Fifth Dimension

Fifth Dimension isn't The Byrds at its very best, but it's still a great pop record.

Omg it's another Byrds album. At least this time it's a top 2. Psychedelic Byrds. First half is probably better and the title track is particularly good.

There are so many Byrds albums on this list. But that's a lot better than a lot of the other artists who make strangely numerous appearances here.

Mid-60s Beatles vibe (no wonder, same time period). But only early Beatles, where they had no experimental stuff. Solid overall, lovely. Liked What's Happening?

Listening to this led to an increase in hair length, beard length, and body odor, and a decrease in the ability to pass a drug test.

I came into this album expecting some standard fare 60s psychedilia with some nice harmonies. And while this album definitely delivered the psychedilia and fantastic harmonies (as The Byrds do), it also rocked a lot more than I anticipated. A very pleasant surprise.

One of the greats. Really interesting early psychedelic rock album that still holds elements of folk and blues. "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)" was the favorite track.

Pretty good album! Even though it was made in the 60s, it still translated well to today. Good sound and composition, very well received.

Super short album but packs a punch

Creative input on all levels (but especially guitars) elevates this above what I remember of the hits (I See You, for example, a revelation). I don't think I ever heard this continuously from beginning to end. The propulsive drumming on Hey Joe is remarkable but sadly is on the most out-of-place cut on the album, but makes you pay more attention to the excellent drumming (and rhythm) throughout. The spaciness more than makes up for the earlier use of Dylan and a more pop-oriented sound. Landmark psych-pop-folk-rock.

I just love them.

Decent album - good listen - quality group

It's a nice psychedelic album

This was fun! Eight Miles High is far and away my favourite song on the album but I enjoyed it all.

A very influential sound, I don’t love that the Spotify album had interviews on it tho

A classic, obviously influential album. Perhaps the impetus of psychedelic rock. I’m sure it packed a bigger punch in 1966 than 2026, but it still sounds great today. Some wild guitar work by McGuinn on Eight Miles High, and of course the vocals (especially Croz) are fantastic throughout.

This is one of those albums that can’t seem to settle on a genre or even a style. There’s everything in here from folk-pop to psychedelic rock to what is almost country music. Most of the time I feel that makes an album feel disjointed and in some ways uncomfortable as a listening experience, but that’s not the case here. For whatever reason it all transitions pretty well, it’s actually remarkable how well it works for The Byrds. Notably this is the first Byrds album without any Bob Dylan songs, and I think that was an excellent decision. Fun album, really dynamic and interesting. 4*

Byrd harmonies and psychedelia are a splendid combo, Eight Miles High is the obvious standout

3.5

Perfect

the byrds go psychedelic. This album was better than the last one. Buy in some aspects, it feels the same, only with a psychedelic, acid inspired vision and sound. If you're into that, is a nice trip. it was for me

Ya it's pretty good. I liked Mr. Spaceman the best. Pretty folksy and unoffensive rock and roll.

This was fun to listen to after reading "All the Leaves are Brown" and learning how intertwined all these post-folk, early rock bands were. You can hear so much of that in here, some dylan, rolling stones, everything! Very cool.

Good lyrics!

Aside from Eight Miles High being among my favourite ways to spend three and a half minutes in music, Mr Spaceman, 5D and What’s Happening?!?? are crackers. A little bit uneven but plenty to love.

I much preferred this album to the last 2 of their albums, possibly because they weren’t relying on Dylan covers throughout. A real ahead of its time feel and very listenable.

3rd Byrds album and another great effort. Second half stronger than the first, just more upbeat and psych. 8 Mile High always a banger. Haircuts remain high quality.

One of the most aggressively 60s albums I've ever heard: primarily a folk rock album, heavy on the psychedelia, with lyrics that split the difference between abstract surrealism and political content. Apparently this was one of the first psychedelic rock albums, and while I do think its approach is relatively simplistic compared to what would come after, I found it charming rather than dated. There's a colorfulness this album brings to the table that just makes it such a fun, easy listen. The obvious standout is Eight Miles High, which features a fantastic guitar solo from Roger McGuinn, but I also loved the lush folk instrumentation on tracks like Wild Mountain Thyme and the slightly dour tone of What's Happening. It surprised me how versatile this album was with its combinations of folk, rock, and country, but it was a welcome surprise.

This is my fifth and final Byrds album of the project, and I can officially say they are firmly a 3.5/5 band for me. Each album has been solid in its own way, some nice tracks and some filler each time. Like their sound and how they never pigeonholed themselves into one specific style, always experimenting and growing as a band.

3.5 stars

Enjoyed this!

It’s fine. It’s The Byrds. Not blown away by but the stuff that is good is really good. 3.5

Classic folk-rock psychedelia album. Best known for Eight Miles High, banned by many radio stations of the day because they suspected it was about drug use (they were right!). An eclectic blend of traditional tunes and their own songwriting. Recommended listening.

As far as psychedelic rock albums go, Fifth Dimension feels like it should get more recognition. Not only was this released before the summer of love, but it also feels trippier and more psychedelic than a lot of the acclaimed albums from the San Francisco scene. The guitar on tracks like "I See You" is are wild an untamed, bouncing every which way. The beautiful vocal harmonies rival Simon and Garfunkel and add depth to the songs. At the same time, this feels weightier than a lot of the strummy strum stuff from Laurel Canyon. The lyrics are appropriately disorienting, touching on war, nature, space, and more. The band makes each of the non-original songs their own, though some of the originals feel a bit short and light. Still, the shortness of the tracks makes this a really easy listen with a lot of different sounds.

This is funky. I love the Cosmic American take on "Wild Mountain Thyme," but some of the other songs lack enough substance to cross from a 4 to a 5

I'm not a huge Byrds fan but this might be my favourite outside of Sweetheart of the Rodeo. It has that jangly Byrds sound but the music ranges from a country song about aliens ('Mr Spaceman') to John Coltrane influences - 'Eight Miles High' contains a hilarious yet effective attempt at a Coltrane-style solo played on guitar which captures some of the spirit if none of the technique. The covers include a very good version of 'Wild Mountain Thyme' and one of the worst versions of 'Hey Joe' I have ever heard. 'I Come and Stand at Every Door', another cover, is a harrowingly effective story of Hiroshima narrated by a seven-year old victim of the atomic bomb.

4/5. A great listen and majorly underrated. It's a bit sad that I only really knew the Byrds as "guys who took Bob Dylan songs and made great covers," because they have a lot to offer. Many of the songs are well made and are executed well to boot. Some melodies are good enough to be ear worms and stick with you well after your first listen.

Pretty chill 60s

The Byrds have been a really interesting band to learn about in this challenge. I've heard them as a classic early 60s rock group, an establishment challenging country band, and as lovers of sonic experiments. I've read about the revolving door of band members, including several great songwriters of the era. This is my 5th and last of their albums in this challenge. It feels like a stepping stone between different parts of their career. With the departure of Gene Clarke, they maybe felt more willing to experiment, mixing folk rock with early psychedelia. The lyrics touch on drug use and science. The band apparently hoped that radio stations playing their songs would reach alien life one day. The sound blend different styles, effects and (painfully) the sound of a jet engine. It's a fairly disjointed album, which suffers a lack of focus or clear message. But there are some amazing songs here nonetheless, which foreshadow later work of the band and its members. It's not the strongest Byrds album but there's still a lot to like and to think about here.

