Indeed, McGuinn’s current Twitter bio tends to reinforce how important that designation was/is to him.
McGuinn really did not become a prolific writer until his solo career. After Clark left, the slack was taken up by Crosby, Hillman, Parsons and Battin, and covers. And the only hits he ever had a writing credit on were 8 Miles High (basically for the guitar solo) and Rock & Roll Star (co-write with Hillman). Actually the Byrd who had a writing credit on the most hits is Hillman - on Rock & Roll Star, It Doesnt Matter and 8 Country top 40 hits with Desert Rose Band
I agree that the songwriting aspect was not a main contribution of McGuinn to the Byrds; and he usually co-wrote the songs where he's credited. But I wouldn't reduce the argument to the number of hit singles, since many of the best songs by the Byrds were not hits. I'd say that the most transcendent contribution of McGuinn as a songwriter in the Byrds was the song "Ballad Of Easy Rider", though it's said that Dylan (not credited) lended him a hand.
Thanks! I don't know if Gene technically knew what he was writing. If not, he simply wrote what he heard in his musical mind and it came out very different and as I said harmonically adventurous. A song that is coming up later really gets out there technically and is mind blowing in that regard.
this and the preflyte sessions are two my favorite releases, i would love a box set of everything that was recorded
McGuinn's "5D (Fifth Dimension)" is literally transcendent, way beyond most 1966 pop music. On the same album "Mr. Spaceman" is also great in its own light-hearted space-age Buck Owens way.
@Hombre We have not covered I Knew I 'd Want You yet have we? Some posts about it earlier. I don't want to miss that one. A Gene Clark masterpiece and one of his most unique songs.
Yes! How could I forget those songs by McGuinn? I wouldn't say they are masterpieces, but they are little gems anyway.
No, we haven't yet. That song was the B-side of the "Mr. Tambourine Man" single, but it's the track #8 on the album. Great ballad indeed.
I don't know and I don't want to get ahead but Mr. Spaceman IMO was a very early example of country rock way before Gram entered the picture.
I will try to cool it on the technical side with that song. It is really out there regarding modality and chord changes. How Gene came up with that is beyond me.
Well, the guitar solo is quite countrish. But I think that "Time Between" and "The Girl With No Name", both written by Hillman, are more proper examples of proto-country rock.
Bingo! The chords to the song are straight out of the Hank Williams songbook as well. Buck would have done a great version of the song. Yeah....The Byrds were not country until Gram entered. Not. He just gussied them up.
There's no question that McGuinn and especially Crosby matured a great deal as songwriters on that album. Of course, with Clark gone, they had to! And also, Hillman stepped up big time. Of their previous efforts, I always thought "Wait and See" was about the weakest Byrds original of all. However, "Why?" was very good, and "I See You" was great, but you get the sense that both were primarily Crosby songs. Don't want to get ahead of things, as we'll cover these songs in due time.