The Byrds - The Byrds Untitled

Arguably the last truly great album from the Byrds, this was a double vinyl set when it appeared in 1970. The 16-minute "Eight Miles High" took up an entire side--allowing for plenty of the free-flowing guitar, bass, and drum solos that were in vogue at the time. The live portion of the program opens with a gritty "Lover of the Bayou" and an inspired take on Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street." The studio set centers around the group's biggest latter-day hit, "Chestnut Mare," as well as Roger McGuinn's haunting "Just a Season." Here, Untitled is supplemented by Unissued, a whole bonus disc of rare and unreleased material. There are storming concert versions of Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere," "My Back Pages," and "This Wheel's on Fire." Studio highlights include "Lover of the Bayou" and an undubbed "Kathleen's Song." Complete with detailed sleeve notes, recording details, and bonus tracks, Untitled/Unissued perfectly illustrates how archive recordings should be packaged. --Patrick Humphries Amazon.com

It doesn't get any better than this!

The Byrds "Untitled" has been, is now , and will always be in my top 5 favorite albums of all time. It holds up, sounds as fresh today as it did nearly 40 years ago. Quality music. Can't go wrong with this one. January 28, 2008

If You Need A Review To Buy This Record, You Won't Like This Record

This album needs a review like Huckleberry Finn needs a re-write.

It's like a joke that has to be explained; -if you don't get it on your own, you never truly will.
January 7, 2008

Great Byrds Period

This was the period when I saw the Byrds most often. The concert material sounds great, and I do wish Clarence White got the props he still deserves. The studio material was the great bonus here. Who would have thought that so much great material was left unreleased for so long. Simply the Byrds at a great period in their history. February 19, 2007

My Favorite Byrds albulm

First of all, I have all of the Byrds albulms and this is my favorite. The live albulm is decent but nothing too spectacular apart from "Lover of the Bayou" and "Positively 4th Street". The studio part is the real deal. Here we have my favorite Byrd's lineup with Clarence White on guitar and some lovely original Roger McGuinn compositions that were missing on the previous 2 albulms. This reissue is now doubled in length with extensive alternate takes and extra live tracks as if the original LP wasn't enough. Most casual listeners know the Byrds from the mid 60s lineup with David Crosby but to me this is the Byrd's albulm to get. If you are not familiar with this lineup (and you wouldn't be if you listen to contemporary FM radio), prepare yourself for a more mellow sounding Byrds with Country influences blended with McGuinn's twelve string guitar and harmonies a little more ragged then what you hear on "Turn, Turn, Turn". To me this takes "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" Byrds and combines it with "Notorious Byrd Brothers" Byrds but gives you the best of both. If you like this albulm check out "Ballad of the Easy Rider" as well. Essential. December 1, 2005

oodles of kudos

As I have already written a full review of the first disc in this two CD set (the first disc encompassing the original double vinyl album released as 'Untitled' in 1970), this review will primarily be devoted to the 14 track second disc, titled 'Unissued', consisting entirely of previously unreleased studio and live tracks. It should be stated however, since I have lived a period of time with both recordings, that the remastered version of 'Untitled' stands in bold contrast to the original CD version. There are moments where the superior fidelity of the remastering becomes clear, such as in the opening bars of 'Nashville West', which on the original CD sounded as though a mixing problem had completely skewed and lost most everything save the bass and drums. A similar observation can be made in comparing Clarence White's innovative guitar lines on 'Mr. Tambourine Man', which sounded muddled on the original CD, but sound fully integrated into the mix on the remaster.

As if these improvements were not reason enough to invest in the remastered version, a full complement of studio and live recordings have been added to the package on a bonus disc. This second disc reverses the sequence of 'Untitled', first offering alternate and unreleased studio tracks, and then a series of live recordings drawn from the same concerts that provided the live tracks for 'Untitled'. While 'Untitled' failed to reveal the source of these live recordings, thanks to the extensive liner notes offered in 'Unissued' we now know they were made in early 1970 at the Felt Forum in New York, and at the Fillmore East.

The second disc opens with four alternate versions of three songs found on 'Untitled', and they are worthy of inclusion. 'All the Things' and 'Yesterday's Train' are also found on 'Untitled', but I actually find the alternate takes to be superior, sounding more genuine and accessible. 'Lover of the Bayou' appears on 'Untitled' as a live track, so the studio version, with it's echo-chambered vocal and harmonica is a completely different experience. The final alternate is a version of 'Kathleen's Song', a worthy ballad that made its first debut on 'Byrdmaniax', released as the follow-up to 'Untitled' in 1971. Two previously unreleased recordings follow, an energized instrumental titled 'White's Lightning Pt. 2', and a faithful and sincere version of George Lowell's 'Willin', which along with the two opening live tracks form the sequence most devoted to The Byrds version of country music.

To my ear the real treats are yet to come in the form of the live tracks, which open with a version of the finest number from 1968's 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' disc, 'You Ain't Goin' Nowhere', followed by 'Old Blue' from 1969's 'Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde', and completing the country segment of the show. The final segment, consisting of more pop and rock oriented fare, leads off with a cover of Bob Dylan's 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding') from 1965's 'Bringing It All Back Home', although a Roger McGuinn studio version also appears on the 1969 soundtrack of the 'Ballad of Easy Rider' flick. 'Ballad of Easy Rider' follows, also from the flick, and from The Byrds 1969 disc entitled 'Easy Rider'. The opening bars to this memorable song are deservedly well-received by the audience.

The remaining tracks are collected from diverse sources. 'My Back Pages' is of course a throwback to the original Byrds last studio album, 'Younger Than Yesterday', from 1967. Many believe this to be one of their finest recordings, and the live version here certainly does it justice. A live version of 'Take a Whiff' is next, the original appearing on 'Untitled'. McGuinn himself once stated that there were a few too many whiffs in the song for himself, so offering two versions of the same track in this package probably overdoes it. The last two recordings are gems, however. 'Jesus Is Just Alright' appeared first on 1969's 'Easy Rider', and although the song was immortalized by The Doobie Brothers, The Byrds take on it is thoroughly enjoyable as well. The closing track, 'This Wheel's On Fire', was offered by The Byrds as a studio track on 'Dr. Byrds...', and this fleet version provides a crescendo, and lends an exclamation point to the live set. As if all of this were not enough, there is a 'hidden track' offered on disc two, a brief and vibrant a capella version of 'Amazing Grace'.

This double-disc set serves as the textbook on how to expand and repackage decades old material. 'Untitled' was a fine double disc in its first manifestation, but the inclusion of additional live and studio tracks, as well as detailed liner notes, really gives the work a sense of completeness, even if more material may lie in the vault. The only noticable way this could have been expanded further would have been through inclusion of printed lyrics, but given the number of tracks offered here, that may have proved too cumbersome. Columbia is to be commended for it's efforts, and rewarded by fans of The Byrds through their purchase of this outstanding production. November 20, 2005

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