Reviews (page 3 of 7)
I liked this album, definite 60s sound - reminiscent of the Kinks for me.
It all sounds so familiar – the chiming and jangly guitars, the countrified frills, the dreamy lyrics, the tension between mellowness and a druggy sort of edginess – that it’s hard to remember how new it must have sounded in the mid-60s. It sounds so much less dated than much else from this era. One likes their take on “Rider,” an often dull and flavorless ‘60s chestnut.
Not bad.
-Generally plain psychedelic rock. Nothing mind blowing. -"Captain Soul" is instrumental and they seemed to up the instruments for that -"2-4-2 Fox Troy (Lear Jet Song)" is pretty cool, lots going on in that one. There's the instruments in the left ear, pilot radio chatter/airline sounds in the right, and the vocals in the middle. That's pretty cool. -Overall just barely a 4
bom album, fortemente inspirado pelos beatles
I didn't know Spaceman was by the Byrds! Loved that song as a child. I really enjoyed this album in a number of ways, folky Beatles like.
Love it. Funnily enough a song from this album came on straight after finishing the Beach Boys. Again, a really nice album with summery vibes
The best Byrds album? I prefer having Gram Parsons in the mix, but this works.
Ahora sí, algo de The Byrds que realmente me gustó y que me hizo debatir entre 4 y 5 estrellas. Si bien todavía tienen sus momentos de voces en coro muy dulce y armonizado, el resto del disco tiene grandes momentos, en especial un sonido de la guitarra muy rasposa, como con algu de blues pero con psicodelia al mismo tiempo. Entiendo mejor como es que esta banda fue tan importante influencia.
The Byrds continue their jangly folk rock sound but delve into psychedelia, who would popularize the genre. Early usages of psychedelic pop are employed here: cryptic surreal lyrics, beautiful yet ominous singing, raga-structured guitar, and cloudy repetitive instrumentals where everyone seems to do their own thing. Sounds like they're still trying to copy Bob Dylan with the vocals in "5D" and harmonica in "Captain Soul." Some early country rock with "Mr. Spaceman." As a fan of their jangly guitars and harmonious singing, there were only a few songs I didn't care for much. It's a fantastic effort as always. Favorites: Wild Mountain Thyme, I See You, What's Happening, Eight Miles High, Hey Joe, 2-4-2 Fox Trot, Why
Really disjointed, but still a great listen. You've got to be in the mood for a little bit of everything. This is the one where they didn't need Gene Clark (or Bob Dylan). Best track: Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)
Var ekki að dansa neitt sérstaklega við fyrstu hlustun, en þessi vinnur verulega á við aðra. Oftast skemmtilegt létt sjöunda psychadelíurokk og ágætlega flutt. Ekkert meistarastykki, en vel áheyrilegt.
Such an influential album. Guitars are spectacular
Fine record, has a few nice moments of harmony but nothing inherently outstanding.
This is my third Byrds album. It also happens to be the first Byrds album that doesn't rely on any of Bob Dylan's songs. He may not have his songs featured, but the influence is still heavily there, at least early on. Better than 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo,' not as good as 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' 'Fifth Dimension' was an interesting, sometimes psychedelic ride with the Byrds that ultimately didn't really wind up anywhere super noteworthy.
começando a chamar na psicodelia
Excellent.
Mom can we listen to The Beatles? We have The Beatles at home. The Beatles at home:
I love Eight Miles High - a cracker of a song. And there are some other good tracks there. I'll go back to it.
A solid offering, again highlighting their folky style of rock. Good guitars and harmonies against some strong songwriting.
Pretty good early psych rock. Didn't realize 5D was about the theory of relativity...
Blues rock
There are some original songs, some are average
My late grandmother loved this band, so this album reminds me of her.
I love this. It's incredibly uneven, and feels as though there wasn't much consensus internally regarding direction. But that's the kind of album I love; a bit scattered, but intensely artistic throughout, with a real sense of building a new movement for pop music.
Like so many albums from this time, you can feel the beginnings of psychedelic music
60s album? Check. Psychedelic? Check. Has to be a 4/5 then doesn't it really? That it does, that it does.
Really easy listening, can't really fault it. Nothing jumps out as an absolute banger but equally nothing jumps out in the other direction either. Been listening for this for 4 hours on repeat I think.
Great album! Lots of variety Favourite tracks: Hey Joe, Wild Mountain Thyme, Mr. Spaceman
The sound of psychedelia. Perhaps not quite as good as their earlier "classic pop" but still beautiful harmonies.
Good album. Nails the cool, chill, transcendental, raw, dirty energy of 60s LA. The lyrics, transitions and sound mix can get a bit clunky at times. Love the sitar/guitar sound, the harmonies abd there are some standout parts from the rhythm section. 3.5 but giving a 4.
good
4/5 - good for when it was
some really wacky guitar parts (Eight Miles High) that sound like a small mammal running up and down the fretboard. love the trippy vibes, the 60s must have been fun
Amazing.
I really enjoyed this one. Quirky and all over the place and very of it's time for sure, but what a time. Particularly like the wild guitar playing on this one.
Great album.
Reminded me of Crosby, Stills and Nash mixed with the Beatles a little bit. Good but I'd have to be in the mood for it.
Rather enjoyable album. 4/5
Now that's folk-rock. One of those bands that I often heard about but never listened too. I was surprised
Ah yeah
.
A classic psychedelic sound- guessing it's the inspiration for a lot of later work given the year. Somehow, it holds up today. A pleasant amount of variety in each song.
7/10. birb. Their version of Wild Mountain Thyme was a bit lame, actually
Los Beatles de California, muy crema
"Eight Miles High" Released: March 14, 1966 "5D (Fifth Dimension)" Released: June 13, 1966 "Mr. Spaceman" Released: September 6, 1966
Agradable y muy melódico. Un gran avance
Nice 60s vibes. Beattles style in some parts, but less moving
Some decent tracks but probably not anything I’ll come back to. I think something that I’ll nitpick about several 60s albums on this list that are in the rock/folk/psychedelia area have production that sounds fuzzy (mostly on the guitars and vocals) and that decreases my overall enjoyment of them. 7
interesting stuff
Jai bien aime, plus experimental et pousse que l’autre album de byrds dans cette loste.3.5
Right from a Wes Anderson movie. Happy, folksy, druggy. David Crosby style harmonies. Fun, 60s listen. Lots of variety. Definitely enjoyed it.