76/100. It might not be their most consistent release, but the highlights are strong and show the band pushing their sound into new territory. A really solid step into psychedelia from one of the era’s most influential groups.

Ça y va fort sur les Byrds dans cette liste.

C'est vrai que ça fait pas mal de Byrds... Comme mentionné sur les Notorious, j'aimerais prendre plus de longtemps pour m'y plonger davantage, je trouve que ça a du potentiel et ça m'interpelle, mais beaucoup d'albums subtilement différents. J'ai préféré Sweetheart et Younger Than Yesterday pour l'instant. Première toune la voix me fait penser à Dylan 60's c'est à s'y méprendre.

Released in July 1966, **Fifth Dimension** represents a watershed moment for The Byrds—and for rock music itself. It captures the band in a state of flux: founding member Gene Clark had just departed, leaving Roger McGuinn and David Crosby to shoulder the songwriting burden. The result is a transitional album that sheds the folk-rock cover band identity of their earlier work and lunges toward psychedelia, jazz, and experimental territory. It is messy, ambitious, and historically crucial. --- ## **Music & Sound** The sonic palette of *Fifth Dimension* is the album's most striking feature. McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker—previously used for chiming folk-rock jangle—is here pushed through fuzz boxes and phase shifters, creating a distorted, angular sound that predicts psychedelic rock . **"Eight Miles High"** stands as the centerpiece. Recorded while Clark was still in the band (making it the only track featuring his writing contribution), it merges three distinct influences: John Coltrane's free jazz (specifically "India"), Ravi Shankar's raga drones, and the band's own folk-rock DNA . The result is a modal, droning masterpiece with a guitar solo that mimics Coltrane's sheets of sound—arguably the first true psychedelic rock recording . Elsewhere, the experimentation varies in success. **"I See You"** and **"What's Happening?!?!"** incorporate Indian-influenced instrumental breaks that sometimes feel grafted onto Western melodic structures rather than integrated . **"Captain Soul"** is a surf-rock instrumental jam with harmonica overdubs—entertaining but slight . The closing **"2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)"** features actual jet engine sounds and cockpit chatter over a repetitive country-folk figure, functioning more as a sound collage than a song . The rhythm section deserves mention. Michael Clarke's drumming throughout is superb—particularly his jazz-influenced work on "Eight Miles High" and the rock-waltz pattern on the title track . Chris Hillman's bass playing, already excellent, gained prominence in the mix, providing muscular foundations that anticipated his later country-rock work . --- ## **Lyrics & Themes** The lyrical content reflects the band's expanding consciousness—both chemically and culturally: - **Space and Science Fiction**: The title track **"5D (Fifth Dimension)"** explains Einstein's theory of relativity through a folk-rock lens, though audiences inevitably interpreted it as an LSD reference . **"Mr. Spaceman"** is a tongue-in-cheek attempt to contact extraterrestrials via AM radio broadcasts (McGuinn later admitted the physics wouldn't work—radio waves disperse too rapidly in space) . - **War and Peace**: **"I Come and Stand at Every Door"** adapts Turkish poet Nâzim Hikmet's Hiroshima poem with devastating effect. The lyrics—spoken from the perspective of a child killed by the atomic bomb—are haunting: *"I need no fruit, I need no rice / I need no sweets or even bread / I ask for nothing for myself..."* . The track's droning arrangement and thumped snare create a mournful, hypnotic atmosphere . - **Psychedelic Ambiguity**: **"Eight Miles High"** ostensibly describes the band's flight to London in 1965, but the "high" double meaning was intentional. Lines like *"Rain grey town, known for its sound"* (contributed by Crosby) and *"Nowhere is there warmth to be found"* suggest both jet travel and drug-induced displacement . - **Traditional Folk**: The album includes two folk standards, **"Wild Mountain Thyme"** and **"John Riley,"** arranged with orchestral strings that some critics found overwrought . Notably, this is the first Byrds album without a Bob Dylan cover—a conscious decision by McGuinn to prove independence, though he later admitted it was a mistake: *"His songs were good for us"* . --- ## **Production** Allen Stanton's production marks a technical improvement over previous Byrds records (produced by Terry Melcher). The vocals are recorded with greater clarity, and Hillman's bass is more prominent in the mix . However, the stereo mixing employs extreme panning—instruments hard-panned left or right with little center presence—which some listeners find disorienting and inconsistent . The use of session musicians on strings for the folk ballads adds baroque texture but occasionally overwhelms the arrangements . The album's experimental elements—reverse tape effects, jet engine samples, raga drones—were cutting-edge for 1966, though the integration isn't always seamless. As one contemporary reviewer noted, *"With the exception of 'Eight Miles High,' I don't feel that they have found a consistently successful way of integrating a Western vocal line with Indian instrumental solos"* . --- ## **Influence & Legacy** *Fifth Dimension* is historically significant as a primary catalyst for psychedelic rock. Released two months before The Beatles' *Revolver*, it helped establish the sonic vocabulary of the genre alongside the 13th Floor Elevators' debut . The album's influence extends across multiple genres: - **Psychedelic Rock**: "Eight Miles High" provided the template for raga-rock and acid rock, influencing everyone from The Grateful Dead to The Doors . - **Jazz-Rock Fusion**: The Coltrane-inspired guitar work on "Eight Miles High" predates fusion by several years . - **Country-Rock**: Tracks like "Mr. Spaceman" and "Wild Mountain Thyme" point toward the band's later *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* direction and the broader country-rock movement . Critically, the album has been reappraised upward over time. Contemporary reviews were mixed—*Crawdaddy* magazine lamented Clark's absence and called for his replacement —but modern critics recognize it as a pioneering work. It reached only #24 on the *Billboard* chart, but its cultural impact far exceeded its commercial performance . --- ## **Pros & Cons** ### **Pros** - **"Eight Miles High"** remains one of the greatest and most influential rock recordings of the 1960s—a perfect synthesis of folk, jazz, raga, and psychedelia . - **Vocal harmonies** remain gorgeous throughout, particularly on "I Come and Stand at Every Door" . - **Experimental courage**: The band abandoned a successful formula (Dylan covers + folk-rock) to pursue genuine artistic growth . - **Musical diversity**: The album encompasses folk, country, jazz, raga, psychedelia, and proto-space rock . - **Historical importance**: As one of the first psychedelic rock albums, it opened doors for countless artists . ### **Cons** - **Uneven quality**: Side two particularly suffers from filler—the "Hey Joe" cover feels perfunctory compared to Jimi Hendrix's contemporaneous version, and "2-4-2 Fox Trot" is essentially a throwaway . - **Gene Clark's absence**: The loss of their primary songwriter is palpable. McGuinn and Crosby were still developing their writing chops, resulting in some underdeveloped material . - **Inconsistent integration**: The Indian-influenced elements sometimes clash with Western structures rather than blending organically . - **Vocal limitations**: Without Clark's lead vocals, McGuinn's nasal delivery and Crosby's limited range are exposed on tracks like "John Riley" . - **Pacing issues**: The album starts strong but loses momentum in the final third . --- ## **Verdict** *Fifth Dimension* is a flawed masterpiece—an album of transition that captures a legendary band shedding its skin. While it lacks the consistent brilliance of *The Notorious Byrd Brothers* or the revolutionary impact of *Sweetheart of the Rodeo*, it stands as essential listening for understanding how folk became psychedelic, how rock absorbed jazz, and how The Byrds evolved from Dylan interpreters into genuine innovators. It is the sound of a band taking risks in real-time, sometimes stumbling but occasionally achieving transcendent beauty. For "Eight Miles High" alone, it deserves its place in the canon; for its broader experimental spirit, it remains a touchstone for adventurous music.

