Posts Tagged ‘bob dylan’

The Byrds albums, ranked

Posted: December 29, 2024 by John Ruberry in culture, entertainment
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By John Ruberry

The Byrds are deservedly one of the most acclaimed rock bands. However, despite their lasting fame and their membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there are several misconceptions about them.

Formed in 1964, the original members were Chicago native Jim McGuinn (lead guitar and vocals)–he later changed his first name to Roger–Gene Clark (tambourine and vocals), David Crosby (rhythm guitar and vocals), Chis Hillman (bass and vocals), and Michael Clarke (drums).

All but Clarke were songwriters.

This is the “classic” lineup. Gene Clark, arguably the band’s principal songwriter in the early days, left the act in 1966, rejoining in 1967, and then he left for good, that is, until he joined the others for the disappointing reunion album, Byrds, in 1973.

Also in 1967, Clark quit again, and Crosby was fired. The latter gained superstar status after co-founding Crosby, Stills, and Nash–later joined by Neil Young. 

In 2018’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo Live, recorded with Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, Hillman remarked that by the time The Notorious Byrd Brothers was finished, he and McGuinn “were the only two Byrds flying around at that time.”

In 1968, a series of members joined, and sometimes left, the Byrds. They are Gram Parsons, Gene Parsons (no relation), John York, Clarence White, and Skip Battin. 

Gram Parsons was the most noteworthy new Byrd, contributing two songs to Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and co-writing with McGuinn, “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man,” which appeared on Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde in 1969. By that time, Parsons and Hillman had left the Byrds, forming the pioneering country rock band the Flying Burrito Brothers. Over the years, Battin, Gene Parsons, and Michael Clarke later became members of the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Parsons, who died in 1973, released two groundbreaking solo albums after leaving the band he cofounded. 

The Byrds arguably created not only created the folk rock, but also country rock, and with The Band, they birthed the Americana music genre.

While it was true in the post-Sweetheart era, another misconception is that the Byrds were primarily a McGuinn project. Actually, like the Beatles, in the early days each member, except for Clarke, wrote and sang leads on songs. McGuinn, on the other hand, sang lead on the band’s two biggest hit singles, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” a Bob Dylan song, and “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” a Pete Seeger cover.

McGuinn’s mastery of the 12-string guitar established the Byrds’ trademark sound. 

As for Dylan, another misconception is that the Byrds’ creative output, outside of their Dylan covers, was negligible. 

That’s absolutely not true.

So here are the rankings of the Byrds 12 studio albums.

12) Byrdmaniax (1971): Terry Melcher, who worked with the Byrds earlier in their career, was behind the boards for this over-produced mess. The Byrds had a hectic touring schedule at the time, the songs don’t have much feeling. Among the better tracks are “”I Wanna Grow Up to Be a Politician,” “Citizen Kane,” and the oft-covered spiritual “Glory, Glory.”

11) Farther Along (1971): The Byrds chose to self-produce this album and the sound is stripped down. Like Byrdmaniax, the best song is an old spiritual, the title track. “Bugler” and the Vaudeville-esque “”America’s Great National Pastime” standout.

10) (Untitled) (1970): This is a very strange collection. A double album, (Untitled) is half a live LP–the other half our studio tracks. Side two is an insufferable 16-minute long “Eight Miles High.” The studio songs are week, but “Chestnut Mare” is outstanding, it is the only Byrds song from the 1970s that can stand up to their earlier classics.

9) Ballad of Easy Rider (1969): Lots of people probably purchased this album, the top-selling album of the Byrds’ later career, believing it was the soundtrack to the enormously popular Easy Rider film. An acoustic version of the title song appeared on the actual movie soundtrack, sung by McGuinn, and the band’s version is also strong. Three covers, Woody Guthrie’s “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos),” Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” and “Jesus Is Just Alright,” which was recorded by the Doobie Brothers in 1972, are memorable.

8) Byrds (1973): The year prior, Creedence Clearwater Revival released its last album, the loathsome Mardi Gras. Dubbed “John Fogerty’s Revenge,” the two other members of the band–John’s brother Tom quit the year before–Fogerty turned the band into a democracy. The far-less talented other members, who has long objected to Fogerty’s dominance, sank CCR’s swan song. Byrds was a reunion of the band’s classic lineup, and this collection could be called David Crosby’s revenge. CSNY was on hiatus and Byrds was produced by Crosby, who believed that his 1960s Byrds’ compositions weren’t given enough respect. Only one of his songs, “Lady Friend,” was released as an A-side single during his first go-around in the band. Byrds, not surprisingly, sounds like a CSNY album. Although McGuinn denies it, the other members of the band, except for Gene Clark, were accused of saving their better compositions for their solo efforts. Crosby’s “Long Live the King” is a stellar track, but it belongs on a CSNY album. Clark’s “Full Circle” is terrific, it’s the opening cut, but it’s downhill from there

7) Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde (1969): With McGuinn being the only founding member of the Byrds left, it was a smart move to have Roger since lead vocals on every track, for continuity. Besides the aforementioned “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man,” the best cuts are the folk song, “Old Blue,” and a cover of “This Wheel’s on Fire,” which was co-written by Dylan and The Band’s Rick Danko. The original appears on The Band’s Music from Big Pink.