4*
Pretty good. Not my favorite Byrds album. 7/10 1. Eight Miles High 2. Wild Mountain Thyme 3. 5D (Fifth Dimension)
Really enjoyed this one!
I really like the guitar tone and their use of vocal harmony. It's almost like a more rock-y Simon and Garfunckel.
One of the best folk rock album of the sixties. Modern sound to it.
good album
Strong start with the title track, and I'd never heard their excellent version of "Wild Mountain Thyme" before. The rest of the album sounds like a Byrds album. Definitely worth listening to when you're in the right mood.
I enjoyed this and should listen again
funky as hell, video game music typa thing from a AAA trailer for fallout or something.
A nice album. Nothing of a surprise, given what I've heard of them, but this was pleasant to listen to.
This album was pretty good but kind of samey to me. I couldn't really distinguish between most of the songs, but I liked the sound. I think this folky kind of rock is pretty cool and I would listen to more of it.
This is an interesting crossover between folk music and psychedelia, especially on the title track which genuinely sounds like Bob Dylan floating through the universe on a particularly freaky acid trip. This is followed by an oddly out of place cover of a traditional Scottish folk song - I’m guessing that they don’t have much purple heather in San Francisco, but then we are back to the weirdness with a song about ufos and little green men. The highlight is probably the best known track here, the soaring Eight Miles High which has echos of some of the Beatles experiments with Eastern mysticism that were in the zeitgeist at the time. Apparently many radio stations refused to play it as they thought it was a drugs reference. Wonder where they got that idea from?
Correcto
60 year rock. Ok. But not my favourite.
I Come and Stand at Every Door still being relevant to today is heartbreaking
Man I love the Byrds, but I’m seeing why I haven’t really bumped their albums front to back before. There’s awesome songs mixed in. (What’s happening, Hey Joe, Mr. spaceman) but Jesus some of this stuff is such a DRAG. There’s quite a bit of variety in their sound here, yet still I find it repetitive. Honestly one of their weaker albums I’ve heard parts of. Defintely a staple of the psych/folk genres but eh. Fun fact: I think this is the first byrds album without a Dylan cover
What I can stay is the band sounds great the vocals work so well with the music itself Roger mccguinn can sing and he wrote all the good songs here it seems. This is a genre mash looking for what works and the ballads and 60s guitars are in full force. Mr spaceman is a perfect song to encapsulate the era obsessed with the next frontier before the moon landing and the songs that work really work with their premises.Hey Joe for example simple song made Byrds by the guitar and music so when captain soul comes on you are not only aware but ready for this ballad that it gives. All in all a fine listen with some surprises but mostly a bit forgettable and what I do remember is good
My least favorite Byrds record out of the three I've gotten. I can hear them leaning towards Younger Than Yesterday for sure. The first side does show tons of promise with Crosby's What's Happening, McGuinn's Mr. Spaceman and the poem tune I Come And Stand At Every Door. Then the second side, save for Eight Miles High, crumbles into weak cover versions, an instrumental jam and the experimental flight simulator (Lear-Jet). As they said when it came out: it's an uneven swing. They had lost Gene Clark and were reduced to four, so that could be a reason as to why this isn't as tight. But I haven't gotten into what many consider to be their true classics in Tambourine Man and Turn Turn Turn, so I can't say much. In terms of the progression of the band, it acts as a transition to a clear favorite of mine. There is turbulence when you head towards space (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)
Meh
Is The Lear Jet song a distant cousin of that Like a G6 song? Has some moments but I didn't like it as much as some other work by The Byrds. There are moments that sound like Simon & Garfunkel and others that sound like half a dozen bands. This is probably more influential than I'm giving it credit for.
I can hear a heavy influence on a band like Dinosaur jr. or Lou Barlow's other projects in a song like I Come and Stand at Every Door It had it's moments but after a couple listens it doesn't stick with me.
Never much cared for these guys. Right era, wrong jam.
It's as vast as space, and as timeless as infinity.
This Crosby guy is pretty good. He would be a good match with the Nash, Stills and Young fellas
On aggregate, I like more than I dislike on this record.
I tried to start listening to this album multiple times. I got to Mr. Spaceman and for some reason couldn't finish the album or kept getting distracted. it's not a bad album. i just feel like this list has way more of the british invasion than I would care for.
There's subtly a lot here, and it doesn't all hold together. It sounds like a 60s psychedelic band trying out lots of different sounds and not settling on one. Eight Miles High and John Riley sound like early Crosby Still & Nash, but Wild Mountain Thyme just kind of gets lost.
It's a fine album. Short and sweet psychedelic. Nothing groundbreaking. 2.5/5 Might listen again
It’s pleasant enough but I can’t get very excited about it. Much as you’d expect it to sound.
As a historical record documenting the development of late Sixties rock in its various strains, this is invaluable; as a functional album, it's definitely uneven. The clunkers stand out; "I Come and Stand at Every Door" is well-intentioned but ultimately feels clumsy, and some of the more out-there sonic experiments fall flat ("2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)"). And I know judging anybody against Hendrix is unfair, but the version of "Hey Joe" here flat-out doesn't work; if we're gonna have songs about shooting your woman down then they probably shouldn't sound like harmless fun. But this sounds more negative than I really intend to be; I basically like this sound, which again is the primary pleasure here. "Eight Miles High" is deservedly praised and remembered, and most of what these guys do when in more traditional folk mode works really well ("Wild Mountain Thyme," "John Riley"). I'm not sure anything other than "Eight Miles High" is truly essential but I felt like this was time well spent.
