Younger Than Yesterday

Good album by the byrds has good songs in it

Standard Byrds stuff, nothing I knew. Nothing amazing but nice enough

For a moment there during CTP I thought my CarPlay had been hacked by the CCP, but other than that this was a fine listen. “Rock and Roll star” sounded dated the day it was cut. But I’ve always thought “My back pages” was a crisp and strong track. I also liked “Why”.

I can definitely hear them leaning into production techniques that put them in the Beatles and Beach Boys category of using the studio as an instrument. The Dylan cover is one of the stronger songs. And who thought having the Jawas take over vocal duties at the end of CTA was a good idea? Overall a pretty mid-level listen.

This was fine. Didn’t love or hate it. Seemed a bit all over the place. CTA was weird and didn’t understand that. 2.75

Totally fine but felt short and kinda incomplete. 2.75/5

Best Track - "My Back Pages"

banger

First listen.

This is pretty good, some cool baselines. Good Dylan cover

It's alright.

I really liked this. It’s quick, super fun and I love the jangly guitars on this. “C.T.A. -102” and “Mind Gardens” were weird songs, “Everybody’s Been Burned” and “Thoughts and Words” were my favourites. Definitely something I will be returning to.

This is actually very intelligent and interesting music. Sadly, I can’t help thinking of satires of elderly people on PBS performing for elderly people remembering their youth.

My 5th album by The Byrds. And all 5 were released in the span of 3 years. I will return to the brilliant 'fifth dimension' only. In comparison this is dull.

: This was the first Byrds album where group members other than gene Clark heavily contributed original songwriting, with Chris Hillman stepping up significantly alongside Roger McGuinn and David Crosby. ​The album prominently features cutting-edge studio techniques for its era, including audio feedback, backwards guitar tracking, and early Moog synthesizer use by Crosby on "Mind Gardens."

Is my music style perfect soundtracks for pensive wander and sunny days ?

Pretty good actually

I wouldn’t say it’s the best of the Byrds but it’s definitely better than any Beatles album out there. Creative, pleasant and sporting variety.

A true 2.5 for me. But I’m feeling on the positive side. But these Byrds have nothing on the similar-era and recent Kinks.

Younger Than Yesterday is the most experimental The Byrds project yet as they break their own expected formula for songs here quite a few times, but even with the new level of experimentation I found a lot more of the music here quite inconsistent and all over the place. With a track like C.T.A. - 102 it becomes oddly dystopian out of nowhere and really shifts the vibe of this album in a huge way just for it to go right back to the same old rinky dinky bullshit it was on before. Oh well you really can't win them all but The Byrds really don't seem super interested in freshing up their sound at all, which is honestly a bit disheartening.

They do what they do and they do it well.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, any of the "The" bands from the 60s are a GREAT choice. The Monkees, The Animals, The Beatles, The Kinks, etc., and The Byrds are no exception.

An excellent Byrds album. With some classic songs of theirs.

Why is everything that has a sitar in it listed as some type of psychedelic rock? This album was fine. Nothing stood out either good or bad. It is what you’d expect of a late-60’s rock album I suppose. Definitely a varied mix of genres which was interesting in its favor.

Se siente demasiado la influencia beatles. está bueno, pero si se vuelve un poco monotono el sonido

My experience with The Byrds - based entirely on the albums on this list - has been a bit hit or miss, but as far as British 60s psych rock/folk/Beatles contemporaries go, they’re one of the better groups. Usually their albums have at least one or two songs I enjoy, and this one was no different. I knew I’d heard “My Back Pages” before, but I hadn’t realized it was a Bob Dylan cover, so I’m not sure if I’d heard this version, the original, or both…either way, it’s a pretty good song. I also appreciate the short runtime here - it doesn’t overstay its welcome. 3.5?

mid 60's pop sounds. I'm betting you had to be there to really grasp why this album is important. Cause it sounds like the American cousins of The Beatles. You won't miss much if you skip this album.

This is an OK Byrds album full of good songs. Problem with it is that with the amount of Byrds albums on the list, we’ve heard it all before. Good as they were one of their albums is very similar to any of their others. One first is the lyrics of So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star. This must be the first recorded example of rocks stars pointing out how they get ripped off by the music industry. 3/5 14/8/26

The Byrds have to be one of the most consistent bands of all time. Normally that would be a huge compliment, but in the case of The Byrds, it's not really a compliment or a criticism. They are just super consistent with making perfectly inoffensive and listenable music, but none of it ever really blows me away. It's very of its time, but in a way that still gives it a lot of charm despite how dates it can sound.

Pretty interesting and decent

I feel the same about this as I did with the previous Byrds album, although this was a bit better due to being shorter and having more interesting experimentation going on. As with Fifth Dimension, the psychedelic bits are my favourites as they are weirdest, but that's about all I have to say about it. Pretty forgettable overall.

Great music in its day but 60 years later it sounds all the same. A shame, but true.

I started off this album thinking it was going to be another shit Beatles ripoff - but I am pleasantly surprised

8/10

Mid tier 60s rock. I know they were an important band but I can’t bring myself to care that much.

Classic.

3.5

Fun!

would be a 3.5 but CTA makes me so physically uncomfortable that it’s a 2.5. otherwise enjoyed

Ok hippy music but not the best of its class either or from them.

Not impressed

Solid, not bad not exciting

A great album, blends jangle pop, country (later expanded on by Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke in the Flying Burrito Brothers) Psychedelic rock, power pop and folk. It doesn’t really benefit from the extra tracks in the reissue on Spotify. A very influential band who in another universe could have been as big as The Beatles. 4

Really good Beatles style 60s rock.

Standouts My Back Pages

Its fine

Great

kinda mid

Great production, solid 60s swing rock

Wonderfully inventive and beautifully produced. Lots of genre influences and neat production tricks. Aged pretty damn well almost 60 years later.

From everything I've ever heard about The Byrds I really expected them to be better

Decent 60s rock pop album.

I am not a Byrds fan. They are better when they do Dylan covers, not as good as Dylan, but better. Whoever's idea it was to add some sci-fi UFO noises and alien chatter to the album needs to lay off the drugs. No one has made more of a career off Bob Dylan's songs than these guys...and that includes the Band. Their version of My Back Pages is my favorite Byrds song.

Psychedelic 60s rock is my bag baby.

