Mr. Tambourine Man

Every piece of art is a product of its era, but these chiming folk-pop ditties are straight out of a time capsule. They may have been useful in 1965, but history has rendered them a mere musical artifact.

Ok

chill

Wow, a version of Dylan I don’t hate. I like the early rock sound a lot better, and definitely love the harmonies.

The songs all felt very much the same. I get that in its time this was considered a top notch LP, but the music itself doesnt hold up after generations. Its just ok.

I liked the first two tracks go down after that still pretty catchy. 6/10

3+ nice

Decent jangle pop, which you'd expect from The Byrds. Just a bit thin and watery for my taste

Einfalt og ágætt.

covers...

now they're quote boring. Except Crosby

Extremamente clássico. A primeira música, homônima ao álbum é uma porrada, mas que é difícil ser superada pelas músicas subsequentes. 3 estrelas que poderiam ser 3.5.

This one seems to have passed me by a bit. Great jangly tight-stringed guitar. Some of the chord changes are satisfying, the harmonies are a touch cheesy and ENO evocative. The tracks are short and punchy which is to their credit but the album sells itself on its title track, an unremarkable cover of bib Dylan's worst song, Mr Tambourine Man. Please play a song for me, any other than that. I dunno a mixed bag.

This is an album filled with songs that would have been right at home on an early Beatles album, coming as it did from the same era. The early albums of the Beatles are not my favourite, so it wasn't a surprise that this album by the Byrds wouldn't be one of my favourites either. All in all, still decent, but the Byrds' later output might prove more interesting.

3 stars

Pretty good. I like mr tambourine song, but the rest weren’t too memorable for me. Nice chill music though

I like the record but I know they can do better. This one had to many Dylan songs

Hmm OK I guess

Solid

Ass

A peaceful folk rock album to ease you into that second hit of what ever your poison is. Won't be blasting anyone's pants off but if a chill vibe is what's wanted then give it a go.

The title track is great, one of the best covers I’ve ever heard tbh, and the rest of the album is… pretty good. A solid debut for a band who are still crafting their sound and massively improve on it in later years

A couple of highlights from their career and some rather pedestrian numbers as the band tried to find their sound and hone their craft.

This album is pleasant enough. Nothing about it really blows me out of the water but it doesn’t change that it’s a pleasant sound.

Some nice short little songs on here. I like the 60s sound but I really an album that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome

The found their sound and it certainly is unique to them. I wish the album had more range and originality to it. The covers are justified takes on the originals. There’s nothing really wrong here. Kinda bland, but not really. I can tell why they didn’t stick around long. 3/5

Nothing super memorable for me... I Knew I'd Want You was a happy lil diddy though

Classic Byrds. Enjoyable but not a go-to album I don’t think.

A band which was let down by its production. In a sense highly important. In another sense less than the sum of its parts. More an artefact than a great listen.

Ok, and lets try some spacey folk rock. How different the 60s were. the slower pace, the tinny instruments, cheery tone - I know its not beach boys but it does remind me of their carefree stuff. Apparently an important album for US to have somethign so Byrds could Beeetle and Stones. Its innoffensive eneough but to my modern ear today a bit slow...

Good scheduling by the Dimery Tracey Island Command Post with this coming on the slightly cooled heels of our consideration of A Hard Day's Night. The jingle jangle sound of Jim McGuinn's Rickenbacker 12 string being influenced by his viewing of the film and young Georgie Harrison's guitar work, from the famous opening chord onwards. A lot of myths and shibboleths about The Byrds and the Wrecking Crew, most of the band did play on the early records, bar a few exceptions. The Dylan covers are well known and understood for the sound, if you've missed them somehow in the last millennium then they are a key feature of why this is a good album. David Crosby. Never liked him as a musician or a hippy. Massively overrated and a bad influence on the evolution of this band, as he got in the way of Gene Clark becoming the fully fledged artist his talent deserved. Gene should have been singing lead on all the tunes, and his songwriting is the real strength of this record, with I Feel a Whole Lot/Here Without You and I Knew I'd Want you being the standout tracks. A lot of this is a bit naff, but what is good is really good and worth a listen.

Sounds just like the Byrds! I think if I'd had this album when I was a kid / early teen, i.e. when I was listening to the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel, I might have gotten into it...but even then I'm not sure. As it is - sounds nice, nothing to come back for.

Ett argument emot att "Dylans låtar skulle vara bra bara nån annan sjöng dem". Några av deras egna är lite catchy dock

Everything sounds like ticket to ride by the beatles

This was an interesting album, I really liked the tracks Mr Tambourine Man and I Knew I’d Want You. But otherwise I felt it was quite same-y

It's not the Byrds' fault that I wore myself out on this sound by listening to Rubber Soul so many dozens of times in my life (yes I know RS came out later, but it entered my life first). That being said, Rubber Soul is full of variety that keeps me engaged and I just couldn't get past how one-note this album sounded to me. It's bookended by what I believe are the two most moving tunes though the former obviously suffers somewhat from being overplayed. On the one hand the writing and arrangements are possibly worthy of as many as four stars, but it all hit my ears with two-star excitement. Three it is.

Not available on spotify

Fun, jangly, mid-60s rock with strong vocal harmonies.

