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Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

1967

Buy At Rough Trade
Younger Than Yesterday
Album Summary

Younger Than Yesterday is the fourth album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released on February 6, 1967 on Columbia Records. It saw the band continuing to integrate elements of psychedelia and jazz into their music, a process they had begun on their previous album, Fifth Dimension. In addition, the album captured the band and record producer Gary Usher experimenting with new musical textures, including brass instruments, reverse tape effects and an electronic oscillator.The album also marked the emergence of the band's bass player Chris Hillman as a talented songwriter and vocalist. Prior to Younger Than Yesterday, Hillman had only received one shared writing credit with the Byrds, but this album saw him credited as the sole composer of four songs and a co-writer of "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star". Byrds expert Tim Connors has remarked that two of Hillman's compositions on Younger Than Yesterday exhibited country and western influences and thus can be seen as early indicators of the country rock experimentation that would feature—to a greater or lesser degree—on all of the Byrds' subsequent albums.Upon release, the album peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and reached number 37 on the UK Albums Chart. It was preceded by the "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" single in January 1967, which reached the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. Two additional singles taken from the album, "My Back Pages" and "Have You Seen Her Face", were also moderately successful on the Billboard singles chart. However, none of the singles taken from the album charted in the United Kingdom. Music critics Richie Unterberger and David Fricke have both remarked that although it was largely overlooked by the public at the time of its release, the album's critical standing has improved over the years and today Younger Than Yesterday is considered one of the Byrds' best albums. The title of Younger Than Yesterday is derived from the lyrics of "My Back Pages", a song written by Bob Dylan, which was covered on the album.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.12

Votes

12877

Genres

  • Rock
  • Country
  • Folk
  • Psychedelic Rock

Reviews

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Jun 03 2021
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5

So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star is a wild awesome groove that sets the hooks in deep. CTA-102 comes in outta nowhere with the weird. hard to see where it fits. lots of great time signature and rhythm work. Hot shit the late 60's was just a genre soup where every band borrowed every texture and sound under the sun. Yea a real landmark of an album

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Aug 21 2021
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4

It is rare to find a band in the late 60's that can tread the same ground that the Beatles explored at the same time without sounding entirely derivative. Bravo.

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Sep 23 2020
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4

Above average summer of love fare. Definitely influenced by superior mid 60s psychedelia like Revolver and Pet Sounds. Some cool songs though. "Renaissance Fair", "Mind Gardens," and "My Back Pages" are the stand outs. You can definitely hear some early Crosby, Stills, and Nash in some of the songs, which makes sense given that David Crosby was the Byrds' lead guitarist.

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Aug 22 2024
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4

A pleasant listen. The best song (by far, in my opinion) is the Bob Dylan cover. I am grateful to these musicians to provide shoulders for many others to stand on. Waffling between 3 & 4 stars...

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Mar 02 2022
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4

Prior to this, I knew some of the Byrds' music but this album delivered way more than I expected. Younger Than Yesterday is filled with catchy tunes that I'll be relistening to often. My favorite tracks are Have You Seen Her Face, Everybody's Been Burned and Why.

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Sep 20 2021
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4

This is our thyrd Byrds album, so I was bracing myself for this to break the streak of great albums this week. However, this was a really fantastic project. So much more overtly psychedelic than the previous projects (one was a country album). Really great production effects, and a lot of variety from track to track. At points, this does feel quite country/folk, then something snaps back and we're in psych territory again. Perfect example: CTA -102. That seemed to be a normal '60s rock track, but then it gets squeezed through a low-pass filter and we hear unintelligible alien chatter. I thought my phone malfunctioned; imagine what some person in the '60s would've thought hearing that on their turntable! I also recognized My Back Pages, and that's because it's a Bob Dylan song. Anyway, this album is excellent and keeps the streak alive for a wonderful week of new/old music. Five albums, average rating of 4.8/5 for the week. Favorite tracks: Everybody's Been Burned, Mind Gardens, CTA 102, My Back Pages, Time Between. Album art: Lo-res by design? That appears to be the case, and I think it kind of works here. This seems like a very unassuming, bland rock project, weathered by time and shelves, but you put it on and it's barely terrestrial. Great job, Byrds. 4.5/5

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Aug 21 2021
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4

This was a beautiful morning album. I think the thing I liked about this is that it was so tightly packed, and while it lacked a little something to pump it to a five, it was a high four.

