The Byrds Play Dylan

Performer: The Byrds
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: The Byrds: Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Michael Clarke, Skip Battin, Clarence White, Gene Parsons. Producers: Don Devito, The Byrds, Bob Johnston, Terry Milcher, Gary Usher. Compilation producer: Bob Irwin. Recorded between 1965 & 1999. Includes liner notes by David Fricke. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This 20-song European import should be rated a lot higher than this, but there are some good reasons why it's not. It's essentially an updated version of the late-'70s Byrds Play Dylan LP, expanded to 61 minutes to encompass the huge number of outtakes and live tracks that weren't available, or even known to exist, when the original album was assembled. The idea is still a good one, though the execution -- at least in terms of the packaging -- leaves a lot to be desired. The CD uses the latest masterings of each song, as they stood circa the middle of 2001, and so the sound quality is not a problem; indeed, hearing all of the early-, mid-, and late-era Dylan-authored cuts by the Byrds juxtaposed in high resolution reveals the band's development and evolution (as well as several colossal wrong turns, such as the chorus-laden version of "Lay Lady Lay") in sharp detail. The problem lies with the fact that the material is assembled in a strangely haphazard order -- it starts off with the original lineup's recording of "Mr. Tambourine Man," but then jumps between years and different lineups of the group, forward a few years, then back, then to outtakes and live tracks. Coupled with the sketchy notes, the result is an entertaining CD that could have been a lot more than that. Ironically, the notes themselves allude to the special relationship between the Byrds and Bob Dylan without ever taking a closer look at it over time, and the bizarre nature of the programming results in a broad but very shallow and frustrating look at its subject, compelling though that subject remains, even when presented in this manner. ~ Bruce Eder The Byrds were talented and prolific interpreters of Dylan's music, as this compilation shows. But in spite of the great music here, it serves no useful purpose as an introduction to the group, since it ignores their original compositions and skillful renderings of other writers' songs. The result seems like something a bored Byrds fan would compile for himself on a side of a C90 some rainy Saturday afternoon than an official release by a major label. The Japanese CD contains bonus track or two by a solo Roger McGuinn. ~ Michael Ribas The Byrds' unsurpassed ability, at least most of the time, to arrange and interpret Bob Dylan songs was but one facet of their greatness. Still, it was an important facet, and this 20-track collection of Dylan covers gathers most of the evidence in one place (though it doesn't have versions of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" from The Preflyte Sessions). There are 20 tracks, but that doesn't quite mean 20 Dylan songs; a number of these are represented by both a studio version and an alternate take or live performance, though fortunately the multiple readings are spaced far enough from each other to avoid undue redundancy. As far as the contents go, about half of a dozen of these cuts are undisputedly among the best Dylan covers ever, including "Mr. Tambourine Man," "All I Really Want to Do," "Chimes of Freedom," "My Back Pages," and "Spanish Harlem Incident." Most of the others are well done and satisfying at the least, though some aren't so hot, like "Lay Lady Lay" and "Just Like a Woman." It's strange that it's sequenced so that rather than leading off with their "Mr. Tambourine Man," the most important and famous recording in all of folk-rock, that cut appears sixth, but that's a small reservation. Nothing here is previously unreleased, though about half a dozen were not issued until long after they were recorded, on rarity compilations, the group's box set, and expanded CD editions of their original LPs. Those rarities, for the curious who might not have kept up with all those reissues, include an early studio version of "The Times They Are A-Changin'," live versions of "Chimes of Freedom" and "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" from the late '60s and early '70s, the 1971 studio outtake "Just Like a Woman," the 1965 studio outtake "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," an alternate take of "Lay Lady Lay," and a 1990 recording of "Paths of Victory" by a reunited version of the Byrds. ~ Richie Unterberger

Rolling Stone (10/3/02, p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Nobody plays Dylan like the Byrds did....Their genius was their ability to streamline Dylan's lengthy compositions into 3-minute nuggets of luscious, danceable pop..."

Adding ringing electric guitars to Bob Dylan songs, the Byrds helped invent folk-rock, as well as becoming early proponents of psychedelia and popularizing country-rock with the help of alt-country saint Gram Parsons. Led by Roger McGuinn and his distinctive Rickenbacker guitar sound, the mid-1960s lineup--also featuring David Crosby, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman--achieved fame with their unique take on Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Personnel changes resulted in a core band of only McGuinn and Hillman, but the short-lived addition of Parsons allowed for the creation of the landmark SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO album. Ultimately, McGuinn assumed full control of the Byrds legacy, and their harmonies and jangly guitars have influenced countless younger bands.

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