Good California rock sound.

Really enjoyable, unique sound

It wasn't bad tbf

Very groovy

Good album. The tracks I enjoyed the most: "I see you", "What's happening?", and "Eight miles high". This is probably between 3 and 4 stars for me. The guitar sound by Roger McGuinn is really good. After listening to the "The Notorious Byrd Brothers", I'm enjoying more The Byrds. So, I've come back to this and this is now getting a solid 4 stars rating.

Spacey. I can see where this influenced so much that came later. 3.5/5

Very enjoyable listen, all the songs are good, well written; no song reaches the high of Eight Miles High, that song is amazing, but great album if you want some folk rock!

Nice album

Definitiv nicht das beste Byrds-Album, gerade das Ende ist sehr unausgewogen (vom "Hey Joe"-Cover war ich richtig enttäuscht). Aber davor bekommt man einige tolle Songs in der Schnittmenge von Psychedelic und Folk, alles schön kompakt und mit "Eight Miles High" nebenbei noch einen der besten Songs aller Zeiten rausgehauen.

3.5/5

Very good, and pretty standard. Your basic white British band from the 60s. It’s like Beatles, the velvet underground and Simon and Garfunkel mixed into a white Man soup. Yum.

I enjoy this type of music. It’s a shame it all kind of got forgotten about. Very underrated in terms of today’s music, a must for psych fans.

Een licht, sfeervol en verrassend fris album met korte nummers, mooie harmonieën en dat typische jangly gitaargevoel. Niet alles werkt even sterk, maar de afwisseling tussen psychedelisch, folk en country-achtige invloeden houdt het prettig en beweeglijk. Roept een sterk filmisch, zonnig gevoel op en bleek een perfecte, ongedwongen start van het weekend. Maakte me oprecht blij.

First song really good And we’ll all goooo togethheeerrr Yes I indeed wanna go to space too, f this world

I keep relistening to this, hoping it will jump out and excite me, like the Notorious Byrd Brothers did in the early weeks of this challenge. But it’s just nice, mildly psychedelic jangle pop with good harmonies. I’d happily listen to it again anytime but I’m unlikely to seek it out.

this is a pretty good Byrds record… Eight Miles High is obviously a great track, but Mr. Spaceman is a bop!!

Fun. Hippy.

This is the best part of the trip This is the trip, the best part I really like

Such a great record. Probably my favorite from The Byrds

I always have a great time with The Byrds. Well made songwriting, nicely twisted arrangements, coloured 12-strings guitars and top-tier vocal harmonies... Perfect!

4 stars

Enjoyed the harmonies. Good album.

When the Byrds spread their psychedelic wings…

Helt ok, med noen sanger æ vet æ har hørt før, men ellers ikke veldig interessant.

Can definitely tell where Ride got their sound.

I loved this album! 60’s psychedelic rock?! Sign me up!! Wild Mountain Thyme and the last track, John Riley are my favorite!

I've had this album for years. I like it a lot. Critically listening to it yesterday, I realized that it's a stylistic patchwork. 20/20 hindsight offers the 10-watt insight that the band was still exploring what their sound should be. This only happened after David Crosby left the band. The trad ballads and covers come off the best, especially Nazim Hikmet Ran's "I Come and Stand at Every Door." This album features their classic "Eight Miles High."

I quite like this psych folk stuff. This was a great listen for me.

3.5

Good album with some very listenable songs. Would listen again. 3.5 but on the 4 side.

it is an interesting album. Great pop/folk songs combined with experimental rock riffs with hints of country and even a cover of an Irish folk song. I loved the guitar on Whats happening. Eight Miles is fantastic. Captain Soul is like a rock funk, and then straight into a cover of the traditional song John Riley in classic 60s rock style. Such great variation in this album. Love the instrumental introduction into Psychodrama City. In fact the whole song is great. Love the way the album ends. John riley Instrumental is funky and cool. Side Note: I have just realised that the The album Carnival of Light by Ride is very influenced by this album - particularly Eight miles high. Solid 4 Stars

I went into this with low expectations, but I really liked the opening track and the covers of the older songs.

Go Birds 🦅

I liked this! The folkiness and the harmonies are very nice!

This is what happens when a folk band accidentally discovers LSD and refuses to stop talking about it. The Byrds fling themselves out of the coffeehouse and straight into orbit — guitars jangling, lyrics spiraling, and everyone pretending they know what a “fifth dimension” even is. Rating: 4.5/5 Short Review: Like getting high at Sunday service while your preacher quotes Bob Dylan. Favorite Track: “Eight Miles High” — basically the sound of turbulence, ego death, and good hair.

It’s pretty good I guess

I heared Eight Miles High first when I was 7 years old, and since then I thought it was one of the best psychedelic rock songs ever (well, maybe after Tomorrow Never Knows, but who will argue that?). I still think it is. Few years ago I checked out Byrds compilation. And I was a bit dissapointed, because none of that was that good. So I was looking forward to listening to a full-lenght album. And you know what? IIt wasn't dissapointing. It has some great moments (especially I Come And Stand At Every Door). Overall the album sounds so dated now, it feels silly. But it's all good. But yeah, Eight Miles High is not good, it's fantastic. An album with this song should be there. I just with everything else was as good as it.

4/5

I love the guitar on this album

Commercial proto-psych pop. Not bad for what it is. Couple of gems. Could do without the “Hey Joe” rendition though.

Good

8 miles high and falling faaaaaast

Love Roger McGuinn’s 12 string Rickenbacker and Gene Clark’s vocals

Pretty much exactly what I want out of a 60s psychedelic rock album

A great release by The Byrds that sounds a bit more coherent than other albums. That's for the price of some standout tracks.

I really liked this. Would love to have the vinyl. Can really hear the influence they had an many other artists, like Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.

Very Beatles esque, with additional orchestral bits. Surprisingly full sounding for an 60s album

8 Miles High is the best song on this album, though I do like that it's abundantly clear how good they are as musicians on every track. Also, the vocal harmonies are pretty killer.

A real eye-opener for me. Initially seemed to be exactly the type of 60s pop I expected but it improved as it went along.

Delightful, it's a bit short so it's 1 point off. 4/5

Good sunny afternoon album This is a great album! I like how all of the songs are not the same and it has great energy. I feel like I’m listening to Hendrix and The Beatles and something else.

The Byrds clearly have 1 or 2 albums that don't need to be on this list. This album being one of them. However, I'm so glad they got 5 albums on the list as it introduced me to their discography and I've become a huge fan. They are an interesting group in that they don't truly have any massive hits like their contemporaries. Their best songs are often covers. But their overall sound is just so good I don't really care This album is probably a 3.5

Psychedelic Folk! A bit more rockin' than I thought The Byrds would be, was expecting more pop.

