Fifth Dimension

Meh

So bored of psychodelic 60s rock. Pleasant enough but.. boring.

Just not for me, '8 Mile High' notwithstanding.

Highlights: "I See You," "What's Happening?" Not even close to their best album, but some trademarks are here. "I See You" and "What's Happening" are pretty prescient -- there are sounds of 90s alt and 00s "post-punk" here. The smooth vocals in dark harmonies are the strength of their performance. But then, everyone apparently remembers it for "Eight Miles High," which is embarrassing. It gets hyped as "inspired by Coltrane and Shankar," which means these guys are lucky they didn't get the pants sued off them for defamation after associating those names with some of the worst guitar solos ever made. The album has a lot of tonal whiplash, going from a song about UFOs to the perspective of a child ghost of Hiroshima to a minstrel show about murdering your girlfriend, where the common thread is extreme pretension and sloppy performance. Maybe the strangest decision is to resolutely avoid meter and rhyme in much of the lyricism! It's easy to read Zappa and Beefheart's future lampooning into some of the arch psychedelic daze here, which almost dignifies it. Almost. The modernized covers of songs they love are some of the best and most enduring. At their best, they've aged better for our times than their bigger contemporaries. It's the deliberate "boundary pushing" that is the weakest part of the album.

A bit dull

Pleasant enough psychadelia, nothing much to excite me.

This seems a bit of a mish-mash. Folk, psych, rock. Doesn't really hang together as an album. Eight Miles and Hey Joe are both great songs but the rest just jumped around too much. Am sure this was very innovative at the time, but it sounds dated now.

There's some great storytelling and imagery across the album. Plus also a little humour with Mr Spaceman. I suspect drugs were involved. It gets a little dark in places with I Stand at Every Door. That's best skipped if you haven't taken the happy pills in the morning. Hey Joe was interesting. A very mixed album. It's the type of record that needs your attention, rather than background music whilst you're working. Sadly I fell into the latter category this morning. I may come back and revisit.

Kohtuullisen tylsä levy jälleen. Voi heittää taustalle soimaan eikä kukaan häiriinny, mutta jos haluaa fiilistellä musaa niin tämä ei siihen sovi.

Nothing special to see here

Things moved fast in the 60's and this is one of those records where a good band is completely caught in a transition period, with the wrong personnel. You can hear elements of Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Gram is on the way, but not quite there), the mid sixties trippy psychedelia, some pretty ordinary B grade Rubber Soul knockoffs (I see you I See You), and some strange covers. What's wrong here? No Gene Clark is what's wrong, and it is no coincidence that he wrote and sang the absolute standout Eight Miles High. Gene was the star of this band, the songwriter and I'd think easily the best singer. Crosby, in all his various combos, is vastly overrated and it was no coincidence that McGuinn ditched him. McGuinn got it right booting old Davo, but blew it with Gene. It's that creative dysfunction that's influenced this record for the worst. Two stars for Eight Miles High.

Hmm. Not bad at first, but then the lead guitarist started sounding like he was stumbling over his own fingers. I gather (and can see why) this album is considered influential in the development of psychedelic rock, but it's not for me. Give me the smooth-flowing lines of their earlier music (and some of the more folky sounding tracks on this album) any day. 2.5 stars.

Who like this shit?

It's not harmful or anything; just doesn't do anything for me.

I liked this more than I liked other Byrds stuff. It was more vibey, a bit more convincing in its experimentation, and more interesting. Still kinda wishy washy. But I get it

"1960-luvun idea", siltä tää levy kuulosti

à mon oreille, les Byrds peinent à prendre leur envol

Adding David Crosby didn't do much here, except turn the Byrds into a poor man's CSNY. The most interesting part of the Byrds was how they always seemed to get incredible members and make boring music. Favorite track: "What's Happening?!?!?"

Meh.

En saa aivan vastausta siihen miksi juuri tämä levy on kuuntelemisen arvoinen! Tavallaan tässäkään ei oo mitään vikaa, mutta ei myöskään mitään järin ihmeellistä. 2/5

Second half was better, the version of Hey Joe was enjoyable. But overall is wasn't great.

