Reviews (page 3 of 8)
A 4 out of nowhere, well done lads. #gobyrds
The first song I thought "right this is going to be one of those albums that was groundbreaking at the time but now it sounds a bit lacking" but the more it went on the better it got. Especially after CTA. Very textured sounds. Mind Gardens was insane on headphones. I particularly liked Everybody's been burned and why
American beatles?? Include alien jumpscare. That's fun.
On their way to great things. There's a lot of joy in this album... and you can hear the inspiration for Oasis. It's a bit juvenile in places, but as a build up to 8 miles high it's pretty influential. Enjoyed listening
So, so good. Surprisingly haven't dug deep with this band, especially as they seem to be the origin story for so much of the jangle pop, country rock and other stuff i love so much. Strong most of the way through, the vocal harmonies are bang on, the guitars sound great, and it typifies that part of the 60s without getting embarrassing about it. Crosby does insist on the token eastern sounding tune (Mind Gardens) that plagued a lot of albums from the time, but it's still ok.
Just a bit dull. Feels a bit tired and washed out.
Not horrible but The Byrds are still on thin ice because of the god awful Sweetheart of the Rodeo album
I think I'm predisposed to dislike most of the Beatles contemporaries because they dont flex nearly as much creativity
It aight.
- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummers al toegevoegd aan MMMM
Huikea albumi! Jo avausbiisi näyttää, että nyt ei olla 1960-luvun tusinalevyn äärellä vaan kyseessä on merkkipaalu. Loistavaa soittamista, paljon nyansseja ja dynamiikkaa ja stemmalaulua, todella taitavaa. Ja aivan loistavia biisejä päinvastoin kuin aikalaisensa The Kinks tältä listalta, joka oli sivan hirveää. Todella iloinen yllätys. 5/5
First two songs alone worth the price of admission. Remaining songs good with the exception of the two written by David Crosby.
I used to sing Have You Seen Her Face to a certain baby when she was a cranky newborn. I then played it for her (it was actually Marshall Crenshaw's cover, which was all I had on CD back in 2005) and she perked right up! Sweet memory and a sweet album, if a little spotty, and I'm rounding up for grammatical correctness in Time Between.
vibe was a little weird for me today
Somehow less obnoxious than their contemporaries that also dipped their toes into minstrel pop. It’s not the best of The Byrds but still rocks.
No
Started strong but fell off
Good tunes, great sound.
Meh. Background music. Temu Beatles.
love the byrds. kind of hate that my favorite country albums barely sound like country music. i wanna like every genre of music, im doing my best. I love the crazy psychedelic moments on here the most. feels super ahead of its time for the 60s, some of these tracks remind of some 90s indie rock shit, def gotta be super influential for sure. love it!
Relatief gezapig klinkend jaren '60 spul met een beetje de te verwachten instrumenten en samenzang. Uiteraard moest er ook iets van een heliumstemmetje bij of shit die achteruit wordt afgespeeld, want drugs waren in de mode plus al die moderne opnametechnieken moesten en zouden gebruikt worden. Ik kan me er niet heel erg aan storen verder, maar anders had ik hier wel heel weinig bij te noteren. Een prima album. Het half uurtje vliegt voorbij. Toegankelijk zonder te saai te zijn. Ik heb er niet heel veel over te melden. Wederom een keurige 3 sterren voor De Vogyls.
Probably more like a 3.5/3.75. I really love some of the tracks on here but others begin to feel a little too psychedelic and repetitive.
46 minutes.of two minute.songs but it isn't punk. Huh. Overall this is a pretty good album. Lots of different, pleasing melodies and each song seems to have a unique instrument or sound somewhere in it.
Another great, melodic album with a ton of variety from The Byrds. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
no complaints but no real compliments either
4.5
4.5
4.5
Actually, I think I've come around to thinking that this is my favorite Byrds album it kind of has a little bit of everything there early jingle pop sound "So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star" and "My Back Pages", their psychedelic sound, "C.T.A. - 12" and "Mind Gardens", and even a sneak peek at their country material "Time Between". Plus this has one of my favorite Crosby songs, "Everybody's Been Burned" (9.5) ★★★★½
Cool jangly proto-country rock, with hints of psychedelia. 4 stars
Apparently, this is David Crosby's favorite Byrds album, while I think Fifth Dimension is a bit better, I do like this era of the Byrds the best. Some good stuff here, including "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star", "Time Between", "Why?" and their excellent cover of "My Back Pages". 4 stars.
4.5
These Byrds albums seem to be a tuppence a bag on this list. There a few wonderful gems like So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star and My Bqck Pages. Some hideous Byrd poop like Mind Gardens that needs scraping off. Bit of a featherlight collection even at 4 stars because it’s still classic Byrds. The Very Best Of The Byrds would sort out these chaps well.
Way better than their other album on the list Solid, good, short. Sweet
Pretty boring.
first time listen to The Byrds So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star - 4/5 Have You Seen Her Face - 5/5 C.T.A.102 - 3/5 (can't take the alien voices at the end seriously lol) Renaissance Fair - 4/5 Time Between - 3/5 Everybody's Been Burned - 4/5 Thoughts and Words - 5/5 Mind Gardens - 2/5 My Back Pages - 4/5 The Girl With No Name - 3/5 Why - 3/5 Average score: 3.6/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ there's a few nice songs here, but most of this release was kinda whatever to me. hopefully I enjoy their other albums better, as they seem to show up multiple times on this list for some reason
Very good summer of love, '67 psychedelic album. But after just hearing "Axis:Bold as Love", released the same year, this album kind of pales in comparison. There are some great songs on here, especially the more country-rock leaning ones written by Chris Hillman, but the song about aliens, "CTS-102" and the David Crosby-penned "Mind Gardens" with its sitar and nod to Eastern religion and culture, just feel dated and ridiculous. The album closes really well with the Dylan cover "My Back Pages" and "Why?" A mixed bag of an album but a fun enough listen. Did it need to be in this list?