I liked this one just fine, but didn’t love it. Even though there are no Dylan songs on the album, a couple of them still sound like it. It gets three stars from me.
It wasn't bad, but I don't see myself revisiting it much.
Three out of five. Not bad at all, best part was some fun g commentary. These guys do copious amount of drugs, but damn if it isn't decent music.
Thursday, 12 June, 2026 I wasn’t prepared to like it, but it was surprisingly good. It is mostly an off brand Beatles album, but it’s still good.
I’m a sucker for those jangly guitars, so this album was pretty good. It was an experimental, messy, and interesting. All good stuff a having a good time. However… we have to talk about I Come and Stand at Every Door. What a colossal turd in the punchbowl. I’m fine with political anthems or shocks to the system, but this was such a downer it dragged the energy down the rest of the album. Come on, people. No more songs of 7 year old ghost victims of nuclear bombings please. Best tracks Mr. Spaceman and 8 Miles High.
good listening, followed nicely after listening to Eagles
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
There are two great songs on this - the rest is mostly a rather flat, folk-rock drone.
Laat psychedelische stonede rock nu net mijn minst favoriete deel van de 60s zijn. Zeker als het enkel gecombineerd wordt met mediocere songs.
gwn oke
beetje een rommelig album, soms vervelend en saai, soms leuker en vernieuwend. de hele tijd super jaren 60
I wanted to like this album more. They know how to make good music. But this sounds like something missing. Maybe they do need bob dylan…
enjoyable, except for the last 16 minute track where actually 3 minutes of it was a song. that was just silly overall though, i did enjoy this album. this would be fun to throw on, for a casual get together. also, cool to hear an earlier cover of 'Hey Joe'. for anyone that wants to hear a rockin version of that song, listen to the Hendrix version, its incredible
It’s not bad, I’m just burnt out on Brit Pop with this list. Pleasant, the darker sounds kept me interested, but I’m probably only listening to The Byrds for their hits. And none of them were on this album.
A totally middle of the road album.
Semi-interesting early psychadelic rock.
A reasonable enough listen, but not one I can see myself returning to. Not sure we needed as many Byrds or Byrds-related albums as the 1001 suggests you HAVE to listen to.
The Byrds are better and worse than their reputation would suggest, and this album is the perfect example. There are a few great songs on this one—some of them pretty deep cuts; but there's also a lot of filler and some downright crap. They really coast on their incredible sound here, which can make you not realize how terrible the songwriting often is. I'm not sure they have a true 5-star album, but man, when they're on, they're on. You could make a killer two-disc set of their best works, and it would stand up there with the best of anyone from this era. But they didn't have a George Martin to rein them in or even to arrange their songs the way The Beatles did. The strings on this album, for example. Compare these string arrangements to any Beatles song that features strings, and you'll see what I mean. Question: What is it about Hey Joe that compelled so many artists to cover it? I've never understood the fascination with that song.
I don’t mind this record so much, but I can’t see revisiting it. Parts of it grate on me, but some of it’s alright. But it definitely sounds like the Byrds; I’m sure they’re not quite “heard one Byrds song, you’ve heard them all”, but they’re really not far off from that. They definitely have a distinctive sound. This record expands that sound a bit in some places. 6.5/10
Why are there so many Byrds records here? They were not that great. To listen to once is enough.
Me gustó bastante, tuvo un giro en su sonido que no me esperaba y es cómo usan las influencias de la música hindú (Raga Rock) y lo mezclan con la psicodelia, justo el mismo año que The Beatles llevó este nuevo estilo al mainstream, es un álbum con canciones interesantes.
Overall, the album is pretty hot and cold. But I couldn't give it any lower than three stars cos the opening tune, 5th dimension, is one my dad has been playing me since I can remember. And it's beautiful and I love it so so so much!!
The 1960s. When rock and roll was learning how to walk. Hippie-ish, summer of love heavy in this one. It’s 1966, you’re sitting on the hood of a car smoking grass, and this is coming through the radio. What a time.
Considering the general averageness of the other two Byrds album's I've encountered – Mr. Tambourine Man and The Notorious Byrd Brothers – I was a little worried Fifth Dimension wouldn't present anything new. But 1966 was a pretty promising year for music. Keep your hopes up, right? In 5D (Fifth Dimension), the Byrd bros throw us a fantastic, sparkling guitar part, which comes in a barrage of solo notes at the end, making you long for more during the fadeout. Wild Mountain Thyme would be a standard mid-60s Simon & Garfunkel-sounding track, but for those strings, which completely transform the song. Not a fan of the stereo mix – I imagine mono versions are invariably more pleasant to listen to – but it doesn't completely ruin the song. Again that bright guitar sound is revisited. I'm excited to hear the rest. The next track is Mr. Spaceman, which is sort of a folksy rockabilly tune with S&G undertones. It flows nicely into I See You, which has a similar tempo and groove. Frustratingly, by the halfway point of the album, you start to notice a... lack of soul, I guess? I Come and Stand at Every Door feels kind of lifeless compared to the strongest of the pack, and I See You isn't much better. Near the end of the original album, John Riley has the same issue. Monotonous, and little done to sonically distinguish it from preceding tracks. Eight Miles High performs a noble feat, returning some blistering energy in the form of electric guitar solo, a distinctly modal key during the solo (compared to the major key in the choruses). 2-4-2 Fox Trot... I mean, at least it's memorable. Plenty of 60s-style sonic experimentation going on here, in the form of SFX and garbled talking (à la Yellow Submarine). 3/5 Key tracks: 5D (Fifth Dimension), Mr. Spaceman, Eight Miles High
I’m surprised The Byrds could even think of five dimensions given how one-dimensional their music is.
Okay. Better the last one we had.
Very iffy on this one. The all music track was my favorite
3.5
It was fine. Didn't love the song about pretending to be a 7 year old in Hiroshima, even if I support the sentiment behind it.
Ibland låter det Beatles och det är få det är som bäst. Kanske inget pangbetyg. En trea
Finally some good damn music bruh! Damn it was like pulling teeth the last few days. This was a smooth lishen from start to finish and I enjoyed the simplicity of it.
