133. The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Release Date: 1968
Label: Columbia

Albums by this band seem to keep cropping up like a flock of .. well birds. And they never seem to get any better. I enjoyed their folk-rock debut, I thought their psychedelic era was patchy, but I had hoped I'd like them again when they went country. But I don't. It's making me wonder if I really did like the first record as much as I said I did? Anyway, I digress. I do have a 2CD Essential Byrds compilation in my collection, and that isn't bad, but it's going to be all I ever need.

Rating: 6/10
Favourite Track: Hickory Wind

119. The Byrds - The Notorious Bird Brothers

Release Date: 1968
Label: Columbia

I've written earlier on this blog about my belief that The Byrds were much better at writing folk-rock than pyschedelia, and this album does nothing to disprove my theory. Of course, it may just be that I prefer the former genre. A lot of the music I've listened to from this book at the moment has been of the 'mind-bending' variety. As this latest offering from the high-flying Byrds got underway, I genuinely thought I was going to enjoy this, but my pleasure didn't last the length of the album - which, give that it's less than 30mins long, is nothing to be proud of.


Rating: 5/10
Favourite Track:  Old John Robertson

94. The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday

Release Date: 1967
Label: Columbia

Sometimes in history you get a band who are seemingly capable of evolving their sound without losing their appeal - think The Beatles or Radiohead. There have also been occasions where a band has tried to move away from the sound that made them successful and fallen off the cliff. In my opinion, The Byrds fall slightly into the latter category. They are brilliant when it comes to writing folk-rock tunes, but their attempts at psychedelia are not so promising.

Rating: 6/10
Favourite Track: So You Want To Be a Rock n Roll Star

63. The Byrds- Fifth Dimension

Release Date: 1966
Label: Columbia

Rating: 6/10
Favourite Track: Eight Miles High

57. The Byrds- Mr Tambourine Man

Release Date: 1965
Label: Columbia

Rating: 8/10
Favourite Track: Mr Tambourine Man