The Byrds… Need advice regarding their albums

I’m a longtime fan of The Byrds.
However, I have never owned a real album, only a fine if uneven compilation from the early seventies.

Therefore I would like to know which original albums I should own. I’m not looking for a complete collection, but maybe 5 albums or so.

Hope to see some great answers!

 

Notorious Byrd Brothers, for sure. Recorded in 1967, released 1968.

 

Can't go wrong with the first 4 for sure...Mr Tambourine Man..TURN TURN TURN..5D...and Younger Than Yesterday

 

So, basically, the first five.

 

As a 'first-gen' fan I like them all to some degree, but here are their most "solid" releases IMO:
Folk-rock period: Mr. Tambourine Man
Psychedelic era: Notorious Byrd Brothers
Country era: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
FM album rock era: Untitled
The 1967 Greatest Hits (Columbia LP) is also a winner, especially in mono.

These albums (except maybe Untitled) don't contain tracks that I always skip
over due to a dated 'novelty fail' aspect or some bad David Crosby overreach.

 

I know Sweetheart Of The Rodeo gets a lot of praise as well. But is that because it’s basically the joker of the pack?
And how about Untitled?

 

First five are essential in my book.

Depends on your tastes and degree of fandom if you want to go further than that.

 

after you get what you want check out The Farther Along album...

 

I have no idea how the mastering is on this, but for less than $20 a staggering amount of great music. The bonus cuts are included in this set and they are essential as well. If you are just picking one, I would go with “Notorious”. Wonderful tracks that haven’t been overplayed and no filler until the final track.

 

an excellent album! Highly recommended.

 

no remixes here correct?

 

See Post #5.

 

The first 5 are indispensable and are must-have, with Notorious being the apex of their studio work IMO. Younger Then Yesterday comes close to rivaling it. Fifth Dimension has many sublime moments.

I don't dig Sweetheart Of The Rodeo that much, others here love it.

After that, McGuinn takes over fully and Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde and Ballad Of Easy Rider are both fair to decent albums with some great tracks and some mediocre ones.

Untitled is worth hearing, a studio disc paired with a live disc. The studio stuff isn't that memorable. The live disc has some nice extended jams as on the side-long "Eight Miles High".

The reunion album (Byrds, 1973) is a good listen if you go in with minimal expectations.

 

This is one of the last ones to get, it's pleasant enough but pretty bland. A couple of tracks are horrible!

 

I love this album so I disagree. ; ) which ones are you referring to?

 

First five plus Sweetheart.

 

I enjoy them all, apart from Byrdmaniax, which is a bit of a perplexing oddity.

 

...then that would be the first six

 

The Complete Columbia Albums Collection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005APT8A8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_84E00VYG9PZPQS4PXE2F

Can’t go wrong with the core catalog

 

Get their first five albums, they're essential. Their work after 'Notorious Byrd Brothers' is spotty and even their passable stuff is only really palpable if you enjoy their country stuff. It's literally not the same band after 1969, except for Roger McGuinn.

 

This can be had for under 20 bucks. No-brainer for me, I grabbed it last year, after owning only compilations and Sweetheart for the longest time.

 

"Bad Night At The Whiskey" and their cover of "This Wheel's On Fire" have the spook. Wish the band of that era had done more in that vein:

 

Basically the first five (or six) and then Untitled.

 

BB Class Road, which is one of the worst songs in my entire record collection and America's Great National Pastime. The rest is fine, but generally I'm not a fan of this line up anyway.

 

Younger Than Yesterday & Singles