Rating:  -
When this disc was origionally released in 1971, The Byrds 'Untitled' was still rumbling through the charts. It was basically a contractual obligation, hastily pieced together between arduous tours by the band. No surprise, therefore, that the work was widely panned in the press. Particular criticism was reserved for producer Terry Melcher, son of Doris Day and producer of two of The Byrds most successful compositions, 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and 'Turn, Turn, Turn'. One good turn does not necessarily portend another, however, and the critics whistfully took aim at Melcher's politically incorrect use of strings and horns at a time when the wah-pedal guitar and mega-decibel heavy metal sounds were the norm. Of course in our more enlightened era, the disc can be viewed from a less hostile perspective, which was probably well-received by Melcher prior to his 2004 passing.
There are several uncompromising delights on 'Byrdmaniax'. Among them are the opening cover of the Art Reynolds Singers 'Glory, Glory', a modern day Christian number given a rousing treatment by the band. Clarence White's lead guitar is just bold enough to tower over the piano-driven wall-of-sound. The movement towards a more postive mantra prevails over the course of the next two songs. A vibrant, lush production of 'Pale Blue' can be contrasted with the acoustic guitar version offered as a bonus track, so the listener can play Melcher and decide which gives this 'invitation to romance' track its best backing. 'I Trust' follows, opining that although "it's so hard being human with all the troubles inside, somehow I know everything's gonna be alright". Tracks four through seven change the mindset a bit, opting for tracks possessing a stageshow sound. Indeed, 'Citizen Kane' is a novelty track about the Hollywood experience, and the mocking 'I Wanna Grow Up To Be a Politician' was originally written by Roger McGuinn with Jacques Levy to be included in the 'Gene Tryp' musical that never was. 'Tunnel of Love' is unique for it's honky-tonk tempo, while 'Absolute Happiness' is an excursion into Buddhism, complete with sweetly flowing, velvety strings and chords. The disc doesn't miss on the final four tracks, three of which feature Clarence White's talents on guitar (the country-rock instrumental 'Green Apple Quick Step'), and vocals (the country-blues number 'Mr. Destiny' and the closer, the worthy cover of Jackson Browne's 'Jamaica Say You Will'). Sandwiched between these gems is the best track of all, another song originally written by McGuinn and Levy for the 'Gene Tryp' musical, 'Kathleen's Song', a gentle ballad featuring the wonderful chorus, "some people say, love goes away... but not mine".
Two additional bonus tracks flesh out the disc. What Byrds album would be complete without a bit-o-Dylan? The oversight is corrected with the inclusion of the piano and organ-driven 'Just Like a Woman'. Former Byrd Gene Clark also claims a composition among the bonus tracks as Clarence White resurrects 'Thing I'm Gonna Feel Better'. While the raw vocal and electric guitars of the track don't fit in particularly well with the Terry Melcher induced feel of the disc... what does? Perhaps the most valid criticism of 'Byrdmaniax' is that it lacks an overall cohesion... even down to the odd cover photo, looking like The Byrds have met up with Lando Carissian's futuristic embalming methods, and the inexplicable title of the disc. As such, this 'lost album' from The Byrds canon may be as hidden from the view of even Byrds connosieurs as the studio banter and hidden track that follow the acknowledged bonus tracks. Don't overlook it... whatever it is. How fitting.
Oh, and one additional note: Owners of other gloriously reissued Byrds discs will be quite pleased to find that the royal treatment was accorded this disc by Columbia as well. The liner notes by David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine are informative and relevant, the track information is substantial, and the replication of the original vinyl packaging is sublime. Nothing to sniff at if you're a true Byrd maniac.