Maybe deserves a bit higher, I'm sure it was novel in its day, but I'm fatigued by the more psychedelic stuff here, too many Byrds albums. Listened to original tracklist, and the last few tracks from the Dylan cover to Why are really good, would kind of take or leave the rest
Mix between Beatles and Crosby Stills Nash and Young, but not as good
davvero cute, ma purtroppo dimenticabile
Finally, a Byrds album before they stopped harmonising. There are still too many Byrds albums on this list to be clear, but enjoyed the folky roots combined with the "new" psychedelia - enjoyed this one.
< the Beatles
Nice album but I found it hard to finish cause it's really old fashioned for me, liked a few songs tho. The vibe overall is nice so 4 stars.
A nice surprise. Good variety between classic folk pop, weird space, and eastern tuning psych leaning stuff. At least 3 great songs with maybe 1 clunker along the way.
Good but idk
3.5/5
fine
Thoughts and Words könnte glatt auf Rubber Soul veröffentlicht worden sein, mein Highlight.
Like it 3/5
Not really my thing
Very 60s, I like the Byrds.
I could slowly feel myself losing my mind. It felt like watching the adult swim classic too many cooks. This felt very punk.
While I appreciate albums like this, they definitely show their age. I can hear the bones of what came after, and I understand why they're on this list, but they just don't capture my attention.
Oh my god, what a wonderful discovery! I love it so much. So calm and beautiful lyrics.
Dylan tribute band
Solid offering of the 1960s. A bit derivative of its predecessors. By 1967 the influence of the Beatles, Donovan and Simon & Garfunkel were so evident in these recordings that it's a little over wrought. The best is yet to come though! Soon after this, David Crosby will form CSNY and Graham Parsons will have his body snatched from LAX and burned in the desert.
I prefer the twangier Byrds, but this is lovely, if a little...boring? It's all well-crafted and executed, and I don't really have any complaints. I'm surprised "Lady Friend" was kept off the original release, because it's a banger, as are classics like "My Back Pages" and "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star." Maybe it'll hook me better if I sit with it with more. Rounding up to 4 for that potential.
Pleasant album that sort of faded into the background except when it got weird, and unlike most 1960s bands, when it got weird it wasn't really really dumb. Great guitars and vocals, can't say the lyrics moved me much. I wonder if this is what a certain brand of hipsters walking around retirement communities wish was playing over the loudspeakers instead of CCR and Buddy Holly.
Some high points, but more inconsistent than their best. Some nice jangly psychedelic pop in places, but a bit dull in others. That version of My Back Pages is sensational though and alone drags the average for the album from 3* to 4*.
I went into this expecting more, given The Byrds' reputation. But this feels like a bit of a letdown in their discography for me. It's got the sound and style I love from that time period, but it lacks that special something that makes you remember an album. There are some nice moments scattered throughout, but overall it didn't leave much of an impact after just one listen. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star - Have You Seen Her Face - My Back Pages
Okay, kind of inoffensive
3.0 - Ok
I don’t particularly like folk or country rock, but I understand that The Byrds were trailblazers in those types of music. The album itself is eclectic and pleasant. A couple of straight rock tracks, reminiscent of early Beatles. A couple of more psychedelic rock songs, including the space rock “CTA-102”. “Time Between” has a country twang. The rest very Folky with nice vocal harmonies . Not my jam but not bad and definitely influential.
I prefer sweetheart to the rodeo with its country rock sound. Recognize the influence but don’t love them outside their covers!
type 3/5, good but not that good
A couple songs have a country flavor, some are psychedelic-leaning. The main component are the multi-part harmonies and 12-string guitar work. The obligatory Bob Dylan cover, My Back Pages, features breathtakingly wistful harmonies on the chorus. So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star is a good pop song with a great hook and wry lyrics. There's some playing around in the studio, a couple of tracks reverse or speed up the tape for some psychedelic effects. The Byrds and this record are an integral part of the hazy, summery, soundtrack of the late sixties. 3.5/5
Kick ass cosmic American music. The opening track is an all timer. I'm never disappointed when I listen to The Byrds. I dig the vocal harmonies and the jangly 12 string guitar all done nicely in 60's psychedelia. I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now will be running through my head for days. This is my 3rd album with Chris Hillman on it in the last 2 weeks. Manassas, Burrito Brothers and The Byrds. Dude is a bad mofo who played on some classics. Another album that's cementing my belief that 1967 might be the best year of recorded music.
Quite excellent!!!
First Listen; 3.5; Really enjoyed this album. Lots of fun, plucky, dry guitar. Also enjoyed the psychedelic songs and the harmonies. I liked that the songs have a sort of "wandering" melodies - they don't follow what I would think is a typical progression which keeps it interesting. Favorite Track: Have you Seen Her Face
Good harmonies for some psychedelic 60s rock
a guitarra reversa imitando uma cítara é divina!!!! adorei conhecer essa banda. a falta desse app de meia estrela é cruel. 3,5.
This was fine for some 60s psychedelia. Not bad, but I didn't feel like this was really interesting either
Strong guitar. The shaker is always off. Each song stands on only 1-2 ideas. Weak songwriting. Still a pleasant listen. Great vibes. But wouldn’t listen to it again.
Great for the genre I guess but I had to skip through this. 2.5
The Byrds clearly heard what The Beatles were doing in England, and decided that they could also start experimenting. And this is album is one of the results. Some hits, some misses and overall, not bad. 3.5/5 stars
The Byrds are all over the place. In this album there was at least 3 times when I checked to see if another tab was talking or playing music because it literally sounded chaotic like they didn't go together at all!
