Younger Than Yesterday

Enjoyable but found it to be a novelty more than anything else. Not a bad album, but it doesn't really appeal to my tastes. This generator needs to give me some new stuff because this is the 2nd Byrds album this week. Everybody's Been Burned was my fav song anf first listen of the album.

A snooze. The best song on there is the one written by the acclaimed Dylan and their version stinks compared to his. YAWWWWN.

I liked this so much more than Sweethearts of the Rodeo, which veered too far into country for my taste. I enjoy some psychedelic pop, and while I tend to find the sitar-obsession of the era rather wearying, the workaround with backwards guitars on this record are fresh enough to maintain my interest. What really works on this album are the McCartney-eque melodies on Chris Hillman's songs, like "Have You Seen Her Face." It's short, and generic at times, but in its best moments, it sparkles.

not the biggest fan of country, but it was a lovely listen for a sunny, happy morning. felt like a bird doing a dance. My Back Pages was especially lovely. (3.6/5)

I do believe that I have mentioned it before, maybe multiple times, but The Byrds have ten albums on the site. 5 albums as The Byrds themselves, and 5 solo albums with each of the band members. I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t impressive that all of them went on to have successful careers, but I also won’t lie to you and tell you that I’m happy that I have to get through 10 of them. If you remove 4 of these Byrds albums and instead replace them with a more deserving band, that would be pretty sick. This is my 6th The Byrds related album, the second one that’s actually The Byrds, and I’ve gotta say each and every one of these albums just sounds the exact same. Just one of a thousand albums that remind me of why The Beatles are as prominent as they are, even today. It’s tough not mentioning how similar both bands sound, and for the rest of this project I should do my damndest not to mention that the 60’s and early 70’s were a hellscape of bands trying to copy that exact same sound. Some of them are pretty good. Not this one, but some of them. This is a solid 3.4 out of 5. It’s got some truly bizarre songs with annoying background noise mixed in, and I never want to hear “C.T.A. - 102” ever again because of the piped in alien sound effects at the end. But for how much this album annoys me, it does have “My Back Pages”, which is probably the very first The Byrds song I’ve recognized in the 6 albums of theirs I’ve now listened to. And on an album where it’s difficult for me to pick out a favorite, I’m going to give it to that one as a default. That seems pretty fair to me. It’s my favorite since I recognize it. There are moments on this album where I found enjoyment. It’s more good than it is bad. I’m sure this was fundamental and important music for the time (Count how many reviews I’ve used that line in), but it’s fairly average listening to today. Not bad, far from being bad, but just a little bit of a chore to get through, most certainly. Still though, it’s alright. Neither the best, nor the worst The Byrds album on the list, but bonus points for having something I’ve actually heard of before. That’s always fun.

Good

I like this record, out of all the Byrds Dylan covers, My Back Pages might be the pick of the lot, a beautiful version. Nice opener and Why is a super closer to this album, but Everybody Has Been Burned is probably my favourite song here. Mind Gardens fits the time but not sure it's aged that well. Have You seen Her Face, Time Between and the Girl with No Name point to the direction that the band would take on Sweetheart. An album from a great 60s pop band. 8/10

Неплохой альбом, но чего-то в нем не хватает. Может быть какой-то яркой песни, потому что на пластинке нет того, что бы меня зацепило

Lite ett album i mängden iför denna genre. Det var väl bra men jag kommer ha glömt det snabbt. Stark trea.

”Everybody’s been burned” är riktigt fin. Rätt stark 3a

Inte riktigt lika bra som Dino Danelli och company, men fortfarande en rätt nice platta. Stark trea!

Stark trea. Bra låtar

Just kinda meh. Had some cool tracks but nothing special.

