Archive for the ‘ Country Rock ’ Category

Jerry Jeff Walker “Driftin’ Way Of Life”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk

It amazes me that nobody seems to know the man behind one of the world’s most well-known songs. Not that this is too uncommon, it’s just that Jerry Jeff Walker’s music is so damn good for the heart it’s a mystery why he never became a household name.

Walker wasn’t technically native to Texas, hailing from Oneonta, New York, but he knew he was home when he landed in Austin. Before this album’s release, JJW was a member of Circus Maximus who worked the Greenwich Village scene and released two psychedelic/folk-rock records more than worthy of investigation. His next official release yielded a song that would give the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band a top ten hit and become one of the most recorded tunes of all time, “Mr. Bojangles.”

Jerry Jeff’s six or seven prime albums contain many of my most loved tunes;  every record is a prized treasure. But before the boozy, gonzo years to come and outlaw country sound Jerry would help to define in mid-70s Austin, one album stands out above the rest: a gorgeous folk-country gem the equal of any Dylan or 60s troubadour piece, 1969’s Driftin’ Way Of Life.

Unlike most of his later records, all the songs herein are Walker’s, and among the first he ever wrote.  Any JJW record has to come out swinging, and the title track kicks it off accordingly. “Driftin’ Way Of Life,” is a kicking little number that sets a stage for something much sweeter. “Morning Song To Sally” is a lovely little lovesick gem from the depths of Jerry’s soft side. “Ramblin Scramblin'” is more of a snicker than a laugh, but works along side the old-fashioned “Gertrude,” haunting road ode “Old Road” with just voice and harmonica, and the psyched up “North Cumberland Blues.”  Only thing better than a ballad like “No Roots In Ramblin'” is the album’s closer, which somehow gets the whole story straight in just a few lines, “Dust On My Boots.”

If you do the math right, and cross check it with his 1999 biography, Gypsy Songman (highly recommended read), you find Jerry really was drifting – all over the States from NYC to New Orleans, writing these songs and performing them night after night. High on the success of “Bojangles” this record was a contractual obligation to Vanguard but recorded right in the prime. Jerry: “After so many years of hitchhiking and nights spent on the streets or on borrowed couches, my existence had become a warm Manhattan apartment, a vintage Corvette in an expensive parking garage, whiskey and music all night, enough money and enough fame to keep it going endlessly.” The years of roaming gives the album’s theme credence and a taste of Driftin’ might be all it takes to inspire you to ditch the doldrums and get out on the road. Don’t pick up that book if you are wishing to hold a steady job.

The group sounds like classic Nashville, a good solid band trading backgrounds between the verses. “The album had a real strong country feel. There was no question that in 1969 my music had taken a definite turn, and it was an extremely comfortable sound for me. I felt like I was headed home.” Some notable touches include the tasteful electric piano and swirling steel on “Shell Game” and flatpicking from the underappreciated David Bromberg. According to Jerry he was “the reason man created stringed instruments. David touched them with a lover’s fingers and they moaned that true love right back at him. Wood and wire and flesh spoke.”

JJW’s deep, familiar voice is like a drug. When you hear it cut through the shuffle you can’t help but smile: Jerry you old scamp. He sings to you like an old friend. A one-of-a-kind songman, one of my personal favorites; bits of story, sadness, humor, irreverence, experience, straight up fun, and just some damn pretty songs. Get Driftin‘.

“Dust On My Boots”

:D CD Reissue | 1990 | Vanguard | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Vanguard | search ebay ]
;) MP3 Album | Driftin’ Way of Life ]
8-) Spotify link | listen ]

The Byrds “Younger Than Yesterday”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop,Psych

If Mr. Tambourine Man, Notorious Byrd Brothers, and Sweetheart of the Rodeo are acknowledged Byrds’ masterworks, Younger Than Yesterday isn’t far behind.  There’s a few tracks that haven’t held up, Mind Gardens – Crosby’s psychedelic folk-rock opus is a bit unfocused but not as terrible as the critics make it out to be.  C.T.A. 102, a track that must’ve sounded cool when this album was released in 1967, has dated space-age sound effects.  These are interesting experiments by all means but the 9 remaining cuts were prime mid 60s Byrds.  At this point Gene Clark had been out of the group for some time, knowing this Hillman and Crosby pitched in big time with some of their best ever compositions.  Younger Than Yesterday is one of the great American rock classics, very close in sound to the Beau Brummels Triangle, Moby Grape’s self-titled debut, and Buffalo Springfield’s Again. 