This is the definition of a "middle of the road record" for me. Enjoyable and interesting enough without making me go "wow!" at any point but far from the worst thing I've heard during this experience. It also doesn't overstay its welcome, at a slightly over 46 minute run time (thats with all the bonus tracks!) 3/5

Forgettable

Just a more country/psych Beatles album here imo. Ironically had been bumping this one the weeks leading into pulling it on here. I know I know my boy is gonna say all this shit in this pocket of the 60’s sounds the same, but also notice how David Crosby ties into all the other bands with this sound around here. This was a cool companion to the Crosby Stills Nash pull earlier this week. I guess I just have a weak spot for jangly country pop/rock. The byrds have such a unique sound, and they never cross into bubblegum cringe or psychedelia to the point of slop. I will say, there’s some stale tracks along the way, kinda same issue I had with the other byrds album previously, but I think there’s way more fun stuff here. It feels a lot more cohesive too. The closer we get to 1970 the more these albums feel less like singles comps and more like albums. Stand outs: Why, Have you seen her face, So you want to be a rock & roll star, my back pages (Dylan cover)

I like the Byrds I think the dynamic and unique way they tailored the Beatles sound and came into their own. That’s why this is here it’s to be a dichotomy for the Beatles right. There are more solos here but it doesn’t jump out as being necessarily thrilling it just feels like it’s part of the time. I think the good parts outweigh the mediocre or uninteresting Why Have you seen her face My back pages Good songs but don’t really show me a cohesive narrative that something like an album should share. I think albums like this get lost to time despite being so important in the moment it’s nice to go back and listen to dead souls serenade me through the day.

Album #228 The Byrds: Younger Than Yesterday Even though The Byrds are the godfathers of jangle pop, and to that I will be forever grateful of them, most of their music doesn’t have the same effect on me as a lot of their disciples from the 80s do. Not to say that it’s bad; it really is some pleasant 60s psychedelic pop; however, it sort of feels run of the mill almost, at least in comparison to The Beatles or The Beach Boys. However, I’m willing to acknowledge that I just don’t have an apt enough musical brain to find the intricacies in David Crosby’s guitaring that so many incredibly talented musicians have. Either way though, this is a very solid and enjoyable album, just one that doesn’t speak to my soul like the next generation of janglers. Best Songs: My Back Pages, Have You Seen Her Face, It Happens Each Day Worst Song: C.T.A. Score Out of 10: 7

Byrds seems a bit unique to me. Good one. Favorite track: everybody's been burned other picks: my back pages, thoughts and words, so you want to be a rock n roll star

This was way more mature than I was expecting. Mature themes, mature sounds, mature arrangements. Olus it starts to incorporate other styles in addition to rock and roll. There are elements of jazz and psychedelia in there as well. The track "CTA-102" is a great example of risk taking that really took them into uncharted territory. The futuristic space sounds and echoes and effects are wild and I can only think of Jimi Hendrix as someone who was doing similar things at the time. Revolutionary stuff, especially for a Byrds album. Long story short, this was great.

I found some of the psych flourishes annoying, but there were some nice folk moments.

pretty solid record, really encompasses the tone of the era

God, this is a really good album. While listening I felt a mix of melancholy, love, and that classic mid-60s psychedelic haze. It’s interesting, catchy, and full of great rhythms from start to finish. David Crosby is really on top of his game here — his voice and songwriting add a special depth and emotional weight. The whole band sounds tight and creative, blending folk-rock with psychedelic touches in a way that feels fresh even now. There’s a beautiful balance between the more reflective, slightly sad moments and the brighter, more upbeat ones. Younger Than Yesterday is one of The Byrds’ strongest records. It has real personality, strong melodies, and that perfect 1967 atmosphere. Highly enjoyable.

*Good 60s listen with some psychedelic moments, just not as interesting to me as a band like the Beatles

It’s not 2 weeks since I was bemoaning the amount of Crosby Stills Nash Young and adjacent on this list and here we are again. Wishy-washy is the word that springs to mind. The Dylan cove is the standout by far. Guess I’m another one that prefers covers of his stuff 2.5

A couple of wtf were they thinking moments, but an ok listen overall

The Byrds are one of my dad's all time favorite bands, so I'm familiar with a bunch of their songs. I am aware of their influence and the musicianship. I know and prefer the Tom Petty version of "So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star" but was surprised to see "My Back Pages" (Dylan cover) was a more popular and streamed song. "So You Want..." which was described as "a sharp, satirical jab at the manufactured pop-star machine (often read as aimed at The Monkees), with that famous fuzz-bass riff". Time forgot the Byrds from a radio perspective, I typically on only hear classics "Turn! Turn! Turn!", "Mr. Tambourine Man"(Dylan too) & "Eight Miles High" anymore, but they were huge back in the day. I read this album was a "big leap forward from their folky roots" and that's why it's considered a classic and influential. I hear a shit ton of folk on "Renaissance Fair", "It Happens Each Day" & "Mind Gardens" (awful song). You can certainly hear the CSN sound emerging on "Renaissance Fair" (which was a single?) & "My Back Pages". Overall there's nothing groundbreaking on here from what I can tell, it fits the times but it's not overly memorable. "Everybody's Been Burned" was a single but man o' man is it a boring song. The sitar-sounding instrument backing up on "Thoughts And Words" should be outlawed, earsplitting and annoying. Nothing great, just not remarkable in any way. Didn't age well. Has two songs that kinda hold up today. 2 stars, it just doesn't have the content to be a Top 1001 album.

I think i get what they were trying to do on this but sometimes it didnt work so much that it took me out of the album.

My two main thoughts while listening to this album were: 1. If Rubber Soul and Revolver had a love child this would be it. 2. I'm almost at album #400 (tomorrow) and I'm getting more and more critical of things I'd never had strong feelings about before. This was fine. It was The Byrds. When it wasn't predictable, I didn't find it all that interesting either. No standout songs, but I liked Have You Seen Her Face and My Back Pages.

𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 finds The Byrds confidently expanding their musical horizons. Folk rock remains at the heart of the album, but it’s enriched by touches of psychedelia, country, jazz, and baroque pop, giving the record a refreshing sense of variety without ever losing its identity. One of the album’s greatest strengths is its songwriting. Every track feels carefully crafted, and the different musical influences come together surprisingly naturally. Rather than sounding like a collection of experiments, 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 remains remarkably cohesive from beginning to end. The Byrds were never content to stand still, and this album is proof of that. It captures a band growing in confidence, broadening its sound, and producing one of the most rewarding folk-rock records of the 1960s.

3,5 ⭐️

Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:❓️

Really enjoyed this! Can certainly hear the Beatles influence (makes sense considering the time this was made) - wonderful harmonies throughout. Minion cameo was unexpected but a nice surprise. 4 stars.

Enjoyable and lots of fun ideas, but not quite special enough to get a 5 Favorite Song: Time Between, Everybody's Been Burned, It Happens Each Day

O album acabou e nem reparei, está lá só

i still don't see the appeal of the byrds

Honestly pretty good. Sounds like classic Byrds to me.

Good album

Wieder Quentin Tarantino Film Musik, chillig aber bisschen zu flach manchmal. Ganz okayes Album, aber es sticht nichts heraus.

Will listen again

6/10 It's fine, and I obviously like the sound, but My Back Pages just feels so much stronger than anything the band wrote. Jangles nicely and feels like it was trying to do something, but equally you can see why it didn't set the world alight

More enjoyable than their later country rock forays, but you can hear that country rock ear rot that is coming in their later albums. Why does it not surprise me that the British loved this? I think I'd rather just listen to The Monkees, Simon and Garfunkel, The Mamas and the Papas, or Jefferson Airplane. In my opinion, this doesn't measure up to their contemporaries. After hearing all of their albums on the list, it is clearly one of their best, butI am not convinced that The Byrds and their progeny of bands are an essential listen at all. Most bearable: "So You Want To Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" and "Everybody's Been Burned"

3/5

2.5

3.5/5 rounded down to 3. I love the Byrds, but this isn’t my favorite album by them.