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Jan 29 2021
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4

Enjoyed the whole thing. You can tell these guys were ahead of their time with trying new things

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Dec 09 2021
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3

Look I find the Byrds a particular level of melodic blandness where everything sounds the same. Always on 60's compilations, most interesting thing on this album is the appearance of Hugh Masekela Is this really a 1001 'best' album?

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Mar 16 2022
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5

Love the byrds, there's allot of music that wouldn't exist without the foundation they helped lay. Using odd instruments and an interesting spatial audio setup made them true innovators

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May 07 2021
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5

Wow, some wild stuff on here! Backwards sitars and electronic experimentation. Love it!

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Dec 15 2022
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4

Not quite a 5 star record for me, but it’s close. I’m saving that for Notorious Byrd Brothers. I think the Byrds reached higher highs on that record, even if My Back Pages gets stuck in my head for days every time I hear it.

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Jun 10 2022
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4

Surprised by this - thought it was going to be a mediocre Beatles knockoff but the whole album is a fun and psychedelic listen. Holds up pretty well in 2022! I'll be revisiting The Byrds for sure.

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Apr 02 2022
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4

This was great! I think this is the fourth album I've heard by The Byrds and I've enjoyed each one more and more A fascinating mix of folk and some more experimental electronic music, with off-kilter melodies floating around reversed guitars and modulated vocals

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Mar 28 2022
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4

Interesting melodically and sonically and feels very ahead of it’s time - love some of the darker Melodies - while the songs are quite memorable and the whole album feels like it keeps you wanting more. A nice inclusion of I might say so.

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Mar 09 2022
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4

First time of listening to this one, aware of "So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star". I can see why this was called the American "Revolver" as you can hear the Beatles influences throughout. A great album I think and gives warning about the powerhouse the Byrd's became both collectively and Individually in American rock music. You can hear the birth of the CSN&Y harmonies on "Why" Loved the aforementioned "Rock & Roll Star" "Everybody's Been Burned" "Thoughts and Words" and the Byrd's usual, a Dylan cover "My Back Pages" A great album rightfully on the list and I can't believe I hadn't heard it in its entirety before.

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Jan 20 2021
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4

A couple of songs were a little too 1967 but there are some beautiful songs on the album. Everything's been burnt could have been a modern Bond theme, Have you seen her face another classic. I haven't listen to the Byrds since in was in my early 20's; never heard this album only Greatest Hits. I missed out.

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Mar 13 2021
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3

Enjoyable and very of it's time. The more I listened to it the novelty sort of wore off though.

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Mar 13 2021
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3

From David Crosby to The Byrds! I don't know much about them, but it feels like they are trying to be like early Beatles. Then I heard the end of C.T.A - 102 and WTF. Is that like Crazy Frog in my right ear? Bizarre. Renaissance Fair is not too bad, a bit of Simon & Garfunkel vibes. Everybody's Been Burned has a nice slightly down-tempo vibe. Another very S&G feeling track. I like the guitar work here. Almost reminds me of a Radiohead guitar track with the two panned guitars playing different things. Thoughts & Words is not bad either. The album seems to be getting better as it goes, at least for me. Not a huge fan of the right-panned drums. I assume this must be an early stereo-remaster where they feel they must pan things hard left and right. Some nice reverse tape echo effects here, probably quite unique for the time. Well, theres a few tracks after this that don't do much for me either. Ended up being just okay.

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Oct 24 2024
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2

The psychedelic stuff is interesting but not really developed enough to withstand scrutiny, and some of it is annoying to listen to. And yet ironically most of the songs are too short to develop into anything. The big hit is ok, clearly they were already getting fed up with the music industry and being famous but it comes off as weirdly toothless. The guitar lines are interesting, but the 'Free Jazz'-inspired interplay seems to be a bit beyond their capacity at this point. The album is carried mostly by being one of the first to do it (even if George Harrison did it first), the harmony vocals, and especially the bassist working his backside off. But it's not enough. Tangent: I really wish they'd stopped covering Dylan. They strip away all the meaning and nuance from his stuff, and that's the entire reason I listen to that guy's music. Fave: Renaissance Fair Least Fave: Mind Gardens Strong Bad Demerit Counter: 1

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Oct 24 2024
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2

Was it the law that every rock album had to have psychedelic tracks in 1967?