The two hits that anchored the lp were pretty great.  So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star blasted out of radio speakers in 1967 sounding unlike anything else with a strong latin feel, great lyrics, and a killer groove.  The other major hit off the album was a cover of Bob Dylan’s My Back Pages.  This was one of their best Dylan covers yet and had a trademark, classic McGuinn twelve-string guitar solo.  Crosby offered up one of his best songs, Everybody’s Been Burned, a masterpiece of psychedelic folk-rock highlighted by his exquisite, crooning hippie vocals and drowsy acid guitar work.  Renaissance Fair was another Crosby psychedelic folk-rocker with strong acid imagery and shifting time signatures plus some more fine 12-string from McGuinn.  McGuinn and Crosby contributed great material to Younger Than Yesterday but for me it was Hillman’s contributions that have stood the sands of time best.  Hillman’s Have You Seen Her Face, Time Between, Thoughts and Words, and The Girl With No Name were all superb songs.  Have You Seen Her Face saw the Byrds in garage mode while Thoughts and Words was one of their best straight-up psych numbers.  Prior to Younger Than Yesterday the Byrds had flirted with a kind of proto country-rock sound on Mr. Spaceman and Satisfied Mind.  With Time Between and The Girl With No Name, that flirtation came to fruition.  Hillman had played in bluegrass bands prior to the Byrds, so the said experiments were just an extension of his roots – no gimmicks, completely genuine stuff here.  Both tracks rock pretty nicely and feature some fine guitar work by Byrd-in-waiting Clarence White.  Time Between and GIrl With No Name do not have a heavy Nashville sound but so what, this was the Byrds version of country music and probably a purer fusion than anything else they have done ever since.  Just as the Byrds had broken new ground with psychedelia a year earlier, their move into country represented an advancement of musical frontiers.  The album ended with McGuinn’s Why, a great rocker with a riveting space guitar solo.   This track had been released much earlier as the B-side to Eight Miles High in 1966. 

In the mid 90s Columbia rehauled the entire Byrds catalog, reissuing all their classic albums with plenty of extras.  The Younger Than Yesterday reissue includes two lost Crosby gems, It Happens Each Day, which is an outtake, and Lady Friend, one of their best mid 60s non-lp tracks.  Younger Than Yesterday is an important part of the Byrds evolution.  It’s a classic album that saw the group at the forefront of pop music – The Byrds were always three steps ahead of the game. 

“The Girl With No Name”

:) Vinyl Reissue | Mono | Sundazed | buy from sundazed ]
;) MP3 Album | download at amazon ]

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen “Lost In The Ozone”

| Americana,Country Rock

Certainly one of the classic country-rock records, Lost In The Ozone was Commander Cody’s first disc released back in 1971 (MCA). The original group formed sometime around 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Eventually they would relocate to San Fransisco and become a major live phenomenon. The group were led by pianist George Frayne (Commander Cody), vocalist/harp player Billy C. Farlowe, pedal steel player Don Bolton and lead guitarist John Tichy. At the time of the above debut other members included were guitarist Billy Kirchen, drummer Lance Dickerson, bassist Bruce Barlow and fiddle/saxophone player Andy Stein.

