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Thread: "Byrds" 1973

  1. #1

    "Byrds" 1973

    I don't know why this album was either condemned or met with indifference. I've been listening to it a lot the last day (esp. with their cover of "Cowgirl in the Sand" on repeat), & much of it is fantastic! In fact, I like their cover of "Cowgirl" better than Neil's original studio version. (though some of Neil's acoustic versions are gorgeous)


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    The only Byrds album I never heard.

    I remember back when I was a fanatic about them, and I pretty much decided that Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name was the last truly brilliant thing to come out of their lot - thus not feeling like even touching this one.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

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    Unfortunately it's not too good. It's just too mellow, none of the original fire. The consensus is that Gene Clark was the only one that contributed any substantial material, note the amount of rehashes and covers.

    Definitely a forgotten album...that it wasn't on Columbia doesn't help.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    Unfortunately it's not too good. It's just too mellow, none of the original fire. The consensus is that Gene Clark was the only one that contributed any substantial material, note the amount of rehashes and covers.

    Definitely a forgotten album...that it wasn't on Columbia doesn't help.
    Disagree that it's not too good though I have to admit that it is very mellow.

    David Crosby's version of He Played real good for Free is gorgeous & to my ears Chris Hillman's contributions are almost as good as Gene Clark's. Not keen on Born To Rock & Roll but that aside it's a great listen.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by philsunset View Post
    Calling Lopez
    You rang?

    It is a good album by itself, but not what it was built up to be. I think the hype that preceded it, heightened everyone's expectations, including mine. At that time there was so much of this type of stuff around—the Burritos, Gram Parsons, the Eagles, Loggins & Messina, Poco—that it was so much of the same. The magic was gone.
    Lou

    Looking forward to my day in court.

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    I think Perez is right that it was a matter of expectations. Everyone thought they would be getting the 1966 Byrds when instead they got a very good 1973 country rock album. Of course, the reaction would have probably been equally negative had the Byrds tried to sound like 1966...

    Still, Byrds 1973 is easily on par with Easy Rider and Untitled and better than the subsequent efforts of the latter-day Byrds.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by arturs View Post
    I think Perez is right that it was a matter of expectations. Everyone thought they would be getting the 1966 Byrds when instead they got a very good 1973 country rock album. Of course, the reaction would have probably been equally negative had the Byrds tried to sound like 1966...

    Still, Byrds 1973 is easily on par with Easy Rider and Untitled and better than the subsequent efforts of the latter-day Byrds.
    If it's as good as (Untitled), then I'll probably have to give it a listen at some point. I don't think I've ever heard any of The Byrds records from after (Untitled) (and admittedly, I'm missing a couple of the ones before it), but I always thought (Untitled) was easily as good as the classic Crosby/Hillman era records.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    If it's as good as (Untitled)
    Oh believe me, it's nowhere near as good; hell, parts of (Untitled) are downright *great*! And parts of The Ballad of Easy Rider as well. But I never cared for Byrdmaniax, and although Farther Along is marginally better (IMHO) it's absolutely nothing like (Untitled).
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

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    Quote Originally Posted by arturs View Post
    I think Perez is right that it was a matter of expectations. Everyone thought they would be getting the 1966 Byrds when instead they got a very good 1973 country rock album. Of course, the reaction would have probably been equally negative had the Byrds tried to sound like 1966...
    I don't really remember this one having much 'rock' on it of any stripe, beyond the very ropey 'Born To Rock N Roll'. The best song on it as far as I recall was 'Full Circle'.

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    Member Lopez's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yoyiceu View Post
    Who's Perez?
    Here I is. Must be some confusion over an Italian guy with a Hispanic handle.

    I agree with Scroty above that some of Untitled is great. "Lover of the Bayou" is as great anything the Byrds have ever done. And "Chestnut Mare" is just a great song, period. The playing of Clarence White, electric and acoustic, on both numbers is impeccable. The live sides, especially the "Eight Miles High" cut showed how good this band was live. Having seen that version of the band a couple times, you can believe me. The addition of Skip Battin as a Byrd at that time was a brilliant move on Roger's part. Skip had been playing electric bass from something like 1951, and he was a mighty good pop-song writer having been associated and recorded with Kim Fowley and Gary Paxton (check out the Skip & Flip numbers on YouTube).
    Lou

    Looking forward to my day in court.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Lopez View Post
    Here I is. Must be some confusion over an Italian guy with a Hispanic handle.
    WHOTTUPH...! Are you none other than Lopez Perez Fernandez Jimenez Rodriguez Speranza Hernandes? No, please say it isn't so!
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  14. #14
    Member Lopez's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    WHOTTUPH...! Are you none other than Lopez Perez Fernandez Jimenez Rodriguez Speranza Hernandes? No, please say it isn't so!
    But everyone knew him as Nancy.
    Lou

    Looking forward to my day in court.

  15. #15
    I'm thinking I also prefer their cover of Neil's "(See the Sky) About to Rain" over the original.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lopez View Post
    The addition of Skip Battin as a Byrd at that time was a brilliant move on Roger's part. Skip had been playing electric bass from something like 1951, and he was a mighty good pop-song writer having been associated and recorded with Kim Fowley and Gary Paxton (check out the Skip & Flip numbers on YouTube).
    I didn't know until recently it was the same guy who did 'Cherry Pie' (yes, rock 'n' roll oldies are another of my musical loves!).

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Lopez View Post
    The addition of Skip Battin as a Byrd at that time was a brilliant move on Roger's part. Skip had been playing electric bass from something like 1951, and he was a mighty good pop-song writer.
    Absolutely QFT. His "Well Come Back Home" from (Untitled) was the band's best closing track next to "Why?" and "Space Odyssey" from the earlier days, and his bass work soars in that "Eight Miles High" live Version.

    Strangely, two of my fave post-classic Byrds tracks were written by 'second-tier' members, the other being Gene Parsons' "Gunga Din".
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

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