7/10 - I really wrestled between giving this a 3 or a 4. I really like this album. The album opens with a banger, moves to a good second song, and a surprising third (especially for 1967). It’s a really strong album and one I would love to own. My reason for giving it a 3 and not a 4 are that the album lulls in the middle for 2 songs and the best song on the album is a Bob Dylan cover. It’s a good album, but it lives as a strong 3 and not a light 4.
Fun 60's album with a couple of tracks that stand out from the rest (Have You Seen Her Face and My Back Pages). The rest of the songs are good but pale in comparison. 7/10
What the heck was that wierd alien speak thing in between tracks 3 & 4. So strange. I think the best part of this exploration into new bands, is reading the history. I've kinda heard of The Byrds before, but didn't know they spun off other bands like Firefall and Crosby Stills and Nash. (I saw firefall in concert last year for the first time) I had a Gene Clark solo album right before this one too. I suppose, as the album goes. It's alright. Again, that alien thing was a bit out of left field, but the tunes here are pretty good for the era. I do not recognize any tracks though. It also seems to be a staple of the era, that at least one song that Dylan wrote, is on this record. Dylan is a pretty good writer despite his awful voice.
Meh.
A good listen I thought even though there were no stand out songs I enjoyed it all the same. Interesting that they were trying new things along with the Beatles at the same time but sound completely different.
Definitely an interesting record. At first, I was sure I was going into another run of the mill 60s psychedelic rock regurgitation. When the strange sound effects and voice popped in on track 3, I was invested. I only wish this record was more comfortable exploring these experimental moments more. Still, I found this to be a pretty fun record with some bold moments.
Wow, que aburrido.
3.5⭐️/5 02.10.2026
Not their strongest... 2.5 but rounding up.
Nah. this was pretty bad.
Already forgot most of it
They can't even spell birds right - meh!
they're just weird
3.5
3.0
Alright, I like the parts where they reverse the instruments, and they voices are angelic, but not a lot stood out to me really. My Back Pages and Why are my faves. Also the alt versions of Mind Gardens and My Back Pages too. 5.3/10
Weird, but enjoyable. Loved the strange radio song
7/10
estaba chimba, chill, lo escuché desde temprano y la verdad bien, bacano
Listening Notes A group I've listened to very little of but don't know why Psychedelic and weird, lovin it Standout Tracks "So You Want to Be a Rock n Roll Star", "Have You Seen Her Face", "C.T.A.-102", "Everybody's Been Burned", "Thoughts and Words", "Why" First time? Yes Will it go into your rotation? Definitely will check out more of their stuff
There are many Beatles knockoffs to pick from. This was one of the weaker ones.
The Byrds are a joy to listen to. Their music instantly transports you to the mid‑60s—the shimmering 12‑string guitars and rich harmonies create a sound that grabs my ear every time. They may not sit at the very top tier of the decade’s musical giants, but they come impressively close. The musical identity The Byrds embodied helped define the era, and Younger Than Yesterday captures that essence perfectly.
When I want to listen to the Beatles, I listen to the Beatles. When I want to listen to Bob Dylan, I listen to Bob Dylan. When I want to listen to both of them at the same exact time, I listen to the Byrds. The Byrds were great at what they did. I like some of their albums a little better than Younger Than Yesterday but it's still got some strong songs on it.
The pop stuff on this is so good, fine tuned and quick hits, thrown out like clay pigeons. The psych stuff feels distinctly of its time and feels either experimental or trendy depending on how I'm feeling. Either way, I like Mind Gardens a lot less than the pop cuts. Favorite Tracks: So You Want To be a Rock N Roll Star, Have You Seen Her Face, Renaissance Fair, The Girl With No Name
"CTA 102" was a really weird track (particularly for something from the 60's). "My Back Pages" was pretty good though.
2/3 Boring
A pretty standard affair, highlights include “back pages” which I actually think is an incredibly strong song and mind garden as well as a great interval that sounds like aliens arriving. The band clearly thought so too, as both tracks appear twice on the version I listened too. Beyond that however there is no real standout, give either of those two a spin and skip the rest.
56
Conflicted about this one. Love the Byrds, love their sound, love the influence they had on so many others. Yet I’ve always found myself a little lost in their albums and rhe same is true here. Couldn’t quite find anything that made me say, “Heck yes, so glad to listen to this song at this very moment.” Putting it down as a 3, expect I’ll rate other albums of theirs higher.
Oh man, this is so good! The final album from them, I'm free!
Unremarkable
Thoughts before listening: The Byrds are pretty good. Jangly folk rock that leans into 60s psychedelic sounds as well. They were kind of a precursor to the hippie movement that would come to be defined by the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, etc. Review: This is awesome. Exactly what I would expect a Byrds album to sound like. A little folk, a little country, some rock n roll, some light psychedelia. It's all really enjoyable. 5-stars
I don't know why I didn't like this. I feel as though I should have
Good for the background
3/5
Every once in a while this album hits on something really damn good. The riff to Everybody's Been Burned, the verses of Thoughts and Words. But then something always comes and ruins it or undercuts the good stuff. In Everybody's Been Burned it's the awful lyrics. In Thoughts and Words, it's the choruses where they weirdly decide they want to ape The Beatles. Additionally, all the psychedelic backmasking sucks. And what was with that weird alien child at the end of C.T.A. - 102? Overall, this album is just fine. It's very dated in spots, and just doesn't work well to my ears. I don't doubt their need to be included on the list, but five albums seems very excessive.
not my favorite byrds album but still very good
Favorite Track: My Back Pages
Eh
I don't mind the Byrds, and it was enjoyable, but nothing stood out on this album.