Rating:  -
One difference about this album, in contrast to the other BYRDS albums, is the appearance of the Gospel female singers on three of their songs. GLORY GLORY that features the gospel singers with R0GER MCGUINN'S lead vocal has an excellent piano intro, along with ROGER'S lead guitar. The acoustic ballad PALE BLUE would have sound a whole lot better if the drummer GENE PARSONS who plays the harmonica had sung the song himself, since he had the best singing voice, next to GRAM PARSONS, in the band since the 1969 reincarnation of THE BYRDS. Additionally, Gene not singing on this album is very unfortunate. I TRUST is a outstanding song with CLARENCE WHITE'S blasting guitar riffs, piano riffs by producer TERRY MELCHER, ROGER'S lead vocal, and the female singers. Meanwhile, bass guitarist SKIP BATTIN delivers a strong and excellent lead vocal, accompanied by the female singers, the horn section, and the keyboard riffs, to his TUNNEL OF LOVE, and his CITIZEN KANE that features excellent horn solos, piano riffs, CLARENCE'S guitar riffs, and SKIP'S lead vocal is another excellent song too. ROGER'S I WANNA GROW UP TO BE A POLITICIAN also features excellent guitar riffs by CLARENCE WHITE, the horn section, and piano. SKIP also delivers a relaxing and heart-warming lead vocal to this quiet ballad ABSOLUTE HAPPINESS that features excellent organ and piano riffs, along wiht CLARENCE'S low-volume guitar solo. Listening to the instrumental GREEN APPLE QUICK STEP is like a joy ride in the country with GENE'S banjo riffs, along with the acoustic guitar, violin, and CLARENCE WHITE'S father ERIC WHITE harmonica playing. MY DESTINY with CLARENCE lead vocal, ROGER'S harmony vocal, the piano intro, and pedal steel guitar is a excellent country/ folk song, and ROGER'S KATHLEEN'S SONG is a excellent acoustic ballad with the orchestra in the background. And now comes the highlight for this album called JAMAICA SAY YOU WILL that was written by the then unknown JACKSON BROWNE. This is the best song, in my opinion, that CLARENCE has ever sung with THE BYRDS. Furthermore, his lead vocal and his acoustic and electric guitar riffs, along with ROGER'S harmony vocal, and orchestra give this song, another outstanding song that should not have remained unpopular, a calmly, heart-warming and relaxing feeling. JUST LIKE A WOMAN is a excellent acoustic ballad with ROGER's lead vocal, and keyboards in the background, and the alternate version of PALE BLUE with the orchestra is equally next to the album version. Meanwhile, CLARENCE'S arrangement of ex-BYRDS' former singer GENE CLARK'S THINK I'M GONNA FEEL BETTER kicks the album into overdrive, although CLARENCE adding his lead guitar riffs to ROGER'S lead guitar riffs would have given this song a more powerful rock and roll sound. Plus, there is a hidden alternate version of GREEN APPLE QUICK STOP with the band discussing how to play on the song, possibly for fun though. More importantly, I feel that there should have been a three-part harmony vocals by CLARENCE, ROGER, and GENE on the songs MY DESTINY and JAMAICA SAY YOU WILL. Plus, GENE should have been singing the high notes instead of SKIP, or JOHN YORK beforehand, throughout the remainder of their career.
Rating: -
I grew up listening to The Byrds, so I went along with all the changes. I loved all the different sounds they provided. My favorite is "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo", but I never disliked Byrdmaniax or even read the reviews when it was released. I never paid too much attention to that stuff, as most critics usually didn't have a clue, and I was too much the collector to listen to them anyway. :]
My favorite tunes from this LP have always been, "I Want To Grow Up..." and "Glory, Glory". But really, there is not a bad song on it. I never tried to compare one Byrds LP with another. They're all Great, some better than others, that's all!
I'd rate any Byrds LP anywhere from an A+ to a B+.
You can't lose.
Rating: -
First of all, to the guy who talks about revisionists saying this album is good, he himself is the revisionist as he views the album through the image of Roger McGuinn today years after the fact.
The later years of the Byrds are outstanding and ten times as good as the overated sub-par buffalo springfield covers of their so called brilliant era. This album and Untitled obliterate "The Notorious byrd Brothers" and the like. How someone could not think "Glory, Glory", "Pale Blue", or "I wanna grow up to be a politician" are better than fluff like "Old John Robertson" and "Change is Now" (or even most of "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" I will never understand, oh wait yes I will, that is the rock journalist consensus and so it is done as it is in heaven, eh? The devaluing of the latter-day Byrds output is right up there in the travesties of rock history discourse with Bowie and Zappa being credited over true visionaries. But hey pretention is easilly seen as genius if you meet the quallifications of "cool" required for music to be good that is so excellently pointed to in a previous review here.
Rating:  -
Quick, name all the great songs written, or for that matter performed, after Chesnutt Mare by Roger McGuinn. While many are quick to blame the late Skip Battin, and Gene Parsons for this album, the blame falls squarly on the shoulders of Roger McGuinn in my opinion. How would this album rate if McGuinn could have come up with some strong material, and the album only contained one song by Battin, and one sung by Clarence White ?
McGuinn was always the backbone of the Byrds. Other members would contribute a song or two (Crosby,Clark), but the Byrds sound was ultimately the result of McGuinn's guitar and vocals. On "Farther Along" the trio of Battin,Parsons,White were able to bail him out. On this record the results were not so great. There are some decent songs, and any record in which the late great Clarence White plays guitar cant be all bad, but McGuinn simply had little left to offer at this point.
If Battin,White,Parsons had been members of the Byrds when McGuinn was writing and performing strong material, the records would have been masterpieces.As it is they were left to carry the very impossible task of reproducing the classic Byrds sound with very little help from McGuinn.The only person with the skills to pull this off was Gram Parsons,and he only was successful to a certain extent.
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