Stark trea

yasss DJ let’s hit repeat over and over 💯🗣️

Ok

A pleasant surprise indeed! This was excellent chilled out rock n roll! Will defo come back to this one, a massive improvement from their previous album on this list! It’s not quite excellent, but very good. Wish there was a half star you could add as this would be three and a half. I’ll give it three though, not quite good enough for a big fat four!

Pleasant enough, but I've come to the conclusion that 90% of this type of 60s stuff is no more than pleasant really.

I felt like each song has the same feeling or opening sound as "Mr. Tambourine Man", the guitar sound sounds the same, the vocals are similar. There was not a lot of variation from one song to the next. But the title track was indeed the superior song of the bunch. Listening to a whole album of it? Not so much.

Jangly, beatlesque, sweet harmonies. Pleasant and short (half an hour), but can't help thinking that music had changed with Rubber Soul and Revolver. Thankfully not as "country" as later albums.

A nice mix between Dylan and the Beatles without going too far in either direction. love the guitar work on here. best tracks: mr tambourine man, we’ll meet again, the bells of rhymeney

Good artists borrow, great artists steal — influential artists mutate? Returning a volley in the Great Transatlantic Rock Exchange, McGuinn and company marry the oversaturated Village folk sound with the Kink-y Beatlemania invading the nation. It’s sublime at times and sounds a little thin in hindsight, but without this would we have had alternative? REM? Indie rock? You gotta start somewhere.

Nice and bright, uplifting rock

After listening to 3rd album by The Byrds, for me they are basically The Beatles but not.

60s muzak

The 60s are alive and well in this album

Meh...

Another good Byrds album. Not much new to say; it's another example of folk-rock done right, in my ears at least.

I’ve always been told that The Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man” is a landmark performance, but honestly? I never totally got it, it sounds like The Monkees. And I mean, I like the Monkees, but what makes this a bigger deal than Dylan’s original besides actually charting? The rest of the album ranges from decent to pretty solid, I’m not immune to 60’s pop folk, but it’s also seldom my first choice either. C

Yes, their voices match perfectly and that makes music beautiful. But the music itself it not my style and songs do look alike don't they... Prefer e.g. CSNY's Deja Vu in this type of music,.

los Beatles muy top, pero que coraje que solo se escuche como en un auricular de verdad me partía el cráneo que estrés de albúm

Thought it was good. They did a good job on the Dylan covers. Like the jangly guitars.

Eh

Fine but doesn’t move me.

Okay

Folk agradável, começa bem com o cover e segue mantendo o clima de guitarras campestres.

3.3 - Baby Boomers make a big deal of this record because it supposedly pioneered the use of the Rickenbocker 12-string guitar that sort of inspired jangle rock bands like R.E.M. They were also exceptionally proficient at rearranging Bob Dylan songs and making them into smash hits. Personally I found it boring.

Definitely see where the harmonies came from for CSN. A nice mixture of Bob Dylan folk and Beach Boys-esque harmonisation, with a couple of sleepers and a very odd cover of “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn. A nice little album, but not much more for a return visit. Standout Songs: “Mr. Tambourine Man” “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” “The Bells of Rhymney”

Good not great. Some good guitar sounds. Perfect 3/5 for me personally

C'est bon, mais ça sonne comme un peu tous les albums rock/folk de ces années là. Pas vraiment de défaut, mais rien qui se démarque.

Decent album overall although the sound was a bit muted and the music was very similar throughout to the point that it was indistinguishable. I would be interested in checking out their other work.

This album definitely stands as a "response" to the British Invasion sound of The Beatles and others, as that was the first thing that came to mind upon hearing this album. That said, the jangle-pop aspects, the heavier guitar, and the intricate harmonies all combine to make this album a birthplace of folk rock, and a great listening experience as well. The influence of this album is undeniable. And as someone who is not a fan of Bob Dylan's singing, I feel like the stylizations and vocalizations of his work are better done by The Byrds, personally.

A decent debut album by the byrds. A stark contrast to their other country rock album I had earlier. This album is very 60s esque with love songs and some psychedelic sounds. Overall it sounds like a folky version of Beatles songs. He harmonies are very Beatles Esque. I don’t love really any song in this album but it’s okay to listen to. 6.1/10

This album was fine. I liked it okay, but not a standout to me. Pretty average.

My first impression was a great one, but that didn't last unfortunately. The first couple of tracks sound almost exactly the same (just not as good as the title track) whereas the second half peters out quite weakly.

I loved Dylan's Mr Tambourine Man as a kid. Then I heard The Byrds' version and immediately felt they'd taken all the soul out of it. I think that sums up my two main issues with this album: one, an over-reliance on other people's songwriting (especially Bob Dylan) and two, their trademark sound of jangly guitars and vocal harmonies, while ostensibly 'pretty', actually leaves me pretty cold. It's not how I like my folk rock. Enough of the bad points. Gene Clark's songs (especially I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better and It's No Use) are decent 60s pop bops, and this record pioneered a sound that, while not always my cup of tea, was massively influential to other bands, even decades later. Fifth Dimension definitely has more going for it - there's an edge to some of those tracks - so I have to mark this album slightly lower than that one: 2.5 / 3 stars

Early rock. Good vocal harmonies, lightly distorted guitar

So apparently, they popularized folk rock by covering Dylan songs. Nice feat, I guess.

