I'm weighing in four months after Ma Kelly's original comment, but for what it's worth, I've previously outed myself as someone who greatly enjoys the Never Before remix of "Lady Friend." In principle, I hate that Crosby and Co. had the gall to overdub stylistically anachronistic drums. But frankly, I think the end result is more bracing and exciting than the original recording. So when the remix randomly pops up when I'm playing my ipod, I simply imagine that I'm listening to one of the many Byrds-influenced jangle bands of the 1980s, and I'm in heaven. (Still, I wouldn't want to be without the original version, despite its lesser degree of propulsion.)
Out of interest, what do folks make of McGuinn's 1st solo album? I listened to it for the first time in a while, and didn't like it as much as I remembered. I like that he went overboard with the genre exercises after feeling stifled by the latter Clarence White-era lineup, and there ARE some good songs, but jeez stuff like Stone is pretty horrid and M'Linda is cheesy, though not as bad as Lisa from his 75 album. Draggin' I kinda like, but he sounds half asleep. Hanoi Hannah...hmmm....again, this is really, really half-arsed. Never been a massive fan of Lost My Drivin' Wheel either - too leaden and stodgy for my liking, despite having about 100 guitar parts.
I'm a McGuinn fan. As I said a dozen posts ago, I think he was a big part of their success. I suspect he is wrongly maligned. I credit him with much of the Byrds sound. I think he contributed greatly to their hits. He deserves his songwriting credit on Eight Miles High, even if he didn't write a single word of its lyrics. I even think he's an excellent songwriter, although too self-critical and not prolific enough to be remembered as one. His later Byrds are the best, not the worst, of their work. Byrdmaniax might be my favorite Byrds album. With that in mind.... Among the good reasons McGuinn might have resisted Crosby's collaboration over the years may date from David's advice to McGuinn that McGuinn's solo LP be self-produced. Heave Away doesn't suffer much. Draggin' calls out Hal Blaine's drums and a good bass player. The most interesting song would have been John John, which is included as an extra on a remastered disc. R.J. Hippard is definitely the kind of collaborator McGuinn's producer should have told him to stay away from during the making of this record. McGuinn seems never to have found a real use for his Moog. Lost My Drivin' Wheel needs a Terry Melcher, as does the entire album. The word "amateur" comes to mind every time I hear this record. I can't believe Columbia released it. It signifies to me the self-destructive tendencies of the self-absorbed "all about me" movement which came to full fruition in the seventies. It makes me pine for the corporate studio system of earlier times. Remastering doesn't help one bit.
How many versions of this have you heard? I've only heard the Sundazed version and some of it sounds fine, but a few songs sound pretty murky. Maybe it's just the way it actually sounds, I dunno. I do like the album despite its flaws because it's so all over the place, unlike say Peace on You, but I really can't say it's great.
Supposedly Terry did do the first mix of McGuinn's solo album and nobody was happy with it and his mix wasn't used.
I've got two CD versions and one LP, the original. I had a home Teac 3340 (four channel) before getting a Tascam (8-channel). McGuinn's solo album sounds a lot like it was recorded at home, regardless of where it was actually recorded. As a comparison (since he's been mentioned multiple times in this thread) John Phillips recorded Papas and Mamas (last pre-breakup LP) and his first solo album (John Phillips, Wolf King of LA) at home, and both sound much better than McGuinn's self-produced solo LP. McGuinn's a great guitarist. He's an excellent arranger. He's capable of being an excellent song writer and, for the right song, excellent vocalist. But he's not a great producer, sound engineer or mixer. I too like the album despite its flaws. I can't believe he listened to Crosby after participating in Byrds. There's a saying in my old neighborhood: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
If that's true I want to hear it! On the subject of the bonus tracks from Roger's debut - I forgot about John, John - that's a great song, so simple and classy. Jamaica Say You Will could have been great but the recording is very rough.
By all means. I just wanted to say I went over the top to criticize McGuinn's solo lp, but only for its mediocre sound. It sound too much like a homemade demo. Perhaps they should have marketed it as his Nebraska (as in Bruce Springsteen's). But, musically, it's pretty satisfying. I verified it last night. I wish John, John was on my vinyl copy, but it's on the remastered CD. McGuinn got more energy from Crosby on My New Woman than Crosby did from him and himself on most of Byrds.
Interesting idea, to consider what the producer of Fifth Dimension would have done with Byrds. Apparently Stanton didn't produce much else after 5D, according to the short bio by Richie Unterberger on AllMusic, Allen Stanton | Biography & History | AllMusic
True! Which deepens the mystery as to why Byrds lacked energy. If Crosby and McGuinn teamed up with better results on McGuinn's solo record at roughly the same stage of their lives, why not on Byrds?
Fifth Dimension- if there’s one Byrds album that is the epitome of that 60s sound, this is the one. Side isn’t as strong but a great side 1
It has been my experience from having three brothers, I find it easier to get along and have fun with one than all three at once. Perhaps there's a corollary.
I can't recall where, but I once read a brief rundown of Crosby's opinions of various Byrds producers and he rated Allen Stanton rather low, even (IIRC) referring to him as a "suit". BTW, there are several prominent (read: successful) producers who it is claimed just sat there and made huge hits. As a boss of mine once said, referring to an overactive relative who was executive producer on a project we worked on: "If only someone would explain to him that all he needs to do is sit there and we'll carry him!" Perhaps Stanton was someone who knew to stay out of the way. Isn't the consensus of Byrdmaniax that Terry Melcher (who is by all accounts talented and ambitious) was in fact too helpful?
IIRC, over the next few years (starting in 1973) the members didn't record or perform much with each other. Chris Hillman played mandolin on Gene Clark's No Other. Michael Clarke is credited with tambourine on Hillman's second solo LP, Clear Sailin' (1977).Was that it? After his first record, I don't think McGuinn had former Byrds on his solo LPs until Back from Rio in 1991. The results might have been different if Clarence White hadn't died; I could easily see him playing with McGuinn, Gene Parsons, Skip Battin, maybe Hillman. Gram Parsons might have recorded with others, too. But after a few years away, Gene Clark and Roger McGuinn became a duo, and then Hillman joined, and Crosby even joined in at a few concerts ... some kind of musical magnetism pulling them back together.
I think Gary Usher produced Younger Than Yesterday, Notorious Byrd Brothers, and Sweetheart of the Rodeo. In my opinion, they were the best sounding of any of the Byrds albums. Not sure why Crosby didn't like him as a producer but Byrds might have been better received if he had been around, and if a couple of songs had been swapped out for stronger ones.
If you think that is cool. Listen to the way they do ECHOES. And then slip this version on NOTRIOUS BYRD BROTHERS as the opening track of side 2. It goes right into Change Is Now perfect.
I'm traveling and I've ordered the disc, based upon that single sample above of I'm So Restless. I hope it arrives when I return to my home soon.
