Poll--The Weakest Link: The Byrds YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY, Round 6

At the end of the last round “My Back Pages” and “Everybody’s Been Burned” were tied, each with 19 votes. I refrained from voting the last round, and now as a tiebreaker, I cast my vote for “My Back Pages”, meaning it goes and “Everybody’s Been Burned” stays.

I really did not want to have to vote for either song, but I certainly don’t want to see both songs go do to a tie.

Now four remain. One must go.

Discussion Question: For those of you familiar with the 1996 reissue, what do you think of the bonus tracks? Also, three tracks were remixed on that reissue. Do you have any opinion on that? (If you have noticed any mixing differences.)

5 My Back Pages
6 Time Between
7 The Girl with No Name
8 Why (Round 2)
9 Thoughts and Words (Round 2)
10 C.T.A-102 (Round 1)
11 Mind Gardens (Round 1)

 

I went with "Have You Seen Her Face", because to me the Crosby material on this record is very strong. Just my opinion.

Really like the bonus tracks from this era--though the version of "Lady Friend" I have on the Never Before compilation LP has terrible drums that were seemingly re-recorded and plugged in during the 80's.

 

Bump

 

I'd have ditched 'Have You Seen Her Face' and kept the stellar 'My Back Pages', but there we go.

Still petitioning for 'Have You Seen Her Face's eviction, although it's still a great track.

The 1996 CD is pretty excellent, although I do consider (the magnificent) 'Lady Friend' to not really be in the same time line as 'Younger Than Yesterday', it's more a 'Notorious' era track.

I'm going to say it: in my opinion at this stage (1966/67), until the eviction of Croz, the only band working at a higher creative level than The Byrds were The Beatles. They were that good.

 

Have You Seen Her Face?

Now I know how Sophie felt.

 

So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star

 

Burned should be bumped off to support the legitimacy of the last round of votes.

 

2nd place in one round is no guarantee of 1st place in next round and there is plenty of precedent for moderators reserving their vote to act as tiebreakers.

 

1. So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star

1. 7 vote(s)
2. 10.1%
   
3. Have You Seen Her Face
   12 vote(s)
   17.4%
   
4. Renaissance Fair
   12 vote(s)
   17.4%
5. Everybody's Been Burned
   19 vote(s)
   27.5%
6. My Back Pages
   19 vote(s)
   27.5%

At 19 negative votes I think it has earned the right to be removed. People will still like it and listen to it.

 

I chose Renaissance Fair this time because, for me, it is absolutely unmemorable. I'm not joking. Before this round, I'd picked the opening track for about three rounds...but I guess it's not gonna go anytime soon.

 

Voting for "Have You Seen Her Face" again.

"Lady Friend" is an absolutely essential Byrds track. No opinions on the mixing as I've never had the original stereo mix.

 

SYWTBAR&RS

DQ:
I really like "It Happens Each Day" and "Lady Friend."
"Don't Make Waves" is kind of meh.
"My Back Pages" is better on the album.
"Mind Gardens" is better as the bonus track.

 

A bit surprised to see "Have You Seen Her Face" moving toward weakest link. Always liked that song.

 

The 1996 'YTY' CD was the first release of a clean proper stereo mix of this song. It had been released on the 1990 box set with some talk before the intro (Croz: 'I can't even talk, how can I sing?').

Both of these banished the memory of the horrific overdubbed stereo mix from 'Never Before'. Nasty.

 

Renaissance Fair

 

why vote? My Back Pages apparently didn't lose actually.

 

yeah, this is bull.

 

Of the 1996 bonus tracks, I particularly enjoy "Lady Friend" and "It Happens Each Day."
I also enjoy the alternate My Back Pages.

 

Yes, it did.

The host--usually me, but this time Sab--doesn't always vote until after the round is over in case there is a tie. There was; Sab voted to break it as explained in his opening note.

JcS

 

'It Happens Each Day' can only have not made the cut for political reasons, not artistic. It would have over-tipped the scales Croz's way with credits.

McGuinn had a co-write credit on 'Renaissance Fair' to try and offset this, and the inclusion of the the tepid remake of 'Why' is a bit of a shame, but appears to be there to give McGuinn another credit.

If I'd been there I'd have sequenced side two

Thoughts And Words
Mind Gardens
Girl With No Name
It Happens Each Day
My Back Pages

 

link to Round 7:
Poll--The Weakest Link: The Byrds YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY, Round 7

 

My "mixing" comment wasn' t about "Lady Friend", but about the tracks that were remixed on the main album, in answer to the discussion question.

This is what Wikipedia has to say: "Crosby also fought to have the song "Why" (co-written with McGuinn) included on the album, despite it having already been issued as the B-side of the band's "Eight Miles High" single, some eleven months earlier."

 

I'm not sure that's right, will go back to the Rogan books and see what he says.