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Feb 29 2024
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2

All-in-all, this was probably pretty sweet for 1967… Not a huge fan of their sound, but I can see how they likely inspired many others who followed… I liked that there was a fair amount of diversity among the songs – as opposed to very song sounding like every other… The top 2 songs are the ones that I knew going in – “So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star” – which apparently was a slam about “manufactured” bands like The Monkees, and is really well done – though years later, I really enjoyed the version that Nazareth did, where they worked a decent section of it into their song “Telegram”. The other is the cover of Dylan’s “My Back Pages” – and like most Dylan songs, I almost ALWAYS prefer the way other artists cover his songs, and really enjoy The Byrds cover here… “CTA-102” is a pretty good experimental song, and I also thought “Everybody’s Been Burned” & “Why” were among the strongest tracks on the album.. Glad I listened, but other than a historical marker for other artists, I doubt I will be going back to this one… If we had gradations, I’d probably give it a 2.25 – the extra 0.25 for the likely influence it had on other artists, but for me it just seems dated… There is a lot of music from that era, that still stands up today (i.e. Hendrix, Doors, The Who, Yardbirds, etc.) but most of this album does not IMO… Solid 2 for me…

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Feb 29 2024
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1

I get that some of the stuff might’ve been seen as innovative at the time but I just don’t like it and I don’t think it’s very good. I tried to keep in mind that this stuff was in the late 60s, but then I went back and listened to a sampling of some other bands’ albums that were released about the same time, the beach boys, the Mamas and Papas, Motown artists, and this album doesn’t measure up to their contemporaries

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Nov 17 2024
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5

to me, this is THE byrds album. i know 'mr. tambourine man' gets all the attention, justifiably so, for its groundbreaking, but this album to me is the most authentically byrdsy. chris hillman has stepped into the void that was left by gene clark's depature and has stepped up brilliantly - providing some of the best songs on this record, but really what may be my favorite byrds song of all time, 'have you seen her face.' roger (jim?) mcguinn sort of takes the backseat here and it feels mostly like a david crosby and chris hillman record. and gary usher's production holds up really well in terms of albums that came out this year - a surprisingly important and underrated producer of the era. really what this album is is the byrds at a crossroads, halfway between folk rock bob dylan cover band and country rock. it's an album i adore and have adored and this listen was no exception.

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Sep 06 2024
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5

I have always found it hard to pinpoint a specific Byrds album that must be heard, as there is filler on some of their releases and it just never feels like there is just one album to listen to. Saying that, this could be the album I would point to. I would recommend the deluxe edition because Old John Robertson and Lady Friend should have been on the original album. My Back Pages is an excellent cover of the Dylan song and probably my favorite Byrds song (for some reason). The first five songs are really good, though there is no reason to have the weird ending to CTA-102. The country influence they would later explore when Gram Parsons took temporary control of the band can be heard on Old John Robertson, Time Between and pretty much anything else Chris Hillman is involved with on this album. If I could give this album a 4.5 then I would. I greatly dislike Mind Gardens though. It's just faux-hippie bullshit. I don't mind if you do drugs but please don't ask me to listen to the shitty results of your doing those drugs. It's not much to ask. The only redeeming part of that song is (a) it actually does end and (b) at some point I will die and never have to recall that I did once hear the song. The deluxe edition has two versions of the song and then David Crosby forces us to listen to an instrumental version at the end of Old John Robertson. I don't need an alternate version of this song, unless that alternate version is just dead air or an album without the song on it.

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Aug 21 2024
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5

I generally love The Byrds and this is no exception. Fantastic album top to bottom. “So You Want To Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star,” “Have You Seen Her Face,” and “My Back Pages” are my favorite songs on it, but every song is really enjoyable. It’s just good, fun 60s folk rock.

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Jul 11 2024
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5

Yep, an album hugely influential on tonnes of stuff I love, whilst also being absolutely fantastic itself.

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Jun 06 2024
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5

9/10. Was between 8 and 9. This didn’t stand out on one specific but I really enjoyed the balance between creativity and chill vibes. And almost every single song was enjoyable.

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May 22 2024
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5

Laurel Canyon might be just another place on map if not for the Byrds. Tom Petty and countless others were steeped in the jangly sounds of McGuinn and company.