With everything from classic ’60s pop to mariachi trumpets, backwards sitars, and cosmic sound experiments, Younger Than Yesterday is an album that rarely feels cohesive or complementary
So you want to be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star CTA - 102 Mind Gardens My Back Pages Old John Robertson
Renaissance Fair Everybody’s Been Burned Thoughts and Words My Back Pages (Alternate) Lady Friend
"My Back Pages" is great. The rest just fine.
Je suis pas fan j'ai l'impression que c'est les bette en moins bien
Bonne découverte ! Du bon rock avec un bon côté psychédélique j'aime bien
I enjoyed the sound, there were some catchy melodies and I’m glad I listened. Added 1 song to my playlist
It'd be miserly not to like this a bit!
It's better than their last album, but they're definitely not my favorite 60s album.
I'm not sure what to make of this. My Back Pages might as well be a masterpiece and So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star is enjoyable but then I'm really not getting into the rest of this slightly forced take on "psychedelic folk rock" with backwards tape etc. Won't be returning.
I expected to know more songs on this than I did. Still a nice listen but not a lot really drawing me in.
Mind gardens gillade jag inte alls, irriterande låt.
I liked the weird little alien sounds
My favourite of the Byrds albums on this list so far.
Third Byrds album on the list and my favourite so far. Feels like a blend of the poppy sound from Mr Tambourine Man (4 stars) mixed with the psychedelia from Fifth Dimension (3 stars).
Solid
Just not very interesting
Lightweight fun with a drop of weird. 3.25 stars
Another fine album
Mixed bag, this one. Some of their best tunes mixed with some noise and some seemingly half-finished ideas.
What a great morning listen! The Byrds, high as collective kites, bringing us the jangly Rickenbacker best.
Feels like I've had this album already, sounds like a lot of other 60s psychedelic rock stuff. Not bad but not great. Meh. 2.5/5
Enough of this band
When they do weird things, like the trumpet in the first song or a song about a quasar, it’s excellent. When they’re just doing generic 60s rock, it’s fine.
This feels like a transitional album. There are pointers to the more country sound that was coming as well as David Crosby's work with CSNY, while some of the production choices straddle the line between experimental and gimmicky. It all adds to the sense of a band who are throwing a lot of stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The best song though is still a relatively straightforward Dylan cover - My Back Pages is the standout track for me.
"Younger Than Yesterday" features the classic Byrds sound: Rickenbacker guitar, rich vocal harmonies, mellow bass lines. Along with its classic psychedelic rock sound, elements of folk rock, country and jazz (through brass instruments) are also present. The result is that the Byrds' aforementioned signature sound is combined with these different genres to create a simultaneously diverse yet grounded album. Not the Byrds best, but very good.
Weird mix of the Beatles and psychedelic rock.
I listened to it.
Listening to this on the day it came out, 2/6. The Byrds are so good.
173/1089 In general i’m just not a fan of the 60s boyband style of pop music. The sound and humour in it usually makes me cringe. On this album, however, i feel that The Byrds quite successfully walked the line between that style and a more serious, timeless guitar-led sound. it did lose a little steam for me but the middle run of Renaissance Fair-Time Between-Everybody’s Been Burned-Thoughts and Words was pretty good and a real stand out 70/100
354/1089 - Slightly better than the Mama's and Papa's album I had recently. Too many twangy reversed guitars and not enough harmonic movement to justify their existence.
unnecessary
Trop psychédélique pour moi
Me parece 'una pavada' esta música. Un embole. Rock muy viejo muy guitarrita liviana tilín tilín.
its 1967 (the sgt.peppers year) and you are still offering me this shit 3/5
I enjoyed this album listen from The Byrds! I honestly liked the alternate versions of some of the songs better than the originals because they were more edgy and unpolished than the more commercial sounding track listings. Overall, this album didn’t blow me away but I had a pleasant time listening to it and would check it out again in the future!
Some cool quick catchy songs, didn’t overstay its welcome, if anything I would’ve liked a bit more
Not my album style :-)
Nope. Just don't like these byrds. I didn't mind this one quite as much as The Notorious Byrd Brothers, and I like the backward guitar soumds. If they just didn't sing maybe.
A pleasant listening experience but nothing overly exciting
This was chill and pleasant. Some weird bits in there for sure
I don't think this was as good as the other Byrds album that came up on this list. This one felt less cohesive overall, and not as polished. Still very much in their style and feel, and I stand by a psychedelic weird version of the beetles. Really still enjoyed the weird little moments here n there, like the high pitched helium voice and the interesting modulated guitar sounds. 7/10
Great album. Great era.
2 sterne
Classic Byrds. Simple and pretty easy listening. Listened before? N Saved tracks? N ⭐⭐
Not being super familiar with The Byrds, i'm working hard on separating them from The Beatles. Not surprisingly, The Byrds were formed by some dudes in America that loved The Beatles and were already replicating The Beatles music. So they really are the American Great Value version of The Beatles. The Beatles evolved and started innovating in 1966 with Revolver and then Sgt Pepper's LHCB.....and so The Byrds tried too and this album is their attempt. There's kind of a hint the psychedelic elements in Thoughts and Words and CTA- 102....but imo it doesn't work. It just doesn't fit and feels forced. It's just weird listening to this and how influential The Byrds were........except everywhere I turn, everything is Bob Dylan cover, "influenced by Paul McCartney", "Western Version of Revolver", "Influenced by The Beatles". I just can't to it when their entire existence feels like "Beatles for Americans that were too stubborn to like The Beatles because they were British." Then the fact that they couldn't keep members in their band tarnishes it a bit. The reason why they are so overlooked is because nothing about them was original. That said, the music isn't terrible.
It's Ok. didnt really move the needle one way or another.
I really like the Byrds. I love the twelve string guitar, the nontraditional bass lines, and the psychedelic feel they give. The late 60s is my favorite genre. I love "So you want to be a rock and roll star" but it ends WAY too soon. Nothing on this album stands out. Their first three albums are all better than this, plus other artists of this time (Moby Grape, Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Hollies) I think did an even better job.
