Byrds (Album)
Occupation
- Vocals / guitar / banjo / Moog Synthesizer: Roger McGuinn
- Vocals / acoustic guitar / harmonica / tambourine: Gene Clark
- Vocal / Guitar: David Crosby
- Vocals / bass guitar / mandolin / guitar Chris Hillman
- Drums / Percussion: Michael Clarke
Byrd is the title of the 1973 comeback album of American folk rock band The Byrds. It is since 1966 the first album on the play all five founding members of the band. Despite poor reviews Byrds became a commercial success as defined by the band since their second album, Turn! Turn! Turn! had not experienced. In the U.S., the album on the charts peaked at # 20 in the UK, it came to # 31
History
In late 1972, all five original Byrds were in a state of flux. Roger McGuinn had performed since 1968 but a band under the name Byrds with new personnel, but was increasingly unhappy with the project. Gene Clark had his solo albums and the two LPs as Dillard and Clark indeed received good reviews, but was commercially been largely unsuccessful. Already in 1970 he had stretched its tentacles back to the original Byrds, the him on his song One In A Hundred / She's The Kind Of Girl, which should appear in 1972 on the LP Roadrunner, accompanied them. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had shrunk to Duo Crosby & Nash. Although Chris Hillman was still officially a member of Manassas, the group was, however, in disarray. In recent days, the McGuinn Columbia Byrds he replaced some still to be completed before the concerts dismissed Skip Battin on bass guitar. Michael Clarke finally had taken after leaving the Flying Burrito Brothers in 1971 a break from the music business.
Producer David Geffen, who had helped in 1968 to accomplish the complicated contract release from David Crosby and Graham Nash at Columbia Records at EMI Records and its new contract with Stephen Stills at Atlantic Records, was now himself the owner of the record label Asylum Records. Following the example of CSN he suggested a reunion of the original Byrds based on a loose cooperation that was accepted by the musicians. The contract with Asylum contract was therefore also not with the group The Byrds, but with the musicians individually named.
The recordings for the album together took place in the recording studio of Wally Heider, in which also the albums of CSN (Y) were created. Except Clarke steered each of the musicians in their own compositions. Two cover versions of Neil Young's songs have been proposed by Clark, the editor of a song by Joni Mitchell of Crosby. Crosby, who was the most famous names at this time acted officially as a producer.
After release of the album, this was rated by the music press predominantly critical. It was of disappointment at the result, the speech and Geffen was suspected that he had pursued with a kind of CSNY copy only financial interests. The musicians themselves were accused that they had retained their best songs for his own solo projects.
From a later perspective, the reaction of the music press, which was not shared by the fans in the face of the Top Twenty success of the album was understandable to some extent. First, the expectation of a Byrds album surprise as in the years 1965-1968 was disappointed. At the same time the sound of the recordings corresponded Although contemporary Country Rock with mostly acoustic guitars and mandolin, but less CSNY, but other successful bands of the era such as The Eagles. This analogy has been criticized precisely at a time, were seen as commercial interests as incompatible with the ideas of the youth movement. The media criticism in turn led to self-criticism, recriminations among the musicians and the abandonment of all plans for further cooperation. A tour, in which the original Byrds and CSNY next to a reunion of the Flying Burrito Brothers should occur, has been canceled.
Songs
Roger McGuinn brought on the album a two original compositions. Born To Rock N 'Roll was the last song he recorded with Clarence White / Columbia Records Byrds, but had not published on their last album, Farther Along. It was not so much a classic rock and roll, rather a mid-tempo rock with Byrds - backing vocals. McGuinn took the piece again in 1975 for his album Roger McGuinn & Band on. Sweet Mary had been written with Jacques Levy, had worked with the McGuinn in 1970 for the album Untitled and the planned Musical Gene Tryp. These were to a song that was heavily influenced by British folk songs. McGuinn had already made similar experiments with Pretty Polly ( Outtake of the album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo ) and Jack Tarr the Tailor (Album Ballad Of Easy Rider ).
Gene Clark contributed the most strongest songs with Full Circle and Changing Heart. The former was in 1971 part of his repertoire and was, together with colleagues from the Flying Burrito Brothers, recorded, but only published in 1972 on Roadrunner. With catchy melody, bluegrass rhythm, Hillman on mandolin and distinctive Byrds Harmonies Full Circle was best suited to represent the band on a single. Changing Heart was built stylistically similar. In addition, Clark brought a edits of two songs by Neil Young. ( See The Sky) About To Rain was probably the most reminiscent of the Byrds from 1965 to 1966 pieces, with in the foreground standing harmony vocals and several electric guitars, including the 12-string Rickenbacker by McGuinn. Cowgirl In The Sand resembled Young's own version on the CSNY live album 4 Way Street.
David Crosby had the song Laughing written and provided for inclusion with the Byrds in 1967. After his departure from the band, it took until 1971 until he ... took him for his solo album If I Could Only Remember My Name. With the original Byrds its original project has now been realized. Using Long Live The King, he continued the tradition of his more blues-influenced songs, in which he served less than Byrds - harmony singer rather than a solo singer, corresponding to the beginning of his career in folk clubs. This second page of his speech he had during the time with the Byrds (eg, What's Happening? ? On the album Fifth Dimension ), but also with CSN (Y ) (eg, Long Time Gone on the album Crosby, Stills & Nash ) maintained. His third contribution consisted of editing a song to his girlfriend Joni Mitchell, For Free.
Chris Hillman had his two posts with ex-colleagues from Manassas written, the powerful rock song Things Will Be Better Now with drummer Dallas Taylor, who finally appeared as a single, and stylistically reminiscent of Manassas song Borrowing Time with the percussion player Joe Lala. Hillman pointed with his contributions that he wanted to write contemporary rock songs. He had begun in 1967 on the album Younger Than Yesterday with Have You Seen Her Face and Thoughts And Words, and this led to his solo albums mid-1970s, and his recordings as McGuinn, Clark & Hillman McGuinn & Hillman or end of the 1970s continued.
Although Michael Clarke contributed no original songs, but a strong, marked by self-confidence to play drums and percussion ( congas eg in Borrowing Time). His experiences with the Flying Burrito Brothers to 1971 had strengthened him and should allow him a very successful career in 1974 with the band Firefall.
The album was the most successful since the Byrds Turn! Turn! Turn! and The Byrds Greatest Hits. However, the negative reviews in the music press and the subsequent onset of quarrels among themselves laid until 1990 each additional Byrds reunion on ice. Since 1990, the musicians agreed in interviews that the album was recorded in 1972 too fast, except Clarke every time busy with their own projects and no time had been available, to find peace in a new sound for the band.
Three singles were released from the album, however, did not leave any traces on the charts. In January of 1973 appeared Things Will Be Better / For Free, in February came Full Circle / Long Live the King on the market. Cowgirl in the Sand appeared after the album's release in April, also Long Live the King had been selected as a B-side.