin's Smile
11. Space Odyssey

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The Notorious Byrd Brothers is an understated album. The songs are a combination of rock and roll, country and folk. They are short, but well developed and efficient.

I'm by no means a fan of the Byrds. Their music tends to annoy me more than it entertains me, but this album is really good. Maybe because the songs are short they don't have enough time to get under my skin. I really like how the songs flow from one to another. Conceptually, they are all different, but they all seem like extensions of each other.

My only guess why this album deserves to be on the 1001 Albums list is that it mixes folk, country and rock and roll in such a way that all three remain distinct styles. In that sense it's really interesting to see how much separation there is between country and rock and roll.

This album is the best so far by the Byrds and it's certainly worth listening to. Of course, Roger McGuinn still writes songs about outer space which always seemed out of place, but this time he's done much better making it work with the rest of the album. Another annoyance that is not so prevalent on this album are the snotty, smarmy vocals. Thank goodness for that.

There's not much variance in the quality of the songs, so despite the contradiction, they are all stand outs.

★★★★★★★★★★

94. The Byrds | Younger Than Yesterday (1967)

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Wikipedia Entry

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1. So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star
2. Have You Seen Her Face
3. C.T.A.-102
4. Renaissance Fair
5. Time Between
6. Everybody's Been Burned
7. Thoughts and Words
8. Mind Gardens
9. My Back Pages
10. The Girl with No Name
11. Why

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Younger Than Yesterday is a trusty album. It's also a short album made up primarily of rock and roll songs and country songs. There are a couple of songs that flirt with a sitar sound, but they're not the focus of the album.

The songs are written and played well and they go together well for the most part. The problem with the album is that it's uninteresting. It's certainly a good album for the Byrds, but it's mediocre compared to what has been coming out during 1967.

If you just need some soulless, non-threatening music on in the background that won't distract you, this is the album for you. So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star, Have You Seen Her Face, Time Between and Mind Gardens are the stand out songs. C.T.A.-102 could have been better had the stupid alien chatter been omitted. 

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

63. The Byrds | Fifth Dimension (1966)

Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. 5D (Fifth Dimension)
2. Wild Mountain Thyme
3. Mr. Spaceman
4. I See You
5. What's Happening?!?!
6. I Come and Stand at Every Door
7. Eight Miles High
8. Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)
9. Captain Soul
10. John Riley
11. 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)

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Fifth Dimension is a bizarre album. The song topics vary from alternative dimensions to alien visitors to a young girl who died in Hiroshima to a lear jet. Bizarre indeed! However, it is nice to listen to something other than sappy songs about high school love. And even a love song like John Riley is worth listening to. The music is melodic, dynamic and energetic.

This is an album that takes time to get used to. It's worth listening to. The stand out songs are: 5D (Fifth Dimension), Wild Mountain Thyme, Mr. Spaceman, Wild Mountain Thyme, I Come and Stand at Every Door, Eight Miles High, Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go), Captain Soul and John Riley.

The Byrds have improved since Mr. Tambourine Man. I still don't like their how they sing. They sound smug or smarmy or something. However, their music and lyrics are quite interesting and enjoyable.  
★★★★★★★★☆☆

57. The Byrds | Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)

Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Mr. Tambourine Man
2. I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better
3. Spanish Harlem Incident
4. You Won't Have to Cry
5. Here Without You
6. The Bells of Rhymney
7. All I Really Want to Do
8. I Knew I'd Want You
9. It's No Use
10. Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe
11. Chimes of Freedom
12. We'll Meet Again

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Mr. Tambourine Man is a lively album. All the songs have a really rich and full sound. Yet, they lose steam right away and it's hard to stay interested. Also, the vocals drone on and on, and sound like they are being sung in slow motion.

This album does not excite me. I don't enjoy listening to two of the three singers. One sounds like he's in on a joke you're not and the other sounds both whiny and smarmy. The notable songs are Mr. Tambourine Man, I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better Here Without You, All I Really Want to Do, It's No Use, Don't Doubt Yourself and Chimes of Freedom.  
★★★★★★★☆☆☆