Post-Sweetheart Era Byrds: S/D

Haven't heard Farther Along

"Drug Store, Truck Driving Man" is rather meanspirited, but funny, and worth a listen. Legend has it that McGuinn and Parsons wrote it after the Byrds' disasterous gig at the Grand Ol' Opry.

Other assorted thoughts: "Bad Night at the Whiskey" off Dr. Byrds... is an outstandingly creepy fuzz tone drone. And who sings Farther Along's "Bugler"?

Clarence White sings Bugler

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8rb8KIG0tY

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 Rider
Fido
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 Blue
There 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

no jack tarr, no credibility.
[jk that song is pretty bad, you're right]

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.

your version is well chosen although I prefer mcguinn's vocal on Tulsa county

For some reason, Ballad of Easy Rider seems like the only Byrds record not on Spotify.

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.

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.

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.

yes, seek out the mcguinn/clark duo boots, really beautiful stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn6i3Z-5IR0

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

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

listening to the '73 reunion album and... man I hate David Crosby so much, what is this "Long Live the King" garbage

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.

yeah was pleasantly surprised by Cowgirl in the Sand

yeah, just a good re-interpretation

was weird to hear an under 4 minute version!

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?"

the wiki entry makes it sound like a pretty crass cash-in move facilitated by various agendas all fortuitously lining up

this "reunion" in 1970 is way better
http://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

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]

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.