This is soooooo 60s

Pretty good

Leuk plaatje maar wat mij betreft weinig bijzonders aan

Beetje een eenheidsworst van nummers

No one does Mr. Tambourine Man like Bob Dylan, but I gotta say the Byrds do real good on making it their own. I had forgotten about I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better, I really like this track. Now Spanish Harlem Incident is where they're pushing their Dylan luck. Too straight, taking on Dylan's affectations. The Byrds can piss off. Followed by a bunch of songs sounding like the Byrds were dumpster diving outside John Lennon's apartment. Then back to Bob Dylan... Now here's where they really kicked me in the nuts. This is the worst version of this song I could imagine. I'm ready to stop the record. A couple more rando 60s pop songs that I don't care for. Then come Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe... completely new sound, I love it. I don't really like the song, but the sound. As if this were the worst track on an album I love. Then back to Dylan... Please stop. Chimes of Freedom isn't too bad, though. I really don't love the Dylan version and the Byrds give it a little more life here. The rest is more 60's garbage. Or maybe I have it all wrong. Perhaps The Byrds weren't parroting every popular sound of the time that they could. Maybe The Byrds were the inspiration for all that amazing 60s rock and roll? I'm not going to defend myself, do your own research.

Not bad, but finished and I didn’t realise which is always a sign that something hasn’t really grabbed you. A couple of decent tunes though

Classics of 60s music, nothing really revelatory here

Good 60’s folk rock album, worthy inclusion on the list, but too many covers to really be considered an all time great album but enjoyable takes on the Dylan songs, similar scores to the Beatles early albums.

When I was a kid, Turn! Turn! Turn! got quite a bit of play on the local oldies radio station (both in Dallas and later on when I moved to Houston). I loved the melody, and there was something in the guitars that I loved too. Over the course of my life, I've seen Turn! Turn! Turn! used in countless shows and movies, and it always brings back memories of being the backseat of our 1987 Honda Accord. This was the first Byrds record that I've ever listened to, and it was about what I expected: lots of jangly percusion, psychedelic guitar chords, and lyrics that reflected the turbulence of the '60's. I enjoyed listening to this album, but I didn't find it particularly remarkable. I folk rock bands like this in the 60's are fascinating, because as much as they wanted to be like The Beatles, no one else could come close to duplicating that success. Even though I wasn't blown away by this album, I hope there's more 60's folk rock on this list.

Perfectly pleasant to listen to, but not really for me.

Solid sound of folk rock

Listening to this album i heard how they influenced future bands in the 70 and 80s. From music to vocal styles.i had s few favs already and even picked up a couple more that appealed to me melodically and lyrically.

T3B 1. Mr. Tambourine Man 2. It’s No Use 3. Here Without You

I don't mind the first 3 songs, and the last (instrumental). Was surprised to hear their version of We'll Meet Again.

The Byrds are a solid, unchallenging rock band in the mold of the early- to mid-'60s, and this album's a perfect encapsulation of that. Lots of songs that are fine and often make you tap your foot, but unlikely to really stick with you. The one exception to this is "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better," which is my favorite Byrds song. It's not going to change anyone's life, but it's good enough to feel like it could be a cover of an early Beatles track.

This felt like one long Byrds song. It was good but not core shaking.

reminded me of the monkees just without that monkees spark

Un album très sympathique dans lequel les Byrds vont chacun s'attribuer le rôle d'un des Beatles et livrer une prestation similaire à ces derniers.

Il faut reconnaître aux Byrds qu'après un parcours catastrophique au sein du générateur, ils ont su relever la tête sur cet album, et proposer une assez bonne performance. Cela ne suffira pas à se qualifier pour le tour suivant, mais les Byrds en sortent grandits.

Nice jangly guitars with great vocal harmonies and tunes. Sounds expansive

Smooth album. Definitely adding this onto my "My listen to again list"

That Rickenbacker jangle is a one-way ticket to the 1960s. Cool to know that this was considered the first folk-rock album. Classic rock is classic. Not my favourite genre, but history outweighs my stupid opinion.

Some mellow folk rock, lots of Dylan songs in there. Not my goto but not bad either.

The title track I'd heard before, obviously, and it's a good one, everything else was ok, but nothing stood out. The lead guitar sounded somewhat distinct and somehow reminded me to the intro of GnR's Paradise City, possibly an influence there?

Some decent some average

I really like this sound overall, generally a sucker for super-trebly 60s psychedelic power pop. And it seems like this CD predates guys like Love (who I think are better), not to mention the follow-ons like Big Star that I really like. So some credit is due there as the innovators. This CD though is a little slapped-out - the singer just seems like he must be on mood stabilizers or something, he just has no excitement in his voice. That plus the overall slow tempo is kind of a dealbreaker for me - it's perfectly nice music to listen to, I just cannot get excited about it. Then there's the question of how much credit The Byrds deserve for an album that is 1/2 or more covers, including all the hits. On "Mr. Tambourine Man" itself, The Byrds have picked the ideal song to cover - one where the composition is nice but the initial performance and production are god-awful - and really do a very nice job cleaning the song up and bringing it to life. But overall I can't give them as much credit as I would a composer.

