Showing posts with label Style: raga rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Style: raga rock. Show all posts

20 January, 2012

94. The Byrds | Younger Than Yesterday (1967)



  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

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. 

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

06 December, 2011

63. The Byrds | Fifth Dimension (1966)


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)


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.
 
★★★★★★★★☆☆