Lost In The Ozone was recorded during Commander Cody’s peak, which began in the late 60s and carried over til about 1976. During this period they gave the rock community many legendary live performances and left behind a handful of classic studio recordings. This debut sounded like nothing else in 1971, freewheeling, full of humor, great performances (some fine steel playing) and that special something that only comes around every so often, honesty. Included on the lp is their classic top 10 hit Hot Rod Lincoln, an outlaw anthem that’s still played on radio today and a song that has stood the test of time remarkably well. Cody’s strong point was melding old fashion 50s rock n roll with the emerging outlaw sound. By doing this they came up with a unique fusion of roots, country, soul and rock, a sound that became all their own.

The album is full of strong moments, whether it be group originals or well chosen covers. One song, Midnight Shift, sounds like a vintage Gene Vincent rockabilly side while the humorous title track became an anthem of sorts for the Airmen. Slow weepers Seeds and Stems Again, Family Bible, Wine Do Yer Stuff and Daddy’s Gonna Treat You Right are all Commander Cody classics that will give any other country-rock group a run for their money. The last three tracks of the album are live numbers in good fidelity showing the group in top form with their patent country-swing sound intact – What’s The Matter Now is a highlight in this respect.

Lost In The Ozone is really a neglected gem from the early 70s. It has a reckless, ramshackle feel that’s hard to describe to newcomers but still a very warm, friendly record that will not alienate its listeners. The Airmen had more punch and style than some of the more popular or critically acclaimed groups of the era. Their appeal was wide, rednecks, hipsters and hippies could relate to the Airmen’s music and their live shows were always a major production. If you’re into sounds like the Sir Douglas Quintet or Shiva’s Headband you need to check these guys out.

“Daddy’s Gonna Treat You Right”

Here’s a great early track from around 1969/1970. This hard riffing country-rocker comes from the compilation Early Years 1967 – 1970:

“I’m Gonna Burn That Woman”

:D CD Reissue | 1990 | MCA | Lost in the Ozone ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1971 | Paramount | search ebay ]
8-) Spotify link | listen ]

Mountain Bus “Sundance”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk,Psych

Mountain Bus is the kind of band you get into after you’ve exhausted all your major label heroes. They were one of Chicago’s great underground bands who were dealt a bad deck of cards. Mountain Bus were frequently cited as Chicago’s answer to the Grateful Dead, and indeed some of their songs on the above album sound like San Fransisco’s most cherished sons.

Mountain Bus’ roots extend way back to the early 60’s when Ed Mooney was fronting a band called the Moons and the Stars. Tom Jurkens was in another local group called Jurk & The Bushman and upon their demise formed a group with Mooney called Rhythms Children. This group took in Steve Titra, Joe Wilderson and Steve Krater. Eventually Rhythms Children dissolved when Wilderson left for Canada avoiding the Vietnam War draft. Bill Kees had formerly been in Fantasy and Hearts of Soul when he joined the struggling Rhythms Children. They began calling themselves Mountain Bus and playing as many live gigs as possible around the Chicago area. Mountain Bus never made alot of money during their day and always had low paying jobs. Their jobs funded the band’s equipment, activities and eventually, legal costs. Some of the group members worked at local record stores. One of the record stores, Round Records, ended up becoming the groups headquarters while owner David Solomon assumed Mountain Bus’ manager role.

In 1971 independent label Good Records released Mountain Bus’ only album Sundance. Good Records goal was to release good quality local music that could be sold to the public at reasonable prices. They also aimed to give the musicians a greater slice of the profit, unlike the major labels. Mountain Bus’ end was unfortunate and came very suddenly in November of 1971. Windfall Music slapped an ugly lawsuit on Mountain Bus and Good Records claiming that both entities were infringing on the established trade marks of Mountain (Leslie West’s band). Windfall Music demanded that all record sales, promotions, air play and so forth be halted and that such activities had hurt the sales of Mountain lps. Roger Maglio of Gear Fab records summed it up best, “It was a plain and simple matter that the major record labels at this time (Columbia owned Mountain) were not going to allow nor put up with upstart companies like Good Records or any others that offered good quality music at an affordable and lower price than the majors. Mountain Bus had never reaped any significant profits over these years – the band were paid very small wages and many of their performances were for benefits and other non-profit organizations. A record company founded with the express purpose of providing people with good quality music was run out of business. And a great band broke up as a result of these bully actions.” It’s funny to note that Mountain Bus had been together some years before Mountain had formed – 2 years to be exact. I guess it was a loss for the public and a big gain for the greedy record company executives.