Its better than their later ones but its still not that great

Old but gold! Shorts songs but an easy to listen to album. At the end of the album I got a bit distracted because it was all quitte the same. Still enjoyed it and will look up some of their other work. Favourite songs: - Mr. Tambourine man - I’ll feel a whole lot better

There are too many Byrds albums on this list in my not-so-humble opinion. I like them fine but I'm not a mega fan and - it's a lot. I can absolutely appreciate the influence they had on British pop and folk. The harmonies are really pretty and the musicianship is good. It's just not really my thing. To my mind it has not aged as well as some other music from the same era, although I know many would disagree. 3/5

Very folky, reminds me of 60s movies. I’ve never listened to Bob Dylan, the music reminded me of my dad and what the Vietnam war era might’ve been like. Favorite song might be we’ll meet again.

It’s a really good nice sounding set of songs would give a 4 if it had more originals but 3 due to the immense amount of covers.

Kinda feels like standard 60s pop. Nice but not amazing. Plus it's mostly covers.

It's fine but like, why would I bother when The Beatles made 5 albums exactly like this and not even they aren't that good

I barely remember the last byrds album I got but I vaguely remember enjoying it. This one just felt like second rate Beatles music. While second rate Beatles still isn’t bad I was not a fan of this album until the second half where it got slightly better. Also surprised at how many albums end with well meet again

It was fine. Generic 60s

Some decent 60's folk rock. Didn't hate it.

Nowhere near as interesting as their work would later get but enough promise to show their potential.

Chill vibes.

l didn't dislike anything in perticular but by the 8th song I felt done with the album as a whole. 61/112

Very 60s. It was good, but I lost interest quick.

Vaikka aluksi voisi niin luulla, nämä biisit eivät kaikki kuulosta samalta. Ongelma on 12-kielinen kitara ja pehmeät laulustemmat, jotka uhkaavat sulattaa hyvinkin erilaiset melodiat yhdeksi mössöksi. Toisaalta juuri näistä elementeistä koostuva soundi voi saada kuulijan soittamaan levyn uudelleen, minkä seurauksena vivahteet alkavat erottua kokonaisuudesta. Toki Dylanin sävellykset erottuvat muutenkin: ne ovat helvetin hyviä. Mutta Byrdsin oma I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better ottelee ainakin samassa sarjassa - ja yhtäkkiä kuuntelija voikin huomata, että on soittanyt levyn jo kolmannen kerran.

favourite song: i'll feel a whole lot better least favourite song: we'll meet again really easy listening without being boring/easy to lose focus on. probably wont come back to it very often though.

good harmonies , beatles inspired

A nice album, but it's not a crush for me.

cool vibe, might revisit someday

Folk rock

60-tals pop man blir glad av. Okej, de kanske inte skrev så många låtar själva men vad gör väl det.

Ok. Kind of Beatles esque

I'm sure it was groundbreaking at the time but it just sounds like every 60s pop rock band. Maybe I'm not listening intently enough but it's also not grabbing me

Listened to on 9/8/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: you won’t have to cry anymore, mr. Tambourine man Good album but it faded into background music - love the tambourine though 😂

Well this was rather pleasant wasn't it. I enjoyed it and it seems nostalgic for something I don't know. I wish I could give a 3.5

Couple of cool riffs but pretty washy over all

Very beatles like. Meh

Thought I would like it more than I did. Overall meh.

i mean, it’s a rock album from 1965. it definitely sounds like one. that’s not a bad thing! just nothing special about it.

Taattua tavaraa! 3/5

Tämäkin Byrds toimii. Rubber Soul fibat. 3,5/5.

So many things happening in the background around this time. Bob Dylan going electric and this album, best known for its Dylan covers might appease his fans and start an American folk movement to counter the British Invasion. It’s easy to see why there would be such a backlash by more serious music lovers to the pop and screaming girls that the Beatles and The Stones brought with them. It’s also interesting that The Wrecking Crew arranged and played the instruments on Tambourine Man, so we can add The Byrds to the list of bands along with the Monkees, the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas who didn’t actually play instruments on some of their most famous tunes. Anyway, enough rambling. I think Gene Clark is a good songwriter as he would prove later with 8 Miles High and on his solo albums. On this LP, in addition to the covers, I like Here Without You.

The jingly jangly guitar is the signature of this band. The title track is the highlight of this album, but the rest was less inspiring. I wouldn’t normally seek this out but I gotta acknowledge their influence on the folk rock genre

Pleasant enough. I can understand why people would really like this. I thought it was just okay. Nothing really negative to say it just didn't really grab me.

Jangly 60s Folk Rock. Hard to judge great albums when half of it is covers of already great songs. Can appreciate the influence on rock music.

Definitely sounds like 60 pop. Very Beatles-y. So I like it. Every song sounds kinda similar though.

Pleasant music, nice harmonies, but there was nothing that really stood out.

Today's one is good, as it should be, covers of some top Dylan songs and some damn good songwriting in their own right. I've always been a fan of the 12-string guitar sound too.