Fifth Dimension was pretty solid. Its an album that doesn't really do a whole lot of interesting stuff but it is still an album that does what it set out to do decently alright. The music on offer is just some perfectly passable psychedelic country rock with it occasionally doing some interesting things but remaining with the sound it goes for throughout most of it. I would say that the best part of this album is the melodies as they were pretty darn catchy. I also like that this is easily one of the shorter albums on this list with it only clocking in at around 28 minutes but i still felt like i got my fill. Its not super great or anything but still pretty solid. Best Song: 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song) Worst Song: I Come and Stand at Every Door
It’s fine, don’t really have strong feelings about this music (which says enough)
Unmistakably the Byrds but can’t say it drew me in as much as the previous offering we had of theirs.
Sladak album, na trenutke malo dosadnjikav, ali šta se sve nudilo to, ovo je glazbeni vrhunac 😄 3/5, 6/10
Pleasant but a bit boring and too Beatlish sometimes. 3.5
Aight, a much better band than the beatles
p86. 1966. 3 stars. Strange and eclectic collection of songs that doesn't quite work - you can hear rock, folk, psychedelia and just plain weird 60s hippy trippyness in the mix. Very much of its time.
Mouais
I know the Byrds are kind of a big deal and likely this hit differently when it came out. Here is it just psycadelic rock that is coherent and flows together, like they weren't actually high while they were recording which made for a much better listening experience compared to others of the time. But also nothing super special, just simple music that used a sitar a lot.
Cool. The guitar work has many interesting moments. This is probably not my favorite Byrds album. It's OK.
So this album is notable because of their struggles after losing their principal songwriter, paired with it being the first time none of their songs were written by Bob Dylan? So legendary! I guess it's also when they took a turn from a more folksy sound into the psychedelic realm. I might care about all of these things more if I cared about The Byrds more. This is the fifth album of theirs we've had, and apparently they haven't made a big impression on me because I barely remember their other material. All that aside, the album is fine and the songs are pleasant enough, but I didn't find anything that particularly moved me. Pretty interesting stuff considering it was the mid 60s. And Mr. Spaceman was fun.
3,5
Nimalo loš album posebno za godinu iz koje je ali nespektakularan i ne razumijem zašto imam još gomilu albuma ovih likova da preslušam.
There are an oddly...high amount of Byrds albums on this list. This is apparently the first of theirs that doesn't include any Bob Dylan-written songs, however. It's all just fine. Not much different that the other three albums of theirs that I've heard thus far. It's early psychedelic rock that leans more folk. Easy listen, but doesn't really "wow" you too much.
I have a rocky relationship with psychedelic bands from the sixties. Sometimes it's just too jangly to me. The Byrds have a strong folk backbone, so that helps a lot. Keeps 'em grounded. On the other hand, there are some challenging things going on here: starting with 'Wild Mountain Thyme' (a Celtic traditional song with a very straight rhythm), there are some funny things going on with timekeeping. Similarly, 'I See You' has some tension in both the rhythm guitar and also the lead -- kind of a jumble but an interesting one. That feeling of being unsettled continues in several places throughout the album. Sometimes the songs will have floating key centres. Sometimes there's a little sitar influence out of Jim McGuinn's lead guitar. Often, one instrument will be a half-time (often the vocals) compared to the rest of the band (or only part of it). All of these things, plus the steady droning of David Crosby's rhythm guitar playing, combine to make for an accessible and familiar sound that feels like it conceals something else. It's weird, in a way that's a little difficult to describe. This is one of the more psychedelic psych-rock albums I've listened to. Death is a recurring theme (and is also for the psychonauts from whom the genre pulls its name and influence), there's an open-feeling subversion of what would've been the contemporary rock sound at the time. The harmonies are beautiful. This isn't going into my regular rotation. It's really cool, though: familiar yet spacey. The recording isn't without blemish but it still rewards listening in a decent format (Spotify lossless through some Grado SR80s, today). It's not punk rock but it's definitely rebellious. It's also quite beautiful. Apparently critics have called this awkward and scattered. I can hear it but I'd much rather hear The Byrds giving it an honest go than listen to Damon Albarn seemingly sneering at the idea of trying at all. Very 60's. Maybe my favourite psych album, yet. Still only a 3/5, as it's a little tedious, but it's a strong 3.
Okay, interessant. Nicht mehr wirklich frisch, aber historisch interessant. Aber stimmt es dass es 5 Alben von ihnen in der Liste gibt?
As with most of my 3's, it mostly means I didn't hate anything here but I also didn't really enjoy it, just background noise
Loved some, ambivalent about others. Really liked the first half though
3.5/5
Yet another 60s/Byrds album, meh. 3* Highlights: wild mountain thyme (lol that this is a cover)
Standouts Mr. Spaceman Captain Soul
Stable but not special, 6/10
I’d heard of The Byrds, but I wasn’t really familiar with their music. Even though this album was released the year I was born, it’s not really my favourite. Still, three stars… 🙂
This is a good record, though it kind of reminds me why I was never into The Byrds. We all know "Eight Miles High," of course, which is fine to hear once a year or so. It's a pleasant album; I didn't want to turn it off, but it didn't make me want to go out and find a copy either. The one song that got my attention was "2+2=4 Lear Jet," which was amusingly weird with the air traffic chatter, airplane noises, and noodly guitar. I liked that one, though I'm now going to be muttering "gonna ride a Learjet baby, gonna ride a Learjet" to myself for the rest of the afternoon. 3 stars
If Bob Dylan could sing, and was part of a band, it might sound like this. I guess with that said, maybe you should hear this to realize that if you like 60s folk rock, it can actually sound better than Bob.
One of the big ones… that I’m listening to for the first time. It’s fine actually. But I could live without it
In the immortal words of Austin Powers: Psychedelic! Yeah, baby! Groovy. Chicks dig it, man. In all honesty, I can’t remember whether this is any better or worse than the other Byrds albums we’ve already had on this list. I’m sure it was groundbreaking for its time, but Fifth Dimension doesn’t give me any of the warm and fuzzies.