These legal disputes should not overshadow the music though, which is often excellent and full of stunning guitar solos. Tracks like Sing A New Song and Rosalie are what the late 60’s Dead should have sounded like in the studio – they capture a good live outdoor sound. Rosalie is a superb jam rocker with lots of great melodic guitar work that is at once trippy but also laced with a C&W accent. Sundance is an awesome psychedelic folk-rocker that hits the 7 minute mark but never succumbs to any formless jamming – it’s a track that reminds me of 5th Dimension Byrds crossed with Live 69 Dead. Other highlights are a long but very good country-rock version of I Know You Rider and the psychedelic instrumental Hexahedron. “Deadheads” and fans of great rural rock sounds should not miss this mini classic. In the late 90’s Sundance was reissued by Gear Fab records with additional outtakes and live cuts. This package offers lots of good music for a cheap price.

“Sundance”

:D CD Reissue | 1999 | Gear Fab Records | buy from amazon
:) Original Vinyl | 1971 | Good Records | search ebay ]

Matthews’ Southern Comfort (self-titled)

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk

Having always been partial to Ian Matthews era Fairport Convention, I remember being more than elated upon the discovery of his prolific solo career. From 1969 to 1972 he managed to release at least seven LPs as a solo artist and member of Matthews’ Southern Comfort and Plainsong. In many ways his debut is only partly a solo outing. Help from his fellow Fairporters Simon Nicol and Richard Thompson create an overall feel that is not far removed from the first two FC albums. But while a few tracks such as Commercial Proposition and A Castle Far sound like top-quality leftovers from his former band, a distinctive Matthews sound was certainly emerging. This is especially evident in the country leanings (hinted at in the first two FC records) that are much more pronounced and tastefully accentuated by Gordon Huntley’s steel guitar playing.

Surprisingly the album does not suffer much from Matthews’ minimal writing contributions as co-producer Steve Barbly provides excellent material in Fly Pigeon Fly, Sweet Bread and the agonizingly plaintive I’ve Lost You. But Ian does deliver some exceptional writing in the steel-guitar-driven Please Be my Friend and the irresistible folk epic (co-written by Barbly) Once Upon a Lifetime.

What makes this album so timeless and enjoyable is the way it explores country music without deliberately trying to be country”a highly commendable feat that many American bands were not able to achieve. Free from any phony southern twang, Ian’s fragile, emotionally-charged vocals enrich every song with a genuineness that is perfectly complemented by the warm, rural landscape that’s successfully captured by the band. Not only is this one of the first British country-rock records, but it is also an unrecognized benchmark for the entire then-burgeoning genre. BGO has made this available on CD as a twofer which includes MSC’s slightly less impressive sophomore effort Second Spring.

“Once Upon A Lifetime”

:D CD Reissue | 1996 | Beat Goes on | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Decca | search ebay ]

Del Shannon “Sings Hank Williams”

| Americana,Country Rock,Pop

Sings Hank Williams began a string of excellent albums by Del Shannon that culminated with The Further Adventures of Charles Westover from 1968. Not only is this a great country album but many consider this one of the best records from the time. This disc was released in 1964 and predated the country-rock boom by a good 4 or 5 years. That alone makes it a significant release and a must listen for fans of early country-rock. But it’s Del’s performances and the group’s backing that make this a special show.

