The ByrdsBesprekingen

I'm a Byrds fanatic so I had to get this book. If you're not a fanatic you might find the day-by-day approach a little tedious, but it really is quite effective in painting a picture of the band that you might not get elsewhere. I found it fascinating, for example, that they mostly played shows on the weekends throughout their entire career. They'd fly out to Chicago on a Friday, plays shows in the region on Saturday and Sunday and then fly back to L.A. And they'd do this almost every weekend! I'm still trying to understand that one.

You only get a bit of the band member's personalities out of this approach, unfortunately. McGuinn had to be a machine to keep the band alive through all the ups and downs but you don't get a deep look into what drove him.

Still, I really enjoyed this and couldn't put it down.

1 5D (Fifth Dimension)
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:33
2 Wild Mountain Thyme
Arranged By – C. Hillman*, D. Crosby*, M. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
2:30
3 Mr. Spaceman
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:09
4 I See You
Written-By – D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
2:38
5 What's Happening?!?!
Written-By – D. Crosby*
2:35
6 I Come And Stand At Every Door
Written-By – N. Hikmet*
3:03
7 Eight Miles High
Written-By – C. Hillman*, D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
3:34
8 Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)
Written-By – B. Roberts*
2:17
9 Captain Soul
Written-By – C. Hillman*, D. Crosby*, M. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
2:53
10 John Riley
Written-By – B. Gibson*, R. Neff*
2:57
11 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:12
Bonus Tracks
12 Why (Single Version)
Written-By – D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
2:59
13 I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider)
Arranged By – D. Crosby*, G. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
2:43
14 Psychodrama City
Written-By – D. Crosby*
3:23
15 Eight Miles High (Alternate/RCA Studios Version)
Written-By – D. Crosby*, G. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
3:19
16 Why (Alternate/RCA Studios Version)
Written-By – D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
2:40
17.1 John Riley (Instrumental Version 1)
Written-By – B. Gibson*, R. Neff*
3:10
17.2 [Silence] 0:10
17.3 [Hidden Audio: Byrds Promotional Radio Interview] 13:34

Credits:
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Chris Hillman
Drums – Michael Clarke
Keyboards – Van Dyke Parks
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – David Crosby
Tambourine, Harmonica, Vocals – Gene Clark
Twelve-String Guitar, Vocals – Jim McGuinn½

1 All I Really Want To Do
Producer – Terry Melcher
2:04
2 Chimes Of Freedom
Producer – Terry Melcher
3:51
3 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Producer – Terry Melcher
3:03
4 Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Producer – Terry Melcher
3:30
5 Lay Lady Lay (Single Version)
Producer – Bob Johnston
3:17
6 Mr. Tambourine Man
Producer – Bob Johnston
2:29
7 My Back Pages
Producer – Gary Usher
3:08
8 Nothing Was Delivered
Producer – Gary Usher
3:24
9 Positively 4th Street (Live)
Producer – Terry Melcher
3:09
10 Spanish Harlem Incident
Producer – Terry Melcher
1:57
11 The Times They Are A-Changin'
Producer – Terry Melcher
2:18
12 This Wheel's On Fire
Producer – Bob Johnston
4:44
13 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Producer – Gary Usher
2:33
14 It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Live)
Producer – The Byrds
3:01
15 Just Like A Woman
Producer – Terry Melcher
3:55
16 Lay Lady Lay (Alternate Version)
Producer – Bob Johnston
3:18
17 The Times They Are A-Changin' (Early Version)
Producer – Terry Melcher
1:54
18 Mr. Tambourine Man (Live)
Producer – Terry Melcher
2:30
19 Chimes Of Freedom (Live)
Producer – The Byrds
3:24
20 Paths Of Victory
Producer – Don DeVito, The Byrds
3:10