My wheelhouse 4.5

When this came up I assumed it would be an automatic 5… but I have spent three weeks wavering between 4 and 5. Wild Mountain Thyme, Eight Miles High, and John Riley are great tracks but the rest is rather bland and forgettable.

I liked some of it but couldn’t finish, way too long

American or British???

My inner hippie really enjoyed. 4.5/5

Love a good psychedelic album that's under 30 minutes. There is some crazy abstract guitar on this bad boy. I See You and What's Happening? really show it. Doesn't always work but I think it thrives here and pushes the songs to the next DIMENSION. Big fan. Even with the subpar Hendrix cover this was still highly enjoyable to me. The guitar really shines on some of these songs.

Didn’t really click w the first Byrds album I listened to, really enjoyed this one.

Mit dem Album verabschiedet sich die Dand vom reinen Folk-Rock und öffnen die Tür zur Psychedelia. „Eight Miles High“ sticht als visionärer Höhepunkt hervor – ein hypnotischer Mix aus Jazz, Raga und Rock. Zwar wirkt das Album stellenweise unausgereift, doch gerade diese Experimentierfreude macht es spannend. Ein mutiger Schritt in neue Klangwelten, der den Geist der späten 60er perfekt einfängt.

Real. nice. 4 *

nice album, chönnt mer weder lose. aso muessi eig nomol lose, han ned alles so ufmerksam glost

Pleasantly surprised with this album. Loved the underlining eeriness to many of the tracks. Some of the melodies reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel.

Another great album by The Byrds although five albums on this list is a bit much probably. 1966 was the era when they went more psychedelic and they got an important role in the counterculture at that time. I like the jangle pop sound of the album - Mr. Spaceman, and Hey Joe cover are great, and my personal favourite is Eight Miles High. It's a strong album by them and one of their best.

At times slow and introspective, at times jaunty and whimsical, The Byrds’ “Fifth Dimension” really leans into the psychedelia of it all. Jangly guitars, high thin vocals with nice harmonies to fill them out, and tight instrumentation bring this album together. Sometimes it really kicks into high gear, and it shines in those moments. “Mr. Spaceman” feels like a lost Simon and Garfunkel track, akin to “Mrs. Robinson.” Sometimes the album slows down, and while the variety is appreciated, the slower tracks were far less interesting to me. Overall this is a fun time, showcasing what the band was all about - psychedelic music that sometimes had something to say and sometimes was just meant to be fun and inject some whimsy into life. It’s a great example of what psychedelic rock was all about, and it came out during that genre’s peak. Four stars. Standout Tracks: I See You, What’s Happening?, Eight Miles High, Captain Soul

Consistent, a good classic

Old school quite Crosby stills and Nash already

This was pretty fun. Although, with the exception of 8 Mile High, nothing really stood out. Just about worth a 4.

Really good! :) It was jangly and fun, and I liked it.

Don't know about that jet song but the rest was great!

Chill

Never a big fan, but it’s fine

I was thinking this sounds like The Beatles covering Dylan songs in places, then read that’s exactly what some people said at the time. Also, I didn’t realise they are American and the band where David Crosby (Crosby, Stills and Nash) came from! I really liked the jangly psychedelia on this album.

One of the finer 60s acts. Often skipped over due to the more popular Stones and Beatles, they have an amazing back catalog and some super-tight tracks

The most Byrds sounding Byrds album?

Enjoyed this

The byrds, similar to the kinks, (and most other 60s stuff on the list) are consistently good but not great. Just like 90s techno there are way too many albums from this corner of the music scene on this list that are probably not different enough to warrant all of them being on here

Classic

Solid psychedelic album, I appreciate how creative the Byrds were.

Rather good

370/1001

When I think of the Byrds I think of psychedelic rock, but “rock” is a misnomer as they are so much more rooted in folk and blues. Clear Dylan influence as the album kicks off, which reminds me that his fingerprints are all over my favorite music from the decade. Overall, a good album with flashes of greatness. But kind of like Karl Malone who kept facing Michael Jordan in the playoffs—the Byrds have to take their place in the 60s pantheon alongside giants like Bobby, John, and Paul, and can’t quite rise that high.

The Byrds are such an interesting band. They are synonymous with the psychedelic music scene, have well known singles (original and Dylan covers alike), and furthered artists careers for decades to come. Their sound on this album is completely recognizable and has all of the signatures that they are known for, and yet, it still feels a little enigmatic to me. Perhaps, they aren't an "album" band. The music is great, but hard to place in their overall canon. 8 Miles High still sounds fantastic, and that alone is enough secure the album's place on the list!

Groundbreaking early psychedelic record. Sheds the Dylan covers of the early records although the songwriting is lacking on a couple of filler tracks.

Finally no Bob Dylan track on a Byrds album! Rejoice! Pretty groovy album actually. "2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet)" song made me laugh out loud.

Groovy

I liked it! Very Beatles / Pretty Odd

Is there any need for 5 of their albums to be on this list? I mean, it isn't bad, but fuck, pick the best 2 and call it a day.... Favorite songs: Mr. Spaceman, Wild Mountain Thyme, Captain Soul, 5D (5th Dimension), Eight Miles High, 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song) Least favorite songs: I Come and Stand at Every Door, I See You 4/5

Feels insanely influential in so many different ways. Lots to love here

Another dimension, Another dimension, Another dimension, Another dimension, Another dimension

thought that this might have been blues stuff, but not really. Instrumentally this is quite like the early beatles stuff, or the early kinks. The chorus guitar and stuff is really good, and doesn't really sound like anything else I've heard at this time (except ticket to ride). Some of the solos are really interesting and not very blues, which is good, as that can feel a bit clique. Favourite songs: 5D (fifth dimension, wild mountain thyme, what's happening?, why, eight miles high. Overall around 7/10

Solid stuff.

c'est fucking chill yo

I like how the Byrds evolved over the years. Basically a Pop Cover Band > Original Psyche Rock > Killer Country Rock. Jim McQuinn is an excellent guitarist and has such a unique sound with the 12-String. The harmonies are always on point. I liked the majority of the songs on this record. While not my favorite Byrds album - that would be Sweetheart of the Rodeo - it’s still a solid record.

Not too shabby

This list for me into the Byrds but this album first side is good but lags in the second half.

Good trippy

Byrds aren't real

I see why they called it "Fifth Dimension " weird 8 out of 10

Thoughts before listening: I enjoy most of what I have heard from the Byrds. They were early to the game with the folk rock sound and were a huge influence on bands that I enjoy quite a bit. Looking at the tracklist, I only recognize "Eight Miles High" and what appears to be a cover of "Hey Joe", but I am sure this will be good. Review: This is cool. The Byrds were really young when this album came out, and it has the vibes of a psychedelic garage band...which is because thats basically what they were. There's a sloppiness to these recordings that I really like. The best song on here is "Eight Miles High", but I have added quite a few tracks to my playlist. 4-stars

You can at times hear, that some of the songs lack a bit of leadership due to the departure of Gene Clark, but everything else is incredibly well-written and fresh - parts of it even has a sound and production ahead of its time.

