I'm not reprinting every review I put up on Amazon UK by any means, but I particularly like this one. This has had minor revisions.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Pretty essential, I'm a big fan of Columbia's Essential series as it allows a music fan to build up a collection of classic rock at, if you shop carefully, a really very modest price. Sure, there are always going to be quibbles about someone's brilliant track X being missing but that is an inevitable part of any compilation. They are never going to satisfy everyone unless it's a massive 4-disc set and then it'll be hugely expensive and more than most people either want or need. There is, however, a way round that which I'll go into in a moment.
Now, The Byrds, essentially a folk group who decided they wanted to be the Beatles and more or less accidentally invented electric folk or, as it's also known, folk-rock. They started out well with a blend of Dylan, folk, Searchers-style jangly guitars, and unique harmonies mainly courtesy of Crosby and McGuinn. Then they got better and Crosby leaving didn't hurt one bit, not with Gram Parsons on the horizon to add a touch of country to the mix (thereby predating alt.country) and an openness to other influences; McGuinn's improving songwriting didn't hurt either. By the end of disc 2 on this set they'd never been better and that's probably a good place to leave them.
So what have you got: a portrait of an evolving band improving vocally and instrumentally as they go, a bucket-load of great songs which become more varied in tone as the band progresses through the 60's, and all in all two hours of some of the best 60's rock. Essential? Definitely.
Now to create your own definitively essential compilation, follow these instructions. Download (as I did) at least 'Lady Friend' (or others as recommended by reviewer Steve* according to taste and I don't doubt his is impeccable) as an Amazon MP3 to your Itunes, change the info to have the same title as this collection. Et voila! Your Completely Definitively Essential Byrds.
In the meantime this one will do very nicely.
*This refers to the only other review of the CD by 'Steve' who complains about various omissions in an otherwise favourable review.
Now, The Byrds, essentially a folk group who decided they wanted to be the Beatles and more or less accidentally invented electric folk or, as it's also known, folk-rock. They started out well with a blend of Dylan, folk, Searchers-style jangly guitars, and unique harmonies mainly courtesy of Crosby and McGuinn. Then they got better and Crosby leaving didn't hurt one bit, not with Gram Parsons on the horizon to add a touch of country to the mix (thereby predating alt.country) and an openness to other influences; McGuinn's improving songwriting didn't hurt either. By the end of disc 2 on this set they'd never been better and that's probably a good place to leave them.
So what have you got: a portrait of an evolving band improving vocally and instrumentally as they go, a bucket-load of great songs which become more varied in tone as the band progresses through the 60's, and all in all two hours of some of the best 60's rock. Essential? Definitely.
Now to create your own definitively essential compilation, follow these instructions. Download (as I did) at least 'Lady Friend' (or others as recommended by reviewer Steve* according to taste and I don't doubt his is impeccable) as an Amazon MP3 to your Itunes, change the info to have the same title as this collection. Et voila! Your Completely Definitively Essential Byrds.
In the meantime this one will do very nicely.
*This refers to the only other review of the CD by 'Steve' who complains about various omissions in an otherwise favourable review.
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