構成数 | 3枚

合計収録時間 | 01:49:30

The Byrds include: Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gram Parsons, Clarence White (vocals, guitar); Chris Hillman (vocals, bass); Gene Clark (vocals); Michael Clarke, Gene Parsons (drums). Producers include: Terry Melcher, Allen Stanton, Gary Usher, Bob Johnston, Jim Dickson. Compilation producer: Bob Irwin. Recorded between 1965 & 1971. Includes liner notes by Alan Bisbort. Recording information: 01/17/1971; 01/20/1965; 01/25/1966; 03/01/1970; 03/08/1965; 03/09/1968; 04/14/1965; 04/22/1965; 04/26/1967; 04/29/1966; 05/19/1966; 05/25/1966; 05/27/1968; 06/05/1970; 06/14/1967; 06/17/1969; 06/18/1969; 06/21/1967; 07/25/1971; 08/23/1965; 08/24/1965; 08/30/1967; 09/10/1965; 09/16/1965; 09/18/1965; 10/08/1968; 10/09/1967; 11/01/1965; 11/28/1966; 11/29/1966; 11/29/1967; 11/30/1967; 12/04/1968; 12/05/1966; 12/06/1966. Photographers: Guy Webster; Don Hunstein; David Gahr. While the all-killer no-filler single-disc The Byrds' Greatest Hits remains the best distillation of their classic songs, The Essential Byrds is a smartly assembled double dose, including all 14 of the 1965-1967 tracks on Greatest Hits, but expanding its reach into their entire Columbia output, going as far as the early '70s. Inevitably, that means that disc two -- which goes, roughly, from mid-1967 to 1971 -- isn't as good as the first half, and that the last four tracks in particular are by far the least impressive, tagged on mostly so that the release spans the Byrds' entire Columbia catalog. That's a small reservation considering that the two-fer adds many first-rate songs not on Greatest Hits, from non-hit singles like "Lady Friend" and "Goin' Back" to standout album cuts like "Renaissance Fair," "Natural Harmony," "Jesus Is Just Alright," and "Chestnut Mare." There are no surprises here; even the songs that eluded inclusion on albums for many years, like the early B-side "She Don't Care About Time" and "Lady Friend," have been commonly available in the CD era. And it's true that this misses some other fine album tracks that could have stood with pride alongside those selected, like "I Knew I'd Want You," "John Riley," and "Dolphin's Smile." Within the confines of the two-CD format, though, it's a very well-chosen career overview. [The 2011 3.0 edition adds a third disc with six additional tracks: "Spanish Harlem Incident," "I Knew I'd Want You," "The World Turns All Around Her," "I See You," "Change Is Now," and "One Hundred Years from Now."] ~ Richie Unterberger

録音 | ステレオ (Studio)