1967 -- 4th studio album -- Rock folk / rock / psychedelic rock / country rock / raga rock -- overlooked at the time but amassed critical acclaim through the years; now considered one of their best albums; had gotten to #1 with covers of Dylan "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Seeger "Turn, Turn, Turn;" David Crosby's home band; at the time of recording their main songwriter and producer had left; Chris Hillman stepped up to write and lead vocal; Crosby and McGuinn also wrote quite a bit. CTA - 102 FUCKED ME UP, what was going on there? "McGuinn and Crosby's songs, written both separately and together, represented an expansion of the jazz influences and psychedelia that had been featured heavily on the band's previous album. The song "C.T.A.-102", named after the CTA-102 quasar and written by McGuinn and his science-fiction-minded friend Bob Hippard, was a whimsical, but ultimately serious song that speculated on the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life." The edge of psychedelic, is not my bag. I just have a hard time enjoying it. Something about the tones, and often it feels so flat to me. This also had a lot going on with quirky synthesized sound that ultimately didn't add much to the listening experience for me (thinking of "Thoughts and Words" here). It is Beatles-esque without the benefit of being the Beatles. "Mind Gardens" is VERY very very Tim Buckley (active '66-'75) "I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain" from Goodbye and Hello, 1967.

Were The Byrds that influential that we need to hear about seventeen of their albums out of the 1001? They do the jangly thing really well with lots of nice harmonies but I feel like it's all a bit formulaic. When they eventually got a bit more bold and experimental on Notorious... I thought they were brilliant. But I didn't like their country album, and the rest of the jingle jangle stuff all sort of merges into one. I'm glad they sort of spread their wings and some ended up contributing to other albums that I really enjoyed (Manassas, CSNY, various solo stuff...) because it feels like they hit the limits of what they were doing with the original lineup.

I don’t know, I don’t see it. Too many albums from this era without much daylight between them.

What an interesting ride. Same era as the Beatles and these guys are practically just as enjoyable. I knew a couple of songs on here but I don't think I've ever heard this album before. 4 stars.

Track By Track So You Want To Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star - Sounds very of the time, like bands like the Animals, or The Zombies. With those harmonies and that kind of open ‘60s sound. This was nice, had a good lilt and movement to it. Enjoyed the bass. It’s like it’s a recorded song but also simulating live with those screams in the background. Have You Seen Her Face - This one reminded me of the Kinks, in their slightly alternative ‘60s style. There a mystery in the chords and harmonies, a sort of magic, psychedelic high permeating it. Great guitar solos & the harmonies are pleasant. C.T.A - 102) - This is like a nice vignette of a song. It’s got a good driving rhythm to it. A fun jaunt. A strange ending, with the kooky vocal! Renaissance Fair (Single Version) - Liking the guitar in this a lot. I like this little snippet of song. Time Between - Liked the pace of this song. Bit more of a country influence I can hear. You could drive to this song. Everybody’s Been Burned - This is an interesting shift. It’s got that James Bond mystery happening as well as that very open ‘60s sound. I can picture a haze in the air and this being played in the summertime, with blue skies layered with wisps of cloud. Thoughts and Words - This seems to define what a lot of this album is about. Meaning the title as well as its sound. The album’s a collection of short and sweet songs and ideas, coming together in a kaleidoscopic reverie. This particular one has a relaxed, laid back beat and feel. I can also really hear the Beatles’ influence on this song, particularly albums like Rubber Soul and Revolver. Mind Gardens - Much more psychedelic. Can hear Hendrix in this actually. Nice Shakespeare reference. Cool tune. Going into experimentation on this one which I like. A nice switch up. My Back Pages - This was really nice and a great chorus with the harmonies. Lovely solo too. It just works. They’ve elevated Dylan’s piece well, even though I still slightly prefer his stripped back version i think. The Girl With No Name - This also reminds me of the Zombies a little, with its sensibility and its portrait of somebody in a neat tune. Great soloing, just enough. Sparse and smart. Why - I do like the chord progression that keeps building up the scale. It has an immediate effect of lifting and gives the song movement and variety. Very nice :) In the guitar, I can hear hints of Velvet Underground. It Happens Each Day - A slow, slightly smoky number. Hazy. Don’t Make Waves (Single Version) - A great little tune that is a little reminiscent of Beach Boys in its harmonies and jubilant lilt and gait. Fun, even though it wasn’t a big stand out for me. My Back Pages - I’m not sure why this is on the record twice, but it’s nice to hear it again. Think this version sounds a little different? Maybe more organ? Not sure. Mind Gardens - Apt title, I realised, given the psychedelic feel of it. It’s like a little story, takes you in. Lady Friend (Single Version) - A nice return to a more jovial vibe. It’s a nice penultimate one (aware this is the deluxe bonus track version but hey). Good jangly guitars going on. Fun rhythms. Old John Robertson (Single Version) - Again, like the rhythm. It’s a little Dylan-esque in its subject matter or structure, but with a more upbeat, sort of early-ish Kinks feel. Quite like the string breaks. Nice psychedelic ending (or is that a different song, after that brief silence? Potentially…) Overall Review: This album grew on me as I went on. At first, I found the sound to be a bit bland and repetitive or even predictable. But as it progressed, I was struck by their experimentation and impressive harmonies. I had the sense of many songs blending into each other. There were so many little vignettes blending into each other. Makes me think about how the album was structured in the sixties and how bands like The Beatles changed that. I enjoyed a fair few of these songs, even though not all of them hit me that deeply and it’s not what I usually go for, especially for a whole album. But very decent indeed. 3.4/5 Favourite Songs: Mind Gardens, My Back Pages