6) Fifth Dimension (1966): From here on in, the output is much more impressive. Shortly after recording of Fifth Dimension began, Clark left the Byrds for the first time. While he’s missed on this effort, there’s some dazzling stuff here, particularly the psychedelic hit “Eight Miles High,” which was written by Clark, Crosby, and McGuinn. The former had a terrible fear of flying. “Mr. Spaceman,” a McGuinn country rock tune, as well as a cover of “Hey Joe,” are the highlights of Fifth Dimension.

5) Younger than Yesterday (1967): McGuinn and Hillman stepped up for this album. The duo co-wrote the often covered single “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” Hillman’s “Have You Seen Your Face” and Dylan’s “My Back Pages” were deservedly given much deserved attention after they were released as singles.

4) Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965): The Byrds’ second album leads off with the soaring title track. There are two Dylan compositions, “The Times They Are a-Changin” and “Lay Down Your Weary Tune.” A cover of an old Porter Wagoner hit, “Satisfied Mind,” presages the Byrds’ later work.

3) Mr. Tambourine Man (1965): The title track on the Byrds’ debut album was a groundbreaking recording, and like “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” it reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. There are three other Dylan covers here, including “Chimes of Freedom.” A Clark song, “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” sent word that the Byrds weren’t just a covers band.

2) Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968): Although it didn’t sell well initially, Sweetheart is one of the most influential albums ever. There are only two tracks written by a Byrd, both by Gram Parsons, “One Hundred Years from Now” and “Hickory Wind” (co-written by Bob Buchanan). There are two Dylan covers here, including the opening cut, “You Ain’t Going Nowhere.” Some of the cuts are obscure, such as Cindy Walker’s “Blue Canadian Rockies.” Every song is fantastic.

And now, number 1) The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1967): One of only two early Byrds albums without a Dylan cover, the songwriting brilliance of the McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby is on full display on The Notorious Byrds Brothers with such songs such as “Old John Robertson” and “Draft Morning.” However, the Byrds weren’t afraid to look elsewhere for great songs. “Goin’ Back” and “Wasn’t Born to Follow” are Carole King and Gerry Goffin compositions. The latter tune figured prominently in Easy Rider.

Time has not been kind to most of the members of the Byrds. Of the many performers who played with the Byrds, only McGuinn, Hillman, Gene Parsons, and John York survive. Some, such as Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Gram Parsons, succumbed to the rock and roll lifestyle. Crosby, a notorious substance abuser, lived until he was 81. COVID claimed him in 2023.

Albums by the Byrds can be found on Amazon.com and can be downloaded on iTunes.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

The studio albums by The Band, ranked

Posted: August 13, 2023 by John Ruberry in culture, entertainment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Ruberry

Last week one of music’s giants, Robbie Robertson, the lead guitarist and the principle songwriter for The Band, died at the age of 80.

In this post I’ll rank their studio albums.

Much like Fleetwood Mac, The Band, when you reach back to their beginnings in Toronto, is one of the few musical acts that, like a nation, have a historical narrative.

Arkansas rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins found success with his backup band, the Hawks, in Canada in the lat 1950s. But one by one, each Hawk, except for drummer Levon Helm, got homesick and returned to America. The first Canadian to join the Hawks was Robertson, who was quickly supplemented by bassist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manuel, and organist Garth Hudson, but all of the members of the band were multi-instrumentalists, particularly Hudson. The Band had three vocalists, Helm, Danko, and Manuel. Often, particularly on their first two albums, they would interchange leads—and beautifully harmonize.

The Hawks split from Hawkins in 1963, and under different names, performed as a first-rate bar band until becoming Bob Dylan’s concert backing band. Helm left during that tour. 

After Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident in 1966, with the Hawks, he recorded new material that was released in 1975 as The Basement Tapes. Helm rejoined in 1967, after the newly-dubbed The Band was signed Capitol Records. 