This was fine. I'm not sure why these guys have five albums on the list. Filler week day four complete.
Iha jees.
No jaa. Eight Miles High On ihan saatanan kova biisi. Siinä on tavallaan omaan korvaan jotenkin täydellisesti kiteytetty 60-70 luvun vaihdos, vaikkakin levy on jo vuodelta 1966. Aikaansa edellä! Muuten aika laidasta laitaan menoa, ihan hyviä biisejä mutta myös kyllä ihan täysin mitäänsanomattomia luikautuksia. Aika selkee kolmonen.
A pretty strong opening gave way to a mediocre second half. I like the Byrds' sound, and there are a few I've saved to listen to again in future.
I read that they covered a lot of Dylan, and that makes sense since the first song sounded like a Dylan song. I didn't find anything groundbreaking here, other than being amused at a young David Crosby.
I love The Byrds and there are some cute songs but without Gene Clark they sound a bit lost.
Byrds are ok, just rather a lot of them here
krakto i slatko
Like them in small doses, but a whole album was too much for me.
I should be a huge Byrds fan. I'm not a huge Byrds fan.
might be my favourite of the byrds, I am kinda tired of hearing them now though Will I listen to again: 33%
Eight Miles High plus some lesser tracks. I like The Byrds but this doesn't do it for me.
Was okay
A pretty good album, just liked Wild Mountain Thyme and Captain Soul the most.
This is definitely better than the previous Byrds effort, with a bit more psych and exploration. But it's clear that when the band railroaded Gene Clark they really fucked with the formula. I'm sure their country phase will prove fruitful but while there's some great tunes it just feels hollow without Gene.
solid, but a weak album of its genre
like yeah, its good but i feel like its every ther 60s song ive ever heard, yk?
I was actually enjoying this album for moments. Which is a huge improvement over how I felt about the other album that I reviewed of theirs (sweetheart of the rodeo). This album is way more my speed and energy. It had moments where it lost my interest cause it can be abit dry at moments. But as a whole, this is probably my favorite album by the Byrds so far.
Review - a short album. A few good songs, not a bad listen. Was hoping to like it more now I'm a new found fan of Gene Clark, but this was their first album without him. Still has a song written by him though, and it's the best on the album. Rating - 6/10 Need to hear? YES
This didn’t take me to a 5th dimension…
Some great songs. Some beautiful harmonies. Some very average songs. Feels like a band that doesn't know what they want to be. 3*
I love their sound but this was a little boring as a whole
Sympa mais pas mémorable
Really enjoyed it.
This is neat, don’t have much to say but some real solid stuff here. My standouts are 5D, what’s happening and especially Wild Mountain Thyme, it’s a very beautiful song.
The first of the five Byrds albums on this list that I've received. I'm not sure what these guys did to warrant having that many albums. This isn't but its pretty standard compared to everything else from the era. Maybe their next four albums will enlighten me on their true greatness. Favorite track: Eight Miles High
It's 60's psych rock. It's fine.
Odd cover choices but done well
fun psychedelic rock but nothing super special or interesting
This really exceeded my expectations. Fifth Dimension is one of those rare mid‑’60s albums where a band, suddenly unmoored, accidentally invents a new future for rock. After Gene Clark’s departure, The Byrds leaned into experimentation, and the result is a record that helped define psychedelic rock while still rooted in their folk‑rock DNA. Critics and historians consistently point out that these were among the first and best examples of psychedelic rock, with the band drawing explicitly from Indian classical music and John Coltrane’s modal jazz. The album doesn’t just use psychedelic elements—it codifies them. It shows a band discovering that rock music could be a vehicle for abstraction, texture, and atmosphere. Fifth Dimension helped establish several musical ideas that later became central to progressive and psychedelic rock including extended, exploratory guitar work, psychedelic soundscapes as narrative, and genre fusion as a creative principle. Fifth Dimension blends folk, raga, country touches, and psychedelia. This willingness to hybridize genres laid groundwork for the progressive rock mindset: rock as a flexible, exploratory medium. Rush’s early albums and Pink Floyd’s mid‑’70s work both rely on this idea of rock as a boundary‑breaking form. These connections aren’t about direct influence so much as conceptual lineage—The Byrds helped create the musical vocabulary that later bands expanded into full-blown progressive and psychedelic architecture. Key songs: “Eight Miles High” — Often cited as one of the greatest singles of the ’60s and a cornerstone of psychedelic rock. “5D (Fifth Dimension)” — A philosophical, cosmic exploration that anticipates the metaphysical themes later embraced by prog rock. “I See You” — Features early 12‑string psychedelic soloing that feels surprisingly modern. "Mr. Spaceman" A song about aliens? Extra star. Fifth Dimension is the moment The Byrds stopped being just folk‑rock pioneers and became architects of the psychedelic and progressive sensibility. The album’s modal guitar work, genre fusion, and cosmic lyricism didn’t just influence their contemporaries—they helped sketch the blueprint that bands like Pink Floyd and Rush would later expand into entire musical worlds.
With the loss of Gene Clark early in the album’s incubation, despite the efforts of the remaining Byrds, Fifth Dimension has a transitional feel notwithstanding some major innovations. They do get some pretty serious psyche work in and push the envelope of what is acceptable in a pop group making actual chart hits, but there are too many “will this do?” moments masquerading as quirkiness. They are an important group that made impressive albums, both before and after this one, but Fifth Dimension feels like a dip to me.
Meh
Think I’ve already had on Byrds album and didn’t feel too impressed by it and the way this one is starting, it’s looking like a similar experience. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but nothing special either. Very of its time and 60s jangley guitar vibes. Like many, a kind of knock of Beatles that don’t do it anywhere near as well and doesn’t really get me excited. Some welcome psychedelia later on but probably still looking like a 3.5
This was all over the place. Some earlier tracks on the album (I See You, I Come and Stand at Every Door) never seemed to reach a resolution. Eight Miles High is the most famous song on this album, and it's dreamy and cryptic. "Why" is decent, and I enjoyed Psychodrama City.