I dig it, favorite Byrds album so far.

If overrepresentation had a name, The Byrds might be it. Now, I’m sure there are other artists and bands on here with just as much overrepresentation, but The Byrds would likely top that list. Other leading contenders for overrepresentation—in no particular order—are Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Neil Young, and pretty much any middle-of-the-road-sounding Brit-rock band from the 1990s that no one has ever heard of because most of the critics in this book are British. I’m sure that last part is just a coincidence. With all that being said, Younger Than Yesterday was fine but glaringly unnecessary.

Today we finally get to the end of the road with another artist that has more albums than necessary on this list. I'm assuming this was included because of the opening track, otherwise any of the other 4 albums would have been fine. Not sure why these guys are so over represented on this list, but I could say that about several others (Leonard Cohen anyone?). I'm just glad my time with these guys is over. It's unlikely I will revisit unless I happen to actually be in a car listening to terrestrial radio with a classic rock station on. Bye Felicia!

A bit bland sometimes but you can feel the will to try new things

3,5

Good! Better than I was expecting, but not perfect. I liked much of the melodies, vocals and lyrics 3.5/5. I should listen a few more times, it could easily be a 4.

My fifth album from the Byrds. These guys haven't wowed me so far. Samey country-rock, no matter how popular it may have been in its time, doesn't really belong on the list more than once or twice from the same artist. I'm thoroughly unimpressed by the hooks (or, really, severe lack thereof). These songs are almost aggressively uncatchy. I listen to the songs and hear noise that is technically good, I guess, taking inspiration from the Beatles and the like. But the Byrds don't make it work. A pretty busy texture in the opener. Unusually for 60s music, the bass pierces through the mix, almost blotting out other instruments like percussion and trumpet. A sort of gleeful, celebratory mood which wouldn't be unusual in a Latin piece. Strange interlude section with what sounds like a crowd screaming wildly. The section appears twice and it isn't particularly justified either time. Although the vocal harmonies are pretty nice here, it isn't until track 2 (Have You Seen Her Face) where they can really hold their own. Nice guitar solo and a standard mid-60s boyband sound. In C.T.A. - 102, the Byrds attempt to jump onto the carnival-inspired psychedelia that was rapidly becoming all the rage. (You can hear it in the Beach Boys' Summer Days, various tracks from the Beatles, Stones, and Kinks, and so on.) It doesn't particularly work here. We get a horrific chipmunk-sounding vocal filter at the end of the song. I guess I'm supposed to be impressed by its ingenuity. After a thoroughly uninspiring, almost boring Renaissance Fair, we get a reasonably strong country track in Time Between. A great mysterious guitar line completely carries the track Everybody's Been Burned, though shoutout to the surprisingly good (and calming) lead vocal. A restrained track and easily the best on side 1. The vocals in Thoughts and Words, though... mixed very badly. Good thing the mood remains bright and bubbly to distract the listener a bit. I feel like I'd judge someone negatively for adding this to their Liked Songs playlist, but then I'm doing exactly that. Mind Gardens reminds me of a Led Zeppelin song that I can't place. In The Light, maybe. The reversed acoustic guitar(?) sounds a little dated, cool as it may have been in '67. After that questionable number, we reach the relatively popular My Back Pages – and it's pretty good. Nothing extraordinary; just simple, straightforward 60s warmth. The Girl With No Name, pleasant but not particularly impactful. I'd have loved another ballad (like Time Between) as the penultimate track, but no such luck. And for doing the exact same thing again, I ask of the track Why: "why?" A low 3 stars. 3/5 Key tracks: Have You Seen Her Face, Time Between, My Back Pages

nothing special, enjoyed it but didn't love it

I really just love how this album sounds. Lots of things going on that come together in a nice way. Doesn’t quite have the extra something to push it to a 5 but I’ll say 4.5