It’s pretty good. The songs are a bit samey but the overall vibe is fun

It's fine, another 60s album that doesn't sound as good as The Beatles

Better than I expected and certainly better than most pop/rock available back when this was released. (Liked some of the alternate versions much better than originals - but not taking that into rating)

Very average kinda countryish ig

I recently had an issue with one of my teeth. I was coming back from a weekend break with my awful family at Center Parcs, and I was eating a cereal bar when it took part of a back tooth with it. I was struck by two things – first, I would have to go to the dreaded dentist as soon as possible, and second, breaking your tooth on a cereal bar on the way home from Center Parcs sounds like the lead single from an album called I’m So Middle Class You Wouldn’t Believe It. None of this is related to this sexy little record by The Byrds, as it's not particularly middle class or dull, but I thought I'd share a snippet from my miserable existence instead of giving a proper review to show you what I'm up against whilst I knock out these daily reviews. The tooth still hurts, because I'm yet to go to the dentist, because I'm a complete pussy.

It's like the dead handshake of a used car salesman. He's at your BBQ because he's your wife's friend's husband. The small talk is forced and he doesn't even like football, but it's pleasant enough.

Anyone that ol Tommy P covered so many times is alright by me 3

Exactly what it sounds like.

Brings back memories of parents record collection.

I love the Byrds harmonies and guitar sound.....just not for more than 2 songs at a time. After 2 songs they just all sound exactly the same.

Einige sehr gute Songs aber ein etwas zu gleichförmigen Klangteppich

Definitely brings the 60s sound. Weird hybrid of early Beatles and Dylan? I thought I would like it more but I found it overall just ok. Feels like peak flower child.

A okej je al nista specijalno. Nijedna pjesma mi se ne ističe

Evo još jedan album pun covera nakon Otisovog. Općenito, sve to men okej, dobroj, sam et, nije mi dalje od trojke.

The blueprint for this band's sound is the early Beatles' albums, with some sprinkles of the usual American west coast flower power sound. The songs are alright; the obvious standout is Mr. Tambourine Man, but generally this is the Beatles' playbook 101, and I can't find anything here that the Beatles haven't done better before. 2.5/5

De beaux moment mais le son est de piètre qualité

les beatles du début en pas ouf ça bouge pas

some early Beatles vibes. I like the vocal harmonies. not bad but not much sticks out.

I understand that this album is important but Bob Dylan wrote the best songs on it and sung them better. Although the development of this sound is really important to music history it didn't really grab me as an album and I prefer the artists that were influenced by them. However there are some moments of greatness on the album and it is really interesting to here sounds emerging that would become REM, The Smiths etc. Some of the guitar parts sound almost like they were written by a prototype Jonny Marr. Really glad I have listened to it but I won't be listening again.

Jangly

3.5. It's like a mix of The Beatles & some other Brit-pop types. Not my usual, but fine

Sonido Beatles, beach boys... Pero más normal

Solid folk rock sound with a slight Beatles edge coming out of this one. Apparently this is the album that pioneered this vibe, which is near and dear to me, so points for that. Beyond that, over half the songs on this record are covers (which I guess wasn't too unusual for the era), and the ones that are originals aren't anything to write home about imo. Still enjoyed the listen, but doesn't particularly stand out to me. Fav Tracks: Mr Tambourine Man, I Knew I'd Want You, It's No Use

Ei kyllä ihmeitä tarjonnut, mutta taustamusana meni sujuvasti läpi. Kolmonen yläkanttiin.

Kesäinen ja tälleen aurinkoisena päivänä toimi

Lots of childhood memories wrapped in this almost nursery rhyme album.

Dreadful stereotype

The album was alright.i was expecting it be really folksy and it was not. It sounded like early Beatles music. It was tolerable. Nothing great. It was short and I didn't feel the need to skip any songs.

Rock propio de la época, a veces movido, a veces más oscuro. Líneas de bajo interesantes, pero la mayor parte del tiempo se siente repetitivo. Puede ser un 2.5 que sube porque en general está bien y se queda en 3.

Creía que me iba a dar mucha flojera con el estilito coral todo bonito de The Byrds y luego siendo puros covers, pero de hecho, me alcanzaron a agradar algunas de las rolas y creo que si me invita a conocerlos más.

Can see how influential this was.

I liked it, but I kind of annoyed with all these Beatles-like songs. Maybe it's a matter of the day because some days I'm really into it, but not this time. Good album.

That 12-string Rickenbacker that leads of the title track and flows throughout the album of original songs combined with Bob Dylan covers has etched its way into becoming one of the iconic sounds of the 60s. The Byrds are one of those groups who's music gives just about as much Entertainment as the internal intrigue. 3.5/5

When your band employs a tambourine man, every song looks like it needs a tambourine.

Have just finished Jon Savage's weight tome '1966' (not as good as 'England's Dreaming') , in which there are words about The Byrds, 'Eight Miles High', the influence of drugs in the music of 1966 and the start of psychedelia. Strange how their career was largely based on Dylan covers. Disappointing how the songs sound strangely thin. Despite all the covers, Gene Clarke's songs stand up pretty well, especially 'I Feel A Whole Lot Better'. Where would indie jangle be without them?

A nostalgic 60s album. I would have heard the singles as an eight year old and loved them at the time. A worthy 3*

It was just OK. Probably a low three. Tambourine Man is a classic but that standard was not maintained.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Don’t doubt yourself,babe

I enjoyed this as a piece of recording history. I think they were very influential for bands in Australia.

Maximum 60's. Pleasant enough as background music. 3.5. I could round up for how influential the album was, but instead I'm rounding down for all the covers, including the title track which is kind of cheeky don't you think? Also it would be easy to mistake the cover art as a shoe ad.