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May 09 2024
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5

Folk rock, psychedelic rock, pop rock. What a lovely follow up to Fifth Dimension. I mentioned in that review I wanted to listen to more of their albums and here we are. A poppier take than the previous, YTY feels like a proper continuation. Better songwriting, better mixing. Still great harmonies and amazing guitar work, this album is full of catchy tunes. I think overall it's more refined that Fifth Dimension, feels like they know what they're doing. But there was a certain charm in being a little more raw. There's some weird stuff at the beginning of the album but it clears up and it's just boo after bop. Big fan of this album, like it about as much as the previous. Might relisten, really impressed by this band and would love more. 4.5/5

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Apr 17 2024
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5

Definitely cutting edge of the 60's, I new sounds everywhere

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Apr 04 2024
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5

Enjoyed the memories. Wish radio DJs would have played more of these cuts than just “Rock and Roll Star”. And I’ve heard “Tambourine Man” a few hundred times more than necessary. Thanks for this one.

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Mar 22 2024
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5

Has it all for a 60's album. Rock, folk, psychedelia. Love this one!

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Mar 06 2024
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5

I never listened to the Byrds when I was growing up and they were active, but I'm glad to get a chance to make up for that now. A beautiful mix of psychedelia, jazz and country, and holy crap, that twang! Music like this is one of the reasons I've always been a huge fan of Rickenbackers, Telecasters, and Danelectros. A perfect late 60's time capsule.

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Mar 04 2024
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5

This was a fun album. It took a few listens for me, but it’s really grown on me. At first, I was half listening while doing other things and the tape distortions on the more experimental tracks were a bit grating. But it was a completely different experience when I sat down to actively listen and read the lyrics. This might actually be one of my favorite albums on this list so far. I may even try to find an old vinyl pressing for my collection. I only really knew “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and their cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man” before hearing this album. It had a lot of variety, ranging from the straight forward pop of early Beatles, the more whimsical and experimental side of Hendrix, the free love hippie music of Donovan and the Mamas and Papas, to the more psychedelic dirges of Jefferson Airplane and later Indian-influenced Beatles. “The Girl With No Name” could easily be a Tom Petty song. As a big Cure fan, I can see a straight line from this band to them. Lots of jangly, 12-string guitar, heart on its sleeve vulnerable love songs, and psychedelic jamming. “Why” even has a very similar chord structure to “Boys Don’t Cry.” Favorite tracks: C.T.A 102, Time Between, Everybody’s Been Burned, My Back Pages, Why 5/5

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Feb 16 2024
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5

Love the Byrds and also Buffalo Springfield, as the group evolved. Great old music!

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Feb 11 2024
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5

Wonderful, classical album by The Byrds, certainly one of important bands in the history of "modern" music.

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Jan 08 2024
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5

Incredible album all the 3ay through. Beautiful guitar work and poignant lyrics. Standout song is my back pages which is so good that it's in the album twice

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Dec 29 2023
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5

Great! I really enjoyed it. The last track, Why, is my favourite.

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Dec 04 2023
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5

Five stars for the extraterrestrial message on C.T.A. - 102.

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Aug 11 2023
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5

Really enjoyed this. I hadn't listened to the Byrds prior to this experience, and the previous album by them didn't do it for me. This feels much more like they are doing their own thing and in their prime. You can feel the influence the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel and others had on them, but you also see how they evolved their own unique style and substance. Quite a few classics in here and I'll be coming back for more

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Feb 09 2023
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5

Starts strong with You Wanna Be a Rock And Roll Star. Love Roger McGuinn's jangly guitar. My Back Pages is also a classic. What strikes me is how much albums like this set the stage for 80s jangle rock.

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Jan 31 2023
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5

Yeah, this is great. Great songs, atmosphere, vocals, harmonies etc etc. Apart from the sounds at the end of CTA-102, I also like the psychedelic rock elements here - think they work well, in contrast to the Cheap Thrills album we had a few days ago. One of my favourite Byrds albums, only like The Notorious Byrd Brothers even more.

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Jan 02 2023
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5

My expectations were low after The Notorious Byrd Brothers and the first few tracks had me nervous but it really turned around for me around track 5. First of all, they appealed to the grammarian in me by correctly singing "between you and me" (instead of "you and I") on Time Between. After that, this album was shimmery gold in my ears.