Nice

Sounds pretty vanilla to me

The world's most prolific Dylan cover band is at it again

I don't dislike the Byrds and I certainly can respect the impact they had on music, but they've also never really done it for me. I find myself indifferent to large portions of their oeuvre. I like their version of My Back Pages but that's probably because it was written by Bob Dylan and I love that guy. 2.5/5

It was good but not one of their best.

It's just so bland, I wouldn't say it is horrible, but it is in no way a great album. That's just my opinion though, and there are many people out there that will absolutely dig the 60s sound. I'm just not one of those people.

It felt dated and I'm not too into the oldies. That being said, i'm sure it's important work. I just didn't care for it

Ha‘s besser gfunde als das us em 65gi

Rock and Roll Star and Back Pages are all-time greats. The cros lays down his blueprint for csn and solo songs. Hillman charts the path for country Byrds, Burrito Brothers, etc. 4.5.

Hmm...The Byrds. I haven't had these guys in literally a year. As I remembered, they're a pretty good folk rock band, but nothing more. The songs are all short, as is the album, making it a fun, quick listen. Some of the lyrics aren't the best, but they're not objectionable. This album is not a bad album by any means, but also not a great one. It's enjoyable enough without being much more than that. This album is ranked #14 of 29 albums for 1967. Other 1967 albums rated by me: Are You Experienced?(2/29)-5 The Doors(3/29)-4 Surrealistic Pillow(7/29)-3 Songs of Leonard Cohen(9/29)-4 Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim(10/29)-4 Forever Changes(12/29)-3 Groovin'(16/29)-2 Electric Prunes(27/29)-2

This album is exquisite. With capital letters. It is so delightfully wonderful. It is. I love how there is a blend between folk, even country, music with a more psychedelic touch, some great experimentation with sounds and vocals, and sometimes a melodically popish side too. It sounds great, it is sweet and interesting at the same time, with some peculiar switches in the songs that are very warm and pleasant. It is such a delightful album

I'm so on the fence with this album. First few songs I loved but then it started to feel very repetitive.

The Byrds ✅

Meh.

Nothing extremely standout on this album to me. I liked My Back Pages the most. It may be just preference but this all sounds pretty tonally identical to me and just didn't pull me in.

I would kick it with da little alien at the end of C.T.A. - 102 Highlights: "So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star", "Time Between", "Why"

So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star Have You Seen Her Face Everybody's Been Burned My Back Pages

Folk Rock/Psychedelic Pop/Pop Rock Favorite Songs: *All but one.* Least Favorite Song: C.T.A. - 102 There’s some overall sound choices within the album that I actually have some complaints by, especially with C.T.A. - 102 with that whole alien thing, but other than that, this is the only big complaint that I have with this album. I actually ended up really loving this record at first listen. Mostly a very easy listening experience, pretty consistent in terms of quality, and one that I actually kinda loved. Definitely a keeper. 9/10

Big Byrds fan, love this album!

like a weird what if version of the bugs 3/5

3 - good

MY GOATS I locked in with these guys in math class

Every song was ok (i dont remember) or pretty good, except the third just caught me off guard and not in a good way... what was that