The Byrds will probably go down in history as one of the most influential bands of the 60s, not counting the Beatles, of course. While they weren’t the only ones shaping the future of music, they made a significant mark. This album, in my opinion, is more of a folk rock album that definitely leans towards the direction of psychedelic rock, even though that genre wasn’t fully established at that time. Their track “Eight Miles High” is considered one of the very first true psychedelic songs ever made. Also, they deserve credit for that jangly guitar sound, which had a huge influence on music moving forward, especially in the 80s with the indie rock that came out of that scene.

This album starts pretty slow and forgettable, but goddamn do those 4 songs in the middle absolutely BANG! I mean, how influential and crazy is that guitar playing on "Eight Miles High"? Gets a 4 for that alone, what an album saving run. It ended fine just not as exciting as the middle

Retro, mood specific

My biggest complaint is this album is far too long, there's definitely some duds that could be scrapped, but apart from that, pretty enjoyable psych-folk album, a few songs I enjoyed, decent would probably listen again.

De jaren zestig zoals we ze kennen: een beetje folk met een ridderballade, wat psychedelische ruimtereizen, samenzang, gepiel op de gitaar en geblaas op de mondharmonica. Op de hoes zitten de heren niet voor niets op een vliegend tapijt, ongetwijfeld bij oma van zolder gehaald. Kortom, je krijgt wat je verwacht en het is best aardig gedaan.

these guys are always a good listen. on that early edge of country/rock/psych and i think they do it well

Initial three-track run is ELECTRIC man sm good stuff jam-packed into that trio of songs... Unfortunately it kinda starts to run out of steam the further you get into the LP, which is not to say its a BAD album but I think sometimes the experimental sounds that the group were hoping to explore don't always pay-off (i.e. 2-4-2- Fox Trot). Still great, and so important to the development of the folk and psychedelia sound that The Byrds helped shape in the mid to late 60s. For ME, I lean a bit more towards their early-70's country/bluegrass stuff, but this I still really really like! :)

Album has its moments. Like the vibes but not completely my jam.

BEST SONGS: - What's Happening? - 2-4-2 Fox Trot - Eight Miles High

I have heard of The Byrds, but I was shocked by just how much I enjoyed this record. There’s some fun tunes with beautiful harmonies and killer instrumental lines. I don’t love the guitar solos, but they did grow on me a bit.

Yeah no there are too many Byrds albums in the list, especially considering there's 2 Gene Clark and various Cros stuff as well. I'd have left this one out even though Eight Miles High is majestic and various parts of the album show the seeds of Psych.

Loved it

8/10

This one starts with two beauties, especially the opening track, which does manage to express the joy and realness of psychedelic experience: 'Oh, how is it that I could come out here / And be still floatin' / And never hit bottom and keep falling through / Just relaxed and paying attention?' That is precise, and superb. But then it drags quite a bit. Tho I admire the austerity of 'I Come and Stand at Every Door,' nothing impresses until the still innovative 'Eight Miles High.' Up next, the speedy and frantic rendition of 'Hey Joe' doesn't do it for me (it's admittedly hard for any to 'do it' after Hendrix), and the rest is good, but not great. When psychedelia snubs melodic variety, it can fall flat - this has that handicap. But it was widely influential and has some greatness in it. For that, I go higher.

Pretty nice. Favourite songs: 5D, I see you, What’s happening, Captain soul,

Pretty solid album! A bit folk-ish, but still all the songs were worth listening to. Even listened to the extended version for a few different versions. Solid 3.5/5 - will round up.

As i was listening this album I thought if asked to generate a 60s psychedelic rock album the AI would come up something like that. It is fine but also quite generic. I enjoyed it though.

Day356 - roger mcguinn is the overlooked genius. great lyrics and harmonies

Good songs for the most part with great performances. The one or two tracks emulating Bob Dylan bring this down to four stars.

Cool album. Standout songs: Mr Spaceman Eight Miles High Captain Soul

good songs and interesting covers

Un gran álbum que explora el rock y el country, o el rock psicodelico, o el rock y los coros y voces, una experimentación constante y creativa que dejó huellas a seguir. Agradable experiencia, muy agradable

Not much to say besides it being decent psychedelic. Solid 4 in my eyes.

I’m at a 4. Well, it’s definitely a much more engaging album than “Younger than Yesterday” was, mainly because this album finds a more distinct musical identity (early prototype psychedelic rock) and really plays around with it in a variety of ways. It doesn’t always succeed, but it does take some pretty good swings, and when it clicks, it really clicks. The album only ever lost me on one track, which was “I See You”. Past that, everything else ranged from good to great, but it never really reaches an upper echelon of making me drop my jaw or anything. The biggest flaw this album suffers from, is that even with its experimentation of a relatively “new” genre, it tends to just… settle. Too many tracks find their rhythm or their melodic hook, and then go stagnant. The worst offender here, and I hate to say it, is the ode against the atomic bomb “I Come and Stand at Every Door”, which has a great message settled in front of an ultimately really flat melody that pretty much undermined my desire to listen to it. The other issue is simply in the track order, and I only say this because 2-4-2 Fox Trot not being immediately before Eight Miles High is criminal from a synergy standpoint – it’s a decent track that’s sorely misplaced as the final track, and it makes the album end on a flatter note than if it had finished on literally any other track on the second side. I did enjoy this though – it’s under 30 minutes, so it flies by, and most of the tracks are at least an interesting listen, mostly in the instrumentals, but sometimes the lyrics hit really nicely. I liked it a lot, save for a few perceived flaws, but those are easily adjustable, and partially limited by the mid-1960s. It’s a pretty darn good 4.

I think I just like The Byrds’ early era. While I loved Mr. Tamborine Man, I hated Sweetheart of the Rodeo, but that’s an unfair comparison, since that’s essentially a Ship of Theseus band by that point. Fifth Dimension, on the other hand, still sounds like the Byrds, with a little something extra. I may not be the biggest fan of country rock or psychedelic rock, but those genres are very obviously being invented here, and so the difference between experimentation and pandering is palpable. Plus, I just love The Byrds’ guitar tone and approach to harmony. Fifth Dimension isn’t a perfect album, and the psychedelic shit and traditional songs do border on annoying to me, but overall, I still find this very enjoyable, despite my normal tastes, even if I wouldn’t reach for it super frequently. The fact that it’s a progenitor for multiple genres also warms me up to its inclusion in the book. This said, this is 100% where I jump off The Byrds train, so I am not excited to learn that I have two more of their albums to get through.

I am surprised by how current these songs are! Super enjoyable tunes with an eerie touch. I love the first half of the album, the second did not grabbed me at the same level, still liked it. Will go back to this!

I really like this album! Just kind of a weird but still very pleasant sound…I don’t know enough about production to describe what it is but it almost sounds like I’m listening to a band play in a very open warehouse or something. It had an airy/clangy sound to it? I already had about half these songs saved and I added more this time around. It’s the perfect length and has good variety. It also made for great background music to walk outside on a crisp autumn day so thanks for that you guys. Fav tracks: What’s Happening?; Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go); I See You

Interesting album, full of good songs.