1 You Ain't Going Nowhere
Written-By – B.Dylan*
2:33
2 I Am A Pilgrim
Arranged By – C.Hillman*, R.McGuinn*
3:39
3 The Christian Life
Written-By – C.Louvin*, I.Louvin*
2:30
4 You Don't Miss Your Water
Written-By – W.Bell*
3:48
5 You're Still On My Mind
Written-By – L.McDaniel*
2:25
6 Pretty Boy Floyd
Written-By – W.Guthrie*
2:34
7 Hickory Wind
Written-By – B.Buchanan*, G.Parsons*
3:31
8 One Hundred Years From Now
Written-By – G.Parsons*
2:40
9 Blue Canadian Rockies
Written-By – C.Walker*
2:02
10 Life In Prison
Written-By – J.Sanders*, M.Haggard*
2:46
11 Nothing Was Delivered
Written-By – B.Dylan*
3:24
Bonus Tracks
12 You Got A Reputation
Written-By – J.T.Hardin*
3:08
13 Lazy Days
Written-By – G.Parsons*
3:26
14 Pretty Polly
Written-By – C.Hillman*, R.McGuinn*
2:53
15 The Christian Life (Rehearsal-Take #11)
Written-By – C.Louvin*, I.Louvin*
2:55
16 Life In Prison (Rehearsal-Take #11)
Written-By – J.Sanders*, M.Haggard*
2:59
17 You're Still On My Mind (Rehearsal-Take #43)
Written-By – L.McDaniel*
2:29
18 One Hundred Years From Now (Rehearsal-Take #2)
Written-By – G.Parsons*
3:20
All I Have Is Memories (Instrumental) / Radio Spot: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo Album (4:47)
19.1 All I Have Is Memories (Instrumental)
Written-By – E.D. Hewitt*, R.J.Ledford*
2:43
19.2 (silence) 1:06
19.3 Radio Spot: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo Album 0:58

Credits:

Banjo, Guitar – John Hartford
Bass – Roy M. Huskey*
Bass, Mandolin – Chris Hillman
Cover, Illustration – Jo Mora
Drums – Jon Corneal, Kevin Kelley
Guitar – Clarence J. White*, Gram Parsons
Guitar, Banjo – Roger McGuinn
Piano – Earl P. Ball*
Producer [Original Recordings] – Gary Usher
Steel Guitar – Jaydee Maness*, Lloyd Green

