The Byrds Play Dylan

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
As a historical document, this record is priceless. Just as some parents are wont to gauge their children's development by posing them yearly with a department-store Santa Clause, fans can witness both the development of this seminal Southern California band and the evolution of what was to become called folk rock by listening to them tackle the various stages and permutations of Bob Dylan--sometimes even, as with "Mr. Tambourine Man," before Dylan released the songs himself. Urged originally by their then manager and producer Jim Dickson to interpret the folk bard's work, the Byrds never seemed to grow weary of the exercise, even recording the rather simplistic and anachronistic "Paths of Glory" when they reunited briefly in 1990. However, the bulk of the recording was done between 1965 and 1971, and not only shows the Roger McGuinn-led band arching toward psychedelia on their dark and gothic rendition of Dylan and Rick Danko's "This Wheel's on Fire," but also documents the apex of their flirtation with country music during Gram Parson's tenure with the band in 1968. Both their choice Dylan covers--"Nothing Was Delivered," and "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"--and the buttons, bows, and leather chaps that they dressed the songs up in during Parsons time with the band is a revealing snapshot of the Byrds in transition. After all is said and done, the debate is still running on who got more out of this synergistic relationship. After listening to this collection, one is tempted to believe Dylan did. Were it not for the Byrds taking their fey and poppy version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" to the top of the charts in 1965, the man some of us refer to as Mr. Jones would have not come to the public's attention quite so soon. But the Byrds did much more than merely interpret Bob Dylan songs. Really, the band soared much higher performing their own material, and whether they melded jazz, raga, country, or psychedelic rock, they showed a fearlessness, an agility, inventiveness, and purpose that belied the constant personnel shifts. --Jaan Uhelszki

Tracks:

All I Really Want To Do
Chimes Of Freedom
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Lay Lady Lay (Single Version)
Mr. Tambourine Man
My Back Pages
Nothing Was Delivered
Positively 4th Street (Live)
Spanish Harlem Incident
The Times They Are A-Changin'
This Wheel's On Fire
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Live)
Just Like A Woman
Lay Lady Lay (Alternate Version)
The Times They Are A-Changin' (Early Version)
Mr. Tambourine Man (Live)
Chimes Of Freedom (Live)
Paths Of Victory

Amazon.com

As a historical document, this record is priceless. Just as some parents are wont to gauge their children's development by posing them yearly with a department-store Santa Clause, fans can witness both the development of this seminal Southern California band and the evolution of what was to become called folk rock by listening to them tackle the various stages and permutations of Bob Dylan--sometimes even, as with "Mr. Tambourine Man," before Dylan released the songs himself. Urged originally by their then manager and producer Jim Dickson to interpret the folk bard's work, the Byrds never seemed to grow weary of the exercise, even recording the rather simplistic and anachronistic "Paths of Glory" when they reunited briefly in 1990. However, the bulk of the recording was done between 1965 and 1971, and not only shows the Roger McGuinn-led band arching toward psychedelia on their dark and gothic rendition of Dylan and Rick Danko's "This Wheel's on Fire," but also documents the apex of their flirtation with country music during Gram Parson's tenure with the band in 1968. Both their choice Dylan covers--"Nothing Was Delivered," and "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"--and the buttons, bows, and leather chaps that they dressed the songs up in during Parsons time with the band is a revealing snapshot of the Byrds in transition. After all is said and done, the debate is still running on who got more out of this synergistic relationship. After listening to this collection, one is tempted to believe Dylan did. Were it not for the Byrds taking their fey and poppy version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" to the top of the charts in 1965, the man some of us refer to as Mr. Jones would have not come to the public's attention quite so soon. But the Byrds did much more than merely interpret Bob Dylan songs. Really, the band soared much higher performing their own material, and whether they melded jazz, raga, country, or psychedelic rock, they showed a fearlessness, an agility, inventiveness, and purpose that belied the constant personnel shifts. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews:

The times they have changed.......2007-04-23

I'm not a big folk music listener but do listen occasionally to the wispy reflexions of poets. I like Dylan so I thought I'd give this disc a try and found it to be pretty good within it's genre. I used to like the Byrds when they were popular a gazillion years ago so I was tempted even more. The Byrds are the perfct vechicle for Dylan songs. With the 12 string guitar constantly wailing and the harmonic vocals the disc captures the times of the popularity of these songs. Most of the interpretations are right on with the exception of "Lay Lady Lay" which unfortunately has two versions on this disc; for the record, the single version is worse IMO than the alternate take! The alternate take is not half bad. Some of the songs were recorded live at the Fillmore West during the height of flower power. Now for the live versions. "Positively 4th Street" is very Dylanesque in that the vocals have that Dylan twang plus the extended guitar solo is a nice touch. "Mr. Tambourine Man" is very good but way too short at 2:30."Chimes of Freedom" has a country vibe because of the plucking on guitar for a pretty nice version. I'm not really nostalgic but I think what I like about these familiar songs is the ability to actually remember the lyrics and sing along(in my head)to these tunes. If you were alive during the sixties than you will probably like these songs. Otherwise they might strike you as lame, corny time-capsules by some folk-rockers.