Guay a secas

jfc, I Come And Stand At Every Door is a laugh a minute, huh? I like a lot of this. The vocals are 100% Wonder Years. Most of the music was really good, much of it made me realize what Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were making fun of, especially the weird guitar noodling. I would definitely listen to this again

I liked it!!! Felt similar to the beatles. It’s just refreshing to hear something i enjoy loll

Previously rated on RYM. 4 stars

8.2 ★★★★

3.5/5

I think the band has a really cool sound on this album and it really foreshadows a lot of 90s alt-country. They're working withing the folk rock framework, but adding a lot of really interesting elements and taking it in new directions. Highlights for me are the title track, "Mr. Spaceman", "What's Happening!?!?!", and of course "Eight Miles High". Second side of the album isn't quite as strong as the first -- I'm not super high on their version of "Hey Joe", but overall, it's probably my favorite Byrds album. 4.5.

Outta sight 60s psych folk record with a couple of truly evergreen cuts like 8 Miles High and Mr Spaceman and some richly orchestrated deeper cuts like John Riley. Not a lot to throw for the birds here except for the atypically average Hey Joe cover.

These guys are so ahead of their time - we haven’t even found the fourth dimension yet

I think it's good but maybe it's just my inner old person coming out

Very good Byrds album, contains a fair share of classic songs, but perhaps a little too inconsistent for the full five stars (as opposite to some of their later albums which are even better).

80% is really nice - favourite part for me is Every Door and Eight Miles. The Hey Joe version could have been skipped and I don't care about the 2-4-2 Fox Trot either. End result: just about 4 stars.

A surprise 5th Byrds album! I thought there were only 4 on the list for some reason. Well, I liked this more than quite a few of the others, so I guess doing this project has taught me that I prefer the early Byrds (before their arrangements got too baroque ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). Or, to be more serious, I guess I preferred their psychedelia to their later more folky / country stuff. Fave tracks - "Mr. Spaceman" for some vintage saucer worship, "Eight Miles High" was good, and I enjoyed their slightly frenetic cover of "Hey Joe". (Huh, I looked "Hey Joe" up just to double check that it was actually a cover and it turns out Hendrix wasn't the originator!? Damn, he really made that song his own though....)

Really enjoyed their sound I’m gonna have to go back and check them out more.

A slightly more psychedelic album by the Byrds - great for that genre! Includes the classic Mr. Spaceman - very representative of the album.

Another very strong entry in the Byrds canon. Warm, approachable and elevating, “5D” and “Wild Mountain Thyme” seem spot-on as stage-setters. “John Riley” and “I See You” and “What’s Happening” are also strong, But the tracks where the band wants to expand (“Mr. Spaceman,” “Hey Joe,” Captain Soul”) are a tick less effective, though certainly decent and more than listenable. "Eight Miles High” is also fun to hear and reveals new layers upon careful listening.

I know Bob Dylan didn't write anything on this one, but his fingerprints are still all over some of these songs. This is a really cool mixture of of David Crosby's style mixed with a little psychedelic rock and Bob Dylan's folk. It keeps the album interesting throughout and makes for a really different kind of 60's album- easily one of my favorite of the decade on this list so far.

Love the 12-string guitar and the vocal harmonies. Solid songwriting and a few iconic songs of the era. Never had listened to this album before but it still sounds fresh some 55+ years later. Great stuff!

These songs are folkier and more acoustic than I recall, yet they are still complex and intricately composed. I'm surprised I like this so much 3 stars

I didn't love this Byrds album as much as Younger Than Yesterday. It's not bad, but it's too same-samey. The second song is basically the same music as "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and there are at least 3 songs on here that have the exact same chord progression as The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic?" I do like the psychedelic, jammy feeling of a lot of the songs. And in retrospect, this album does seem to have some material that is reworked on the next album (Younger Than Yesterday), but it's more polished on that album. The vocal performances are really smooth. It did grow on me during a second listen. The first time around I listened to the extended version with the extra 5 songs released in 1996, and it definitely feels long and bloated. The original 11-track release is a better listening experience. 4/5 — not my favorite Byrds album, but still a strong one.

Idk if I’m the biggest byrds guy I HATE to say

I love the byrds although this isn't my favourite album it's still good. 7/10

The Byrds strike again with an album I should have listened to and been familiar with before now.

Psychedelic city

Early rock 'n' roll - a nice find.

Canciones favoritas - Jhon Riley - I know My Rider - Psychodrama City Satisfactorio escuchar a pioneros de la música. No del todo mi gusto pero entiendo porqué podria ser el album favorito de alguien. Amé que la última canción fueran comentarios

Pretty good psych rock

Sounds like classic Byrds as opposed to the later incarnations we’ve heard. I liked it fine.

I consider this a good album for a groovy 60s trip.

I enjoyed this one. Loved the sound and the vibes 4 ⭐️

boah 5D tuet gad guet noch public image ltd gester. isch au echt schön wies immer dure zweistimmig singed und d drums und alles tönt halt meega 60ies. wyld mountain thyme immerno afoch parallel zweistimmig singe. sehr schö! vlt biiitz seicht? mr spaceman cool. ich mag ihm de mr spaceman. whats happening bis etz de best song, würkli huere schö. i come and stand at every door tönt noch irgendme sternsinger schmarre. oke s isch glaub en türkische song? het öpis religiöses fast? sehr pötisch sehr schön. eight miles high het halt afoch au huere guet tönt. recht geil. hey joe halt nöd hendrix version jo. jo de song hets wie nöd brucht. captain soul son rockblues. chamer mache. isch etz nöd es gitarresolo wo ich meeega stolz druf wär. jaaaa uf john riley wieder harmonies. gseh wie de david crosby nocher s glich macht mit CSNY. 242 foxtrot meh sones outro aber no cool.

I didn’t really know any of these The Byrds songs, maybe just Eight Miles High which was great! I have a lot of time for this. It’s accessible psychedelic!

The Byrds trademark sound of vocal harmonies and jangly guitars hit the ears right. This one's a bit uneven so I'm thinking a 3.5/5 but I'll round up because I enjoyed it overall.

this is 60 years old crazy... lovely sixties psych rock album

I liked this, and I think I'd listen again.

I enjoyed this album more than I had expected. I've always thought of Th Byrds as one of those "academic" artists that feel more influential than actually enjoyable. However, this album proved me wrong.

Bit uneven as an album, but the highs are great: 5D, Eight Miles High, and Mr Spaceman, which I've loved since I was a kid.

No problems here

I liked it when it was a bit more on the psychedelic, experimental side. Eight Miles High was my favorite.

Very good and musically interesting. I guess I'm a Byrds fan now. The interview for this album was pretty funny too.

Groovy 60s album. Original sound!

I absolutely love The Byrds guitar sound. Add the vocals & harmonies and they were so cool, at their best the music somehow just connects emotionally. This is not their best set of songs but I could listen to that 12 string Rickenbacker all day. 'Eight Miles High' still sounds incredible and always will, play it over and over. 'What's Happening?' and 'Captain Soul' are great too. They mixed with Dylan and The Beatles, influenced each other, created their own thing and influenced every folky jangly melodic guitar band that followed them: CSN, Neil Young, The Smiths, REM, Lloyd Cole, Teenage Fanclub, early Primal Scream, The Stone Roses, Crowded House, Fleet Foxes and more. I love them and so many of the bands they influenced.

Not my favorite Byrds album, but very good.

