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The Byrds | The Preflyte Sessions

A welcome 2CD document of their early daze.
CD, Sundazed/Sony

Tekst: Tucker Petertil

Publicatiedatum: 21 februari 2002

The Byrds have consistently been one of the most influential, innovative, and enduring rock bands of the Sixties. During their tumultuous career, they pioneered folk rock, psychedelic rock, country rock, and even gave electronica a whirl, while they incorporated everything from Indian music to free-form jazz into their blistering two-and-a-half-minute pop nuggets.

Now Sundazed records present us with a splendid 2CD package, compiled by Roger (Jim) McGuinn and Bob Irwin, that documents the very beginning of their career. Packed with a 52-page booklet that features over 60 photos, it includes articles by David Fricke, Pamela Des Barres, Jim Dickson, and Jackie DeShannon among others. It also comes with two vintage postcard reproductions and, of course, the 40 tracks that feature the earliest incarnation of David Crosby, Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, and Michael Clarke, as The Byrds.

'The Preflyte Sessions' took place in 1964, before the band had recorded their debut record and features their progression from folk music to Beatles-influenced pop and then onto the resulting folk rock, sometimes all within the same song. One interesting tidbit included is the song 'The Only Girl I Adore' by The Jetset, the band that McGuinn, Crosby, and Gene Clark had before The Byrds. There are also four acoustic tunes from David Crosby's pre-Byrds solo career. including 'Jack O Diamonds' and 'Get Together'. One could easily picture these being performed in some coffeehouse with beatniks and bongos. Other highlights include multiple versions of 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and other early numbers done as acoustic folk and then fleshed out with their trademark electric guitar jangle.

Now that The Beatles have had their work dissected in their 'Anthology' series, and The Beach Boys' earliest work has been examined on the 'Hawthrone, CA' CD, it's high time that the other Sixties ?B band", The Byrds, should have their work scrutinized. I for one would love to see the same attention to detail that is given to their 'Preflyte Sessions' used to explore their later work as well. All in all, this is just a cornucopia of unreleased Byrds material and a must for Byrdsmaniax as well as followers of the history of folk rock.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/the-byrds/the-preflyte-sessions/1324/
Meer The Byrds op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/the-byrds