The Byrds Untitled [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

The Byrds

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 22, 2000)
• Original Release Date: February 22, 2000
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004OCEN
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,981 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Arguably the last truly great album from the Byrds, this was a double vinyl set when it appeared in 1970. The 16-minute "Eight Miles High" took up an entire side--allowing for plenty of the free-flowing guitar, bass, and drum solos that were in vogue at the time. The live portion of the program opens with a gritty "Lover of the Bayou" and an inspired take on Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street." The studio set centers around the group's biggest latter-day hit, "Chestnut Mare," as well as Roger McGuinn's haunting "Just a Season." Here, Untitled is supplemented by Unissued, a whole bonus disc of rare and unreleased material. There are storming concert versions of Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere," "My Back Pages," and "This Wheel's on Fire." Studio highlights include "Lover of the Bayou" and an undubbed "Kathleen's Song." Complete with detailed sleeve notes, recording details, and bonus tracks, Untitled/Unissued perfectly illustrates how archive recordings should be packaged. --Patrick Humphries

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny!, February 25, 2000

By A Customer

As a long-time admirer of the Byrds' Untitled, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical when I heard that another CD was being added to the re-release, with studio and concert outtakes. Forgive me for doubting. The added studio tracks are a revelation. "All the Things" seems like a completely different song, with a brilliant arrangement that features complex vocal harmonies and a prominent McGuinn guitar--one of his most heavenly 12-string riffs. "Lover of the Bayou" features a heavily echoed McGuinn vocal and a strong harmonica backing, plus great guitar interplay between McGuinn and Clarence White--ferocious! Then there are two quiet, acoustic songs with Gene Parsons's vocals that are the real sleepers here--"Willin'" and "Yesterday's Train." The latter has an understated vocal so achingly beautiful that all the song's wistful longing comes through. And the acoustic version of "Kathleen's Song" has a similar fragile beauty. All in all, 22 minutes of unreleased studio cuts than are as strong as anything on the original album. As for the live performances, a great "Jesus is Just Alright"--it's about time a live version is now available. And the arrangement of "Ballad of Easy Rider" is far superior to the studio version, with lovely bitter-sweet harmonies at the end. From a double album to a double CD--and every bit worthy of the name. One of the greatest Byrds albums, now even more awe-inspiring.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb, April 23, 2001

By	Sean M. Kelly (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Untitled" is by far my favorite Byrds lp, regardless of what era of the band it was. There are many reasons for this- mainly being that the countrified Byrds of McGuinn/White/Battin/Parsons was the most stable lineup of the band, and with it produced numbers that ROCKED harder than anything they had ever done.

Disc one opens with live material, with obligitory Dylan numbers, the country/rocked out glory of "Nashville West," showcasing the late Clarence White's amazing guitar work, and the blissful 16 minute workout of "Eight Miles High"- proving that when they were inspired, the Byrds could flex their solo muscles and go with it. The studio material offer many wonderful nuggets, such as the McGuinn classic "Chestnut Mare," the Parsons/Battin's religiously based "Yesterday's Train," Leadbelly's "Take a Whiff on Me," sung by White, and White's wonderful take on Lowell George's beautiful "Truck Stop Girl."

The beauty of a whole cd worth of unissued material is more than enough reason to get this gem of a re-release. It showcases the wonderful democracy (or as close as McGuinn would allow it to be) of the band at this point, and with it, the immense talents of all 4 members. Highlights include the studio version of McGuinn's "Lover of the Bayou," Parson's cover of Lowell George's "Willin," and White's "White's Lightning Pt.2," part of a studio jam. Also included are more live tracks including "Jesus Is Just Alright," soon to be the Doobie Brothers' breakout hit.

Many people regard this lp as the last great Byrds lp. This is debatable, of course (I feel "Last Time Around" is a brilliant, if tired, effort), but what is clear is the absolute brillaince of this lineup. Their chops are in top form, and it shows throughout the 2 cds. they never sounded tighter and more at ease with themselves.

This re-issue is absolutly indispensible listening and a gem of the highest calibre.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Byrd's fly smoothly on last true classic, May 1, 2005

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Turmoil. It ain't easy when you're band breaks up one-by-one. First the band's best songwriter Gene Clark left during the recording of the third album (leaving behind his classic "Eight Miles High" which McGuinn modified for his spectacular guitar parts). Then David Crosby left amid hard feelings even (at the time) accusing McGuinn & Hillman of taking his name off the credits of some of the songs. Finally, after the band made the transition to country rock (and had just added the hedonistic Gram Parsons to their line up)Hillman left with Parsons to found The Flying Burrito Brothers. Thank God for Clarence White and his spectacular playing. White had appeared as a session musician on "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and also appeared on a Gene Clark's early country-rock solo albums. He had been a bluegrass star from his early teens and his playing is truly amazing comparable to other icons of the time (Hendrix, Beck, Clapton) in its complexity but also in its creativity.

"(Untitled/Unissued)" is the last complete masterpiece from The Byrds. The first half of the expanded CD (which was the first album when it was released on vinyl in 1970)featured a stunning live set from the band including the new McGuinn-Levy classic "Lover of the Bayou" and concluding with a stunning, rambling jam that filled up an entire LP side with "Eight Miles High". In between the new line up more than distinguishes itself as a powerful live band. The studio album jumps off with McGuinn & Levy's "Chestnut Mare" another of McGuinn's collaborations for the failed Broadway musical version of Peer Gynt (to be called Gene Typ). Lowell George's "Truck Stop Girl" receives a nice vocal performance by Clarence White (the incredible guitarist is in evidence throughout the rest of the release making his guitar sing). The other outstanding tracks include McGuinn and Levy's brilliant "Just a Season" (easily along with "Chestnut Mare" one of the best things McGuinn ever wrote)and Skip Battin's "Well Come Back Home" (the song's original title on the LP sleeve)a powerful anti-war song about Vientnam.

The second consists of previously unreleased studio recordings and live tracks from the same concerts that provided the basis for the first LP of the original album. We get a number of memorable alternate versions of studio tracks that appeared on the original album including "All the Things" and the studio version of "Lover of the Bayou". There's also Ledbelly's "Take a Wiff on Me" recorded live. Most intersting is the Gospel tune "Jesus is Just Alright" which would become a minor hit for The Doobie Brothers a couple of years down the line (with a similar arrangement). The second disc closes out with a cover of the band's "This Wheel's on Fire".

The extensive liner notes by Byrds biographer Johnny Rogan discusses the original album track by track. Rogan also discusses the second disc and interviews various band members about the recording of the album.

New note: Fans may want to consider the newly remastered/reassmelbed Byrds box set which features a DVD of TV appearances as well.

There Is A Season