A couple of good tracks, but this is quite dated. And it's often annoying. I feel bad giving a band I generally like a 2-star review. I would be quite disappointed to be forced to listen to this again, though.

Прикольний поп рок 60-х. Сподобалось те, який він короткий. Пів годинки грайливих пісень. Мені сподобалось. Оцінка: низька-середня 6

This album is not one of the Byrds most commercially successful albums, so I wasn't familiar with most of the songs on it. And although it does have that "typical" 1960s sound to it, there were some songs with a country twang to them, which made the album more interesting to listen to. Since I'm not a huge fan of the Byrds and not super familiar with their stuff outside of the hits, I don't know how to rank this compared to their other albums, but I enjoyed listening to it. Nothing super exciting, but pleasant to listen to.

5 альбомів The Byrds в цьому списку це відверто занадто. Цей мені просто ок. Сильно сподобалася хіба що Everybody's Been Burned з її фольковими гітарами. Є на альбомі загравання з психоделічним звуком, якісь ефекти. Є досить дефолтні рок-пісні. Репутація гурту грає на його користь більше ніж сама музика. Н

Черговий альбом з 60х, який мені не сподобався. Але тут були деякі непогані пісні (наприклад Everybody's been burned). Тому поставлю 3.

Q Beatles-y enjoyed!

Great musicians but very of their time with these psych rock ditties. It’s overplayed for me and not to my taste

I like cosmic country, but it’s a bit of a one trick pony.

..no

It's alright but nothing exceptional. Is it a good time? Yes. Is it an album you must listen to before you die? Absolutely not.

ok

Fun 60s psych, real good version of Bob's My Back Pages

This isn’t that good. Very dated. How many Byrds albums do I need to listen to before I die? 😩

I liked this fine other than a couple songs. Enjoyed the country-rock vibes.

Much more my wheelhouse, enjoyed the harmonies and folk vibe.

It was pleasant and chill. I would not be frustrated if I walked into a room with this playing

Pretty good. They aight, sound like kinda country-ish version of The Beach Boys but less jangly which is nice. I don't love them but they okay. Wouldn't complain if someone put this on.

It sounds exactly the same as the other Byrds albums on this list. Really couldn’t tell any of them apart

The main highlight of this album was that the song "Have You Seen Her Face" reminded me of "I'm a Believer" and I went and gave a listen to Smash Mouth. I like The Byrds but I feel there are way too many albums of theirs on this project and it seems I've gotten them all back to back :(

Just OK

I was impatient for this album to end. Very dated. I did like "My Back Pages" but it turns out Bob Dylan wrote that one.

Sometimes, experiments yield bad results. Those results don't need to be included in the material you publish for people to enjoy.

Solid but nothing special...very representative of the time.

Highlights: So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star, My Back Pages. 2.6

Sure, they're the Byrds, but this is the fifth time I've listened to one of their albums on the list and I honestly can't tell any of them apart. Buy a best of album and save yourself some time.

60s summertime psychedelia. It was fine.

Another Byrds album carried by Bob dylan

reminds me of blur

My second Byrds album and much better than the last. They're reminiscent of the Beatles and come off poorer by comparison. It might seem unfair but it's both true and inescapable and it's hard to imagine McGuinn & co. weren't cognizant of it. All the same, it's a lovely record. The guitars jangle but still retain a little warmth, while the harmonies are completely lush. The best song on the recording is their rendition of 'My Back Pages'. I was going to say the lyrics and tune were so good that I had to check if it was a Dylan song. But then I did and it is. McGuinn's guitar work is spacey and meandering, offering some contrast to the vibey folk that everything else is doing. You can criticize it for being a bit poorly integrated, musically (it sounds like I'm jamming aimlessly with a record in basement) but these ideas were pretty new. They're not fully polished but that takes time. In all, it's a weak 4/5. That the best song is a Dylan cover really highlights my feelings about the rest of it but it's still good.

More psychedelic than I was expecting from the byrds, but that might be on me for just not knowing much about them.

I enjoyed the non-psychedelic parts. I don't know what "My Back Pages" was on the album twice on Apple Music and they were different lengths. Also, that song has a similar melody to "Skipper Dan" by Weird Al but that is not in the style of The Byrds so probably just a coincidence.

3 - After vacation, I listened to this thinking it was the first time and I liked it a lot more. *shrugs*. Prior rating: 1.75 - Not for me.

Yeah, it was alright, but sounds dated now and somewhat humdrum. I know I'd respect it more if I was 12-16 when it came out.

A lot of positive reviews, but don't see the comparisons being valid (The Byrd's Sgt. Peppers?) Anyway, still a nice late 60's rock album

wollt dem keine chance geben also hab i auch nit. klingt cool, nett, idk hab keinen bock mehr. 3/5. is wieder iwie rock oder whatever

Speisa.

So many Byrds albums. Yes, they are good and interesting. But one is enough.

(Decent 7/10) A pretty nice album by these guys, I think I prefer 5th Dimension but this one isn't bad at all.

Some of them were fine, some actively irritating. I’m not sure why I’d choose them over the Beatles, the ones I liked most were the most Beatles-ish

I mostly didn’t like it. It’s another late ‘60s album, and it just kinda sounds like a worse version of the Beatles. Some of the songs were too psychedelic and had weird unpleasant noises. Others were just nothing special. There were one or two I liked

I'm trapped in the mid/late 60s this week. What the hell was up with CTA 102)? For a second I thought I was listening to Duck Stab again (which would be fine...I enjoy The Resident's weirdness). The Byrds are fine. Kinda boring if you're not in the right headspace. There are better records from this period, but this is fairly accessible and doesn't challenge the listener. Probably a 3; I'll be kind because I have a soft spot for this era and go with a 4.

eh

this album feels like a 60s infommertial for psychadelics. hard to tell the songs apart it feels like they took one of the band members journals and just read it in the studio so they could get maximum value out of the tapes and vinyl. the reverse instrumentations are sick as fuck got me thinkin how I can utilise them in melodies dece album but I feel like you can only enjoy it in the sun

Do judge a book by its cover

The Byrds belong here, and this is a fine album. Nothing exciting, but totally enjoyable.

This is an album that can't decide what it is. Is it confrontational satire? Opening track “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” supports that argument by directly making fun of The Monkees and manufactured rock 'n' roll. Is it psychedelic nuttiness? Whoever inexplicably gave the green light for the batshit crazy “C.T.A. - 102” would say so. Is it psych folk, akin to Donovan? “Mind Gardens” seems to think so. Is it Beatles-esque mod rock? “Time Between” would have you thinking that, sounding somewhere between a Ringo song and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The Byrds can't seem to decide, so we're left with a hodgepodge collection of genres. And when all else fails, they default to trying to replicate the success of “Mr. Tambourine Man” with another Dylan cover, “My Back Pages”. They even go so far as to name the album title after a line from the chorus to be sure. It's a pity for The Byrds that this album came up the day after another 1967 release: yesterday's psychedelic masterpiece “Are You Experienced”. Listening to the two albums side-by-side really shines a serious light on how try-hard this album is. There are some enjoyable moments, some dull moments and some outright daft moments, but ultimately it's an album with an identity crisis.

