I was really quite excited when I heard about The Byrds DVD in the highly acclaimed Gonzo ‘Lost Broadcasts’ series. Why? Well it is not just because I like the band, it’s that – as in so many things I write about in this column – I feel that the accepted wisdom about the band about the band is slightly awry.
Sure, the early albums with David Crosby were magnificent, but according to 99% of what has been written about the band, after Gram Parsons left, post-Sweetheart of the Rodeo the band had a latter-day renaissance with the [untitled] album, and in particular the track Chestnut Mare, but then faded into insignificance and oblivion.
I just don’t think this is true. I think that one of Roger McGuinn’s worse career moves was splitting up the final version of The Byrds in 1973 in order to do a very lacklustre reunion for the classic line-up which only lasted of one album. I am a great fan of the later Byrds, and think that Byrdmaniax (1971) and Farther Along (1971) are simply magnificent. The former is usually criticised because of the orchestration (particularly the brass section) and the latter is usually just ignored. This is just not fair.
The two sessions that make up the Lost Broadcasts DVD are from 1971 and feature the line-up consisting of McGuinn, Skip Battin on bass and vocals, Clarence White on guitar and vocals, and Gene Parsons on drums on vocals, and the band are so damned tight that they completely vindicate my assertion that the line-up that produced the last two albums is unjustly overlooked, and well worth checking out. Just check out this extended instrumental version of their classic song Eight Miles High. I never knew they could be so damned funky:
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