Throughout Shannon’s career he had reinvented himself many times over. In the early 60s he was a teen idol with the unforgettable hit “Runaway.”   “Total Commitment” and “This Is My Bag,” both mid 60s records, saw Del turn in two fine roots rock efforts. From 1967 to 1968 Shannon did the unthinkable: he went psychedelic, with two great, unsung records, 67’s And The Music Plays On and 68’s Charles Westover. During this time he proved that an early 60s rocker could survive into the late 60s’ experimental environment and still make great albums with artistic value. An amazing career no doubt, but who would have ever expected Shannon to release a hard core country album?

Every track on this LP is worth listening to. Shannon and his group give “Kaw-Liga” an updated, swinging rock n roll feel.  “That Lonesome Whistle,” possibly my favorite cut on the album, is a superb down and out country track with fantastic vocals – a real young man’s blues. The arrangements are very basic, with steel guitar leading the way – just listen to the great version of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” which opens the disc. “Ramblin’ Man,” another gem, is given Del’s soaring, minor key vocal treatment. There was a reason for the sparse, simple arrangements: Del was trying to capture the mood of Hank Williams’ original band, The Drifting Cowboys. Even more interesting is Del Shannon’s group, many of whom, such as Dennis Coffey, were well known Motown session players.

Del sang his ass off on this recording, giving us performances full of faith and honesty. So in this respect it was a shame that nobody was listening. Neither the rock n roll community or C&W crowd took a liking to this album. It was probably lost amongst albums by the Beatles and Rolling Stones during the first wave of the British Invasion. Sings Hank Williams is stripped down, raw and genuine. There are none of the hokey strings or sappy arrangments that plagued so many country records from this period. This is a great record that shows the true artistry of Del Shannon.

“Kaw Liga”

;) MP3 Album | download at amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl

Help Yourself “Help Yourself”

| Americana,Classic Rock,Country Rock,Folk,Pop

Unable to get over my Ernie Graham addiction, I set out in search of more from the ilk of rootsy pre pub rock and stumbled across this gem from 1971. Help Yourself formed in the wake of Brinsley Schwarz but with a strong ear to The Band, forging a raw and honest Americana sound on their first LP. Not nearly as dippy as the cover art suggests, this is a fine sample of straight California rock that’s really from the UK.

Recorded at The Grange in Headley, previously used by Led Zeppelin to record the Four Symbols album, the Helps were trying to let the rural environment to influence their music. If this is the case, the landscape in Headley must be no different than the piece of earth Neil Young was treading around the same time. The Help Yourself album is eerily similar to Young’s sound in almost every regard; they even have a song called Old Man, which is a really fine but totally different song.

The record opens with a feel good gospel track, I Must See Jesus For Myself, that I can’t help but think was meant to be ironic. This is sure to throw off listeners, but maybe attract those who don’t mind a little Jesus in their tunes. In any case, you might want to start this record from the 2nd groove. From there on the record showcases great melodies, great double guitar noodling (to great effect with acoustic and electric on separate channels), great songcraft, great CSNY influenced harmonies, and great overall sound. There you have it: six greats for this easily overlooked LP that could and should sneak its way into the playlist of any Neil Young fan.

The second album, attached in the BGO 2fer, adds a clean, phased sound to the recording that gets a little cheezier. Not to say this is a discountable record, just that it maybe draws too near the Ducks Deluxe pub rock approach for my tastes.

Help Yourself. Don’t mind if I do.

“Your Eyes Are Looking Down”

:D CD Reissue | 2002 | Beat Goes On | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1971 | UA | search ebay ]

Stone Country “Stone Country”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk,Pop,Psych

Stone Country’s only album contains some of Steve Young’s earliest known recordings. RCA released this strange melange of psychedelia, country, soft-pop and jangly folk-rock back in 1968. This record is by no means a cohesive effort as it sounds like the work of 5 different groups. At first I wasn’t so sure about the album but multiple listens reveal a good record with very solid performances. So while the album itself might not gel together as a finished product, about 90% of the songs are strong and hold up well individually.
Stone Country were a Los Angeles CA sextet that only existed for a little less than 2 years. Steve Young had headed out to LA from Alabama in 1963, looking to secure a recording contract. The group was founded in 1967 when the management company of Denny Bond and Ken Mansfield were in the beginning stages of putting together a new group that would combine elements of both country and rock n roll. Steve Young was chosen as lead guitarist and vocalist while the rest of the group’s lineup looked something like this: banjo player Don Beck, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Doug Brooks, drummer Dennis Conway, vocalist and bassist Dann Barry, and guitarist Richard Lockmiller.