Sounds decent and consistent, not much of a lasting impression
I might have enjoyed the album more if I had more time to dedicate to it, but ultimately didn’t take anything away or dig much more into the album or band besides some one sided commentary from the members provided at the end of the Spotify album.
Old school psychadelia. Good for what bit was at the time
One or two classics, but quite a bit of what we'd later call "filler." Pleasant listen, though.
eight miles high is underwhelming 3/5
For me, this was like if Simon and Garfunkel decided to make more energetic songs. There wasn't anything that was necessarily amazing or terrible with this album, it just didn't do anything for me.
C’est beau là les byrds
Nice album. Enjoyed the instrumental parts.
7.5 / 10
Byrd up
Cruisy listening Fave track: Eight Miles High
Is this the Americans attempt at ripping off the Beatles or something? Inoffensive and a bit bland. 2.5/5
Not too bad, 8 Miles High is probably the best, Hey Joe is disappointing.
No. 122 This is alright - nice album but nothing really stood out.
Four days ago, as part of this challenge, I listened to Sweetheart of the Rodeo. I thought it was terrible. So when Fifth Dimension came up next, I wasn’t exactly excited. Thankfully, this is a completely different listen. Gone is the heavy country and overt Christian folk feel. Instead, this album leans into psychedelic rock and jangly pop and it’s far more interesting for it. It feels adventurous, colourful, and much more in line with the mid-60s experimentation that makes that era so compelling. There’s a real sense of lift to the record. The melodies are strong sometimes dreamy, sometimes slightly trippy and you can almost feel that “being on a trip” atmosphere running through it. Lyrically, it’s often soppy and lovey-dovey, but in a way that suits the shimmering, spacey sound. Favourite tracks: “What’s Happening?!?!” is a great song, full of energy and hooks. “Fifth Dimension” captures that psychedelic edge perfectly, and “Wild Mountain Thyme” (listed here as “Wild Mountain Theme”) adds a softer, folk-tinged moment that actually works far better in this context. Least favourite tracks: None really, every song is worth a listen. Album artwork: Pure psychedelia. Bold, strange, and very much of its time Overall: A pleasant surprise. Inventive, melodic, and far more enjoyable than I expected. This is The Byrds leaning into psych rock rather than country / folk and it suits them.
01) 5D (Fifth Dimension) - 6,5 02) Wild Mountain Thyme - 7,0 03) Mr. Spaceman - 8,0 04) I See You - 6,5 05) What's Happening?!?! - 6,5 06) I Come and Stand at Every Door - 6,0 07) Eight Miles High - 7,0 08) Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go) - 6,5 09) Captain Soul - 7,0 10) John Riley - 7,0 11) 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song) - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,73 (67/100) Current ranking: 543/836
Thoroughly middle tier. Not bad, just not interesting (to me). A 3 overvalues but a 2 is too low.
Fine classic rock
Learning i kind of hate the Byrds, one or 2 ok songs per album, otherwise this is bad
Kinda boring old 60s rock album but it definitely has some highlights like Eight Miles High so it ends up just being okay
All these songs sound the same.
Good, but kinda samey
the sort of album where nothing i hear sticks in my brain for more than about ten seconds. it sure is hippie music (value-neutral)
When I hear a description of "psychedelic", I expect more weird sounds going on, but this didn't come across like that. I thought it was easy-listening rock music with a folk feel, catchy and pretty accessible. I didn't mind the listen.
The song writing here is enjoyable, and the vocal performance and especially the harmonies are really lovely, but nothing really sticks with me specifically. Also of note is that the mixing on the instrumental layers of the tracks feels really muddy, even considering the era this was recorded in, and not in an intentional way. Maybe I need to reframe the way I'm listening to the tracks but it does take me out of the experience a bit. Fav Track: 1: 5D (Fifth Dimension) Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3
Психодел тех лет, интересная обёртка текста, но в исполнении это не так чувствуется. Напомнило дебютный альбом Pink Floyd, вышедший примерно в тоже время, поэтому есть с чем сравнивать. Некоторые песни содержат в себе интересные формулировки, но не более
Groovy baby, yeah!
3.5
maybe i was just having a bad day but i think it's pretty unremarkable. like B-grade Vietnam period piece ambience. not unenjoyable, and there are a couple of really neat songs to help tide you along. the Hey Joe cover was sick
Rating: 7/10 It’s a fine 60’s folky rock album, would go as far as saying it’s “pretty good”. Wait, these guys were doing this in 1965? You know what, this is great! The A side is an all around good time, the opening track being the highlight, an Eight Miles High should go into 60’s playlists for sure. Then we get to hear Hey Joe again, and I was into the groove of Captain Soul. Maybe it’s not quite a 4 for me right now, but this could be an actually cool Beatles-esque band to get into
Decent cowbell jangle, even better when putting it in the "released in the 60s" category. Good enough sound to have me like it, but not deep enough to get me to listen to it again 5.3/10
not bad
3.0 - Ok
3 Stars (8/15)
I’ve grown to respect the Byrds a lot more, there’s usually a few songs I enjoy even on my least favorite albums of theirs. This is one of my least favorite from them however. Even then they do tackle unexpected topics in their lyrics. Decent enough, but does feel like one or two too many of theirs on the list. Overall, it’s a pretty consistent record with the back half being a bit better than the front. Rating: 3.3
I get why The Byrds are important and influential but they’ve never been a favorite of mine. And do they really need five albums on this list? This one was pretty good though. Favorites were Mr. Spaceman, What’s Happening?, Eight Miles High, and Hey Joe.
Unremarkable but inoffensive.
Enjoyable album. Outside of Turn Turn Turn and Mr Tambourine Man, I'm not too familiar with their back catalog. This definitely utilized stereo production as drums were on one side and guitars on the other.
