Customer Reviews

Farther Along (Exp)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many Byrds fans and critics prefer to think of "Farther Along" as the legendary group's real final album. It was the last effort recorded by the talented line-up of founder Roger McGuinn, Gene Parsons, Skip Battin, and Clarence White before McGuinn unceremoniously dissolved this version of the group for a brief, ill-fated reunion in 1973 of the original classic line-up (that recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man" in the 60s), a reunion that is criticized even in the liner notes of this remaster. "Farther Along" is actually one of The Byrds' best albums, making it a pity that it didn't even break the Top 100 (while the following self-titled "reunion album" did far better on the charts). Though Gram Parsons (no relation to Gene) had been out of the band for a couple years, his country-rock influence was still evident, and The Byrds cranked out a set of memorable songs rich in imagery and feeling.
After the notorious post-recording production 'flaws' of the previous album "Byrdmaniax" (which The Byrds were not responsible for), the group decided to produce this album themselves, and it pays off. "Farther Along" is just as (and sometimes more) intimate than anything the group ever released, and the line-up is strong. At times, The Byrds sound as if they are having a rowdy ball in the studio, and at other times the group is solemn and serious. The album's two main territories (rowdiness and seriousness) are perfectly, evenly balanced; there are brawling rockers like McGuinn's signature 'Tiffany Queen,' the roadie-tribute 'B.B. Class Road,' and 'So Fine,' as well as those that are more free-wheeling ('America's Great National Pastime,' co-written by Battin, and the Parsons/White banjo instrumental 'Bristol Steam Convention Blues'), and there's also the slightly more restrained and reflective 'Get Down Your Line.' But the deeper songs on "Farther Along" are what make the album so genuine and unforgettable. White's arrangement of the title traditional hymn reminds one of a faithful church congregation in a grassy field. It's hard to tell whether the sad 'Bugler' is about a dog or a person who gets killed in a highway accident, but it's stirring anyway, and 'Precious Kate' is another fine song co-written by Battin. 'Antique Sandy' is the closest The Byrds came to sounding like Simon & Garfunkel in their later career, but 'Lazy Waters' is the best of these songs; it's emotional vocal carries a lyric of desiring "to be wise again" and the guitar lines sound as if they've been broadcast by NASA from outer space.
This remastered edition contains three bonus tracks that pre-date Roger McGuinn's solo career (plus an unlisted, alternate version of 'Bristol Steam Convention Blues' that fills the second of half of track 14). These unissued versions are every bit as good as the officials; McGuinn's ironic melancholy vocal on 'Born To Rock and Roll,' the radio-ready 'Lost My Drivin' Wheel,' and the slice of Americana 'Bag Full Of Money,' all would have made great songs for The Byrds, and would have fit perfectly as part of the original record, but they're here now and that's what matters.
It's amazing that "Farther Along" was recorded in just four days, and it's an example of the determination of The Byrds to make their music sound the way they wanted it to. The only negative thing is that The Byrds' excellent self-production makes one wonder how much greater the already-accomplished previous albums might have sounded.

This album featured Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Skip Battin and Gene Clark. It was the last original Byrds album to feature this quartet. The Byrds produced it themselves and recorded it mostly in London, though it was finished in Hollywood. The overall feel of the album is country-rock in its truest sense, though some tracks have more of a country flavor than others.

I particularly like America's great national pastime, a catchy song that pokes fun at consumer materialism. The Byrds also do an excellent cover of the gospel classic Farther along. The opening track, Tiffany queen, shows a Chuck Berry influence. Bugler, a song about ... a road accident, is considered by many to be the highlight of the album. Antique Sandy is an interesting hippie love song.

The three bonus tracks were recorded after the album was completed. Lost my driving wheel was actually a Roger McGuinn solo track intended for an eventual solo album. The other two bonus tracks were recorded by the Byrds - they are Born to rock and roll and Bag full of money.

While this album may not be the best Byrds album, it has much to commend it and should not be overlooked.

Critical tradition consigns the post-UNTITLED Byrds' albums to the garbage bins, but there's some fine music on this CD. After disowning their previous LP (BYRDMANIAX), the group hastily recorded this follow-up in London to try and salvage their reputations. Trouble was, McGuinn had by-and-large lost interest (the "original Byrds" reunion was looming) and quality control was slipping ("BB Class Road" and "So Fine" are possibly the worst tracks recorded under The Byrds moniker, but the rest of the album ranged from pleasant to very good).

Clarence White, sensing the rush the band were in, botched his London vocal on "Bugler" on purpose so that he could re-do it in LA, overdub some mandolin and sweeten the production at the same time. The results were well worth it - it's the highlight of the CD. Also of note are "Get Down your Line", "Lazy Waters", "Tiffany Queen" and "Precious Kate". I even like the much-savaged "America's Great National Pastime", though you may not!

