The Byrds rose to fame doing electrified covers of Bob Dylan songs complete with jangly guitar (which had a lot to do with the Searchers I always thought). I loved those songs.
They had a big influence on the development of the West Coast Acid Rock scene, developing a spacey psychedelic style. It was their harmonies that brought the music to life.
The Notorious Byrd Brothers was, for me, the epitome of their style. They took it all to new heights. Sadly it was the time when they were falling apart. Crosby was booted out.
After that they went downhill. I never liked the impact of Gran Parsons and then all that Jesus stuff. Jesus wasn’t alright with me. But they still had their moments.
I often get this album out and give it a play. A great album with no dud tracks. It captured the atmosphere of those heady days for me!
So today I’ll be playing my Byrds loud!! I’ll be flying high! Try to catch us if you can!
Well, I get that you are a bigger fan of Little Richard than you are of Jesus of Nazareth, but you are wrong about Gran (sic) Parsons.
Gram Parsons was a towering genius musically (just ask Keith Richards!), as prolific and arguably as influential as Hank Williams. His two albums with Emmylou Harris are classics, as are Sweetheart of the Rodeo and The Gilded Palace of Sin with the Flying Burrito Brothers.
And I get that you are all about psychedelia; but of course Gram was no slouch psychedelically speaking. Maybe you just don’t have the “country music” gene.
Here is a line for the ages, courtesy Gram Parsons:
“On the thirty first floor a gold plated door won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain.”
Seriously; anyone who loves the Byrds should love Gram Parsons!
Hi Jay – yes that is certainly true. Give me Little Richard any day. Jesus, as a historical figure was OK, but as a religious movement has led to one catastrophe after another – crusades, torture, tyrannous regimes, persecution, wars, indoctrination of kids, guilt trips, and the present hypocritical American preachers. It is used by the establishment to control people – just my opinion.
As for Gram Parsons – I’m sure that there are many who rate him very highly but I’m not one of them. The Byrds were right at the top of their game (Notorious Byrd Brothers – an amazing album) until Graham Parsons took them down the wrong road. I never liked the FBB either.
As for the Stones – the verdict is still out. Keith was enamoured – but that might have been the drugs – and the other Stones saw him as a spoilt rich boy who hung around them too much. So no – sorry – he didn’t do anything for me.