I think this is a totally under appreciated group of the 60’s.
Standard 60's rock album. It's fine.
Cool to find experimental rock from when rock was barely a thing
Listened too multiple times
Boring and sounds like the Beatles. Weird sound effects.
Wasn’t for me
I'll echo another review about how great The Byrds sound for being contemporaries of The Beatles and having a similar sound but not sounding like they are just trying to be them. There's a demo version of Everybody's Been Burned that everyone should listen to; it's almost haunting and is so strong. This is a great band a great album.
Not a fan of the stuff being done on that first track, but overall a pleasant listen. The mixing is enjoyable, and the production does sound like a former Beach Boys producer did it. Didn't expect to like a song named Renaissance Fair, but her we are. The Dylan Cover is pretty good. Between a 3 and a 4, rounded up.
The Byrds are back... again. I still don't think they need five albums on this list. This is my third album of theirs, and if I'm going to be honest, it's my favorite one thus far. Fifth Dimension and Mr. Tambourine Man were good and all, but this is probably the first album of theirs that I've heard to stand out as being a truly strong album. The thing that really makes this one work for me is that it appears to be the most adventurous album of theirs that they had released up to that point in their career. These weren't just guys singing Bob Dylan covers anymore. Well, okay. They were still doing that, but not as much as they had before! They're not relying on it anymore, and I think it's okay to go back to a habit of yours every once in a while after you've proven that you don't actually need it to succeed... unless it's, like, drugs or something. Don't do drugs, kids. Anyway, the experimentation and musical growth that the Byrds engage in on Younger Than Yesterday make this an album that actually interests me. Of course, the strengths of past albums are still here. I do still enjoy those vocal harmonies. But there's more here at play than what there was before. The country influences are getting stronger, and there's even some good experimentation in the studio with things like brass instruments and tape reversing. Good stuff! I will say that the album is quite short, but that's honestly okay since it helps the music to not overstay its welcome. It knows what it wants to do and it does those things quite well. The Byrds are more confident here than they'd ever been before and I'd say it paid off pretty well. Decent 4/5.
Yllättävän hyvä, ei ollutkaan sitä perus tän ajan poprock renkutusta. Nää kappaleet tuntui paljon syvemmiltä. Moni kappaleista tosi tunnelmallisia. Jotkut aika psykedeelisiäkin. Parhaat: Everybody's Been Buried, It Happens Each Day, Have You Seen Her Face
Did I like some of this? Yes. Did I like all of this? No. Did I sigh, roll my eyes at times? Yes. Did I actively hate Mind Garden? Yes.
thought this was quite fun
real nice vibes. similar to the Steely Dan, this album is a "King's Classic," meaning it would fade perfectly into the background of a nice homework session at The King's Cafe.
Very cool! Very 60s!
I had never heard of The Byrds before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I had an educated guess based off of the era and album cover. It is as I feared, and the album was very similar to all of the parts of The Beatles that I don’t really care for. Lyrically it’s fine, but musically I found myself bored to tears by most tracks. An initial highlight was My Back Pages, but Brandon said that was a cover, so it may be more of a demerit. I found myself agreeing with one review that stated: “There is nothing new or startling on Younger Than Yesterday.” It could also be the fact that we are coming off of two albums that I loved, so I was ready for an album that I didn’t want to listen to all day long, or at all, really.
This was kind of a wild ride, I’m not sure the Byrds knew what they wanted this album to be. We’ve got an incredible intro, then whatever “CTA 102” is… Overall a fun one!
I always viewed the Byrds as being more a cover band than anything, so I was actually surprised to find that all but one song on here were originals. The one cover, "My Back Pages," has some of my favorite Dylan lyrics "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now" is something to which I relate more and more. I liked the part in CTA-102 where it got all fucked up and sounded like they accidentally let David Lynch wander into the production booth.
Another excellent piece of the psych rock blueprint. Many contemporaries of the Beatles or Stones fall flat, but I really enjoyed this one.
Perfect album! "My Back Pages" is a masterpiece! All others are very-very nice.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 🔬👻📸 Production: 🔊🥴🔊 Music: 💊🧪👽 Rating: 🐦🦅(🦆)/5
# Album Name: Younger Than Yesterday # Artist: The byrds # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Good album. Very 60s of course. Some good tunes on this. # Top Tunes: Rock n roll star / Seen her face / Ren fair / Everybodys been burned / thoughts and words # Would I listen to it again? Yes
2nd of 5 Byrds albums on this list and my feelings are still the same. It starts well with the best track on the album: So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star but then declines thereafter. When they keep the tempo high the songs are enjoyable although I find it hard to care about their harmonies and jangly guitars. I liked the aliens on CTA 102 but the rest of the studio noodling felt band wagon jumping and lacking conviction. There were a couple of slower songs that were particularly dull and drag the score down to a 2.