Monotonous

Parce bem construido, gostei de uma musica "Captain Soul"

Sus arpegios discordantes son interesantes al inicio pero después de 4-5 canciones son medio hartantes. Fuera de eso nada me pareció que sobresaliera. What's Happening es la mejor

One of the more forgettable Byrds albums, nothing much here to distinguish it from the other run-of-the-mill guitar-driven 60s albums. Some melodic flavor here and there, but again nothing to write home about.

Good sound, but couldn't really get into the album.

The good thing about this album is its brevity. Key songwriter Gene Clark's departure from the group prior to this album is evident by the rambling inconsistent songwriting. It appears that when a song got complicated in the writing process, they decided to stop right where the problem occurred. The supposed influence of psychedelic rock this album is purported to carry is a bit of a stretch in my book. The only thing that puts this album on a must listen list is that you can see what happens to a group that loses it's motivation and of course, without a single Bob Dylan cover to carry them, only 8 Miles High (a subpar song at best) is the lone standout.

Not my cup of tea. Just came off a bit too dated for my modern ears. Songs I did like were: Mr. Spaceman, What's Happening?!?!, Eight Miles High, John Riley, Why, and I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider).

Just about as 60s as you can get. It gets very samey very quickly, by halfway through I was willing it to end. It's not that it's bad, it's just repetitive and really loses its way quite early on.

Larry Byrds are boring to me... Zzzzzzzzzzz

Bit too trippy an experimental, seemed to be trying everything possible and while that's commendable a good album it does not make

On paper The Byrds could have been designed specifically to tick all my favourite jangly, folky, Americana musical boxes. In reality, every time I listen to them I just… don’t get it?

The is a little sugar on this album and thats Eight Miles High which is a track you need to here before you die. The rest of the album is very dated and at times drags you down a folksy psychedelic black hole. I also like the Trad Scots/Irish song Wild Mountain Thyme but it is not as well done as The Silencers or Corries versions. Also Hey Joe is Naw Joe! My least fav to date

Solid from beginning to end but no YES! songs so it falls flat. Just come up forgettable.

Snooze

Hey Joe was great, interesting album but overall not for me

First album I have heard after a long Thanksgiving break (long, but much needed!). Unfortunately, I do not have a ton to say about this one. I enjoyed the initial listen, but I didn't feel myself immediately impressed. It reminded me of a more upbeat/British invasion version of Simon and Garfunkel, but I don't think it ever hit the heights of either that genre or that group. I thought the guitar work was poor overall which is never a good thing, and I felt like I was listening to the album on shuffle as the track order did not seem very cohesive (2-4-2 Fox Trot should not be a closer). However, some parts were catchy, and the vocals were pretty strong so it could have been a lot worse. 2.5/5. NOTE: I had no idea that David Crosby was the singer for this group. Now the folk connection I made makes a lot more sense!

Hippies

A handful of great tunes does not a great album make. Eight Miles High, the big hit, has much to recommend it: thoughtful lyrics, a memorable tune, and Indian influences, although Roger McGuin's 12 string guitar solos haven't aged well. The rollicking Mr. Spaceman is genuinely funny and makes great use of country conventions. Best of all is the title track, with its moving description of a psychedelic epiphany and relentless structural momentum. And of course, the harmonies are gorgeous throughout. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is filler or worse. Wild Mountain Thyme, John Riley, I Come And Stand At Every Door are pleasant enough but forgettable folk-rock. I See You is a lesser attempt at the psychedelia of Eight Miles High. 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song) and the instrumental Captain Soul are throwaways. The country-tinged cover of Hey Joe falls completely flat, verging on self-parody. Worst of all is the cringy What's Happening?!?!, a pompous and condescending screed from David Crosby. Why anyone considers Fifth Dimension a classic is beyond me. Maybe people are seduced by the well-known hits and overlook the rest. I dunno.

Скучная монотонная нудятина по инструменты, в основном гитара.