É um álbum bem rico e com muitas camadas. A Guitarra/violão é belíssima. CVJ Aria.

75/100. Musical evolution rarely happens through replacement. New ideas arrive, old ideas remain and for a while they coexist. Released in the middle of 1967, it captures a period when musical boundaries were rapidly dissolving. Folk-rock, psychedelia, jazz influences, pop experimentation, and even hints of country music are all beginning to blend together. Rather than committing fully to one direction, Younger Than Yesterday exists right at that crossroads. There is curiosity running through the songs, a willingness to question accepted truths and look for new perspectives. That mindset fits perfectly with the cultural moment in which the album was created. The songwriting is consistently strong, but what grabbed me immediately was the guitar work. Those Rickenbacker guitars sound absolutely incredible.

Younger Than Yesterday is a record that rewards the listener it was made for — someone with Americana and folk-rock at the center of their musical world, for whom the 12-string Rickenbacker jangle and the emerging country lean feel like a native language rather than a visited one. That listener would find a lot to love here: Chris Hillman's songwriting arriving as a genuine second voice alongside Roger McGuinn, David Crosby's psychedelic instincts adding texture before his imminent departure, and a Dylan cover in "My Back Pages" that ranks among the band's best. The honest limitation is that the center of gravity has shifted. The same appreciation-without-pull that defined the Sweetheart of the Rodeo listen applies here — enough Americana DNA in the background to hear exactly what the record is doing and respect it fully, but not enough active pull to generate replayability. The jangle and the country lean are working at a lower emotional temperature than where the listening energy currently lives, which is a fair description of the gap between a record being good and a record being yours. A respectful three. The younger, more Americana-focused version of this listener would likely have rated it higher, and that version wasn't wrong. Tastes move, and this one moved on.

The second 60's album in a week that has really surprised me. Usually, these things have two great songs at most, with a bunch of filler. This album was very pleasant early psychedelic rock, without a single dud in the track list. Clearly influenced heavily by The Beatles, and the unique challenges and opportunities afforded by the 12-string electric guitar. Good stuff! FOUR STARS

Nice birds i like the birds i liked the different songs

6.5/10

First half of the album is solid but kinda samey. Second half gets much weirder and more interesting as a result.

Langweilig.

Yeah sure I enjoyed this pleasant 60s music as much as all the other ones :) So many of these albums sound the same no offence, 1001 albums to listen to before you die or like 999 of the exact same rock album from the 60s amirite?

Uh oh it's another smoking loads of weed at university classic! I think this holds up pretty well tbh, like you think it's the usual jangly 60s kinda fare but then there's some proper crazy experimental wigouts that they're doing at the exact same time, and I really like that contrast. Its just got that edge of actual weirdness without trying too hard to be wacky.

Hard to choose a favorite amongst the Byrds’ first five great albums. Chris Hillman and David Crosby shine on this one after the departure of principal songwriter Gene Clark who left them with “Eight Miles High”, but otherwise left a bigger void on the previous album, “5D”.

“We have Beatles at home”

C.T.A.-102 kind of freaked me out

Short, Sweet, and catchy. Fun implementation of non-conventional sounds keep the album from feeling too derivative. Not a perfect album, but very easy to listen to and engaging enough. Top tracks: So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star, My Back Pages, Why

The Byrds feel very much like a just ok band to me, not sure they need this many albums on the list

Pleasant listen and some good tunes. Somewhat forgettable overall as I completely forgot to review it and now can’t really remember what I thought beyond this

An excellent display of pop sensibility, even if the more psychedelic moments were a bit disappointing. Which is a shame, since 'Eight Miles High' is one of my favorite psych-rock songs of all time.

niceeee

The southern American feel here and there is really the only part of their sound that stands out from other 60's rock, the psychadelic stuff has been done plenty

I wasn’t too excited for this one as, I amn’t a fan of the Byrds. In my opinion they kind of just never got over Beatlemania. I’d recommend I have you seen her face, Renaissance fair, Time Between, Thoughts and words, My back pages and The girl with no name.

Good stuff. They stole it all from The Beatles, but that’s okay. Everyone wants to be them. This Byrds album seems more complete than anything else I’ve heard from them - love the reverse guitars.

3.0

ok definitivamente tengo algo con los discos de los 60, me encantan

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? They’re fine Pre-Listen Thoughts: I think this will be a very generic 60s sound Favorite track(s): Why Post-Listen Thoughts: This was indeed a very generic late 60s sound. Did not dislike it, but it didn’t stand out really either. iTunes calls it their Sergeant Pepper, what does that say about the rest of their catalogue? This music is good, but kind of bland for psychedelic rock.

Bastante bueno un producto de su epoca

Kann man gut hören

This was surprisingly good considering the other Byrds albums. A cool soundtrack to a sunny day The Minions cameo was a surprise but otherwise, good.

meh

Not my jam. I have no interest in this sound at all.

This was okay -- a little weirder in parts than I generally prefer

As effective as your music might be, it’s never a good look when the best track on your album is a cover of another artist’s song (in this case, Dylan’s “My Back Pages”). Very pleasant, and there are no bad songs on it, but when compared to other totemic 1967 albums it can’t help but feel a bit wan, a bit like marking time. The band did better work both before and after. Best track: “My Back Pages”

Jangly folk rock. This genre is really of its time

Is this the most 3 star album on the list?

A bit disorganized, but inoffensive

This album is nuts. Just nuts. I still think "Notorious" is their best by far, but this album is also amazing. It's crazy that some of these songs are the bassists first time writing solo for The Byrds. A song like "Time Between" is pure poetry. Great guitar and bass playing as well

Out of the gate, the Byrds established themselves as one of the most forward-thinking rock groups of the time. But less than a year later, jealousy led them to kick out the best songwriter right as it seemed they were reaching a new peak. The resulting album, Fifth Dimension, was a very uneven affair, featuring arguably the band's best song (written by the now-fired Gene Clark), "Eight Miles High", along with some of the worst filler ever recorded by a major band, like "Captain Soul" or "The Lear Jet Song". After taking some time to regroup, the Byrds came out with Younger Than Yesterday. And though they're now working within the trends rather than setting them themselves, the album works mostly because Chris Hillman, who had never written a song for the band before, suddenly emerged as the best songwriter in the band. In fact, all three songwriters in the band (McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby) are operating at their peak level on this album. You're not hearing the future born before your ears when you listen to Younger than Yesterday like you would with Mr. Tambourine Man or the better songs on Fifth Dimension, but you'll hear a solid set of original songs by a band who's typically better known for their covers. It falls just short of classic status when compared to what other bands like Jefferson Airplane and Love were doing at the time (or especially compared to Revolver, to which it's clearly indebted), but it's certainly worth your time.