After many ups and a few downs, The Band split after their final concert–with many guest performers–which was lovingly documented in the Martin Scorsese-directed movie, The Last Waltz. The soundtrack album is also an essential work of art.

In the 1980s, without Robertson, The Band reformed, went on tour, with the intention of returning to the recording studio. But Manuel committed suicide in 1986. The remaining Band members eventually recorded three albums in the 1990s, consisting mostly of covers, but the rump Band broke up for good after Danko’s death in 1999. Helm, who had been feuding with Robertson for years over songwriting credits and money in general, died in 2012. Hawkins passed away last year.

Hudson is the only surviving member of The Band.

And now let’s start the rundown of The Band’s albums. Yes, the ones with the original lineup.

Islands (1977): There are some great outtakes albums, The Who’s Odds and Sods and Elvis Costello’s Taking Liberties come to mind. Islands is like most of the others, where listeners can say to themselves, “I can see why these songs were left off of previous albums.” Because The Last Waltz soundtrack was promised to another label, Islands was compiled to satisfy The Band’s contractual obligation to Capitol Records.  It contains a curiosity, “Knockin’ Lost John,” the only Band song where Roberston sings lead. Next…

Cahoots (1971): Drugs had taken their toll on The Band by this time, and Robertson’s songs weren’t very good here. Cahoots starts off well enough, with “Life Is a Carnival,” but immediately sinks into them mud. Not even one of my favorites, Van Morrison, who co-wrote with Robertson “4% Pantomime,” which is about two drunk musicians in a bar complaining about life on the road, could save Cahoots. Listening to this album is about as enjoyable as sitting next to two drunk musicians in a bar as they…well, you get it. On the upside, the album artwork is gorgeous, and one of Morrison’s nicknames, the Belfast Cowboy, comes from “4% Pantomime.”

Moondog Matinee (1973): Two paragraphs ago Costello, who counts The Band as one of his major influences, received a compliment, now I’m evening the score. In 1995, Costello recorded an album of mostly obscure R&B covers, Kojak Variety. It’s a terrible record. Moondog Matinee, which also contains many lesser-known R&B tunes, is better than that. Predictably, it’s the better-known songs that The Band chose, including “I’m Ready,” “Mystery Train,” and “Promised Land,” which click. 

Yes, I do love The Band. Really, I do.

Now comes the good stuff.

Stage Fright (1970): While Cahoots understandably opens with its best song, on Stage Fright, the collection’s worst two songs, “Strawberry Wine” and “Sleeping” are the opening tracks. The first song was co-written by Helm with Robertson, and Manuel co-wrote the second one with Robbie. With the exception of one other tune, all of the rest of the songs were written solely by Robertson, including these Band standards, the title track, as well as “The Shape I’m In,” and “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show.” More rock and R&B oriented than The Band’s first two albums, Stage Fright is also remembered for Todd Rundgren’s role as engineer.

Northern Lights-Southern Cross (1975): The Band, with their first studio album in four years, came back in a big way here. “Acadian Driftwood,” a musical cousin of sorts of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” recounts the ethnic cleansing of French speakers in the 1750s from Nova Scotia by the British. At the time, Robertson was married to a French-Canadian, tensions between Anglophone and Francophone Canada were at a peak then. Like the early days of The Band, Helm, Manuel, and Danko harmonize and swap lead verses. “Ophelia,” “Jupiter Hollow,” and “It Makes No Difference” are the other great tracks on this collection. Every song on Northern Lights-Southern Cross is a Robertson composition.

Music from Big Pink (1968): One of the best debut albums ever, and not just because of the great songs, such as “Chest Fever,” “The Weight,” and the Dylan-penned “I Shall Be Released.” No one knew it at the time, but Music from Big Pink was the first album of the Americana genre, or if you prefer, roots music. The album artwork featured a Dylan painting. “The Weight” is the ultimate Band song, Helm and Danko share lead vocals and Manuel adds perfect harmonies. Dylan cowrote, with Manuel and Danko respectively, “Tears of Rage” and “This Wheel’s on Fire.”

The Band (1969): Most bands with a great debut album effort suffer from a sophomore jinx. Not The Band, with their self-titled follow-up, also known as the Brown Album. There are no Dylan songs this time, but Robertson filled that vacuum with works that are now Americana classics, such as aforementioned “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” as well as “Rag Mama Rag,” and “Up on Cripple Creek.” Sometimes it’s hard to ascertain why The Band was so great and so unique. “Jawbone,” a Robertson and Manuel collaboration, offers a clue. It was written in a 6/4 time signature, a rarity in popular music.

And so was Robbie Robertson, a rarity. Rest in peace.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.