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Jan 02 2023
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5

I really enjoyed this. Great harmonies with a dash of psychedelia and a sprinkle of country. Plus the great Hugh Masekela on the opening track! What’s not to love?!

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Nov 22 2022
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5

Notes - Folk rock/psychedelic - David Crosby - Some elements of noise in here as well that I didn’t expect lol - Short and sweet songs - The bass playing here is great - Apparently for this album their bass player stepped forward as a more prominent singer and writer - All of the songs are super distinct and memorable but still all work together - very cool! - Fantastic vocal harmonies and performances throughout Fav - Renaissance fair - Really cool chord progression and imagery Least fav - CTA 102 - Cool but don’t think it adds too much 5/5!

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Jun 29 2022
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5

From the British Wave parody "So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star" (with frenzy screams of fans and all) to the genuine hits "Have You Seen Her Face", "The Girl With No Name" and "Why", from the lively "C.T.A.-102" continuing previous album's "Mr Spaceman" sci-fi streak (including space alien gibberish at the end), to the mystical heights of "Mind Gardens", and from California to the rest of the world, this record is quite the wild ride into an exhilarating sixties theme park. There's a even one mandatory Bob Dylan cover ("My Back Pages"), but this time the Byrds didn't even need those sorts of cover to flesh out the tracklisting. Probably because contrary to other LPs in the past, they now had everything at hand as in-house songwriters. *5th Dimension* had already set the psychedelic tone of an era. *Younger Than Yesterday* could now capitalize on that tone, and take things further. As far as I'm concerned, said things went downhill from that point on. *The Notorious Byrd Brothers* still had great moments, and was reputedly groundbreaking in terms of production. But the individual songs in it were hit-or-miss for me. And I'm not even talking of that weird full-on country mode of that other famous album that followed after... But to come back to this particular record, which I still find very endearing (including for its minor misfires), it is also one to listen to on the strength of only *one* of its songs, i.e. the mesmerizing and melancholic "Everybody's Been Burned", probably one of the best compositions David Crosby ever penned (and also one of his most moving performances as a singer). This song best exemplifies what's great about the whole opus: it's cinematic *and* heartfelt, firmly set in a time and place but also timeless. Listen to it and weep. This is the epitome of The Byrds' early career, and as such, it should be part of this list, obviously. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 875 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 68 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 30 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 28

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Apr 16 2022
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5

Why is it always either Bob Dylan, David Crosby, Stills, Nash, the Beatles or the Beach Boys? And why does the Byrds always combine them all on one album. Can't not like it. 4 Ok, this is considerably better than any of their other albums. It's so special compared to the others. 5 But "My Back Pages" is twice on the album? Is it part of the idea? He keeps getting older? I actually really like the way they incorporate psychadelica in this album. It's not like the 13th floor elevators which is just weird noise for 2 hours. Eh it gets a 5 for "Thoughts and Words". It's so good.

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Apr 02 2022
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5

Fun fun fun! I would listen again!

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Apr 18 2021
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5

brilliant - makes me feel i'm in california and that can only be a good thing CTA 102 - the best mind gardens is a better trip song than TNK and very nice 'my back pages' beatleish and 60s ofc but more subtle and shimmery

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Feb 05 2021
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5

I’ve never been a huge Byrds fan, so I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. I will say though this album is a lot more wild and fun than Mr. Tambourine Man. Twangy and folksy, but also acid-dripped and psychadelic. Lots of really off the wall moments on this album (CTA – 102, Mind Gardens, for ex). There’s a pretty wide variety of styles, but it comes together well. 4.5 stars but I'm feeling generous so I'll bump it up. Very good record.

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Dec 09 2024
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4

This is easily the best album by The Byrds on this list, although I hope it's also the last one. I think it's not a coincidence that this record is the most similar to The Beatles. Very nice pop/rock sounds with some heavy psychedelic influence, which was definitely too heavy at times, making it unbearable to listen to. But some of the guitar solos, riffs and melodies were top notch, surprisingly good. Even the vocalist was better than expected. Overall a very solid album, I would certainly listen to it again.