Não me encantou, álbum que está longe de ser um desastre, encontrei uma pérola na faixa "My Back Pages", porém o resto do álbum não faz o meu estilo, já que achei ele muito "cru" para o meu gosto. Sem contar os inúmeros truques com o intuito de incrementar o toque psicodélico que eles colocaram em algumas faixas que eu achei bem exagerados.

its fine!

Very good album.

The Byrds, along with the Beatles, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones were my favorite groups during the 1960’s Younger Than Yesterday is a great album. Chris Hillman came forward as a singer songwriter, Crosby started moving toward his CSN sound, Clarence White brought his B-Bender country sound into the Byrds sound and McGuinn kept the Dylan influence intact. A couple of clunkers on this album, but mostly great stuff. The Byrds were still moving forward and I was loving it.

Imagine you are vibing to good old rock'n roll and suddenly E.T. speaks to you in gibberish

Always found them a bit boring and never got the comparisons to some of their superior peers. Not for me.

Ahh the pleasant Sixties. Music this is both nice & unexciting, with a splash of psychedelia. I could listen to this anytime and be perfectly content, but will I?

Didn't listen

Første tanke er at det er noget folk rock med psykedeliske elementer med alle de lidt sjove og skæve lyde, som er meget fedt. det giver det en smule kant. Synes der er nogle gode sange, de er nok bedre med lidt mere fokus. Jeg lyttede til det som baggrundsmusik og der var ikke rigtig noget som skildte sig ud der, synes jeg udover de enkelte gange det blev ekstra psykedelisk. Jeg tror i bunden at det kræver mere opmærksomhed, jeg satte det på fordi jeg lige har lavet en folk sådan lidt mytisk playliste. Men jeg synes ikke nødvendigvis det her er det stærkeste folk jeg har hørt. Der er åbenbart også lidt mere raga involveret med det, fordi en af bandmedlemmerne godt kunne lide det. Gene Clark som jeg har lyttet til før er med i bandet og det er Crosby også som dannede Crosby, Nash and still

The Byrds are clearly not for me after listening to two of their biggest albums and finding them both extremely boring to listen to. The musicianship & vocal melodies themselves are pleasant enough and give a feeling of warmth, but the record itself feels devoid of anything that grabs me or makes me want to listen again. It feels like listening to a Beatles spin off without any of the interesting songwriting. 4/10.

Didn't feel this one. Really at all

lovely late spring 30 degree inertia

Not their best album. Very early 60s experimental with sound effects that haven't aged well

My Back Pages is the clear standout track. Unfortunately none of the other tracks get close to it. Rather uneven and less cohesive than other Byrds albums

Another Byrds album ughh

Why is there always one track that has to take the momentum out of the entire work? Favourite Track(s): Thoughts and Words Least Favourite Track(s): C.T.A. - 102, Mind Gardens

Good classic rock music - lil bit backgroundy

groaned when i saw the date, but to my surprise this was not derivative rock-pop slop. it was peaceful. it was groovy. thank you byrds

Very relaxing harmonies. They must have been a strong influence to The Grateful Dead.

Honestly, the bubble gum rock wasn’t bad…the psychedelia….could do without. Maybe I just hate David Crosby that much?

This was fine, but nothing great.

This album is OK but I did not need to hear it before I die. Fairly generic, harmless psychedelia from its day. "So You Want to Be a Rock N Roll Star" and the Dylan cover were the highlights. I didn't realize that the version of "My Back Pages" at the Dylan 30th anniversary show (with McGuinn singing a verse) was basically the Byrds arrangement but that makes sense, I guess.

A liiiiiight three because while I generally liked what I heard, those little forays into psychaledia are dire. Also, am I going crazy or was there a track that ended with 30 seconds of racist Star Wars aliens talking to each other?

The sound of a band figuring themselves out - including figuring out that David Crosby shouldn't be in the band - at the exact moment when the rest of society was also trying to figure itself out. That explains some of the inconsistency (Crosby's "Mind Gardens" is a genuine misfire) but also a good deal of the youthful energy on display here. "So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star" is exactly the right amount of catty, and the gorgeous "My Back Pages" is rightly regarded as a classic of this era. As a whole, this is not quite up to the best rock of this period but that's a high bar; it's probably among the best of the second tier.

Some tracks are excellent; My Back Pages is even better than Dylan’s original, in my opinion. Some are ok. I like them best when they stay away from the psychedelic influences. Also, I had to skip CTA because it made my teeth hurt. Why would they put a dentist’s drill sound in there?

No lo escuché entero porque no me gustó mucho

Fun and good!

Now, this is what I assumed The Byrds would sound like.

I think I enjoyed this more than the last Byrds album but didn’t find it anything remarkable

need to try this in a car driving along the coast to optimise the experience i heard a lot of other songs in this album which, when i googled them, some came before and some after. so maybe this is more just like a capsule of the time period and genre. it's a good one, i'll give it that. i liked the aliens A LOT. i need to really figure out what stars mean to me since this site won't let me give my favourite 2.5, but CTA 102 alone did save this one.

please tell whoever’s scrambling all these sounds up to keep their paws off the audio

I didn't like the end of C.T.A.-102. Quite good album though. My favourites were Everybody's Been Burned and My Back Pages.

It’s good. Some really cool tunes on it. Nothing mind blowing though.

4.6

Essentially it sounds like Crosby, Stills and Nash … just sped up

34/1089 Younger Than Yesterday by The Byrds This is just a really nice 60s sound. Nothing completely blew me away, but it was definitely enjoyable throughout. It kind of just passed by me without any huge standout moments, though I also feel like this might be one of those albums that gets better the more you listen to it. Maybe I just wasn’t focused enough when I put it on. There’s something warm and easygoing about it that makes me feel like I could come back to it on the right day and appreciate it more. Wine pairing? A light red or chilled Pinot Noir. Something relaxed and easy to drink. Food pairing? A simple picnic honestly. Bread, cheese, fruit, maybe some olives. Feels like that kind of album. Favourite song? “So You Want to Be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star”. Vinyl? Don’t want it. First listen? Yes. Overall 3 out of 5.

This would have been way better if they had just trusted themselves amd their songs instead of trying to be all modern and experimental with all that studio trickery that just sounds forced and lame from today's perspective.

Folk rock really doesn't stick to me but I appreciate it

Early Beatles meet Simon & Garfunkel. It was ok.

all this late 60s crap sounds identical to me

I enjoyed this one, but like Mr. Tambourine Man a bit more. Three stars.