First time listening to this in its entirety. Always been a Byrds fan. Rightfully a psychedelic kickoff to another period of time & music that I was born too late to experience firsthand. Bummer man.

This is a quintessential album of the times. Such interesting song writing. Folky and spacey. Two things I enjoy

Really embodies the late 60s. Good vibes.

Pretty all over the place but for sure ahead of its time. Some really good songs that are better technically composed and recorded than modern studio indie rock.

Een enorm compact album van op een seconde na een half uur. Ik heb per ongeluk wel eens een TikTok filmpje gezien, dus veel langer kan ik tegenwoordig sowieso niet meer aan. Geen vervelende noot te bespeuren en slechts één irritatie: Die stofzuiger (ik gok dat het een Lear Jet is) bij de laatste track. Weinig tot geen memorabele nummers die een onuitwisbare indruk maken, maar gewoon een half uur lekker muziek maken met de boys. Ik gaf een ander album van ze 3 sterren, ik ga deze keer voor de 4 sterren. Een prettig album die je met plezier kunt afluisteren, helemaal niks mis mee.

Great!

a solid psychedelic rock album, among the first to start the genre

An incredible blend of folk, blues and psychedelia. I've always loved the guitar tones and vocals from the Byrds and this record is no exception. Wild Mountain Thyme is a very special song for me, and while this isn't my favourite version, I think this is a beautiful cover. Other highlights are the title track, Mr Spaceman, Why, and I See You. There's a few tracks I don't care for, but overall this a fantastic record.

Good, groovy, psych rock

McGuinn's guitar style and choice blended rock music with folk music... maybe this was an influence for Dylan to pick up and 'electrify' his music?

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: What’s happening?, Hey Joe, 2-4-2 Fox trot

Love this. Classic Byrds vibe. Great harmonies. Soothing in the midst of unease.

4.25

First time listening to a Byrds album. Some decent folk psychedelic rock.

As good as the first two Byrds albums were, Fifth Dimension veered the Byrds music towards a more Psych-Folk Rock sound and Roger McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker gave the band an unique signature sound. There's no doubt my favourite Byrds song is Eight Miles High, mainly because of that jangly 12-string guitar, it's a classic! Overall, the album is uneven with more covers (yet, not Dylan) and experimental songs, but I like this album a lot. I bought a ragged vinyl copy of the record many years ago and it's still gets a lot of play on the turntable. A good musical representation of the time period and era.

Have enjoyed the very little of the Byrds I’ve listened to in the past and this was no different. Nice stuff. Simpsons reference: Kent Brockman covers a song!

Was nice, would listen to them again.

Favourite tracks: hey Joe; captain soul; wild mountain thyme; 5D; eight miles high

Excellent album

Enjoyed listening to classic Byrds harmonies. Despite having only a few big hits, their sound was unmistakable and pleasant to listen to today. My fave would be their folk-rock collaborations and their toe-dipping into country-rock with Gram Parsons.

Good ole classic tunes. With guitars. And harmonies. Good stuff.

Couldn’t find this album on Amazon so listened to each track individually. Very good.

Classic classic rock. Big fan of the Byrds and their unique sound. A little bit of if Dylan could sing vibes.

Bright and Jangly guitars doing electrified folk fingerstyle picking arpegios combined with perfect close harmonies, sutbly melodic bass, and some well crafted arrangements mean this album is overflowing with melodies. It's at once exuberant and tightly controlled, exemplifying the style of tight fractal baroque psychadelia that proliferates inwards (vs say the let it all hang out liquid light show psych of 60s Grateful Dead). Eight Miles High gets into more 'freak out' territory with frantic drumming and guitar spasms, but they reign that back in quickly with a tight harmony. The raga-style drone on Why portends a lot of what's to come, but again, even though it emerges nicely from the chorus they confine this to a tightly bracketed segment that ends with an abrupt shift back to the verse, keeping the psych on a leash. Not sure what it means that I think this band is best at arrangments and stuff, but also I prefer the Dead's version of I know you Rider and Hendrix's Hey Joe - I guess it's the looser more improvisatory open approach they take over the tightly structured Byrds versions. The sitars and sitar-sounding guitars all over this album are really great and they're probably the best at that renaissance 9?) sounding melody/harmony in rock. This list has made me realize that I like the Byrds more than I'd thought, but 5 Byrds albums, 2 Gene Clark, 1 David Crosby Solo (+2 CSNY), and 1 Graham Parsons might make this the most over-represented group after only the Beatles. Favorites: 5D, Eight Miles High, Wild Mountain Thyme, Why, Psychodrama City

The Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (trigger warning Jim) extended universe might be one of my favorite genres of rock and music as a whole. Just chill ass dudes making chill ass music. Throw some folk in, some psychedelia, meet the Beatles, smoke a Doobie, and sing along to that beat. Poggers in chat

Enjoyable album this, better than the Beatles

Gooood

I liked this a lot more than I expected, their most well known songs have always turned me off ("Tambourine Man" is like listening to a depressed drunk version of the Beatles, bleurgh). But this album had some good surprises - "what's happening?" and "psychodrama city" have ended up on my Spotify favourites playlist. Can hear how they influenced a lot of 90s American indie bands, amongst many others I'm sure

A fine album but not the classic that is ether Younger than Yeserday and Mr. Tambourine Man. Eight Miles High is amazing as is Mr. Spacemean and the cover of Hey Joe is actually pretty good and the title track is a minor classic as well - the rest is pretty ordinary. Still 4 stars

Pretty nice listen. You can see the early rumblings of psych rock here

Classic

this was like if the beatles played music that was more my vibe

Really good! Enjoyed the vocals a lot.

I am really surprise that I really liked it.

A monumental recording in psychedelic music. Eight Miles High is a behemoth of a track. Hard to believe this came out in the mid-60s, even before Hendrix formally burst onto the scene. However, I feel where this album lacks is the format. There are some filler tracks on here, particularly on side 2. There are some real hitters tho, like the aforementioned Eight Miles High, and I See You.

Easy listening. Reminds me of the Beatles

Psychedelic fun and smoothness. A lovely listen 🩵

5D (Fifth Dimension) is a strong start to the album. I really liked the vocal melody and the guitar solo on the outro. The next few tracks were fine enough, and had a pretty chill vibe. I really liked “I see You” and “What’s Happening”, two examples of the songwriting talent that David Crosby would go on to develop in subsequent years. The only weak points on the album were the cover songs, and the ending track due to the annoying plane noises.

Really cool album

Pretty rad, not all good but some really interesting stuff. Love the borderline avantgarde guitar work, more far out than I anticipated

Eight miles high and when you touch down You'll find that it's stranger than known Signs in the street that say where you're going Are somewhere just being their own Nowhere is there warmth to be found Among those afraid of losing their ground Rain gray town known for its sound In places small faces unbound Round the squares huddled in storms Some laughing some just shapeless forms Sidewalk scenes and black limousines Some living some standing alone 4/5

This album did not contain a "Turn, Turn Turn!" or "Mr. Tambourine Man" amongst its collection of songs, but it is an interesting contextual look into how psychedelic rock eventually formed. Since this album was released in July 1966, I can't help compare it to the corresponding Beatles era. They had just released Rubber Soul, and would go on to release Revolver a month later. While comparing anyone to the Beatles is a fool's errand, but I will say this album fits nicely between them as a musical evolution of the times. They built upon their previous albums and paved the way for what eventually would be titans of psychadelia like Sgt. Peppers and early Pink Floyd.

first listen good album

Amazing psychedelic rock album.