The album, while not a lost classic is very solid and thoroughly enjoyable. It was clear from the beginning that Young was the group’s most distinctive songwriter and vocalist. Magnolias, a Young original, was one of the lp’s highlights and a unique mixture of Southern soul and swamp rock that only he could deliver – a very gritty vocal performance too. Woman Don’t You Weep was more of the same, another good Young roots rocker with a driving beat and an attractive string arrangement. Two raga rock gems, Love Psalm and Mantra have nice fuzz guitar work and could easily fit in on the Byrds classic Notorious Byrd Brothers lp. Other tracks hit more of an Association soft-pop sound (‘Lizabeth Peach and Everywhere I Turn – both very good) while Why Baby Why (a George Jones cover) and Life Stands Daring Me show off the group’s country roots. The latter is a particularly imaginative slice of psychedelic country-rock with its soaring vocals, glittering guitars and wild banjo picking. Stone Country’s only mistake was including Angelica, a horrible bland pop number that had no business being on the lp.

Rev-Ola just recently reissued Stone Country for the first time on cd. Stone Country hits all the right bases that were common in 60’s American rock music: psychedelia, country-rock, folk, blues, airtight harmonies, adventurous arrangements, and great musicianship. This record is well worth a spin.

“Magnolias”

:D CD Reissue | 2007 | Revola | buy from revola | amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1968 | RCA | search ebay ]

The Long Ryders “Native Sons”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk,Garage

One of the best from the 80s underground, right up there with top albums by the Dream Syndicate, the Wipers, the Meat Puppets, the Minutemen and the Replacements. The Long Ryders had more of a genuine 60s sound though and this record, Native Sons, was their first album (not counting their debut ep, 10-5-60). This group hailed from Los Angeles California and was led by Kentucky native Sid Griffin, a man well versed in the history of rock n roll. Griffin headed out to LA when he heard about the city’s thriving punk scene. Over time Griffin would meet up with guitarist Steve McCarthy, bassist Barry Shank, and drummer Greg Sowders. Prior to the Long Ryders Griffin and Shank had been in garage revival band the Unclaimed. Over time Tom Stevens would become the group’s full-time bass player and this period would see them gain a respectable live following. The group would eventually become the Long Ryders and fuse 60s style garage rock and folk-rock with a country-rock feel. Native Sons was a brilliant debut lp and in some ways similar to the Byrds’ Younger Than Yesterday, in its unique fusion of folk, country, pop and psychedelia. Also, Native Sons’ album cover strongly recalled Buffalo Springfield’s shelved album, Stampede.

There is real importance in Native Sons though, as the Long Ryders among others, put country-rock back on the map and made the style credible again. In the mid 70s groups like the Eagles were responsible for tarnishing the genre’s reputation, turning something that was intelligent and underground into glossy creampuff pop. So it took a few years and a couple of great albums by groups like Jason and the Scorchers and Rank and File to restore country-rock’s credibility among the underground. On Ivory Tower, Griffin managed to get Gene Clark in the studio to provide backup vocals. Ivory Tower ended up being one of the great lost 80s tracks, downbeat and moody, sounding like a really terrific fusion of mid 60s Byrds and the early 70s solo work of Gene Clark. Sweet Mental Revenge, the album’s only cover (Mel Tillis), was an excellent reading notable for its appealing vocals and fuzz guitar work – a style that is referred to today as cowpunk. Another superb track, the humorous Fair Game, is closer in spirit to blue grass and foreshadowed Griffin’s work with the Cole Porters. I Had a Dream and Wreck of the 809 are underrated gems that listeners often forget about. These tracks display the Long Ryders’ garage band roots and are full of jangly guitars, aggressive vocals, feedback and lots of fuzz. This album is an absolute joy and a must for paisley underground fans and 60s rock junkies.