Younger Than Yesterday is one of those albums where I can understand why people love it without really understanding why I should love it myself. The Byrds were clearly moving beyond their earlier folk-rock sound here, bringing in more psychedelic, country, and experimental elements, and there are some genuinely interesting ideas throughout. Unfortunately, for me, the album never really comes together as an enjoyable listen. A few songs work well enough, particularly when the band leans into their melodic side, but I found a lot of the record surprisingly uneven. The biggest problem for me was “C.T.A.-102,” which I found almost completely unbearable. The psychedelic effects and strange vocal treatment might be appealing if you're already on the album's wavelength, but to my ears they just make the song irritating rather than interesting. Some of the other more experimental moments have the same problem: they feel more like an experiment I am observing than music I actually want to listen to. There are certainly things to admire here. The Byrds' harmonies are still great, and Roger McGuinn's guitar work gives the album plenty of character. David Crosby's songwriting also adds a more reflective and unusual dimension to the band's sound, while songs like “So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star” have a much more immediate energy. Still, appreciating what an album is trying to do and actually enjoying it are two different things. Younger Than Yesterday feels like an important record in The Byrds' development, but personally, I found it too inconsistent and occasionally too irritating to get much out of it. There are some good moments buried in here, but overall, it simply wasn't for me.

Great band but no idea why they have five albums on the list. This would be an easy one to drop, not because it's bad but because it's only got two real hits and the overall sound is just an evolution of things they'd already done

By 1967 The Byrds’ star was waning, and there is more than a touch of bitterness in the opening track “So You Want To Be A Rock ’n’ Roll Star” which complains about the success of pre-fab groups like the Monkees. After the somewhat disappointing response to their previous album they doubled down on the experimental, psychedelic side with similar studio tricks to the Beatles’ Revolver, using reversed tapes and oscillators to good effect. The results are somewhat uneven, with digressions into jazz, country and a guest appearance from Hugh Masekela playing trumpet. There is even in a bizarre bit of space rock where they imagine one of their songs being broadcast to a distant quasar and being overheard by some surprisingly chatty aliens. By far the best song is a cover of “My Back Pages” by Bob Dylan which also inspired the album title.

It was pleasant, but it didn't grab me in any way.

60s folk rock with elements of The Beatles and Dylan. It's ok but I'd rather just listen to either of those artists instead. None of the songs were really catchy enough or doing anything different enough to be memorable.

Mind gardens was a standout for me but it was a fun album liked it more then I thought I would

I had a really good time with this one. There's a nice variety to the songs and you can hear how other groups were influenced by them.

Once again The Byrds disappoint.

A lesser Byrds album, but still enjoyable.

The Byrds are over-represented in this list and each album has disappointed. Perhaps too high expectations. There are some decent tracks on here but it isn’t a great album.

Older than tomorrow

more great tunes than I expected but the non-great ones were not good

What a strange album, it has rock, ren Faire, folk, psychedelic, space, and tremendous melodies and harmonies. A little bit of everything, very odd.

It’s ok. Pleasant enough, but no real standouts.

Got a bit bored.

I enjoyed this more than the other Byrds albums I’ve listened to. Some weird effects and stuff on this one. Not to country but a little bit. Lots of good jangle pop mixed with bits of other stuff.

i didn't realize this was the hippie avengers on this album

This list has kind of so far cultivated a dislike in me for The Byrds. They started their career as a Bob Dylan rip off band and finished their run as a country band. Somewhere along the way, David Crosby left and did better stuff. But sandwiched between a lack of originality and a lack of imagination, the Byrds went through an acid phase and made some decent music. This album is that phase. The first track has a pretty cool sound. Mind Gardens is a trip, and the album is pretty consistent all around. 4/5

I had REM yesterday and one of their main inspirations today. This is so nearly the Byrds best album - if only they had included Lady Friend instead of Mind Gardens

I've never really given The Byrds a fair shake, always considering them a cheap American imitation of the Beatles. But I really enjoyed the trippy, pseudo-Beatles, California vibe of the album and will probably be looking up more in the future.

their voices do sound great together but the songs just didn’t hook me

It’s good. Just kind of feels like it should have came out in 62 to 65. If I’m comparing it to sgt pepper, surrealistic pillow and the doors, it’s definitely lacking something.

longer songs PLEASE

kind of just sounded like a "60s" album. Inoffensive but nothing really stood out here, nor was the album structured in any kind of compelling way.