1. ztar - 0 2. face - 1 3. cta - 1 4. fair - 1 5. time - 1 6. burned - 1 7. uuordz - 1 8. mind- 2 9. pagez - 1 10. name - 1 11. uuhy - 0 12. day - 1

Bob Dylan is like an infection.

not a fan, didnt even finish the album I guess this was where the beetles got their sound but .. yeah, no

I will not include the bonus tracks from the 1996 CD reissue in this review. I know I've listened to The Byrds before, as pioneers of folk rock, psychedelic rock, and country rock. I just hadn't listened to anything off this particular record until now. Younger Than Yesterday saw the band continue to dabble in psychedelia and jazz elements following their previous record, Fifth Dimension. Not to mention, the band and producer Gary Usher continued experimenting with textures such as brass instruments, reverse tape effects, and electronic oscillators. All of these efforts combine for an album that definitely saw The Byrds flex their musical creativity, even if The Beatles' influence was still apparent. In fact, let's address the Beatles comparison right away - this album came out months after Revolver, and it shows in some of the song compositions and tape effects. Songs like "Have You Seen Her Face" and "Thoughts and Words" would have easily fit on a record like that. Plus, the opening number "So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star" saw jazz legend Hugh Masekela contribute some poppy trumpet improvisation that reminded me of how Eddie Thornton, Ian Hamer, and Les Condon played trumpets on "Got to Get You Into My Life". They're not bad, but it's hard not to notice the clear influence that Revolver had on the development of psychedelic rock from such examples on here. Thankfully, The Byrds do enough toying around to not come off as full-on copies. They brought in saxophonist Jay Migliori for the eclectic medieval ballad of "Renaissance Fair", there's the pensive, jazz-influenced "Everybody's Been Burned", and Chris Hillman contributed the jaunty country-rock tunes "Time Between" and "The Girl With No Name", the latter of which would prove to be the band's next direction. Even their cover of Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages" proved to be strikingly good. The only experiment that proved to falter was on "C.T.A.-102". I know that Jim McGuinn and his friend Bob Hippard were trying to write a serious song, wondering about the existence of extraterrestrial life. But it's severely undercut by the electronic oscillator effects, chipmunk vocals meant to represent aliens talking, and other such production techniques that come across like pandering to the stereotypical representation of aliens in popular media at the time. Overall, Younger Than Yesterday is a solid psychedelic rock record that saw The Byrds do just enough to differentiate themselves and embrace new techniques.

didn't even feel a graze

Who’s the freaky little fella in song 3? This isn’t my usual choice of album, but it felt fresh and experimental for its time period. The reversed guitar was interesting but not over used throughout the album. I liked the vocals too. However I’m coming to realise that lots of late 1960s albums sound similar, I don’t think I’d be able to tell the difference between this and the other albums we have had on this list from that time.

Can definitely hear how influential this is, I was pleasantly surprised. Probably a bit too sing-song for me to give it a higher mark but I did enjoy most of it.

Not exactly what I expected. Better. Obvs "So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star" is a quality song. Hooky, with a fun crowd noise sample, and horns? Cool. "Have You Seen Her Face" and "C.T.A. - 102" sound like what I think the Byrds sound like. But the last third of CTA gets this wild alien intrusion which blew my mind! I liked that a lot. "Renaissance Fair" reminds of a different 60's band but I can't put my finger on it. It's ok. Not really for me. It's short enough that it's not a bother though. "Mind Gardens" is an annoying piece of garbage. I guess the trippy music is Ok, but the singing is absolutely grating! "My Back Pages" Cool, mellow classic rock. Forgot the sang this! All in all, this is better and a little more varied than I'd expected. Pretty good album. Is it earth-shaking or wildly influential? I don't think so. It's a solid 3 representative of 60's folk-inspired rock

Better than I thought it would be. Some interesting experimentation going on. I also didn't realise that Counting Crows' Mr Jones references the opening song on this album until now.

Could appreciate its significance and tell the influence it had, but in itself, didn’t do a lot for me.

Pretty good. Should stick to covering dylan. Neida

A joy to listen to. Experimental for the times and yet they nailed it.

A little light on killer choruses and catchy melody for me. Not bad and easy to listen to but not something I'll play again

8,7 / 10 My back Pages ist ein banger - Wurde sogar von den Ramones gecovert. Habe mir noch "Have you seen her face" gespeichert. Wann Blink-182?

I like the psychedelia entering the folky pop songs. Not a fan of the brass section, but dig the voice of the lead singer. Kinda reminds me of Nick Drake. Fav: Mind Gardens

I've listened to Fifth Dimension many times over, but I guess I was sleeping on this album a bit too hard. McGuinn's wannabe Dylan singing voice fits nicely with this psychedelic sound they were experimenting with at the time, and the guitar work is cool stuff. 8/10.

7/10 While enjoyable, nothing here really stood out to me enough to make me want to listen to this album again. However, I can see the influence their music had on many acts that came later.

Its alright, nothing much to say abt it ngl its just alright. 6/10

3.5/5

Didn’t enjoy this one. Very boring imo. I only really liked Have You Seen My Face and My Back Pages which for an album with 17 songs is not great

Didn't really enjoy this much

I'm very interested in the Byrds now that I know what they are. If I'm being honest, I confused them with the Yardbirds for the longest time and had no clue David Crosby was in the band. But that confusion has been cleared and I think the idea of this band is spectacular. Not every song passes the test for me, but whatever they got going, they gotta keep that up. I read that Gram Parsons joins up later and being somewhat a fan of the Flying Burrito Brothers, I can't wait to hear. Consider me sold (8/10, 4/5 on this scale)

Better than I thought it would be, really surprised me at times with its experimentation that felt fresh while still being very of its time. I like how weird it got with the one alien song and the backwards notes.

I liked it

Jingly Jangly 60's pop. Nice enough

A solid outing from the Byrds. You can start to see where they were headed next as well as see some of what folks would do in later projects. Good jangly rock that expands beyond folk.

I enjoyed the first few tracks I listened to but lost steam. Felt like the same song was on repeat after that.

Pretty good, a little less interesting than some other Byrds stuff I've heard on this list so far

The Byrds innovated on the dominant Beatles/like sound of the day, and influenced southern rock styles from Tom Petty to REM. This album misses for me — some classic hits are lost in too much muddy experimentation. It’s not a good album, from my POV. A 2.

A good imitation of Poppy Beatles, a bad imitation of post-weed and post-psychedelia Beatles.

I love psychedelic rock, but anyways... 3.5 stars

mmh, meh.

Very good album. 4 stars. I think all songs are pretty good ("So you want...", "CTA -102", "Everybody's been burned"...). And the cover of Dylan's "My back pages" is algo interesting.

New to me, this was a revelation. Will definitely listen again and explore The Byrds more generally, having only really heard a handful of their singles

Lovely

Nice enough to listen to - enjoyed the harmonies and general feel. A low 3

Not their best work but an all round lovely three stars…”C.T.A. - 102” is a great song.

Classic folkish rock.

Ahhhh, this hits a lot of the sweet spots for me. I used to appreciate the Byrds more for the seeds they planted - out of which some of my favorite bands sprang (Big Star, The Replacements, GBV) - than I actually enjoyed listening to them. But man, they really have the tunes and the melodies to suck you in - big time. Took me a while to realize. Might be because I was approaching them through their classic tunes. And after spending more time with this critically hyped ad band, I started to realize that, for me, the “weaker” spots on this beautiful record are actually the most beautiful ones (aka the more obvious Beatles worship and the country-infused parts). The more the Byrds eschew classic songwriting traditions and lean into weirdness, the harder their music hits.