Safety first. There was some Competent Musicianship, and some Solid Songwriting, but nothing that stood out one way or the other, save the impossibly mawkish I Come and Stand at Every Door - and that for the wrong reasons. All told, it sounded like how I imagine 60s music to sound when I’m asked to imagine it (not that often, weirdly!) which either indicates influence or cliche. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

This is when I finally got over to the west side of "the island". My kinda territory. Freshwater, Totland Bay, Tennyson Down, Headon Warren. Sumptuous. Drove along the famed Military Road and gobbled up the sights. Rocked Modern Vampires of the City and Sgt. Peppers in the car. Distant cousins in the way they make excessive studio clowning signify. The Byrds can only dream.

Not my thing im afraid

easy to listen, hard to adore

Respect to psychedelic rock and the influences it’s had on future artists but this just wasn’t for me.

not my genre

Interesting. Don't know if it was groundbreaking. Quite eclectic.

16th July 2021 Listened on the phone in the morning of a very sunny Friday. Not bad but quite forgettable sadly.

Kinda psychedeliccy, kinda Rock & Roll, but quite soft for what I expected. Still alright, a few ok songs off there but not really my thing.

fairly generic 60s band music. there are no hidden gems in this one.

A little bit before my time….was 8 years old but remember 8 miles high

ug... this is going to be painful. its fine. aggressively fine. still two stars at best though. IDK why it rubs me the wrong way so much.

first song sounds terrible -- very 60's/hippie/blecchh I think they have a couple of pop-y tunes, so maybe they can get a 2. I'll be shocked if they earn a 3, and not surprised if it's only a 1.

It probably did sound like the 5th dimension in 1966 with elements of experimental chamber psych, but in 2021, it sounds very 2D. Pleasant enough...you can hear the lads have had some lsd and are trying something different here, but it wasn't anything that piqued my interest for too long.

5.5

the byrds are what we thought they were. if i wanted some annoying 70s psychadelia, i'd love it.

Leppoisaa 60-luvun hipahtavaa musaa. Vähän surffi-/avaruusrautalankaa. Levy tuli kuunneltua pariin kertaan taustamusiikkina, jäi aika hajuttomaksi ja mauttomaksi lätyksi.

Another fairly boring one.

nothing special.

I still like the jangle and there's some good songs on here. Still very uneven. Hey Joe is terrible

Cool, another band that tried LSD and realized they could make music. I'm really trying hard to come up with new creative ways of saying "this shouldn't be on this list, why do I have to listen to these" but it's Monday so the juices aren't flowing yet. I had this on in the background while I was working and it was relaxing but nothing to write home about.

Some cool psychedelic stuff in the beginning but mostly forgettable in the second half

The most generic 60s rock ever. I’ll give it this: it makes me appreciate the Beatles a lot more.

eh

The music was... fine, but nothing stood out as remarkable. Currently trying to figure out whether I am more baffled by "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)" or "2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)". Recommended season: Spring

An important step in rock and roll that's not for me.

nice vocal harmonies. in the second half it sort of looses focus. the first couple of songs are good: 5D and spaceman

Dit was wel prima maar niet geweldig

Debby downer shit en gitaar gepingel

Another big fat NO for the band. Eight Miles High may be the only song I might consider saying that I enjoyed, mostly for the solo.

Perus kitararallattelua. Pidin enemmän aiemmasta Byrdsin levystä jossa oli vahvemmin Country-meiningit pääosassa. Taustamusiikkina meni ihan ok (paitsi se lentokoneturbiinibiisi), mutta eipä tätä jaksanut kauhean tarkasti kuunnella. Tylsiä biisejä joissa oli mukana typeriä kikkailuelementtejä. Jos edellinen Byrds sai kakkosen, ei tämä ainakaan yhtään enempää ansaitse.

not for me. not yesterday.

Not a huge fan. Appreciate it. Would not listen straight through again

Meh, a few decent moments in there but very messy and often unpleasant. An ugly cross between Simon and Garfunkel and the Beatles

nja

Tråkigt.

1/7 Wasn't feeling the mix on this one. Standout Tracks: 5D, Wild Mountain Thyme

I really liked Why and Mr. Spaceman, but the album has very little replay value for me. Supposedly this band was the answer to The Beatles, and I can kind of see similarities. They are definitely more country-rock though.

can't finish, garbage

This is like the 3rd Byrds record I’ve gotten. They all suck.

Country is not really my style. This album isn't bad per se but i felt pretty bored while listening to it.