Younger than Yesterday This definitely suffers from a bit of patchiness and a bit of drift - there are some great tracks, but also a few that don’t register fully In the good column, So You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star is superb, with great groove, harmonies and melody, but the real star is Hugh Masekela’s jazzy mariachi trumpet playing. Have You Seen Her Face is also fantastic, a Revolver-Macca-esque bass line, some excellent scratchy guitar, and a lovely drop into the harmony-rich chorus. I really like the country-12 string-medieval riff of Renaissance Fair with another great Macca-esque bassline - the Revolver influence is pretty clear again. Time Between is a lovely little country rock song, Thoughts and Words’ chorus is good (with added backmasking), and The Girl with No Name is another great country rock ditty, showing how many good Chris Hillman compositions there are on here. My Back Pages is another of their great Dylan covers, the harmonies and jangles adding to it considerably. CTA-102 doesn’t quite work as a bit of studio trickery, where the influence of Revolver goes against them. Everybody’s Been Buried is pretty forgettable and the pretty poor Mind Gardens show this is not Crosby’s finest hour, only really redeeming himself with Why. I think I prefer 5th Dimension to this a little, although that was also patchy it felt more exciting than this one. I still enjoyed it though, and it has two Byrds classics in So You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star and Have You Seen Her Face, but I think it ends up as a high 3. 🕊️🕊️🕊️ Playlist submission: Have You Seen Her Face
The opening bars of 'So You Wanna Be A Rock n Roll Star' sound like 80s R.E.M., with two picked chords back and forth. It has that feeling of alternative college rock that is mighty appealing and uplifting. 'Have You Seen Her Face' is a song I discovered in the last 15 years - laid back vocal against a superb pop chord progression and crystal harmonies. And a guitar solo that tries to rival Taxman for its aggressive picking. A real treat. The obligatory Dylan cover features - it doesn't have the same transformative impact of their 'Mr Tambourine Man' interpretation but it's a great song choice for McGuin's laid back style of rock. McGuin also gets a mention, not just for his co-writing, but some really excellent guitar playing - from jangling country licks to the Indian scales.
I love the cynical, self-referential Rock n Roll Star, and tracks like Renaissance Fair and Everybody’s Been Burned gleam with David Crosby’s magic touch. The harmonies and chiming 12-string are in full flow, the signature sounds are all there, but it does feel like they’re getting to the end of something with this record. Mind Gardens in particular shows the listener where Crosby was heading. It’s a mish-mash of an album, but an interesting listen.
The opening track is great but as an album something about this just doesn't gel for me. It has the chiming 12-strings but is just a bit wayward. If I knew the history of the Byrds perhaps I could pinpoint why. I don't so I am just a bit nonplussed.
Not bad. Not much to say about it, though.
Lots of Hits
Melko kokeellista ja psykedeelisiä taustoja biiseissä, mut ihan menevää paikoitellen. Jossain kohtaa meni jo todella oudoksi. eipä silti hirveesti jäänyt kerrottavaa. Pari kovaa biisiä.
Tää kuulosti vanhalta musalta jopa ollaakseen 60-luvun lopulta. Ei kyllä tämmönen uppoo yhtään, osin varmaan ku faija luukutteli lapsuudessa suunnilleen jotain tän tyylistä paskaa, niin sisäinen kapinahenki nostaa päätään.
Aika vetelää ja melankolista tämäkin, ei tee mieli kuunnella enempää kuin on pakko.
Jooooooo tää on tämmöstä. Paras biisi levyllä lainabiisi niin ohan se aina vähän semmottiista. Mutta ei se mittee. Välillä mietin levyä nautiskellessa, että kokeilunhalu mennyt siihen pisteeseen, että rupee meikäläistä kuulijana ärsyttämään. On tuolla nyt kuitenkin sen verran hyvää ja perusvarmaa soitantaa ja laulantaa ettei joudu kakkoslaarille menemään.
Näistä Dylaniin tavalla tai toisella linkittyvistä bändeistä oon itse ollut aina enempi The Band -mäen miehiä. Byrds on jäänyt enemmän vaan semmoselle hitit tuttuja -asteelle. Oli jotenkin tosi erikoinen levy. Ihan ihmeellisiä biisejä, ja välillä luulin jo että kaiutin hajosi kun niin erikois-soundeiksi meni meno paikoitellen. Eipä tämä ihan hirveästi puhutellut, mutta My Back Pages on yksistään jo viiden tähden biisi, niin annetaan sitten kolmonen koko levylle. Selkee homma!
Second Byrds album on this list for me, which means they don't benefit from "first time tolerance" anymore. Overall, I found it less interesting than “The Notorious Byrd Brothers”. The psychedelic vibe is more low-key here, reduced to a couple of weird riffs and background chimes, except maybe in Mind Gardens. Instead, what we get is mostly Beatles-like pop-rock – just not as good as the Beatles. It's not unpleasant to listen, but it clearly lacks personality, and no song really stands out in my opinion. The whole album is a pure product of its time and can hardly be considered “essential”, which is not what I expect from this list. And there are no less than FIVE (!) Byrds albums on the list... The author must think they’re really, really important in the history of music, but I'm not sure I share his enthusiasm. I mean, it's a nice band, but come on... Five albums ? 4/10
Another old rock album, but quite pleasant to listen to.
This is some crazy 60s experimentation, especially with the aliens I was laughing my butt off. I liked the different sounds but i only really liked one or two songs
Dreary
not a fan
With enough time, I really think this could go to 5 stars. An absolute joy and masterclass in early psych rock. Love it!
Fun classic
It was ok, but it really says something when the absolutely best song is a cover.
Still not impressed, even though some songs sound beautiful
Cool album, some good tunes for sure! 6.4/10
Fine.
A good jangly pop album with just enough weirdness to make it a little more interesting.
Milestone album. Shows maturity. Exceptional songwriting
Amei
Really really good
I enjoyed this more than I anticipated and was a really easy listen and loved the harmonies and chilled guitar riffs great album
Honestly a very cool and fun album. I haven’t loved everything that they’ve done on this list, but I have really liked everything where they try to be unique like on this album.
Fine but forgettable.
Started off really well, but then got a bit weird. Ended up sounding like a bad Beatles knock off 3 ⭐️
It was alright, maybe even pretty good. Except when it was just weird noises. Also it was a bit jangly at times.
I loved everything about this. I loved the psychedelic influence throughout the record and their version of My Back Pages is even better than the original.