Decent little album. I can't give it a 4 but it is much better than the typical 60s random album. Neat mix of psychedelic and country.

Influential yadda yadda haven't heard a Byrds song yet that I really love but they're all fine?

A lot of these later '60s psychedelic adjacent albums just aren't very good. I do love "So you want to be a Rock and Roll star" but frankly I think the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers version is much better. Great song, just better execution by TP&HB. So yeah, two stars, better Byrds albums later in their catalogue.

Nope, never again.

I expected the Byrds to be more bluesy, but this is pretty folksy/psychedelic. It has a bit of experimental sounds, most of which is lightweight and OK to listen to (the one exception is CTA 102 which has some freaky kid voices).

This was different novel enough that it held my attention more than some of the 60s psyche-rock entries we've heard on this list. But what was up with Gollum and Gizmo the Mogwai having a conversation at the end of song 3?

There's nothing really memorable here. It's largely fade-to-the-background fine - pleasant harmonies, the occasional twangy chord mixing it up here & there - but also the occasional hyper-sincere flower child vibes (the appropriately named Ren Fair, the terribly blech Mind Gardens). Maybe a high 2, low 3 listen - but there's SO much of this late 60s stuff on the list that I'm rating down for taking the spot of something more interesting.

My back page is a great song, rest of album is solid late 60’s folk

This is mostly good with a couple great spots - and one truly horrific vocal adventure with a terrible piece of writing. Good Dylan cover.

Enjoyable 60s pop.

This was nice. I love their version of My Back Pages. Nothing else grabbed me hard with one listen, though. The psychedelic stuff was interesting, but maybe a little more dated than some things from back then.

Excellent very creative first time listening

Not bad. "So You Want to be s Rock and Roll Star" and "My Back Pages" (it just screams Bob Dylan, right?) are worth it.

Neither good or bad. Listenable 60's sound

The Beatles meets Willie Nelson. A fun album with several catchy hooks. Would definitely listen to it again.

This is extremely psychedelic rock. Very emblematic of what The Byrds were trying to get. Druggy, folky, sometimes starry eyed other times cynical. A pretty good album. Sweetheart of the rodeo is probably their definitive work though.

A couple catchy tunes but nothing bf that got me too excited. Worth the listen but that’s about it.

LA rock bands from the 60s are whats right with LA ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Highlights: “So You Want To Be A Rockstar," "Mind Garden," "The Boy with No Name"

🎧Maybe a hot take but I think this album is pretty weak. Renaissance Fair in particular is dreadful. Favorite track is a Dylan tune, My Back Pages. I like The Byrds, didn’t care for this though.

I liked this bar one song so I might revisit

Lowkey exploratory.

Sigh. The rerelease bonus tracks really twist this into a different, more generalized Byrds experience. The Americana goes crazy by the end of it, but the original record, despite the literal influences, feels a lot more like a well pulled off '60s rock concept. The opener was the "recognized" single, and I think it sets the mood right for the rest of the originally intended experience. It's fun, it feels like youthful energy with dedicated talents. It has a groovy aftertaste. Individually most of the songs (on the original track list) blend into eachother well while showing off different sides to the band. That's pretty neat, it doesn't get boring. Something about the second listen sat worse with me than the first time around. Sure, thanks for talking about aliens a few years before the moon landing, thanks for representing Dylan's lyrics, and I suppose, thanks for your country-rock influence. We can get jangly and upbeat and still be mostly tolerable. I'm glad I heard it, but I don't know if it's good enough for me to want to put it on again. 3/5

Nice

It seems like they are trying to be everything but nothing specific.

Didn't feel like anything to write home about. Solid.

not my thing

not a great album. experimental.

A really solid 60’s album. Often albums from the 60’s are so up their own ass they don’t have any good melody but this doesn’t suffer the same. I’d give this a 3.5.

Heck Yeah, glad to have found another 5 star album for me personally. I love psychedelic rock. It was hard to pick a favorite song because I loved them all so much. Definitely will give this repeat listens especially since it is on the shorter side at only a half hour. Favorite Track - C.T.A. Least Favorite Track - Mind Gardens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not bad

Props to The Byrds for expanding their sound. Of course, that wasn't terribly uncommon in the mid to late '60s, but I'll still give them credit. It's a good album. I can play it through and enjoy most of it (though the second half is a bit weak overall.) But at the same time, most of the songs are forgettable. A good example is the second song, "Have You Seen Her Face". It's got four million streams on Spotify. It's a good song. I like it. And if I never hear it again, I won't notice. That's not an insult, but it also explains why this album is 3 stars. Good, but not great.

Some fine 60's music that isnt the Beatles. Some songs were enjoyed more than others, but hard to distinguish many.

Way better on listen 2. But fuck that alien track. 3!

The Byrds sound is distinctive and very much of its time. I don't think it holds up too well but I won't give it a disrespectful score

I enjoyed this. It explores similar territory as the Beatles did in the late ’60s, but it doesn’t feel at all derivative. Overall, it’s a concise, cohesive, and adventurous little pop album.

really good album, nice vibes on it and all

5. gang er lykkens gang, så kom der sgu endelig et rigtig godt Byrds album

Bizar produktion (på en ret sjov måde), fyldt med bangere.

Super psychadelic.. Weird in a lot of ways.

I didn't really come away feeling like there was anything really special about this but I did enjoy it. It's just straight-forward USA country-ish rock... I think this is 'in my wheelhouse' and that makes it easy for me to consume. Others in my listening group didn't love this, but I didn't mind it. Giving it a 4 but it probably just barely squeaks in above a 3.

Kind of a midpoint between the early jangle folk-rock of the early stuff and the later country rock of Sweetheart of the Rodeo. It's a little psych, a little country, a dash of pretension and a bit of the Monkees for good measure. I like it, but it is my least favorite era of the Byrds if I'm being honest.