Not bad, just had on as some background music. Nice upbeat quick hits.

The Byrds are cool. I don't mind listening to them, but it's funny I actually prefer other versions of two of their biggest hits from this album. I prefer the Dylan version of Mr. Tambourine Man and the Tom Petty cover of I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better. I'm not in a very 60's mood today though so that may be affecting my rating.

Very 60's!

Very easy listening. Stand out track is the title track.

Average music from the 60s. Nothing really standing out

An inoffensively pleasant listen, but I get flashbacks of a long drive to Scotland with just a Byrds greatest hits CD playing on loop every time I hear their tunes.

It was decent, liked most of the tracks but besides the big ones they were too memorable. Solid 3

I liked this one, torn between a 3 and a 4. Same era as the Beatles and you can kind of hear that. I enjoyed their take on Mr Tambourine Man. Favourite songs: You Won't Have to Cry, It's No Use

This album is reminiscent of listening to the oldies AM radio station in my parents' kitchen growing up. Hard to listen by myself and not miss them.

Pretty solid. Very distinct sound.

The best album if you're looking for the era of classic jangle pop that started it all. Sure, people rave about how this album popularized folk-rock to the mainstream audience, but I just love their consistent jangly sound in this debut. It's optimistic, lofi, and harmonic that reminds me what I love about CSNY and so many other pop rock artists. This is one of the better pop albums of its time, of course highly influential on the sound that sunshine pop and psychedelia would develop shortly after. Of course, I'm highly biased due to loving their sound. Most of the songs themselves are nothing spectacular, it's just the vocals and jangle that I have a guilty pleasure for, and I just like the Byrds best. That being said, I think the titular track is a wonderful adaption and one of the most significant jangle songs of the decade. Favorites: Mr. Tambourine Man, Here Without You, The Bells Of Rhymney, I Knew I'd Want You, We'll Meet Again

Amazing how gentle it sounds now. Still lovely though!

I remember listening to this cassette in my '78 Monte Carlo. I recall being more fond of it back then-- the melodies were catchy, and I was more into a non-critical hippyish view of the world. While some of the tracks resonate, most of the album doesn't age as well and comes off as a two dimensional, sophomoric and whitewashed ignorance of social oppression, opting instead to simply "love harder" and be involved in slightly alt- scenes. Ah, it was a simpler time then; one much easier to ignore when one was white, male, and middle class.

It's not that this is bad. The musicality and whatnot are all on point. I guess for me this has more to do with Bob Dylan. My love of Dylan is directly proportional to my dislike for The Byrds. You don't need to dress up Dylan's songs this way--or any way.

It was okay.

3/5. Old style but still enjoyable.

Pretty solid british pop. I like the folky/rock sound of the kinks a bit better, this is a bit safer and sweeter. Nice, not as much catches me for repeat listens.

I like the first cover song, the interpretation of Mr. Tambourine Man works well with the Byrds style. In general I liked this more than I expected, but still not enough to grab me to listen on my own. 3.5 to 3.

Not really my thing honestly. Not very interesting either IMO

Interesting, like old Beatles

Ruhig, melodisch. Manchmal ein bisschen monoton, aber angenehm und wohlig zu hören. Beatles-Style.

Better than expected for a 60s album FT: Mr Tambourine Man

classic folk rock, chill vibes

Classic. I'm into their signature guitar sound.

Buen disco.

Jangling guitars and cool 60s vibes.

Nice one

The Byrds seemed like they may have put up a good fight against the tsunami that was The Beatles, however at the time there was no real way to stop them. Mr. Tambourine Man is a solid pop-folk album that would have been enjoyed by audiences all over. Best: Mr. Tambourine Man Worst: The Bells of Rhymney Note: Spotify has the 1996 reissue with additional tracks. I only listened to the original 12 tracks on the album.

Love the jingle jangle but the sound is a bit thin and not all the songs are top drawer.

Classic jangle pop. Interesting to hear the whole album. But not sure I'll be returning to it.

The title track is better than Dylan’s version. This is the sound of an era.

Perfectly fine, if a bit generic sounding to me. Nice harmonies and some good toe tappers, many I’ve heard before.

Fun, jangly pop with good harmonies

(3.5) I'll Feel A Lot Better is one of my favourite songs ever so I went into this album with high hopes. It's a perfect sunny day album, classic 60s jangly guitar pop. Not every track is super memorable, but the summer vibes carry all the way through making it a really sweet listen. Here Without You is sexy as heck!! The cover of We'll Meet Again is bizarre.

Not bad... typical 60s sound...

Very 60s

3/5

Like The Beatles but worse

enjoyed the majority of it, not as good as notorious byrds though

Inoffensive but nothing spectacular. Just 60s pop. Honest, boring, safe.

Altijd wel een leuke band gevonden, die vogels, maar het wordt op een gegeven moment wel wat slapjes.

Leuk om die plaat eens in zijn geheel gehoord te hebben.

Heel mooie nummer maar het omslagpunt naar gezapig is soms wel erg dichtbij.