AUSTRALIAN AND US VERSIONS COMPARED.......2006-06-04

Those thinking about buying this CD should be aware that there is an Australian version with alternate programming available from Amazon [ASIN BOOOO5K2U3]. Here is a quick comparison of the USA and Australian CDs:

I. CONTENTS:

Both use the same 20 tracks. These include the 1965 take of `It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' (in stereo), but not the dramatically different 1969 track on "Ballad of Easy Rider." This is a glaring omission, considering there are alternate versions of four other songs.

Still, here are sixteen songs from Bob Dylan's most creative period, with each of the various Byrds line-ups performing on at least one or two tracks. This makes for a rich listening experience, though the dramatically different styles of the various line-ups makes programming these tracks a challenge.

II. PROGRAMMING:

An earlier reviewer pointed out the strange programming choice for the USA CD. He's right - it appears to be simply alphabetical through track 13! When playing the USA CD, I usually set my player to "random" or "shuffle"; it's mostly random by alphabet anyway, and this often generates some interesting alternate programs.

The strongest point of the Australian CD is that it largely succeeds in an attempt to program these songs for enjoyable listening. (See Amazon's listing of the Australian CD for this alternate program.)

III. SOUND QUALITY

Sound quality of the USA CD is generally excellent but a little strange. It has been remastered so all selections play at about the same volume, but at low volume the songs sound a little compressed within that range. The studio version of `Mr. Tambourine Man' is especially anemic to my ear. When played at a louder volume, however, sound quality is excellent. And the live tracks from "Untitled" actually sound clearer to me than on that CD. Live 'Chimes of Freedom' is pretty close to the excellent sound of that particular track on "Fillmore '69".

The Australian CD opens with `Mr. Tambourine Man', and to my ear the more full bodied sound here is superior to the USA track. Other tracks on the Australian CD also sound fine, but are not necessarily better or equal to the US album.

IV. PACKAGING

The US release features 2 color photos of the post-Clark Byrds. Its 12 page booklet contains more photos and a 2002 essay by David Fricke that explores the Byrds' special relationship with Dylan.

The Aussie version has only a single fold-open sheet with a one page essay by David Humphries written in 2001.

The two CDs have different covers, but both are shown on Amazon so buyers can decide for themselves about these.

OVERALL:

This album is pretty much a "must have" for Byrds fans, though almost anyone familiar with either Dylan or the Byrds will probably also enjoy it. I recommend the USA version with its superior packaging for die hard fans. But the Australian program is (in my opinion) much superior for listening, so I reccomend that for casual buyers.

ALSO SUGGESTED:

Those interested in this album will surely also enjoy Mcguinn's fine duet with Dylan on 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door.' See "The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5 - Bob Dylan Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue" (Legacy C2K 87047).

"If Ya Wanna Be A Bird . . .".......2004-10-14

"The Byrds Play Dylan" -- do you remember the magic you experienced the very first time you heard Roger McGuinn's elecric twelve-string Rickenbaker piercing your mind from the radio? . . . you can experience that magic once again on this cd collection of The Byrds playing Dylan.

The selections are tracks recorded between 1965 up to 1990. And the miracle melodies are all here intact.

My personal preference leans toward the earlier years - when the "sound" had changed the folk approach of Bob Dylan to electric and electrifying folk/rock and "rock with a message" or "poetic rock" - call it what you like. The sound hit you right in the face and mesmerized you and captivted you and entranced you. But even with personel changes in the line-up and the passing of years(to "Sweethearts Of The Rodeo" period) The Byrds
stil delivered their tansforming effect with all of their music . . .and especially with the art of Bob Dylan.

This collection includes original studio recording and several "live" tracks and altrnate versions of songs.