This album starts with some pretty dated stuff that sounds like rock music of the 50s, but once you hit like around the halfway point it really picks up a lot. I was really impressed with some of the sounds on this album, I wasn’t really expecting it from them. I think there’s definitely a lot to like here, it’s really solid. Favorites: Time Between, Everybody’s Been Burned, Mind Gardens

60er Rock, teilweise mit Country Einflüssen. Nett zu hören, aber das Alter hört man deutlich raus. 2/5

Generic 70s music

didnt even notice it was on. not unlistenable

Liked this tho a weird track

weird asian ladies make this a 3

# The Byrds: *Younger Than Yesterday* (1967) — An In-Depth Review Released on February 6, 1967, *Younger Than Yesterday* represents a pivotal moment for The Byrds. Following the departure of primary songwriter Gene Clark after 1966's *Fifth Dimension*, this fourth studio album found the band at a creative crossroads—transitioning from folk-rock pioneers toward the country-rock territory they would soon define. The title, taken from Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages," perfectly encapsulates the album's themes of maturation and looking backward to move forward. --- ## Lyrics & Themes The album's lyrical landscape is remarkably diverse, reflecting the distinct personalities of its three primary songwriters: **Roger McGuinn**, **David Crosby**, and **Chris Hillman**. **Satire and Self-Reflection:** The opener "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" delivers biting satire aimed at manufactured pop bands like The Monkees, with Hugh Masekela's jazz trumpet adding an unexpected sophistication. Yet there's irony in the critique—the song also subtly acknowledges The Byrds' own "prefabricated" origins, including drummer Michael Clarke's initial recruitment based on looks rather than musical ability . **Romantic Idealism and Disillusionment:** David Crosby's "Renaissance Fair" (co-written with McGuinn) captures the wistful, medieval-tinged ambiance of the Southern California festival scene, serving as what critics call "a radiant evocation of... the sensual idealism of the hippie dream" . Meanwhile, his "Everybody's Been Burned" explores emotional vulnerability with haunting imagery about balancing "disillusionment and perseverance in a relationship" . **Metaphysical Musings:** Crosby's controversial "Mind Gardens" abandons traditional rhyme and meter entirely—a choice McGuinn initially derided. Yet Crosby defended it as truth-telling: "if you build walls around your mind to keep out the abuse and harshness of life and the pain, then you also shut out the joy and the love" . The track remains the album's most divisive moment. **Emerging Songwriter Confidence:** Chris Hillman's emergence as a major contributor marks the album's most significant development. "Thoughts and Words" presents metaphysical meditation on human relationships featuring backwards guitar effects creating "sitar-like sounds," while "The Girl with No Name" and "Time Between" introduce country elements that would define the band's future direction . **Dylan Revisited:** The sole cover, "My Back Pages," delivers one of the definitive interpretations of Dylan's catalog, with the title phrase providing the album's thematic anchor about rejecting rigid youthful certainty for mature wisdom. --- ## Music & Production **Producer Gary Usher** (fresh from working with Brian Wilson) shaped the album's experimental character over just 11 days of recording in late 1966 . **Genre Fusion:** The album has been described as the Byrds' "West Coastified version of the *Revolver* aesthetic" , blending folk-rock foundations with: - **Jazz elements:** Masekela's trumpet on "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" marked the first use of brass on a Byrds recording - **Psychedelia:** "C.T.A.-102" features extensive tape manipulation, electronic sound effects, and manipulated "alien voices" created by feeding headphones into microphones and speeding up the results - **Raga rock:** "Why" (a re-recording of the earlier B-side) incorporates Indian classical influences in its guitar work - **Country-rock prototypes:** Clarence White's Telecaster work on "Time Between" and "The Girl with No Name" foreshadowed *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* and the entire country-rock movement **Signature Sounds:** McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker remains central, but Hillman's melodic bass lines—particularly on "Have You Seen Her Face" and "Renaissance Fair"—provide crucial harmonic foundation. The vocal harmonies, while dating the recordings to their era, remain technically impeccable and emotionally resonant. --- ## Influence & Legacy **Critical Reassessment:** Though it peaked at only #24 on the *Billboard* chart and received mixed contemporary reviews, *Younger Than Yesterday* has grown in stature. Critics Richie Unterberger and David Fricke note it was "largely overlooked by the public at the time of its release" but is now "considered one of the Byrds' best albums" . **Genre Innovation:** The album stands as a crucial bridge between folk-rock and country-rock. Hillman's four songs "brought to the album elements that had largely been missing from the band's recordings since Clark's departure" while pointing toward their future direction . Tim Connors identifies "Time Between" and "The Girl with No Name" as "early indicators of the country rock experimentation that would feature... on all of the Byrds' subsequent albums" . **Individual Legacy:** The album captures the original lineup's final complete statement before Crosby and Clarke's departures. It showcases the songwriting foundations that would later flower in Crosby's work with CSN and Hillman's contributions to the Flying Burrito Brothers . --- ## Pros | Strength | Details | |----------|---------| | **Songwriting Diversity** | Three distinct voices (McGuinn, Crosby, Hillman) create variety without sacrificing cohesion | | **Chris Hillman's Emergence** | Four sole compositions and one co-write establish him as a major talent; country-rock prototypes hint at the band's future | | **Experimental Courage** | Tape manipulation, jazz brass, raga influences, and electronic effects push boundaries while maintaining songcraft | | **Gary Usher's Production** | Clean, innovative sonics that enhance rather than overwhelm the material; experimental elements serve the songs | | **Consistent Quality** | More even than *Fifth Dimension*—while that album reached higher peaks, this maintains excellence throughout | | **"My Back Pages"** | Definitive Dylan interpretation; the album's emotional and thematic anchor | | **Musicianship** | Clarence White's guest guitar, Hillman's melodic bass, McGuinn's 12-string work, and the vocal harmonies remain exemplary | --- ## Cons | Weakness | Details | |----------|---------| | **"Mind Gardens" Polarization** | Crosby's experimental track—lacking traditional rhythm, meter, or rhyme—remains divisive; band members themselves disliked it | | **Drummer Limitations** | Michael Clarke's technical weaknesses become apparent on certain tracks; some critics note the drumming as "a problem" | | **C.T.A.-102's Placement** | The space-rock experiment, while innovative, disrupts the album's flow for some listeners; "doesn't quite work as a bit of studio trickery" | | **Patchiness** | Some tracks ("Everybody's Been Burned," "Why") are considered "forgettable" by certain reviewers, preventing the album from achieving true classic status for some listeners | | **Dated Elements** | The harmonies and psychedelic trappings firmly anchor the album to 1967, potentially limiting its accessibility to modern audiences | | **Chart Performance** | The album and its singles underperformed commercially compared to earlier Byrds releases, suggesting limited contemporary impact | --- ## Conclusion *Younger Than Yesterday* captures The Byrds at a fascinating inflection point—no longer merely Dylan interpreters, not yet country-rock pioneers, but hungry songwriters exploring jazz, psychedelia, and pop craftsmanship. It succeeds despite (or because of) its internal tensions: Crosby's avant-garde impulses versus Hillman's emerging country traditionalism, McGuinn's experimentalism versus the need for accessible songs. The album's greatest achievement may be its demonstration that The Byrds could survive Gene Clark's departure not by replacing him, but by distributing creative responsibilities among remaining members who rose to the occasion. While not every experiment succeeds—"Mind Gardens" remains a stumbling block for many—the successes ("So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star," "My Back Pages," "Have You Seen Her Face," "Time Between") demonstrate a band evolving with remarkable speed and confidence. For listeners seeking the Byrds' creative peak, opinions vary between this album, *Fifth Dimension*, and *The Notorious Byrd Brothers*. But *Younger Than Yesterday* arguably offers the most balanced portrait of the band's multifaceted identity—simultaneously looking back to their folk-rock origins and forward to country-rock's emergence, all while absorbing the psychedelic innovations of their era.

No.

Pretty groovy, great album to dance to! Fav song is ‘Have You Seen Her Face’.

strange birds

Not what I expected at all. Enjoyable