Songs mostly started promising, but tended to go off the rails in a way I couldn't grasp or appreciate. But the instrumentals outside of that were nice
Holy shit some of these songs are abysmal to listen to. C.T.A. - 102 and Mind Gardens are torture to my ears. Not a single song here I truly am a huge fan of, all of my ratings of the songs are below a 4. The highest songs being a 3.75 (7.5/10) with My Back Pages. The voices are nice to listen to and I like the melody and instrumentals until they go absolutely apeshit. Half of the album is a 3 and half the album is a 1.
This is the third Byrds album that I have listened to and reviewed via the generator and this is by far my favorite. It has several super catchy "hits" but is also layered throughout with some pretty great experimental psychedelia. Proof that an album can have both mainstream pop appeal and push the boundaries of the genre in all sorts of new directions. While I was initially a skeptic, I do feel that The Byrds deserve the respect that so many people have for them.
This is the third Byrds album I’ve been generated from the list. I enjoyed the last two, the Notorious Byrd Brothers and Mr. Tambourine Man, but nothing really wowed me on those albums. They were both solid psychedelic albums, but I just didn’t enjoy them enough to want to revisit them. Honestly, it was enough to elicit groans when I saw that I had another Byrds album to listen to today. However, I was pleasantly surprised this time around. I’m honestly not sure what’s different about this album, other than some absolutely weird experimental bits like the backwards talking and guitar, but I really enjoyed this one. I think I might need to go back and listen to the other Byrds albums to see if something has finally clicked for me.
This was ok. A lot of 60s mod sounds, but also a bit more folk than I was expecting. Overall enjoyable album, but no real stand outs for me. 3
Typical classic rock from the late 60s. Heard some Beatles influences along with Beach Boys and other bands from that era. None of the songs particularly jumped out at me though. It was just fine.
So many Byrds and related albums, good lord! At least this one wasn't too bad. I enjoyed several of these songs. But how can such a boring band have so many (5) albums considered essential? Key tracks: So You Want to Be a Rock n' Roll Star Everybody's Been Burned Thoughts and Words
Ok
Bra men lite tandlöst
Tycker typ det här är bara najs, känns inspirerat o experimentellt o väldigt starkt i förhållande till andra samtida album. Detta flyger!
Skön, behagligt musik! My Back Pages är en toppenlåt
låtsasbeatles? äh det var väl okej
Its good, not great. What sets it apart is that it very clearly laid the groundwork for other groups and a "sound" that would permeate and influence a generation of rock musicians. This isnt their best album but its good.
Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Nice calm vibe but some really interesting stuff going on under the surface. Kind of a sweet spot in their history before things got a little too country for my tastes.
Meh. I liked it better than Fifth Dimension at least.
Started out enjoying the sound. Third track or so turned into a horror movie (or something with streaming messed up), back to regular sound but started to quickly get bored after that.
There are some cool ideas, I dig the 12 string guitars, the reverse parts are cool, the songs are well written. Definitely worth a listen. There's some pretty catchy stuff here too. And there are twangs of country in some of the guitar lines.
Very much a thing of its time, but you can see why they were big back then. And you can hear the influence they have had on more modern music, the second track was very like the friends theme. Over all it was an enjoyable listen, but was it a mega album? Not for me, but definitely worth a 3
It went too deep into either bad country or bad psychedelia for my taste. The straight up jangly guitar based pop was ok for its time.
I've never really listened to the Byrds too much over thr years, but I do remember the big tracks on this, especially 'My Back Pages' a top tune. This could be the first album to feature aliens and no doubt the last to do so. There was some early experimentation probably under the influence of substances, which always appeals to me, so it's a 3 star effort.
Good album
I enjoyed the 60's sound with the jangly 12-string Rickenbacker guitar, a sound The Byrds and Roger McGuinn are known for. I liked the record and can see how it's influenced rock. A worthy inclusion on the list of albums you must hear before you die.
You can kind of hear the sound of 60s rock change in real time on this album. Some of the psychedelic stuff is a little much, but a strong album from a great band.
the byrds are definitely a band i should like more than i do. i blame david crosby
Boring. Too boring to be annoying. I zoned out after 3 minutes.
Solid 3.5. I do really like the Byrds, but this one didn't hit like some of their other albums.
Eh, just tired of the Byrds. OK otherwise I guess...
It's alright. I would never listen to again. Stand out song - My back pages (which they didn't write)
I got The Byrds like 5 days ago, but I'm not complaining. They are still a very good band, I've definitely come around to them after rating the first two of their albums a bit lower. There's some excellent guitar work, great production, and most importantly they don't overstay their welcome.
I want to like the Byrds, but outside of The Notorious Byrd Brothers, I have a hard time really digging into many of their albums. I wish this album was more garage-y. Like, why would I listen to this when the 13th Floor Elevators exist?
Short songs quite samey
this is great!
Mostly forgettable but I did like the cover of my back pages
This was an alright album having in the background. Nothing too exciting but it sounds pretty alright. Possibly maybe a bit outdated nowadays, but it's still listenable.
Beautiful, man....
I think we've already adequately covered several very similar albums (including others by The Byrds.) This is a good album, just like the others almost exactly like it that crowd this list to the exclusion of other worthy entries. I'll tack on an extra half-star for the guest appearance of trumpeter Hugh Masekaea on the opening track, "So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star". I had never noticed it before and enjoy the song to a greater degree now that I am aware of it.
The Byrds had some amazing songs, none of which are in here. A solid little album though, but you can hear they needed a little more time to cook.
It's okay, probably would be better in a different environment. It's not great as a background while working.
I like this album a lot! As well as this era of music. I need to figure out what a 5 star is and what a 1 star is. I didn’t like this as much as Judas Priest. So that’s the bar?