1-1 Mr. Tambourine Man
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:31
1-2 I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:34
1-3 All I Really Want To Do
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:06
1-4 The Bells Of Rhymney
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – I. Davies*, P. Seeger*
3:32
1-5 Chimes Of Freedom
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
3:53
1-6 Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
Music By – P. Seeger*
Producer – Terry Melcher
3:51
1-7 She Don't Care About Time (Single Version)
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:31
1-8 It Won't Be Wrong
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – H. Gerst*, R. McGuinn*
2:00
1-9 Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
3:32
1-10 Set You Free This Time
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:51
1-11 He Was A Friend Of Mine
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:32
1-12 The Times They Are A-Changin'
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:20
1-13 Eight Miles High
Producer – Allen Stanton
Written-By – D. Crosby*, G. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
3:36
1-14 5D (Fifth Dimension)
Producer – Allen Stanton
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:34
1-15 Wild Mountain Thyme
Producer – Allen Stanton
Written-By – C. Hillman*, D. Crosby*, G. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
2:32
1-16 Mr. Spaceman
Producer – Allen Stanton
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:11
1-17 So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. Hillman*, R. McGuinn*
2:08
1-18 Have You Seen Her Face
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. Hillman*
2:41
1-19 Time Between
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. Hillman*
1:55
1-20 Renaissance Fair
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
1:54
1-21 My Back Pages
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
3:10
1-22 Dolphin's Smile
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. Hillman*, D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
1:58
2-1 Artificial Energy
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. Hillman*, M. Clarke*, R. McGuinn*
2:21
2-2 Old John Robertson (Single Version)
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. Hillman*, R. McGuinn*
1:55
2-3 Goin' Back
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. King, G. Goffin*
3:28
2-4 Natural Harmony
Composed By – C. Hillman*
Producer – Gary Usher
2:13
2-5 Wasn't Born To Follow
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – C. King, G. Goffin*
2:04
2-6 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:35
2-7 Hickory Wind
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – B. Bucannan*, G. Parsons*
3:34
2-8 Nothing Was Delivered
Producer – Gary Usher
Written-By – B. Dylan*
3:26
2-9 This Wheel's On Fire
Producer – Bob Johnston
Written-By – B. Dylan*, R. Danko*
4:47
2-10 Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man
Producer – Bob Johnston
Written-By – G. Parsons*, R. McGuinn*
3:56
2-11 Your Gentle Way Of Loving Me
Producer – Bob Johnston
Producer [Digital] – Bob Irwin
Written-By – F. Guilbeau*, G. Paxton*
2:37
2-12 Ballad Of Easy Rider
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:06
2-13 Jesus Is Just Alright
Producer – Terry Melcher
Written-By – A. Reynolds*
2:12
2-14 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Alternate Mix)
Producer – Terry Melcher
Producer [Associate] – Jerry Hochman
Written-By – B. Dylan*
4:55
2-15 Lover Of The Bayou (Live)
Producer – Jim Dickson, Terry Melcher
Written-By – J. Levy*, R. McGuinn*
3:41
2-16 Chestnut Mare
Producer – Jim Dickson, Terry Melcher
Written-By – J. Levy*, R. McGuinn*
5:10
2-17 Glory, Glory
Producer – Chris Hinshaw, Terry Melcher
Written-By – A. Reynolds*
4:03
2-18 Jamaica Say You Will
Producer [Digital] – Bob Irwin
Producer [Original] – Chris Hinshaw, Terry Melchers*
Written-By – J. Browne*
3:28
2-19 I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician
Producer [Original] – Chris Hinshaw, Terry Melchers*
Written-By – J. Levy*, R. McGuinn*
2:04
2-20 Tiffany Queen
Producer – The Byrds
Written-By – R. McGuinn*
2:42
2-21 Antique Sandy
Producer – The Byrds
Written-By – C. White*, G. Parsons*, J. Seiter*, R. McGuinn*, S. Battin*
2:15
2-22 Farther Along
Arranged By – C. White*
Producer – The Byrds
2:57

Wikipedia information

The album provides a summary of the Byrds' history during Gene Clark and David Crosby's tenure with the band and also functions as a survey of the group's hit singles from 1965 to 1967, a period when the band had its greatest amount of success on the singles chart. Most of the band's U.S. A-sides from this period are included on the album, along with three of their more important album tracks: "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "The Bells of Rhymney", and "Chimes of Freedom". The three U.S. singles from this period that are not included on the album are "Set You Free This Time", "Have You Seen Her Face" and "Lady Friend" (although these songs have been included as bonus tracks on various CD reissues of the album). All of the songs included on the original Greatest Hits album can also be found on the band's first four albums, Mr. Tambourine Man, Turn! Turn! Turn!, Fifth Dimension and Younger Than Yesterday.

The eight tracks on The Byrds' Greatest Hits that had been singles peaked at the following positions on the Billboard Hot 100: "5D (Fifth Dimension)" number 44; "All I Really Want to Do" number 40; "Mr. Spaceman" number 36; "My Back Pages" number 30; "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" number 29; "Eight Miles High" number 14; "Turn! Turn! Turn!" number 1; and "Mr. Tambourine Man" number 1.[6] In addition, four of the singles included on the album had charted in the United Kingdom, peaking at the following positions on the UK Singles Chart: "Turn! Turn! Turn!" number 26; "Eight Miles High" number 24; "All I Really Want to Do" number 4; and "Mr. Tambourine Man" number 1.

Author Johnny Rogan has stated that, in particular, "Eight Miles High", "Turn! Turn! Turn!", and "Mr. Tambourine Man" were widely influential during the 1960s, a time when singles, at least in pop music, were as important in their own right as albums, and generally more so. Rogan further opined that "Turn! Turn! Turn!" summed up the decade's counter-cultural values as much as "Blowin' in the Wind", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" or "All You Need Is Love", while "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Eight Miles High" helped to introduce the subgenres of folk rock and psychedelic rock respectively into the popular music of the day.