Mostly this album is solid. The Lear jet song is awful, though.
Ambient moody good bit of 60s 👍
First Byrds album I've liked as they develop a psychedelic sound.
I see how this was inspirational, but it’s just ok now. Also it sounds like this was recorded on a potato. Extremely bad levels.
Good time!
That went by quickly. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing lol
Schönes Lieder
1/26/2026. I need no fruit, I need no rice. I need no sweets nor even bread. I ask for nothing for myself. For I am dead, for I am dead. 6/10
I think I was expecting more. Nothing bad, but nothing that stood out.
More psychadelic rock that I will easily pass on. Its not awful, just tired. Wild Mountain Thyme was my favorite here, but I think only because I recognized the cover they play in Sinners. Outside that its your basic "only vibes here, man" music.
Pretty bog standard psychedelic rock. I don’t think I even really dug this at my most weed smokiest
1966. A nice hippie album that captures the essence of the 60s
Phsycedlic folk rock. British invasion era Beatles, Dylan and Simon and Garfunkle somehow mashed together but less than the sum of its parts. Not sure I'd listen again but think I've a few other Byrds albums to go. 3 out of 5
This pretty much passed me by on my first listen. Usually I wouldn't bother with a second but i'd have had nothing to say about it otherwise. Second listen and I still don;t have much to say. It was fine, a generally non-distinct album from other similar artists of the time, Eight Miles High being the only track that stood out in any real way
Nothing super memorable - it had classic 60s sound but with a few instrumental tracks.
This album definitely makes me think 60s. I've heard of The Byrds but never listened to them. I enjoyed this album.
A very pleasant psych album. Not exactly groundbreaking, but straightforward and unpretentious, with a sweet and soothing vibe that just made me happy to be alive. But maybe I was in the right mood today. Compared to other drug-fueled projects from the same time period, the psychedelic aspect is quite discreet, you don't need LSD to enjoy it (although it would certainly enhance the experience). While I really think there's far too many Byrds albums on this list, I'll also admit that the 3 records I've listened so far are different enough from one another to avoid feeling too repetitive. It's a bit unfair that the Byrds were so massively forgotten after the 70s. 6/10
I don’t know why I started this record with such a strong negative bias, but I did. I’m still not sure it really deserves to be called an essential or to sit so high on this list. Still, on a quick morning listen, it goes down pretty easily. Nothing feels over the top. The melodies on 5D, What’s Happening?, and Eight Miles High are genuinely nice. Even the psychedelic and raga parts are well blended and actually help the songs. For once, the album feels fairly coherent … and clearly less boring than their other records we’ve had to endure. The slight Dylan touch doesn’t ruin the mood. The problem is that I can already feel this enthusiasm won’t last.
This list really should have allowed hits collections, some are absolutely essential and iconic. The Byrds Greatest Hits is one of those. A prime example of a band best represented by a collection, not any one record. And certainly not this one. Eight Miles High is the standout and it really does stand out. It's a phenomenal track amongst a lot of middling psychedelia and folk rock. It's all fine, hey I love the Byrds, so even their meh stuff is fun listening. But this is decidedly inessential
6/10 Favourite: Hey Mr. Spaceman Least Favourite: Wild Mountain Theme
*1966. *I always forget who's in the The Byrds - it's David Crosby. *Sounds very much like CSN&Y, which I dig. Although every song also sounds like Turn, Turn, Turn... *Enjoyed it, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen. RATING - 6.5/10
Ganz gut ohne besonders aufzufallen.
Ein großes Nichts: Nichts Positives und nichts Negatives fällt mir dazu ein.
Es ist irgendwie an mir vorbeigerauscht ohne viel Eindruck zu machen. Weder war da was schlechtes dran noch was was mich mitgerissen hat. 2,5 Punkte aber aufgerundet dann 3
Finally an album I'd consider listening to again. A good example of early-ish psychedelia. I liked that all of the songs were quick so they didn't drag on. 2-4-2 Fox Trot was odd. Never realized GD's I Know You Rider was a cover, but apparently it goes back even further than this version. 6.25/10 (3.125/5)
This album was ok but doesn’t inspire me enough to listen again really. I wouldn’t say there was any stand out tracks, obviously Eight Miles High is well known but I’d say that Wild Mountain Thyme is better. Concerning the Byrds as a band, maybe a best of is the best bet on this occasion, just cut the unnecessary chaff.
I mean, interesting and folk straight from the heart... but they are just a little whiny and too melodic. I get the pioneering and experimental heart that gave license to the Doors and others to push further, but still just a 3 for me.
This is fine. Bit boring in parts, but odd in other, overall … fine.
Very brief but fun album to listen to, full of the charm of the mid-late 60’s. Highlights for me are I See You and 8 Miles High. 3.5
Soothing...
2.5
Eight Miles High might be the song with the most perplexing difference in historical impact / song impact: banned from the radio for drug implications. supposedly the start of psychedelic rock. inspired interest in electric 12 string guitar. have listened so many times and found nothing to note about it. with so many Byrds inclusions you'd think I'd have a better understanding of the Byrds chronology & which times they were any good. I think I'm more confused than ever. congratulations Byrds on your very first album without Bob Dylan covers! you can do it! wait then they chickened out & named their next album after a Dylan lyric. see why this is confusing anyway this was alright. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
I’m running out of things to say about The Byrds. Rounding this up because I’ve given them three 2⭐️s already, and they’re better than a 2⭐️ band, and I did like this one a bit better than others. But come on there can’t possibly be five essential Byrds albums right
I wasn’t privy to this Byrds record, with the exception of Eight Miles High, because of Hüsker Dü. I liked about 90% of the songs alright, but I think they used too much 12 string electric. Still folksy, but edging on psychedelia.
Pretty Hippy Dippy, but it had its moments.
(3.4) 1.) Eight miles high 2.) Wild Mountain thyme 3.) Psychodrama city
I assume this is a pretty big landmark in popular psychedelia, but it doesn't do a lot for me. I don't hate it, though, it's decent enough background music if you turn it down a bit.