Top song was My Back Pages, which I now find is a cover
pretty solid. i don't think there's anything groundbreaking here, but i think their sound is about on par with other artists of that time period like the beatles. i see the song i enjoyed the most, mind gardens, seems to be most peoples least favorite song. i loved the psychedelic / folk sound. personally, i think they should have leaned more into that sound. standout tracks: mind gardens, everybody's been burned, it happens each day
Nothing wrong with the music. Felt like a ripoff of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and CCR. Just a boring album.
About half of the songs on this album are really good and catchy and I love them. Then the other half are just there. When the album is less than 30 minutes, only having half of the album be memorable is not the best. I do really like the album overall. There is something about the quick vocals and simple drum beats and poppy guitars. I don't know what it is but I am drawn to this album.
Well it’s much better than the other byrds album we had
Quite enjoyed this one. Still sound like some kind of tribute band though
Getting an album called "Younger Than Yesterday" on my birthday :laughing: Anyway, this was just a bit "eh", although, fortunately, it does come in at a very respectable sub-30 minutes. It's a jubilant folk/country rock album that manages to remain on the right side of my personal threshold, without captivating me to any great extent. It features an alumni from earlier in my challenge in Hugh Masekela, who does contribute a couple of nice tricks to the experience, but it's not one I can see myself wanting to repeat in future.
Interesting album, very much of its time but I fairly enjoyable listen. Lots of short tunes which was typical of the time and includes the standard psychedelic inspired track.
A few classics that resonated with me. A few songs that simply were.
Soaring harmonies and folky essence that make this electrified music homey.
Low rent Beatles or Beach Boys.
This was ok. Felt short. 3/5
6 - AVERAGE
This is my FIFTH the byrds album! We get it ffs
It’s fine but this band will forever be trapped in the 70’s psych rock/pop aesthetic for me
Yay! I already had Fifth Dimension in this challenge. This one is even better, more trippy, more creative, even better songwriting
Really beautiful guitar work throughout this album. Some of it gets a little too kind of out there for me where it starts to sound more experimental than musical, like Mind Gardens. That said the range on this album is impressive, to have a psychedelic experimental style of song like Mind Gardens on the same album as the country style Time Between makes for an interesting listen. Stand out songs: Time Between - love the country style on this song. My Back Pages Why? Don't Make Waves Lady Friend Old John Robertson
eh wasn't really into it.
I don't love this style of music but this was fairly unobjectionable. 2.5
it's as byrdsy as you'd expect given how much byrds are on this list ENOUGH
Sure is The Byrds. 2.5
fun :)
I enjoy a lot of music from this period and of this style specifically, but I have always felt The Byrds' music sounded kind of dull an anemic. Their covers of Dylan's tunes were lacking the edge that Bob gives to any performance. My initial impression of this album was in line with my expectations. The first few tracks all sounded very similar. Generic 60s psych pop, but as it progresses is actually starts to sound quite interesting. Renaissance Fair took me by surprise to be honest. That's followed by a string of very cool tracks, including a Dylan cover that does not suck all the life out of Bob's version (My Back Pages). This album has earned another look I think.
Really love this super nostalgic. So many great hits and the album cuts rule. I love time between and CTA. A great great band. 4.5/5
This album ROCKED. Now I feel bad for giving Stankonia a 4.5 because I was gonna give this a 5. But I’ll stick w/ my 4.5s. This is just so short and sweet, and the tunes are GREAT. That opening is amazing, and so is the one with the reversed guitar solo. Love it
Enjoyable. I liked it but not loved it. Nice melodies and pop sensibilities. Beatles-esque. Fave tracks are “Have you seen her face” and the Dylan cover “my back pages”
6.5/10
Enjoyable!
Day666 - just to hear my back pages makes this an album worth this list. their harmonies are so good
60’s rock
Standout Songs: C.T.A. - 102 Thoughts and Words My Back Pages The Girl With No Name
****A good, easy listening album
Prior to this album, I had only known about The Byrds. Now, I know they were some psychedelic folk freaks. Favorite Track: "Mind Gardens".
Parece Beatles, mas psicodélico.
Overrated but also awesome.
My personal favorite of the three Byrds albums that have been in this list so far. I do beleive there is no way we actually need three of them though. It's an experimental rock 'n roll sound that has many cool moments and feels cohesive.
Interesting to hear these fellows experimenting and noodling around while keeping tight folk rock.
I like it but I don’t love it.
interesting
Work adjacent to The Byrds - Gene Clark’s “No Other”, chunks of CSN(Y)’s output - has enriched me, as well as a few of their songs, their most famous by far their best, but the band’s albums have so far never blown me away. The harmonies date them fiercely, as do the all-you-can-eat buffet of sugared Dylan covers, and the über-hippy trappings of most of the rest. This is one of the better LP’s, maybe for Hillman’s contributions, maybe because they allow themselves only a single Dylan track. Instrumentally, the band’s a party, McGuinn’s ripe notes pop and fizz, the rhythm section a bright, snappy chorus. The songs are fine, but most pleasure comes from the playing, like McGuinn’s morse-code fuzz on “CTA-102”, another of his extraterrestrial paeans, and the commitment to their own gaucheness - Crosby’s seriousness makes companionable the muddled dirge of “Mind Gardens”. An album of them just blazing and being a killer band would be heaven, a precursor to the best psychedelic Boredoms masterpieces: I dream of “Eight Miles High” the one-track LP. I wish the adequate songs would stop getting in the way. I haven’t heard “Turn, Turn, Turn” yet, maybe that’s the great one?
Some interesting effects and a great guitar sound, but inessential. Stick to the Greatest Hits. "Mind Gardens" is wretched.
Kadett, Ellwangen - Ansbach, Deutschland. Tänzelt angenehm durch.
This psychedelic folk-rock album surrounds jangling guitars and tight bass lines with a hazy swirl of sound, while vocals drift between earnest clarity and laid-back detachment, creating a musical carpet that sometimes feels like it’s about to swallow me whole or suffocate me in my sleep.