Bonus tracks are 3 of the 5 songs recorded in '72 by a group on its last legs - McGuinn had started firing everybody and he later re-recorded these tracks for the reunion LP and his first solo album. Pity they couldn't have included all 5, if only to tie up all the loose ends.

I've never understood why people diss the later Byrds. Their capabilities as musicains had improved and matured dramaticallly from the their David Crosby years, which in my opinion is little more than Big Sur fluff (that is not to take away from Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name). Clarence White, being one of the front men for the White Brothers bluegrass band (along with his virtuoso brother, Roland) brought along the most amazing guitar work. That coupled with Gene Parsons' and Skip Battin's contributions make their later work such as Farther Along, Untitled, The Ballad or Easy Rider and even the overproduced Byrdmaniax amongst the best they had to offer. Little needs to be said about Roger McGuinn, as so much has already been said and written.

One of the things that make this a great package are the liner notes, which provide some very interesting history on the politics between the newer members (Battin and Parsons in particular), McGuin and David Crosby, the latter of which apparently had an influencial role in the demise of the group as we had come to know them. Sadly, it was just a few years later, that the world lost another great musician when Clarence white was killed in a loading dock accident. They were an institution that helped to define a generation, or two. A must have for appreciators of classic Amercian music of that late 60's early 70's period.

Never intended as a "closer", 1971's 'Farther Along' represents the last call for the second coming of The Byrds, which unlike the first coming would never demand an encore, primarily due to the death of consumate lead guitarist and sometimes lead vocalist Clarence White. The album is particularly significant as the final major work of White, and furthermore contains the title track, arranged by White, which was performed at his funeral after being plowed down by a drunk driver in 1973. While many people herald the disc with accolades such as "warm", "intimate", and "noble", the truth is that the songs and the production were hurried. The album didn't come close to cracking the Top 100, certainly because The Byrds country-rock stylings were being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of heavy metal, glam-rock, and the commercialization of rock itself. Add to this a dearth of tracks by the band's heart and soul, Roger McGuinn (he only contributes the meaty opener, consciously composed as an opener, and one co-write), and the timing for the truncation of the band become apparent.

It is instructive that the bonus tracks on the disc, which were recorded as preliminary tracks for a follow-up to 'Farther Along', add serious appeal to this package. All are McGuinn compositions, and the churning 'Lost My Drivin' Wheel' may be the most entertaining and catchy song in the lot. 'Born To Rock and Roll', a good song which unfortunately doesn't live up to it's billing, fares better here than it would on McGuinn's third solo disc, and 'Bag Full of Money', written with Jacques Levy, easily the longest track at nearly six minutes, completes a compelling trilogy.

The high points of the original album as released on vinyl include McGuinn's gritty ode to his third wife, 'Tiffany Queen', the gospel influenced 'Farther Along', and another tear-jerker for dog lovers (building on 'Old Blue' from 'The Notorious Byrd Brother's'), 'Bugler', which Clarence White also took on his back to insure that his own lead vocal and the overall production would be done right. Other interesting tracks include 'America's Great National Pastime' (which comically equates "playing ball" with more dubious pastimes such as "cutting grass and grabbing a_ _"), which fell on it's face as the sole single release from the disc, and a sweet cover of the Fiesta's 'So Fine', resurrected by White. 'B.B. Class Road' is an ode to roadies, written by Gram Parsons and roadie extraordinaire "Dinky" Dawson, curious due to its rowdy and raunchy feel. 'Antique Sandy' and 'Precious Kate' are described as experiments in songwriting about relatively undistinguished women. 'Lazy Waters' comes across a bit ethereal due to it's Buddhist underpinnings, while 'Get Down Your Line' and 'Bristol Steam Convention Blues' (an instrumental closer) revisit the band's country-rock interests.

As with the other Columbia remasterings of The Byrds catalog in 2000, the tracks come impressively packaged. David Fricke of Rolling Stone Magazine provides well-written and informative liner notes, and the original artwork from the album is reproduced and supplemented with period photographs. The history behind each individual song is given along with the composing credits and running times. There is even a hidden track, a bluegrass instrumental along with studio dialog, tacked onto the bonus tracks. If the album is ever reissued again, it would be interesting to see how this creation could in any way be expanded. 'Farther Along' is certainly comparable in quality to other works by The Byrds, such as 'Byrdmaniax' and 'Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde', but will never stand with the early releases by the first incarnation of the band, or their own 'Untitled/Unissued' triumph from the previous year. Nevertheless, the album is necessary to completists, and worthy of a listen by anyone interested in possessing a complete vision of the band's unquestioned mark on the history of rock music. In this particular case, the bonus tracks raise a three star effort to four.