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Nov 28 2024
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4

I didn’t expect to like it but I did. Except for really pretty and catchy Melodie’s the album is filled with experimentation so typical for 1967. It stands out! Although I’d have to say the sequencing is a bit weird and I really don’t like the baby alien voice. Light 4

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Nov 13 2024
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4

Not bad at all - it went by quickly but it was all kind of interesting and boppy. 3.5/5 No real stand-out tracks as it's consistent and pretty cohesive, but Have You Seen Her Face and Everybody's Been Burned were catchy And something tells me that George Lucas got inspiration for the Ewok voices from CTA-102

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Nov 01 2024
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4

als je het bekijkt vanuit de tijdsperiode, is dat geen slechte plaat

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Oct 28 2024
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4

Trippy, experimental, boundary pushing, and remains to be a super causal listening experience as well. Super fun and light and I want it on vinyl

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Oct 25 2024
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4

Excited for this one. I know one song and we start with it. Weirdos with cool hats is always a good start. This song is remembered from movie montages. It’s fine, it has an interesting sound and nice vocals. I won’t be writing letters home about the Byrds just yet, but it’s fine. Beautiful song. Great melodies, well put together. This is great songwriting. This song is ok. Not terrible or anything but the meat of the song takes a backseat to the strange noises. The weird alien ending was actually pretty cool until the voices. This was pretty good. This one is boring. The songwriting is worse to me than the previous songs. Not horrid. This thing keeps moving. The songs are so short. Pretty good song. Nothing much springing to mind positive or negative. Cool, laid back song. The instruments are virtuosic and after the guitar centre plucking from Ryan Adams (no typo) yesterday, it’s very welcome. This almost has a torch singer vibe. Like some smoky 20s club. 1920’s for you young fellas. Another nice song with incredible effects that produce the psychedelia that we were promised. Folk influence big time. I’m such a sucker for Celtic folk influenced rock. Loved the fairport convention stuff, and this is reminiscent of that. This one is kind of insane. Reverse looped instrumentals. Of course I like it. It’s weird as hell and yet still highly competent. Man. This thing rips. The lyrics are fantastically interesting. Reading them like a book. If this melody was employed in the modern age, it would be driven into the ground and not nuanced as it is here. They weave in and out of the hook so tastefully. Probably one of the best ones here. The album remains nice. This one was fine. I’m still trying to pinpoint why certain songs appeal so greatly while others are mediocre to poor. Maybe I’ll do some musical theory course and ruin music for myself forever. OR, I’ll continue to produce low quality reviews on an internet database. This album was weird, slightly haunting, exciting and had a bunch of great tracks that employed excellent songwiritng and atmosphere. This album could’ve produced more emotional weight to bump up the score, but I really can’t ask for much more than what was produced here. Top tier listen. 4 HIGHLIGHTS: Have you Seen Her Face, Everybody’s Been Burned, Thoughts and Words, Mind Gardens, My Back Pages

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Oct 25 2024
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4

Honestly better than I expected for another 60’s non-Beatles rock album

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Oct 17 2024
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4

Interesting album in the earlier days of rock. "C.T.A.-102" such an odd ending to a song which I suspect might be the origins of the Minions voice.

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Oct 11 2024
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4

A cover band of Bob Dylan with a sound a bit more pop. A bit nostalgic but not bad

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Oct 07 2024
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4

Very nice listen, but I like the more straightforward songs a lot more than the rambling hippie experimental ones. My Back Pages is a lovely all time great pop song. 3.5/4

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Oct 07 2024
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4

Gentle, lovely sound and great harmonies. Ultimately a song or two light.

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Oct 04 2024
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4

A notch below their best, including the of the records on this list, as evidenced by mediocre sales and tepid critical reception. It's not quite as fresh as Mr. Tam Man or as balanced as 5th Dimension or as accomplished as Sweethearts or Notorious Bros. The sour chippiness on "Rock and Roll" star doesnt' really suit them. The studio trickery on "CTA" isnt that impressive or interesting and disrupts an otherwise decent groove. And the psychedelic experimentation doesn't land very forcefully. "Thoughts and Words" is okay+ but with some generic '60s sound effects (a tricked out zither? a backward sitar?). "Mind Gardens" sounds like a '60s cliche – outdated as much of the hippie garb, man! "My Back Pages" is solid, further proof that these guys were best striaght-up interpreters of Dylan, but it does feel slightly tired compared to their other more energetic efforts in the Zim catalog. "Girl with No Name" and "Why" (though one prefers the previous B-side version) are solid ending and go a way to redeem things. Rounding up because it's the Byrds.

