byrds/hw?

[Ted Jackson jr. 6L6]

Submitted for your approval, an exchange bet. me and a bloke on
another list:


> Dan,
> This is an excellent post.  Okay with you if a send it to the
> Hawkwind list [with your name and address omitted, of course]?
>
>
>  Date:          Wed, 4 Mar 1998 12:51:36 -0500 (EST)
> > From:          Dan Parmenter <dan at lec.com>
> >
> > >  Speaking of The Byrds, I unearthed a couple of major finds while music
> > >shopping last week; I dragged my SPUD into Y&T Records to pick up an album
> > >I had them set aside for me(The Minglewood Band from Nova Scotia; my wife
> > >and I are planning a trip there this summer). While my wife browsed the
> > >children's section for our children-to-be, I stumbled across a cassette of
> > >Byrds rarities I've never seen before called Never Before.(Of course)Side 1
> > >is mostly Gene Clark, including the title track, which Gene finally heard
> > >for the first time in 20 years when the album was being prepared  a few
> > >years ago, and couldn't remember recording it. Side 2 is mostly David
> > >Crosby, including a Byrds version of "Triad," which I didn't know they'd
> > >recorded. Also included is the stereo single version of "Mr Tamborine Man"
> > >and its Gene Clark penned B-side, and an alternate take of "Eight Miles
> > >High" that was supposed to be the one released but the record company
> > >preffered the smoother take we all know.
> >
> > Most of this stuff is now available as extra tracks on the new Byrds
> > reissues, even stuff like "Moog Raga", which if I'm not mistaken only
> > shows up on the CD of NEVER BEFORE.  It shows up on NOTORIOUS BYRD
> > BROTHERS, which is probably my single favorite psychedelic album.
> > "Triad" was intended for this album in fact, but it got nixed in favor
> > of "Goin' Back", which if you listen to both is admitedly a difficult
> > choice!  Crosby does not sing on the latter cut.  It was this and
> > other hassles that led to Crosby quitting the Byrds.  Interestingly
> > enough, each of the Byrds reissues has a "hidden" bonus track.  For
> > NBB the "hidden" track is a recording of Crosby ranking out the other
> > Byrds, especially Michael Clarke.  Crosby and Clarke would both leave
> > shortly thereafter.  The early version of "Eight Miles High" was
> > apparently rejected due to its not having been recorded at Columbia
> > studios.  Both tracks are pretty wild actually and both are on the
> > reissue of FIFTH DIMENSION.  Pretty mind-blowing for 1966 (the year of
> > my birth, heh)!  NBB is fascinating.  It's also a crossroads for the
> > Byrds as it's the last Byrds record with Crosby and the first with
> > Clarence White; indeed, they both sing on one track, the remarkable
> > "Change Is Now".  Its name and occasional country stylings dovetail
> > nicely with the Flying Burrito Brothers, a nascent version of which
> > was already active at the time and to which many ex-Byrds would
> > migrate.  It's such an ambitious record with very little regard for
> > "genre".  Phased strings and steel guitars compete with acid rock
> > leads, distorted brass, Hawkwind-ish electronics and druggy lyrics
> > that are very much "of their time" (not in a stoopid "listen to what
> > the flower people say" way but in acknowledging the war, the realities
> > of drug abuse, etc.) but it all still sounds like the glorious Byrds.
> >
> > >The other find was a vinyl copy of
> > >IWTSTBLT, which I've listened to twice so far and it's definitely RT's best
> > >next to SOTL, with the exception of "Poor Little Beggar Girl," which I find
> > >a little annoying and goes on my short list of RT clunkers.
> >
> > Yep, no disagreement there.  The tune is lovely and Linda sings it
> > well, but the lyrics are an obvious attempt at something in a
> > "Threepenny Opera" vein and fail miserably.  It's actually
> > considerably more embarassing than Richard's more straightforwardly
> > "political" lyrics like "Time to Ring Some Changes".  While I think
> > that there's a place for subtle wit in your basic lefty anthem, a more
> > direct and simple message often seems more effective, which is why
> > Billy Bragg's overtly Marxist lyrics are far more interesting than
> > those of say Stereolab, who throw in leftist lyrics behind their
> > bubbly effervescent pop.  You can learn a lot from listening to Billy
> > Bragg or TTRSC.  All you learn from Stereolab lyrics or PLBG is that
> > they were written by a very clever person who is very aware of it.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
>
theo