164 Es como una copia acuenta de los Beatles.
2,7/5
Not sure this belongs on the list. Its… fine
Psychedelic Rock x Country Rock…. 2 genres I like separately somehow not living up to the sum of their parts. Still enjoyed it though.
Some bangers but overall way too long. Curation!
it was ok, quite pleasant
After a couple listens I still can't find any edge to this album. The vocals are pretty, the harmonies are nice and the instrumentation is pleasant. I'll never listen to any of these songs again. I'm going to prescribe myself a generous dose of Jimi Hendrix to try to erase that polka cover of Hey Joe from my memory and hopefully the rest of this album with it.
Jangly 60s guitar pop. A few good tunes, some a bit less interesting. I don't dig their version of Hey Joe, but Eight Miles High, What's Happening, Mr Spaceman and 5D are great. Prob just short of 4 stars for me
60’s folk. Not my thing but understand the musical aspect.
All these mid sixties psychedelic albums by bands with 3 good songs who all bought a harpsichord and a sitar sound the same to me.
Cool enough
The hits are great
Ok
The highlight of the album is obviously "Eight Miles High" but there are some other good psych rock songs on here like "Mr. Spaceman" and "Whats Happening???" The covers are kind of boring though "Hey Joe" is played in a kind of frantic garage style very different from the Jimi Hendrix one. Overall, there are too many throwaway songs like the last one about the Lear Jet. Why? Still, I love McGuinns Rickenbacker guitar and his distinctive style.
Maybe I'm just a bit fatigued with 60s psych folk since the generator seems to be churning them out a lot lately, but this one kind of washed over me. I didnt dislike anything, and it was cool to hear the Eight Miles High instrumentals, feel like they were definitely ahead of their time. As a whole though, didnt enjoy as much as the Notorious Byrd Brothers record
It was fine, slightly different enough from trying to be like the beatles for the 3
I haven’t had a particularly good run of albums recently. It’s been a long time since a 4. Too many 2’s and 3’s, of which this one sits smack bang in the middle, but I’ll round it up because I feel kind today. Very little about Fifth Dimension appealed to my senses.
Pas vraiment d’intérêt pour cet album.
Fifth Dimension certainly isn’t exactly what I was expecting from The Byrds, much more psychedelic. A mix a lot a stuff but still folky at its roots. A decent album. Still a poor’s man’s Beatles
I think I'm byrded out
The Byrds, I'm afraid, are super one dimensional. They've got some licks that are ahead of their time, but their harmonizing gets old. Wish they would cycle lead vocals some more like the Beatles.
Alright
Solid classic psych rock album. Favorite track: Eight Miles High
This wasn't my favorite album by The Byrds. I do like it, and I especially like how they were creating and pushing psychedelic music in 1966. This album definitely has those cool psych elements that really take off at the end of the decade and into the 70s. I love the Wild Mountain Thyme cover, (one of my favorite Scottish traditional folk songs) and the Hey Joe cover is also really cool. Overall, it didn't really take off for me though. I enjoyed it, but there's other cooler records by The Byrds.
This album is the reason I paused this project for so long. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t particularly good either — it’s ultimately forgettable. It blends in with so many other albums from the era. The guitars have a slightly janglier edge, and the vocal harmonies are a bit nicer than average, but that’s about it. Ninety-five percent of this list feels like an endless stretch of peace-and-love, vaguely interchangeable music made by boring white people, and you have to push through ten albums before you find something that actually feels worth the effort. I suppose I’m unpausing now, hoping the next record is one of the ones that makes it worthwhile.
Quick and energetic, but a bit generic. Not bad though.
Most experimental album. The first one without any song written by Bob Dylan.
I don’t have anything to say it’s fine
I didn't love it and again, I don't take drugs so can't appreciate it in full, but it was actually pretty good.
Solid album 👍
3.0
Another Byrds album that is lovely but not astounding. Vocal harmonies and stacking continue to be their strongest aspect. I liked this more than ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ and less than ‘Younger Than Yesterday’ so will rate accordingly.
The initial few tracks sounded boring to me and I was quite resistant to them - they're like bob dylan, but not so great. But then I started really digging it as the album went on. If I was stoned in 1970 this would be an all timer. But, as someone sober in 2025, it's mostly just an 'okay that's fine' type album.
A forward thinking album that has that quintessential mid-60s SoCal sound. The record sounds like early CSNY demos more than a cohesive album. Enjoyed hearing once, but probably won’t revisit, given there are much more polished records with this concept and sound.
Pretty basic album, nothing too compelling here.
Yes 👍
Good.
Pleasant. Not earth-shattering.
Favorite Track: Eight Miles High
Very very meat and potato. Decent But not the sort of thing that would blow you away. Wild Mountain Thyme is a wonderful wonderful cover. Hey Joe not so much
Very 60s album. A bit up and down but overall ok. Middle of the road.
Definitely not bad but not super memorable. Good old 60s stuff but not a standout for me
“Eight Miles High” is nice and good to hear again, “Hey Joe” was cool… didn’t realize they covered it! But mostly a cosmic shrug. Feels like an artifact from a world I wasn’t quite born into.
Fifth Dimension is the fifth Byrds record I've received from this list and a tame one at that; though those five records varied in style and genre, I'm not left convinced that all five were needed to express this band's cultural importance.
Quite liked this. Absolutely despised Mr. Spaceman though. I like the album art too.
enjoyed this a lot more than the other byrds album ive had. very high 3
7/10
Kind of replacement level psych rock, though they were early to the sound that defined the late 60s so they deserve credit for that. A very pleasant if slightly underwhelming listen.
There is nothing terrible on this album and Eight Miles High is an OK song. I don't know what it is about this style of music, I just don't like it very much. A big ol' meh of an album.
I like the Byrds but this is not my favorite
Surprisingly more enjoyable than my last experience with this band. I don't think it justifies 5 whole slots on a list like this, but I appreciate this one quite a bit. I really got into the energy, it was fun!