The interview was neat, and Eight Miles High was kinda nice. As a whole, whoever, the album was extremely uninspired (ironically) and wholly boring. Sad to say, but this is a 2 for me at best, but right now it feels like a 1.

yay, another 60's album... It may be the fact that I'm really tired of the 60s sound at this point, but this album just bored me the whole way through. Not saying it's bad, but being unentertaining is worse than bad. I spotted nothing I could take from this record.

this album feels like a wannabe-Beatles album. something that is good, because it’s reminiscent of something great. in my opinion, this one could be phased out against the test of time.

lame

unfortuneatley another low score. not bad just not my cup of tea

einmal mehr byrds - einmal mehr furchtbar.

This shit sucks. If I had NOT heard this before dying I definitely would have been better off. 100% shows the shitty bias of the list - this group has 5 albums on this list. And OMG that guitar work is so bad.

Found this very tedious tbh. Hey Joe was ok.

Pretty mid honestly. Off brand Beatles sound.

There's good psychedelic music out there, but this ain't it. It's so boring and not even pretty to justify how boring it is.

Beatles v2 olmuş azıcık

There is no list this should exist on

Didn’t listen

Slow slow slow

1. dimenzion - 1 2. mountain - 1 3. zpaceman - 1 4. zee - 1 5. happening - 1 6. door - 1 7. Eight - 1.5 8. Joe - 1 9. Soul - 1.5 10. John -1 11. Fox - 1.5 12. Why - 1 13. Rider - 1 14. City - 1

Not a fan.

Don't like it.

couple good ones

This is not my bag, man. Made me think maybe I should have given De La Soul four stars. There's just nothing interesting about this. I listened on my open-ear headphones while walking the dog, and I literally tuned it out. The sound of traffic, roofers, and ACTUAL birds was more engaging.

Knew from the first song I was going to hate it Got four more albums from these wankers to look forward to

Just cannot give a shit about this. Boomer slop

Of all the albums I’ve listened to so far, this definitely the most boring. I don’t get the “psychedelic” label as nothing about this is trippy or even remotely interesting. It was truly a drag to get through this. I didn’t even want it as background noise, but atlas, I made it through. I don’t know why this is recommended as a must listen… I wasn’t familiar with The Byrds before this and I’m 10000% certain I could’ve gone the rest of my days without ever hearing this. I’d be fine..

Country.

This is what people who rated Abbey Road a 1 heard when they put on their headphones. Not their fault. 1

Eight miles high and what’s happening stand out.

I hate this type of music. I tried, but just couldn't.

ass

After 3 songs, which I didn't even listen to in full, I'd had enough. No, I don't need to hear any more of the Byrds. 1/5

One strong single and the rest filler does not make a good album, let alone one for this 1001 list.

Boring

хрень

Did not listen

Mediocre Psychedelic Rock.

Yeah nah

Worse than the Beatles. I briefly got excited thinking this was a Fifth Dimension album. Then I saw it was the fucking birds. The absolute worst Beatles wannabe band.

I've decided I don't like the birds, and their version of "hey Joe" takes all the soul and feeling from the song, and just kinda forgets about it. And 16 minutes of some interview of them at the end of the album? Totally unnecessary.

Fuck the Byrds

Short songs. All sound the same. None ever go anywhere. Trudgery.

I despise hippie psychedelic (psycho) folk music, gosh NO MORE. I'd rather listen to white noise sounds seriosuly. This is like some MKUltra shit type of music to activate the psycopaths like Ted Bundy, the Zodiac Killer and Jeffrey Dahmer. Disturbing horrible low vibrating garbage music.

"Eight Miles High" is an all-time classic for me. The rest of this was a mess. This would get 3 or 4 more stars if I had listened to this while stoned out of my gourd. But I'm not, so it didn't.

i hate folk

Some of the psychadelic tracks aren't bad but I found most of this pretty hard to listen to. It doesn't seem to have any cohesive genre or theme either, crossing folk, rock, country, psych rock and what seems to be an ad for private jets. It veers between too experimental and too boring with very little in between.

If anyone wasn’t high and/or tripping while making this album I’d be shocked.