I dug this. I don't have the words to speak like a true audiophile but it was good. I would give it another listen for sure.

Amazing guitar. Amazing harmonies. Gives you a small array of genres, which is pretty cool. An amazing collection of songs in that era. Despite the fact I’m not a big into folk music, this is a solid 4.

Really came around on this after a second listen, special shout out to Mr. Spaceman and some wild chaotic guitar parts on Eight Miles High and their version of Hey Joe for really winning me over.

A few dudes, but very consistent and great sound. I’m a little ignorant of the genre, but I’m loving it!

Your average 60s psych rock record. There’s not a lot of memorable moments here. The mixing of the guitar in some parts is weird as well. But, I enjoyed ur even if I don’t remember all of it. Good, but not THAT good.

After a stressful week where it’s felt a little like my brain is melting out of my head, it was like a little Ray of sunshine to be generated an album by The Byrds. A year ago, I’d only heard a couple of songs by them where now I’ve heard a few albums, and I’m hopeful this is as good as the others. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Mr Spaceman, 2-4-2 Fox Trot Although I enjoyed this album, it didn’t really seem to try anything different to other Byrds albums that I’ve heard so far. If I was to give a criticism, the albums aren’t really different from each other and after hearing several albums it is starting to show. I did still like this, and the vocals harmonies were perfect, but it does feel like I’m just repeating myself after previous reviews here, as there isn’t really anything new to comment on.

This list loves The Byrds more than is strictly necessary, as this is the fourth album I've got to - while the likes of nineties indie legends EMF go unchosen. It's a pretty solid four stars, two stellar singles and always something interesting going on.

I really enjoyed this. Hey Joe cover was great

Gene Clark havia marxat. Roger McQuinn i David Crosby agafen les regnes i demostren que la banda encara pot millorar... i expandir les seves fronteres. Curiosament, però, un dels millors temes del disc és de Clark, 'Eight Miles High'. El pop desbordant i magnètic de la banda, aquí ja amb clars tocs psicodèlics, és tremendament disfrutable. Estaven en uns anys que no erraven un sol tret, i décades després som afortunats de poder continuar disfrutant-ho

A fantastic psychedelic folk record that blends both parts of the genre perfectly rather than just hopping between them track to track. One of the pinnacles of the genre for sure and maybe the best The Byrds album? (I’ll have to relisten to Younger than Yesterday but it’s definitely up there)

Good fun, true sound of the 60s

Even though Bob Dylan and Gene Clark didn't write any of these songs, their influence is still super apparent, especially on that opener. Really interesting to see a band in transition, trying to figure out their identity and come into their own. Which is kind of hard when you do an album half of which are covers, but I would argue the seeds are planted and the covers were enjoyable. Out of CSNY, I'm least versed in Crosby's pre supergroup work (I guess my parents didnt have these records) and I'm not sure why I haven't explored it before. Did anyone else get the feeling that some of the songs ended kind of abruptly? Still, a worthwhile experience

Klasik psychedelic rekord

This album was all over the place. Lyrics about kids being blown up to green aliens. Always a good beat and jammin guitar though.

Klart det är bra men nu har jag totalt fått tre plattor med Byrds. Så bra är de inte.

I liked this one! It’s got nice psychedelic pop, rock songs. The songs almost have a kind of jolliness to them. Definitely worth revisiting! 8 out of 10

I think The Byrds is the best shitty band I've ever heard and I mean that with a passion. I don't think I'd spend any time listening to these guys except that they're such an outlier and everything they make is unique. I've never been one to make love to dirty hippy bands, but every Byrds album on 1001 is oddly deserved. This one included. I think their oddities lay in the fact that there seems to be a different lineup on each album. David Crosby, the GOAT original dirty hippy seems to always be involved in The Byrds albums I like the best. The blow-y harmonizing I could do without John Riley, I'm talking to you, and also the rest of the album. The Hey Joe cover is odd, but not bad. Mr. Spaceman is a classic as is Eight Miles High. This is not quite a train wreck, more like an artfully deconstructed locomotive piled high on the railroad tracks.

I definitely preferred this to the other Byrds album I'd had on here. Parts of this have a pretty scuzzy garage rock feel to the guitar which I like. It's not all jingly jangly sing along with the Byrds.

This list really does love psych rock, huh? Good thing I do too, this was delightful.

One of the more iconic Byrds albums, it includes some of there better known songs. It also leans heavily into covers including Hey Joe and the traditional folk song Wild Mountain Thyme. There renditions are good but with the Byrds, you want to see more original music. Still, you can hear the beginnings of 80s jangle rock and present day indie folk in this album from the mid-60s. That's something worth celebrating.

Nice. I can see the psychedelic roots on this album

- solid album

I liked it the more and more I listened. Pretty psychedelic and loved the guitar.

Classic sound.

This album really shines when it leans into the more experimental songs such as 'I See You' and 'Eight Miles High.' The Byrds use eastern inspired melodic passages well and can play the more blues inspired pieces well. I enjoyed their cover of 'Wild Mountain Thyme' but was a bit perplexed by the inclusion of 'Mr. Spaceman,' a song which offers nothing lyrically or musically. Overall, it is a good album if a bit uneven.

A couple childhood nostalgia songs on here.

Trying to trick reviewers into giving them five stars by having "fifth" in the title - but it won't work on me! Pretty good, certainly better than their other album I have heard, but no better than that.

Sci-fi themed, psychedelic Byrds? Love that, although the songs towards the end got a little dull.

Pleasing to listen to, sounds like a cross between Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Bob Dylan. Simple arrangements, but nice melodies.

I enjoyed this. Not perfect but a fern good listen.

4.75

Classic album

Very Beatles like. Digged a couple songs more than others.

This actually wouldn’t be my first choice of a must listen Byrds album, but it was still great

I will never complain about having the Byrds. Underrated band that pushed itself in every album. This album is slightly darker in sound than other works, but still a short and sweet 60s pop rock album.

As always a enjoyable album, good runtime, easy listening, what's not to like

I love the psychedelic. Eight Miles High says it better than anything else. The rest of this albums is a bit all over the shop. Mr Spaceman delivers. The two extremely folkie tracks are folk classics : John Riley & Wild Mountain Thyme, which Dylan would perform at the Isle Of Wight Festival 3 years later. They both sound great here. The cover of Hey Joe is unnecessary, just like every other version apart from Jimi’s. Could have been a better slbum if Clark hadn’t left the band. But Eight Miles High was his departing gift. The Byrds never came to Australia, but I saw McGuinn, Hillman & Clark at the Regent in Sydney in 1978, & was not disappointed.

Surprisingly interesting album…

Way ahead of their time. I still prefer This Mortal Coil's version of "I Come and Stand At Every Door" though. Not my favorite psychedelia, but still obviously a seminal record. David Crosby, man. David Crosby. Obviously McGuinn is an uttery genius too.

Robert Pollard and Peter Buck both owe Roger McGuinn royalties.