1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #57. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)

The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)

Label – Columbia
Producer –Terry Melcher
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality - USA
Running Time – 30:45

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Mr Tambourine Man
2. I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
3. Spanish Harlem Incident
4. You Won't Have To Cry
5. Here Without You
6. Bells Of Rhymney
7. All I Really Want To Do
8. I Knew I'd Want You
9. It's No Use
10. Don't Doubt Yourself Babe
11. Chimes Of Freedom
12. We'll Meet Again

Another great debut album. “Mr. Tambourine Man” by the Byrds was responsible for establishing folk-rock as a popular music form. It’s most defining sound being Roger McGuinn's very distinctive 12-string Rickenbacker ‘jangle’ and the band's great vocal harmonies of Gene Clark, McGuinn, and David Crosby. This "jingle-jangle" and smooth harmonies became the signature sound of the band.
The songs selection was a mix of originals and covers. They chose four Bob Dylan songs to cover – most notably the title cut and "All I Really Want to Do", a Pete Seeger track - "The Bells of Rhymney" and a Jackie DeShannon song "Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe". The originals while perhaps not as lyrically superior to the covers, are equally powerful musically. Gene Clark's tracks "I Knew I'd Want You," "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" stand our.
What this is actually is a very fun album. While The Byrds went on to write better music and to make some better albums, none of them had the impact of this one. It was also very popular. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, staying on the charts for 38 weeks; it also went to #7 in Great Britain.
The album is recommended.


You can purchase the CD here.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 4
John Steel from The Animals is 68; Alice Cooper is 61; Phil Ehart from Kansas is 58;

On this date in 1968 the Beatles record "Across The Universe." On this date in 2006 Tommy Lee gets beat up. The Motley Crue drummer is assaulted in Detroit for insulting Kid Rock, who is from Detroit. Rock had been engaged to Pamela Anderson, Lee's former wife. On this date in 2007 Billy Joel sang the National Anthem just before the Super Bowl.

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