Before listening: Ugh, I hope I can get through this. Three songs in: No, No, No, I do not approve. Boring, folky, psychedalia Six songs in: Hell no, did not get better. I don't like the lyrics, the vocals, just no. Full album: Thankfully, I never have to listen to that ever again.

Too folk, too country 2/10

Meh weird folk is still folk and it sucks

The American Beatles?! No way. Yuck.

1

Since it's not a genre I enjoy, it's kinda of a slog to get through. By most accounts it's quite the piece inasfar as this kinda music goes. It sounds exactly like you'd expect I suppose. It's not bad, it's just not anything I'd be inclined to visit or revisit. It's a bit disheartening to read there's another 4 albums by this band on the list. I hope the logarithm gives me something that isn't 60s rock or British pop.

Would seriously love to talk to the author of this list and find out what the reasoning behind a lot of his choices were.

The random guitar notes that have no point annoy the shit out of me.

Þessi gerir ekkert fyrir mig.

Ugh. Really wasn't enjoying this and then got to their version of 'Hey Joe,' wondering if they could at least equal Hendrix or the Lee Moses version. But no. Seriously no.

Psychedelic rock again #499

Can see why people like it. Not for me

Not my favorite. Too folksy.

down are way the birds are singing down are way the birds are minging - liam gallagher

Awful.

Tan aburrido como el country.

I feel like Tippi Hedren

Fuck the Byrds. Terrible. I'm not listening to any more if they come up

Previously I complained how the Joan Armatrading album was some really boring and repetative jam. It still is, but Id rather listen to her entire discography 10 times in a row, rather than hear another The Byrds album, which is soulcrushing, as I know there are like 4 more of their shit here? Its an offensive album that doesnt respect its listener. I couldnt care less about how influental it was then, but now it just wastes your time. There might be an interesting song idea in a song, but it is never developed, its just the same shit repeated over an over again, sometimes with a fucking jet engine roaring into your ear. The "psychedelic" part of the album remind me of when I begun learning guitar, and discovered I can make funny and random noises with it. Well these guys made an entire fucking album out of this. And its not good. Its random, but it doesnt sound like the guy can even play guitar properly. God I wish I could turn back time to never hear this shit again. I recommend anyone who stumbles onto this to listen to something good, like Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It. Actually a good album.

boring hippy stuff

also glad its over

No

Just…meh. 1/5

The Byrds suck. Sorry.

Zzzzzzzzzzz. I’m sure this is someone’s favourite album. Just not for me.

Bland. Seemed to steal heavily from Bob Dylan. Will not revisit.

Unremarkable

Psychedelic. Felt very Beatles-like. Not really my thing.

Tämä tuntuu pakkopullalta. Levy on tyyliltään huonolla tavalla folkkia: yksinkertaisen ja tarttuvan sijaan vaikeasti avautuvan genretietoista. Ja vaikka teoriassa on ollut oikea päätös jättää Dylan-biisit pois lp:ltä nro 3, käytännössä niitä olisi tarvittu enemmän kuin koskaan.

4th Byrds album pushed at me here. Someone must have a crush on this band. As for me, I certainly don't share the sentiment. As with the previous 3 cases, this album is a bore-fest.

Pros: After the third track, the lead guitar playing gets kind of weird and experimental in both tone and melody. I like that. Cons: - It feels a little... kitsch-y to me? Listening to the third track, Mr. Spaceman, sounds like some faux classic rock music? Like something Tim and Eric would make in order to make fun of classic rock?... - I kind of felt bored by it and I don't really have a great reason for it being on this list.

Too sing songy. Like a children's kid bopz album. 9 people harmonizing the entire song. I know that's their thing, and hey, I think those kid bopz albums sell too. But I'm not a customer.

ну такое

I have no idea why you would start an album with this song. If I was going off of this song alone it’s a one star. I was thinking to myself during the 2nd song what do people do while listening to this? Drive down a dirt road? And then was immediately jarred by Mr. Spaceman. - Ending edit: I didn’t make it all the way through this album and have decided not to try.

Fuck. No. So continues my hate affair with anything Crosby, Stills, or Nash-ish.

Not sure this one has aged that well - except for Eight Miles High - it was probably quite new and different in 1966!