This is the fourth Byrds album I’ve had on this list. While I always liked their sound, listening to their albums has convinced me that they are the most over-rated act in rock and roll history. Their best tracks are covers, and they just never developed. This post-Gene pre-Gram version is easily the weakest lineup. They have, at this point, so little collective musical sensibility, such a lack of talent for songwriting, that neither 5th Dimension nor this belongs on any kind of list. And of the two, 5th Dimension is easily the better album. And if it’s on here, then that makes 5 albums by this mediocre band; and another highlighting of Dimery’s questionable tastes in music.

Love how aggressive they are with being prog. Thoughts and Words, CTA - 102, and Mind Gardens are pretty wild for the time period. Why and Renaissance Fair have classic 60s vibes. Really like the horns on Rock n Roll Star. Best Track: Thoughts and Words, My Back Pages, So You Want to be a Rock n Roll Star Worst Track: CTA - 102 Rating: Strong 7

I don’t get the byrds, I don’t like their jangly sound and in this case the mixing with psychedelia did not work. Also them covering my back pages when it’s such a personal song to Dylan is a very weird choice, what’s saving this is the last song, it is still very recognisable as their sound but it has an edge to it that I kinda enjoy. Not for me and won’t listen again

Really dug this one! Had no idea about this album, but was a great listen.

this is not my favorite byrds album but it is interesting to note the beatles influene and the progression of their sound as a group

Meh, jangly pop that somehow all manages to sound the same. I've never really understood what the fuss about The Byrds is.

Liked it

Mm. Is this harmless (conceivably interesting??) experimentation, or just a tedious stinker? C.T.A.-102 is mildly engaging, other songs before and after are meh, then I find Mind Gardens offensive - not for the backwards instruments, but for the weakness of the vocal line and lyrics. My Back Pages sounded a bit better right from the start - oh wait that's the cover - Dylan, being too much of a poet soul to be politically engaged, or something boring like that - too much baggage for my taste. And then Why was kind of okay, but the guitar solos are way crap. As other reviewers have said, it was only 1967, but look at what else had already come out, or was coming out, around that time. From my personal generator history: 1963 James Brown, Live at the Apollo; 1965 John Coltrane, A Love Supreme; 1967 like The Byrds, we also had The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced!! So The Byrds can get in the bin. It's low-grade pop, I don't see why anyone needs to hear it. It's Not Good, 4/10.

Fits the sundaymorning, although it’s a snoozefest

Ei oo miu

The Byrds again. It both didn't really impress me but I also saved a couple of songs to listen to later so it's a confusing case. Ultimately not that interesting I think 2/5

I have some Byrds albums not this though. Starts nice, and well stays nice. Might like more than the couple I have. 3.5 rounded up. Heard before? No Owned: No, 105/404 (26%) Will I get: No

*1967. *Pleasant album - sounds a bit dated at times, but most of the time it doesn't sound 60 years old, which is impressive. *Lots of really chill drug-fueled hippie songs, which I don't mind RATING - 7/10

It was perfectly fine. Nothing more, nothing less.

My Back Pages is a classic. They started to hone their sound here.

Normally I don't like really short tracks, but in the case of The Byrds I make an exception. Compact songwriting keeps this album interesting with all tracks clocking under the 4 minutes and many around the mark of two minutes. The 60's music fueled with psychedelica really works for me.

Interesting folk rock record drenched in the psychedelia that was just taking shape at this time. Not all songs hit the same for me, but overall it's a good listen. 3/5 - good

Oooo groovy tape effects.

I think this would have scored higher if I had listened to it when it came out. Still a solid 3.

Good psychedelic album, low 4

Not as good as their influencers, Dylan, Beatles, Rolling Stones.

The Byrds create a lovely, very listenable sound which goes down some interesting avenues but they do not compare to their more celebrated contemporaries. They sound like the support act for the major pop rock acts of the mid to late 1960s, riding the wave rather than creating it. Nothing too exciting here but you're very unlikely to have a bad time.

Byrds was a low 4, loads of great stuff here and definitely will be exploring them more

Cool vibes throughout. Some real standout tracks and feels either like it was a major influence, or was majorly influenced by a stack of bands I'm more familiar with. Enjoyed.

Classic, easy listening. Short songs.

All in all a good album, perhaps a bit inconsistent. I like the Byrds, most of their stuff just doesn't catch me in the same way as some of their contemporaries do.