The Byrds - Byrds - Greatest Hits

Classic Folk Rock From The Sixties!

The Byrds officially existed between 1964 and 1973, fusing folksy rock sounds from Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Highlights are Dylan's, "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Pete Seeger's, "Turn, Turn, Turn". Their heavy acoustic guitar sound is unmistakable and this SACD format brings it all WAY up front. Although the members all went onto other groups and fame, this collection is memorable. Rolling Stone Magazine has them ranked in the Top 50 of Greatest Artists of All Time. It is not just a great listen; it is an experience! Note that this SACD truly brings out the finer qualities of this album, but is only remixed in stereo; not multi-channel. May 3, 2007

Sound on SACD Version is Disappointing

While I love the Byrds and every song on this Greatest Hits album, this review pertains only to the sound of the premium-priced SACD reissue of this album,. Something has gone terribly wrong with the remastering for the SACD version. The sound is brittle and hard and lacking in bass, and while the word is that the original masters in Colombia's vaults aren't in the greatest condition, that couldn't possibly explain it, because the sound quality is pretty terrific on Columbia's recent series of 20 bit remastered standard CD Columbia CDs, which presumably come from the same master tapes. I have not had a chance to compare this SACD version of "Greatest Hits" with the sound on the standard version, because this is not a hybrid SACD, which would contain the standard CD sound on a separate layer. So the bottom line is that if you are thinking of buying this to have SACD versions of these incredible songs, don't waste your money. Buy the remastered regular CDs. February 5, 2007

An interesting milestone. Not a true 'greatest hits'.

'The Byrds Greatest Hits', originally released with this cover somewhere around 1968, before the Byrd's single most important album, 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo', always seemed to me to be 'Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits as done by the Byrds'. As such, the album is as much a testament to Dylan's importance as it is to the popularity of the Byrds. To make the picture even murkier, two of the original 11 cuts are classic traditional folksongs made popular originally by Pete Seeger.

In some ways, the Byrds are one of those groups which are more significant for the artists and groups they spawned than for their original work. David Crosby and Chris Hillman are probably much better known as parts of 'Crosby, Stills and Nash' and 'The Flying Burrito Brothers' respectively than they are as original members of the Byrds, which became primarily a vehicle for last surviving founding member, Roger McGuinn, who was responsible for the 12 string guitar, the most distinctively original aspect of their early work.

If you have no Byrds CD's, look for one of the other larger collections which cover their whole career and not just their most famous first four years. March 22, 2006

Possibly the best American group of the early 60's

John Lennon called the Byds his favorite American group. In my opinion Lennon was right.
The Byrds had as much if not more influence on the music of the 60's than any band in history.
The Byrds covered Dylan as well as Pete Seeger.
Several songs to this day are classics such as Mr Tambourine Man and Turn, Turn, Turn among others.
Eight Miles High is another classic as well as Feel A Whole Lot Better and Mr Spaceman.
Roger Mc Guinn as well as David Crosby have left a mark on music that well never be forgotten.
This CD is a true classic. I would recommend it to anyone. November 22, 2005

Their Greatest hits, not their greatest collection

If you want just one Byrds CD, the "20 Essential Tracks from the Boxed Set" is the best value. Used copies are selling remarkably cheaply on Amazon Marketplace. And the sleeve notes are excellent. This "Greatest Hits" CD contains just 4 tracks not found on "20 Essential Tracks" and the sleeve notes are decidedly dispensable. Maybe for those 4 tracks, some downloading or rip 'n' burn is in order.

There is no doubting the importance of The Byrds. Their Beatles-meets-Dylan formula was immensely influential and their music still sounds fresh and fun. So 5 stars for the music, but I felt short-changed with this particular collection, so only 3 stars for it. If you do buy it, at least make very sure you get the version with the 3 bonus tracks, otherwise you are being short-short-changed.
March 20, 2005

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