WCFL Beat magazine was also complimentary about the album, noting that, during the mid-1960s British Invasion, the Byrds were the only American band to "help to revolutionize the pop scene and to pave the way for the so-called psychedelic music of today." In the UK, Record Mirror gave the album a top rating of 4 stars, while commenting "This is a chronological collection of their singles and is really something. Their sound has progressed from the Dylanesque to the sound which is one of the best in the pop world." A November 1967 review of the album in Beat Instrumental declared "This is probably the best collection LP to come out of the states this year, and has songs that won't date for years to come."
The album was included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981). In 2003, the album was ranked at number 178 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[16] although it was dropped when the list was updated in 2012.

1 So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star
Written-By – C. Hillman*, R. McGuinn*
2:05
2 Have You Seen Her Face
Written-By – C. Hillman*
2:40
3 C.T.A.-102
Written-By – R. J. Hippard*, R. McGuinn*
2:28
4 Renaissance Fair
Written-By – D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
1:51
5 Time Between
Written-By – C. Hillman*
1:53
6 Everybody's Been Burned
Written-By – D. Crosby*
3:05
7 Thoughts And Words
Written-By – C. Hillman*
2:56
8 Mind Gardens
Written-By – D. Crosby*
3:46
9 My Back Pages
Written-By – B. Dylan*
3:08
10 The Girl With No Name
Written-By – C. Hillman*
1:50
11 Why
Written-By – D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
2:45

Crerdits
Acoustic Guitar [Additional] – Vern Gosdin (Goslin)
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Chris Hillman
Drums – Michael Clarke
Electric Guitar [Additional] – Clarence White (2)
Guitar [12-string Guitar], Vocals – Jim McGuinn
Horns [Additional] – Hugh Masekela
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – David Crosby

1 Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
Adapted By – Pete Seeger
Music By – Pete Seeger
3:49
2 It Won't Be Wrong
Written-By – Gerst*, R. McGuinn*
1:58
3 Set You Free This Time
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:49
4 Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Written-By – B. Dylan*
3:30
5 He Was A Friend Of Mine
Lyrics By [Additional] – R. McGuinn*
2:30
6 The World Turns All Around Her
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:13
7 Satisfied Mind
Written-By – J. Rhodes*, R. Hayes*
2:26
8 If You're Gone
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:45
9 The Times They Are A-Changin'
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:18
10 Wait And See
Written-By – D. Crosby*, R. McGuinn*
2:19
11 Oh! Susannah
Arranged By – R. McGuinn*
3:03

Credits:
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Chris Hillman
Drums – Michael Clarke
Leader, Twelve-String Guitar, Vocals – Jim McGuinn
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – David Crosby
Tambourine, Vocals – Gene Clark

1 Mr. Tambourine Man
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:34
2 I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:35
3 Spanish Harlem Incident
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:01
4 You Won't Have To Cry
Written-By – G. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
2:11
5 Here Without You
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:40
6 The Bells Of Rhymney
Written-By – I. Davies*, P. Seeger*
3:34
7 All I Really Want To Do
Written-By – B. Dylan*
2:07
8 I Knew I'd Want You
Written-By – G. Clark*
2:18
9 It's No Use
Written-By – G. Clark*, R. McGuinn*
2:27
10 Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe
Written-By – J. DeShannon*
2:58
11 Chimes Of Freedom
Written-By – B. Dylan*
3:55
12 We'll Meet Again
Written-By – R. Charles*, H. Parker*
2:17

Credits
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Chris Hillman
Drums – Michael Clarke, Hal Blaine
Leader, Twelve-String Guitar, Vocals – Jim McGuinn
Producer – Terry Melcher
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – David Crosby
Tambourine, Vocals – Gene Clark