Decent

Good, but not great. Honestly little memorable, because most part sound like a generic 60´s rock album. Anyway, there are some tracks that I actually liked a lot, starting with the eponymous song, "Mr. Tambourine" and the other one is "I feel a lot better now". However, its not a bad album, but I dont really believe I would revisit this, who knows, maybe one day. 6.5/10

No sé. Quizá me hizo falta volumen. Tiene pinceladas buenísimas

I liked the cover songs more than the original ones. The covers were a great way to bring denser lyrics to a larger audience.

Pleasant inoffensive 60s rock. Like listening to knock off Beatles.

I mean, those first two songs are just so strong. Nothing else on this album really takes me to that same place. But those two songs are so good.

Its fine, and fun. the feel of the album is super consistent, but nothing special. Straightforward and cliche lyrics (on the love songs), repetitive instrumentals throughout. I liked: Its No Use,Mr Tamborine man, dont doubt yourself babe, Chimes of freedom.

Yeah

Basically just better vocal versions of Bob Dylan songs… decent

nice album, most songs sound very similar, Beatles vibes

Sounds like a clone of the Beatles

Title track is good, rest of the album sounds the same.

3.5 At the beginning I wasn't that interested in the album after the opening track, but the album gets better after the next few tracks.

Really strong opening here yay Nice second track too Still going strong with track 3 FINAL THOUGHTS: 3/5, good but wannabe Beatles

Very relaxing

hmmm hippy? Favorites: All I Really Wanna Do It has some bops.... may return in the future to get into it

Ну хуй знает. Самое скучное из того, что мы пока слушали. Будто выкинутые вторичные треки Битлов, записанные нонеймами. Но в целом атмосферу хиппарскую создаёт. Была бы десятибаллка- ёбнул бы 5. Округлять вверх надо, так что тройку всё же.

Um álbum relativamente interessante, parece ser mais um álbum de rock, mas é relativamente bem feito e interessante. Fiquei espantado com o inesperado cover do we'll meet again da Vera Lyn Nota:6/10

Bis auf das erste Lied eher so Hintergrundmusik, Gitarre und Melodie gefallen, der Gesang ist halt eher solala.

Der Titelsong ist ein Hit und der Ohrwurm ziemlich hartnäckig. Der Rest eher Hintergrundgedudel aber 3 Sterne geb ich da gerne ;)

Decent and easy listening but again, nothing too special. Mr Tambourine Man is obviously the best song on there. You can tell Bob Dylan got a lot of inspiration from this.

What I imagine The Beatles would have sounded like if they were less talented. Listenable but why not just listen to The Beatles?

Good

Jangling Dylan wannabe pop/rock. Best Tracks: I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better, All I Really Want to Do, Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe

Production: 9/20 Songwriting: 11/20 Innovation: 11/20 Bangers: 10/20 Emotional response: 14/20 =55 Yes - pleasant. I also was surprised I'd never heard their cover of We'll meet again before. Nice.

Classic 60s album

Not bad, fun 60s pop rock album

Soft rock with a very 60's/70's feel. 2RS

i can appreciate that this was probably influential but it's not that great of an album imo. i like their version of Tambourine Man though

As expected. Jaunty 60s pop rock and a decent listen

5.5

Dripping in 60s everything. I saw a write up that said they were inspire by The Beatles and Bob Dylan. I also didn't remember David Crosby as a part of this band. I liked the album.

Not my favorite Byrds album, but I still like it. "Chimes of Freedom" has always been one of my favorite tracks of theirs.

Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released on June 21, 1965 by Columbia Records.[1] The album, which is characterized by the Byrds' signature sound of Jim McGuinn's[nb 2] 12-string Rickenbacker guitar and their complex harmony singing, consists mostly of covers of folk songs, mainly composed by Bob Dylan, and originals written or co-written by singer Gene Clark.[2][3] Along with the Dylan-penned single of the same name, Mr. Tambourine Man established the band as an internationally successful act[4] and is widely regarded by critics as representing the first effective American challenge to the chart dominance of the Beatles and other British Invasion bands during the mid-1960s two most distinctive features of the Byrds' rendition of "Mr. Tambourine Man" are the vocal harmonies of Clark, McGuinn, and Crosby, and McGuinn's jangling twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar playing (which complemented the phrase "jingle jangle morning" found in the song's lyric).[4] This combination of 12-string guitar work and complex harmony singing became the band's signature sound during their early period

started strong ended weak

alright

Interesting mix of a little country twang + Beatles-like vocal harmonies and compositions. Not wholly memorable or distinct from other 60s output in the same category but still a good listen

i liked it actually. would potentially relisten

Disregarding the bonus tracks (overdubs/alt versions/etc). Doesn't quite have the same magic as contemporary Beatles

Kirk sang it better haha. But ya, album was fine.

I’ll have to give this another listen. Sounds pretty good for 1965, but kinda tame by today’s standards.

Ok

didnt love the whole thing but mr tambourine man was good

Have heard a couple of Byrd's albums and find them very inspiring compared to their peers of the day. The album is very flat

Really didn't feel like there was anything special here, it was pleasant enough I guess

Day 3 National Volleyball tournament. The problem I have with the Byrds is that all of the songs sound exactly the same. The guitar work is nice but the choral singing and lack of variety grows tired after a short amount of time. 2/5

Hey I have an idea for an album. Let’s take the songs of a wildly successful and respected artist, say Bob Dylan, and redo them, but not as good. If we do it just right, in a year or two we will inspire a novelty band who will also name themselves after a misspelled animal.