The Long Ryders were one of the great American underground groups of the 80s. They made recordings that have proven to be timeless and inventive, records that balanced intensity with humor. Besides writing great songs, their talent lies in the ability to take from the past and create something totally fresh and original. Their live shows were spectacular and the group garnered much respect from their peers. All three of their original albums are highly recommended.

“Ivory Tower”

:D CD Reissue | 1993 | Frontier | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1984 | Frontier | search ebay ]
;) MP3 Album | download at amazon ]

The Byrds “Sanctuary I-IV”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop

When it comes to the major rock bands of the sixties, The Byrds are maybe the most divisive in terms of modern day respect. I’ve read arguments claiming their sound is long past dated, or they were only able to survive because of Bobby Dylan’s songwriting. At the same time I’ve often heard of their revolutionary style and long spread and lasting influence.

The best records often sink in gradually, the sound slowly nestling into the corners of your mind, and the Byrds were never quick to grab me. It’s Sundazed’s Sanctuary collection that’s turned me all the way around, the beauty of the Byrds now ringing in full, clear, vinyl glory. Hearing these alternate takes and unreleased cuts set in album format is like hearing the Byrds for the first time. A fresh take that I might even recommend to complete Byrd n00bs.

Sanctuary I
Outtakes from the first Byrds sessions at Columbia Studio A for the albums Mr. Tambourine Man, Turn Turn Turn, and 5D. There’s something about hearing the hits from those albums that can turn you off from a thorough listen. Songs that have been friends with the radio since the sixties can have the effect of a television commercial to dedicated album explorers. Loaded with unissued tracks, Sanctuary avoids this issue altogether. My standout track from the first LP is the first version of the B Side from the Turn! Turn! Turn! single, She Don’t Care About Time. Truth is, I’m a sucker for absolutely anything by Gene Clark.

“She Don’t Care About Time”

Sanctuary II
From Younger Than Yesterday, Notorious Byrd Brothers, and Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde.  Sanctuary II is comprised of alternating instrumental and outtake tracks. It’s fantastic to hear the backing tracks, a la the Beach Boys’ Stack-O-Tracks, but not so many that it overwhelms the release. Several pieces showcase Roger McGuinn’s work with the Moog. This is the sound of the Byrds at their most unique and interesting stage, I’ll take any recording I can get my hands on.

“This Wheel’s On Fire”

Sanctuary III
This is my favorite of the series. Things had changed by the time the Byrds were recording their Ballad of Easy Rider and Untitled LPs (Roger McGuinn was the only remaining original member), but the full time commitment of Clarence White’s guitar for these sessions elevates the group to a whole nother level. It’s told that CW turned down a gig with the Burrito Brothers to be a Byrd, and to my ears some of the tracks on Sanctuary III may be among his best recordings, wrangling wild new sounds from his B-Bender throughout. The alternate mix of Ballad of Easy Rider to open this one is positively sparkling and I can’t get enough of Build It Up, a CW instrumental track inspired by Buck Owens’ Bakersfield sound.

For more on Clarence White, don’t miss an amazing series of posts at Adios Lounge.

“Build It Up”

Sanctuary IV
Simply a must for Sweetheart devotees, Sanctuary IV puts a host of gems to vinyl from the sessions behind their most revered and uncharacteristic album. Any further glimpse into Gram Parsons’ foray with the Byrds is a must. Pretty Polly is fascinating to hear electrified, seamlessly fusing traditional country with Byrdsian folk rock. One Hundred Years From Now is excellent even at this lazy slow pace.

“One Hundred Years From Now”

:) 180 Gram Vinyl | get Sanctuary at Sundazed ]

Question
Byrds. Love em or hate em? What’s better, Dylan originals or the Byrds’ covers?