While many fans dismass the latter day Byrds, the last recognizable version of the band (McGuinn, White, Gene Parsons, and Battin) were certainly the musically most proficient. Of course, it takes more than musical prowess to make good records, and I have always believed that the early Byrds with Gene Clark had the songs; Gene Clark, now deceased, remains an unfortunately unsung writer. Nonetheless, the Byrds never had cohesiveness until this grouping, which endured longer than the original Byrds could've hoped to. FARTHER ALONG is an enjoyable album, highlighted by Clarence White & Gene Parsons. If only to gain more insight on White's genius as a guitarist, this is worth owning.

One of the many classic albums which became forgotten until now when it was given a re-release. It would mark the last album The Byrds would ever make before calling it quits, the last to feature pioneering guitarists Roger McGuinn (who started a successful solo career) and Clarence White (who would tragically die in 1973, as a result of being struck by a drunk driver).
They are both excellent on this album, especially bassist Skip Battin and multi-talented drummer Gene Parsons as they manage to keep things moving along with the should-be-classic songs 'Tiffany Queen', 'Get Down Your Line', 'Bugler' and 'Bristol Steam Convention Blues'. But overall, it is worth buying and worth listening to.

Released at the end of 1971 and greeted with critical derision and poor sales, "Farther Along" would be the final all-new Byrds album (unless you count the boring 1973 reunion lp of the original lineup which most people tend to overlook). But it was a wonderful way to go out; this is, in my opinion, easily the greatest Byrds album, with not one dud track. The lineup is the McGuinn-Skip Battin-Gene Parsons-Clarence White powerhouse, and each contribute excellent new songs while turning covers into their own. The great tracks-'Bugler', 'Antique Sandy', 'America's Great National Pastime', 'Get Down Your Line' and 'Tiffany Queen' are all- time Byrds classics, and have generally received little attention. The very finest track, however, is 'Lazy Waters', one of the most beautiful country- rock songs ever made, period. This is one import cd that is more than worth the steep price tag. I would recommend "Farther Along" very highly.

A beautiful album to take down a country road, on a long drive, with the top down, wind in your hair, sun shining, tunes playing. If only the great Byrdsters had stopped with this one, instead of releasing the lamentable reunion album The Byrds (1973). Oh well. Everyone makes mistakes, and Ole Roger made plenty after this last great album by a great American band.

The original Byrds were terrific singers and songwriters, with Gene Clark comparable to anyone else around, and Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, and Chris Hillman all more than competent. However, of the original band, only McGuinn and Hillman were genuinely excellent musicians. The Byrds early recordings often feature McGuinn overdubbing an extra guitar, or feature session virtuoso guitarist Clarence White to create the terrific studio sound that the early Byrds achieved. Unfortunately, the bands' live performances could be embarassingly uneven if their complex harmony vocals were slightly off the mark. By 1969, McGuinn was the only original member remaining in the band. Clarence White had been asked to join the band full time as a replacement for Gram Parsons, another fine singer and songwriter, who had himself replaced David Crosby. Gene Parsons had, indirectly, replaced Michael Clarke on drums, and John York had replaced Hillman on bass. York was replaced by Skip Battin in early 1970.

The lineup that recorded Farther Along, as well as the previous four albums, was a much stronger musical group than the original band, primarily due to White's fabulous guitar playing. Although a stronger group instrumentally, these Byrds were relatively mediocre singers and songwriters. McGuinn has always been a fine, but unprolific song composer, but has relied on others to write his lyrics. Battin wrote or cowrote several songs, but has never been considered an good songwriter. White and Parsons were more adept at performing bluegrass traditionals than writing originals. So the latter day Byrds were better musicians than the original Byrds, but much weaker as singers, and especially as songwriters.

Farther Along is a laid back and enjoyable recording which benefits from Clarence White's finest studio performance with the Byrds, but suffers from inconsistent material. "Bugler", a touchingly beautiful folk cover, is White's finest performance as a vocalist and the best song on the album. White's rendition of "Farther Along" is also very good. "Bristol Steam Convention Blues" is a Parsons/White original bluegrass tune that sizzles, while White's guitar playing is prominent throughout most of the album. Parsons' "Get Down Your Line" and "BB Class Road" are pleasant country rockers. McGuinn's "Tiffany Queen" is a Chuck Berry style rocker which represents his best attempt at that style, while "Antique Sandy" is a pleasant folkish ballad. Skip Battin's contributions may be his best, despite representing some of the weaker songs on the album. "America's Favorite National Pasttime" is Battin's best song ever, a fairly funny, slightly insightful, but also goofy and un-Byrdslike, novelty tune. "Lazy Waters" is a nice cover which seems more personal than any of Battin's originals. "Precious Kate" is unobtrusively dull. The cover of the R&B standard, "So Fine", for which we may have White to blame, is a mistake. Overall, a very worthwhile album. Just sit back and listen to Clarence play!