Mr. Tambourine Man is one of those albums that carries an enormous historical reputation, but I found the listening experience far less compelling than its legacy suggests. The opening title track and "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" are undeniably strong, setting a high bar with their shimmering 12-string guitar, rich harmonies, and unmistakable folk-rock sound. Unfortunately, after those first two songs, the album quickly loses momentum. Much of the remaining material feels repetitive and lacks memorable hooks. The jangly guitar sound that initially feels fresh becomes predictable over the course of the record, and many of the slower folk covers fail to leave much of an impression. While the vocal harmonies remain consistently polished, they aren't enough to keep the songs engaging when the songwriting itself feels fairly slight. That said, the album has a distinctive mid-1960s atmosphere that's hard to deny. The bright, airy production, the folk influences, and the optimistic, clean-cut aesthetic make it an excellent snapshot of the period. Roger McGuinn's signature Rickenbacker guitar tone would become hugely influential, helping define the folk-rock genre and inspiring countless later artists. The band's interpretations of Bob Dylan's songs also played an important role in bringing folk music into the pop mainstream. As an important historical artifact, Mr. Tambourine Man deserves its place in rock history. As a standalone listening experience, however, I found it surprisingly mediocre. Beyond its excellent opening, the album rarely held my attention, and by the second half it became more of an exercise in appreciating its influence than enjoying the music itself. I can respect what it accomplished for the genre while still feeling that its reputation exceeds its entertainment value.

A very jingley jangley album that I didn't really care for.

Pre-psychedelic mid-60s rock is one of the blandest genres in all of rock & roll. The Byrds will release Fifth Dimension in 1966, and that'll be acclaimed as a proto-psychedelic rock record, even though it's also kinda boring. I guess it's interesting to hear what they sounded like before that, but that's the most I can say about this record. Purely academic listening exercises are for nerds. Do drugs.

Bit samey, like listening to different variants of Mr Tambourine Man.

I get why this is on here I guess, but it's easy to get Byrd fatigue on this list. Some pleasant enough jingles but mostly uninteresting background noise at this point. 2.3/5 -> 2/5

This is not the first Byrds album here and I fear it won’t be the last. I get that they came up with a new sound and that they were influential. So why not pick one album as an example and move on? They all sound the same. I am not giving them yet another 3 star rating for the same reason (I get their place in history) and I have no idea which album is worse, but this one is getting a 2

Meh.

Eh, perfectly fine. There's a lot of jangly 60s pop/rock to wade through on this list isn't there?

I just felt a little unimpressed. Picking a favorite song felt difficult but not because there were so many good options. Season: True Spring Favorite Song: I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better

bleh

hm je comprends pourquoi Olivier julien disait qu'il avait été oubliés pour une bonne raison, je l'ai pas fini

I would much rather listen to Bob Dylan sing his own songs than listen to the most saccharine sound of the 1960s. And I’ve got four more of this wretched band’s albums in my future. 4/10.

Great, some popppies covers of Bob Dylan songs that sound worse, for the most part, than Dylan's versions. These guys aren't Jimi Hendrix blasting All Along the Watchtower into the stratosphere, just a poppy, less edgy version of Dylan's tracks. And throw in a constant tambourine, besides just the title track. I guess this was super popular when it was released, and hence probably why it was included in this list. It's not bad, just king of jangly and not very original. Not sure how wonderful or unique it sounds in retrospect. And fake English accents are a little much. 2/5

It passed by without much notice on my end. :/

No sure I'm into this. Most of the songs sound the same. Kind of inoffensively boring, to tell the truth...

not my kind of rock. kind of zoned out

60s rock that got a bit tiresome halfway through

Like the other 5 Byrds albums it kind of all sounds the same. 4/10

Mr Tambourine Man is a classic, the rest of this is meh. Little bit on the whiny side and all the songs started to sound the same after a while. (2)

As boring as it gets

There are many better versions of this.

Quite unimaginative but it was ok. I'd rather listen to something else tho.

Boring boring boring

It takes a lot of nerve to cover three songs from the same Bob Dylan album. It takes even more nerve to cover a fourth Bob Dylan song after deciding that isn't enough, and then follow it up by naming the album after a Bob Dylan song. Past all of that, the album is just really boring. They're trying too hard to be every happy love song group from the same decade and it's just as uninteresting as a lot of the others. I feel like practically no 1960-1967 albums can get more than 3 stars from me because of that. It's all the same "I love you and you love me, let's go make a family" type stuff. Maybe the occasional "man why don't you love me anymore >:(" but either way I just get so bored of love songs really fast, especially 60s ones.

Their debut album. Rock / Folk. A rip on the Beatles and Bob Dylan, a very average version. Still, this is way, way better than that Sweetheart Of The Rodeo bollocks !

Man how many bird albums can we do. They're not good.

I don't see it.

i know that the Byrds are super influential, but this wasn't doing much for me. it was a fine listen, and there something about having 18 tracks in just about 45 minutes thats charming, but i could take it or leave it.

Perfectly pleasant but ultimately not noteworthy.

Mr. Tambourine Man // 2.5/5

well i guess they reeeeeeally wanted to sound like the beatles

a two

Another day, another 'debut' album full of covers, which was the style at the time.