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Sep 30 2024
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4

Pleasant with some experimentation

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Sep 25 2024
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4

Tried too hard with backwards tracks and Indian instruments, but the harmonies were spot on. Mostly good songs.

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Sep 25 2024
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4

Nice variety of sounds. I would listen again.

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Sep 20 2024
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4

For a 60s band, its cool to hear one that is of the era, but also not completely ripping off the Beatles. I liked this a lot, with my ear first catching on Renaissance Fair. Also liked Everybody's Been Burned. Good psych pop.

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Sep 13 2024
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4

I have been less than impressed with the works by The Byrds that I have reviewed so far (this will be my third, and I was also not a fan of Gene Clark's White Light), so I don't have high expectations for this album. But hey, it's less than thirty minutes long, so that's a plus! Let's get into it. This album wound up being much better than I anticipated. The sound drew upon a wide variety of influences, but the album still felt really cohesive. The blending of folk, psychedelic, and country elements created a unique sound that really set The Byrds apart from other artists of the sixties. I enjoyed this album the most when it was getting experimental and weird, like on "C.T.A.-102." The guitar playing was fantastic throughout the album, and there were some really good vocals too. I liked the second half of the album better than the first half; the guitars on "Thoughts and Words" created a really great sound, and the song went back and forth from a traditional sixties rock sound to something more experimental. "My Back Pages" was one of the best songs on the album too, and I really loved the vocals on the chorus. This was a really good album, and it definitely gives me more of an appreciation for The Byrds than their other albums that I've reviewed. The uniqueness of the sound and the guitar playing really set this album apart from other artists' experimental work at the same time.

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Sep 05 2024
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4

Realize I have a thing for twelve string guitars and harmony. 4/5

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Sep 04 2024
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4

A lot of unique and interesting ideas here. Def a little too indulgent sometimes, but really interesting to hear them experiment.

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Sep 04 2024
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4

Yep this was good - better than I thought it would be

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Sep 03 2024
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4

It's the sixties. Music was usually better then, if a little weedy

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Sep 02 2024
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4

Several different styles, very good

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Aug 23 2024
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4

A truly unerrated band, even if this album doesn't include the wonderful 'turn turn turn' and 'tambourine man' Toim Petty made the opening track here familiar to a moere modern audience but, in relaity, he simply dumbed down the original which is a perfect piece of pop.

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Aug 23 2024
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4

If there’s any time in history I could instantly transport to it would be the late sixties. The music, the fashion, the (counter) culture. Love it all!

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Aug 20 2024
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4

Won over by the weird alien voices

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Jul 31 2024
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4

Pretty cool psych rock record that sounds influenced by some of the other psych bands of the time but not like a rip off. It seems like they were doing some experimental things to make it sound more psych which I really appreciate. Overall quite an enjoyable listen for me.

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Jul 31 2024
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4

Classic! This is a cool record. Its fun to hear how they pulled together Rock, Folk and Psych into the music in 1967. Some moments feel like The Beatles, where other songs feel very Dylan. You can also see where Crosby broke off and formed his own thing. The psych songs are pretty weird, but really cool. I really love how they included horns in some songs, but then also just weird sounds. This was fun! I love the Bob Dylan cover, "My Back Pages." I use to jam this one hard in high school.

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Jul 26 2024
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4

Another band my dad loved and played all the time when I was a kid. Really talented group that exemplify the sound of their time.

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Jul 10 2024
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4

New album for me, but some songs I know from cover versions, really nice album

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Jul 04 2024
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4

Listened to this when I was biking around, which was fun. It was pretty much what I was expecting.

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Jul 04 2024
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4

Im p sure I listened to this the day it was generated but I forgot to rate it so here after listening round 2. I like this album. also has me relistseneing to mr Tamborine man bc they also ate w/ that. 8.5/10

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Jul 04 2024
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4

Just another Byrds album. Why they have 5 albums on this list is beyond me, but the albums we’ve had have all been enjoyable listens so far

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Jul 02 2024
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4

4/5 Fav Track: Mind Gardens Honorable mentions: It Happens Each Day & Thoughts and Words

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