I recommend this collection to any fan of The Byrds or Dylan . . . or to any fan of the "sixties phenomenon music" . . . and to new listeners who may have never heard this music when it mad its initial epiphany . . . you will enjoy the magic! . . . and like The Holy Modal Rounders once sang . . . "if ya wanna be a Byrd it won't take much to get you up there . . ." -- just this "The Byrds Play Dylan" cd collection should just about do it! :)

Great - Except for Lay Lady Lay (Single Version).......2004-01-19

This album gives a great overview of the different eras of the Byrds career. Almost every Dylan cover on this album is just incredible. But, I have to agree with an earlier reviewer that it would have made better sense for the songs to listed chronologically.

Every Dylan cover on this album is just stellar, with one exception. I would have given this album 5 stars if the horrid single version of Lay Lady Lay had been excluded and left for possible inclusion on some parody comedy album. It is embarrassing to listen to a gospel choir singing about getting a lady into bed.

I think that the stripped down alternate version of Lay Lady Lay, also included here, is infinitely superior to the single version. I would hope that some producer, and not the Byrds themselves, made the misguided decision to ruin this song by overlaying the choir track.

Beyond this collection being polluted by that one egregious exception, I don't think that I can give a high enough recommendation of this album. The rest of the songs are great from start to finish. I don't think I have ever heard another group do such a great job of covering another artist's material.

Great collection -- but WHAT is with the programming order??.......2003-10-04

This collection comes as a godsend for owners of the original 70's Lp who cried bloody murder over the wretched 80's CD re-release (which -- no fooling -- appeared to have been mastered from an audio cassette!). Not only is the sound quality pf this new collection at the same high level of CBS/Legacy's previous Byrds CD releases, but this new CD contains 7 more tracks, some of of which were only available previously on the Byrds box set. That's the good news. Now for the bad, or at least odd, news...

Tracks:

Mr. Tambourine Man
All I Really Want to Do
Chimes of Freedom
Spanish Harlem Incident
Times They Are A-Changin'
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
My Back Pages
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Nothing Was Delivered
This Wheel's on Fire
It's All over Now, Baby Blue
Lay Lady Lay
Positively 4th Street

Average customer rating:

Fantastic

Play the Songs of Bob Dylan
The Byrds
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

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Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan
No Direction Home: The Soundtrack (The Bootleg Series Vol. 7)
Bob Dylan - No Direction Home

ASIN: B00005K2U3
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Mr. Tambourine Man
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
The Times They Are A-Changin'
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Lay Lady Lay
All I Really Want To Do
Chimes Of Freedom
My Back Pages
Just Like A Woman
This Wheel's On Fire
Nothing Was Delivered
Positively 4th Street
Spanish Harlem Incident
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Live)
Lay Lady Lay (Alternate Version)
The Times They Are A-Changin'
Mr. Tambourine Man (Live)
Chimes Of Freedom (Live)
Paths Of Victory

Album Description

Remastered reissue of 1980 compilation includes seven bonus tracks, 'Just Like A Woman', 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' (live), 'Lay Lady Lay' (alt. version), 'The Times They Are A-Changin' (live), 'Mr. Tambourine Man' (live), 'Chimes Of Freedom' (live) & 'Paths Of Victory'.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2004-01-13

This is the definitive Byrds album. That is if you love Dylan.
Which I do and who doesn't? Decent quality in an import as well.
That's all. You can't go wrong with this one.

Average customer rating:

Play Dylan
The Byrds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005628A
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

Mr. Tambourine Man
All I Really Want to Do
Chimes of Freedom
Spanish Harlem Incident
Times They Are A-Changin'
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
My Back Pages
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Nothing Was Delivered
This Wheel's on Fire
It's All over Now, Baby Blue
Lay Lady Lay
Positively 4th Street

Average customer rating:

Play Dylan
The Byrds
Manufacturer: Tristar
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000006XCJ
Release Date: 1995-08-29

Tracks:

Mr. Tambourine Man
All I Really Want to Do
Chimes of Freedom
Spanish Harlem Incident
Times They Are A-Changin'
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
My Back Pages
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Nothing Was Delivered
This Wheel's on Fire
It's All over Now, Baby Blue
Lay Lady Lay
Positively 4th Street

Average customer rating:

Play the Songs of Bob Dylan
The Byrds
Manufacturer: Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006ILYJ
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Mr. Tambourine Man
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
The Times They Are A-Changin'
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Lay Lady Lay
All I Really Want To Do
Chimes Of Freedom
My Back Pages
Just Like A Woman
This Wheel's On Fire
Nothing Was Delivered
Positively 4th Street
Spanish Harlem Incident
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Live)
Lay Lady Lay (Alternate Version)
The Times They Are A-Changin'
Mr. Tambourine Man (Live)
Chimes Of Freedom (Live)
Paths Of Victory

Album Description

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review