― Keith C (lync0), Saturday, 18 March 2006 19:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 18 March 2006 20:10 (eighteen years ago) link
Bought Ballad of Easy Rider a couple days ago and am pleasantly surprised at how much I want to keep putting it on. It's terrific.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Tuesday, 7 July 2009 00:10 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8rb8KIG0tY
― Professor Giff (NickB), Saturday, 13 October 2012 22:45 (eleven years ago) link
I last posted here in 2009 about just purchasing Ballad of Easy Rider. It has since become my most-listened-to Byrds album. There are a lot of classic songs on other Byrds albums but for some reason I find this record to be the most pleasurable listening experience from beginning to end. That is, after I tweaked the track listing a little. The overall order of songs is generally in tact but I've subbed in some alternate takes that I think are superior, and added two outtakes while deleting two album cuts. All of these songs were on the expanded edition I bought in 09, so it was just a little re-tagging in iTunes to make this work. I find this version vastly superior so thought I'd share:
Ballad of Easy RiderFido Oil in My Lamp [alternate take] Tulsa County [alternate take]Mae Jean Goes to Hollywood [bonus track] Jack Tarr the Sailor Jesus is Just Alright It’s All Over Now, Baby BlueThere Must Be Someone I Can Turn To Gunga Din Way Behind the Sun [bonus track] Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 20:52 (eleven years ago) link
no jack tarr, no credibility. [jk that song is pretty bad, you're right]
― tylerw, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 20:54 (eleven years ago) link
I actually have probably not even heard it since 09. It's de-selected in my iTunes so it never comes on. I can't even remember what it sounds like. At any rate it's usually safe to say there is at least one truly awful song on every Byrds album.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 20:57 (eleven years ago) link
your version is well chosen although I prefer mcguinn's vocal on Tulsa county
― buzza, Thursday, 18 October 2012 00:45 (eleven years ago) link
For some reason, Ballad of Easy Rider seems like the only Byrds record not on Spotify.
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 18 October 2012 15:05 (eleven years ago) link
Has anyone ever heard any of the later collaborations the original members did, though not under the Byrds name? Two albums by McGuinn, Hillman & Clark in 1979-80, then McGuinn/Hillman in 1981. Then McGuinn, Clark, & Hillman returned again in the 90s. I've never heard any mention of these albums, good or bad. Wikipedia used the word "disco" at one point.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Sunday, 9 December 2012 05:46 (eleven years ago) link
Also six new recordings on the 1990 box set by McGuinn/Crosby/Hillman, four studio recordings and two live. McGuinn's "Love That Never Dies" is decent, as is their take on Julie Gold's "From a Distance". I haven't heard the '79-'81 albums.
― Lee626, Sunday, 9 December 2012 10:12 (eleven years ago) link
What I've heard of those MC&H records is putrid. A bootleg I have of Clark and McGuinn doing "Release Me, Girl" is unbelievably beautiful, but the production on that first album is virtually unrecognizable.
― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 9 December 2012 13:03 (eleven years ago) link
yes, seek out the mcguinn/clark duo boots, really beautiful stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn6i3Z-5IR0
― buzza, Sunday, 9 December 2012 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
Good to see these threads pop up again. . .
I thought 'Don't Write Her Off' (off the first MCH album) was a great single, but there wasn't anything particularly 'Byrds-y' about it; could have been made by any number of late '70s West Coast CHR bands. There was a live CD of a MCH gig called _3 Byrds Land in London_ which came out a few years ago, but I never heard it.
Best review of _McGuinn/Hillman_ ('81): 'The producer tried to make it sound funky. . .if you look in the dictionary under 'suburban white guys', there's a picture of me and McGuinn.' - CH
― Jeff Wright, Monday, 10 December 2012 03:09 (eleven years ago) link
I don't think I can state enough how un-Clark-ish "Release Me Girl" sounds on that first album. It's an absolutely stunning song on that MC bootleg at the Bottom Line -- I was dying to find out if he ever recorded it. Unfortunately, it was this treacly, "funky" nightmare on the album.
Just discovered this pretty good studio version on YouTube however:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGmL6h_vBwo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 10 December 2012 03:54 (eleven years ago) link
listening to the '73 reunion album and... man I hate David Crosby so much, what is this "Long Live the King" garbage
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 19:43 (eight years ago) link
the pair of neil young covers are the best part of this album for me ... they should've just done a whole album of neil covers.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 19:46 (eight years ago) link
yeah was pleasantly surprised by Cowgirl in the Sand
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 19:52 (eight years ago) link
yeah, just a good re-interpretation
― tylerw, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 19:54 (eight years ago) link
was weird to hear an under 4 minute version!
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 19:55 (eight years ago) link
yeah... but the 73 reunion is super weird -- just seems like they were like "the classic lineup is back! ... uh, what does the classic lineup sound like again?"
― tylerw, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 19:57 (eight years ago) link
the wiki entry makes it sound like a pretty crass cash-in move facilitated by various agendas all fortuitously lining up
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 20:01 (eight years ago) link
this "reunion" in 1970 is way betterhttp://cdn.discogs.com/795fv-uR5j0-YaUQ6nkVyQvRp2k=/fit-in/250x250/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(96)/discogs-images/R-3559005-1335279853.gif.jpg
― tylerw, Tuesday, 6 October 2015 20:20 (eight years ago) link
lol:
McGuinn blamed the reunion album's lack of success, at least partly, on the hedonism exhibited by members of the band during the recording process: "David had this incredibly strong pot. Half a joint and you couldn't do anything. We were stoned out of our minds the whole time. I don't remember much recording."[18]
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 6 October 2015 20:37 (eight years ago) link
this "reunion" in 1970 is way better🗻
Yes, if memory serves no two members ever spent a second in the studio together recording either of those tunes.
They're excellent reminders, however, that the nobody interpreted Gene's stuff better than the Byrds.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 7 October 2015 01:41 (eight years ago) link