Customer Reviews

Turn Turn Turn

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To quote the original liner notes of The Byrds' second album, "Protests growled briefly and died in great, wheezing gasps. The Byrds, unfettered, looked the other way and sang love songs." In 1965, America was beginning to enter a time of vehement political and social division and if anyone was looking for a song that flawlessly described the time, the title track of this album was a Godsend...literally. Originally taken by Pete Seeger from the 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' was such a powerful anthem for all involved in the social unrest--both weary politicians and youths burning their draft cards--that the other songs on the album did not need to consist of other political messages. The Byrds decided one anthem was enough, and filled "Turn! Turn! Turn!" with great songs about love and searches for personal enlightenment.
The group's debut "Mr. Tambourine Man" had been largely carried by vocalist Gene Clark's creative originals, and four Bob Dylan covers among others. Clark's songs also carry "Turn! Turn! Turn!" when it comes to the creative output of the bandmembers, but Roger (Jim) McGuinn was establishing himself as the counterpart to Clark's work. The love songs he co-wrote, 'It Won't Be Wrong' and 'Wait and See' (co-authored by budding Byrd David Crosby) were not up to the standards of those set by Gene Clark, but his arranging of folk standards and 12-string Rickenbacker playing show his influence. McGuinn brilliantly turns an old folk song 'He Was A Friend Of Mine' into a beautiful lament for John F. Kennedy, the additional lyrics McGuinn added delicately describing the tragic assassination of a president. Also a nice move is the jangle of 'Oh Susannah,' which features great interplay between McGuinn's Rickenbacker and Michael Clarke's drum kit. 'Satisfied Mind' is one of the best covers the Byrds ever did, sincere and simple, and covers of 'The Times They Are-A Changing' and 'Lay Down Your Weary Tune' helped convince Dylan himself that the group was a solid talent. He told McGuinn "Up until I heard this ['Lay Down Your Weary Tune'] I thought you were just another immitator."
But Gene Clark again eclipses with his love songs; one of the most creative ballad writers of all time, Clark's songs were never cliched or tongue-in-cheek, and always down-to-Earth. 'If You're Gone' has to be one of his most moving vocal performances ever. 'Set You Free This Time' and 'The World Turns All Around Her' display the kind of songwriting the pop world needs today. His 'She Don't Care About Time' single is fortunately included as a bonus track on this remaster, along with another Clark masterpiece 'The Day Walk,' better known as 'Never Before.'
The "Turn! Turn! Turn!" album was a make it or break it for the Byrds; during this short time they rivalled the Beatles, and the massive success of the title track solidified their stance, if only for a brief time. But the other ten songs were what proved the group's talent, avoiding sophomore slumps and delivering some of the 60s greatest music.

What a follow-up! The Byrds only released two albums and a handful of singles with Gene Clark--until a rather abysmal reunion in the early 1970's--but what a couple of albums they are! "Mr. Tambourine Man," their first release, would of course be hailed as one of the penultimate folk-rock records, with the group so aptly adapting the songs of Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger to a radio-friendly audience. Yet, for me, it's not how the group performs the title track or selected covers on that LP, or how they equally master "Lay Down Your Weary Tune," "The Times They Are A-Changin" or Stephen Foster's "Oh! Susannah" on this its sequel, but the quality of their original material, the bulk of which was penned by Gene Clark! Clark's amazing "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" has become a rock and roll classic, and "Here Without You" beautifully exemplifies its composer's darker, poetic side on The Byrds' debut recording. With the success of that LP under their belts, the group would appear to offer more of the same with "Turn! Turn! Turn!" but Clark would emerge as an even more powerful force with compositions "Set You Free This Time," "She Don't Care About Time" and the hauntingly brilliant "The World Turns All Around Her!" Lesser known track "If You're Gone" would precede Clark's last songwriting credit on a Byrds recording with "Eight Miles High" on their "Fifth Dimension" LP. With Clark's departure, group members David Crosby and Roger McGuinn would be allowed to spread their wings and soar as celebrities and songwriters in their own right, and Crosby's ultimate departure would likewise permit bassist Chris Hillman to step forward before leaving to form The Flying Burrito Brothers, Souther, Hillman and Furay and the Desert Rose Band, then completing a musical full-circle by again reuniting with Clark and McGuinn for two releases and a brief tour. It having been common practice in the early to mid 1960's for session musicians to play on the company predicted hits, such would be the case with much of "Mr. Tambourine Man," but The Byrds would prove themselves to be competent enough musicians and capable performers that this would not be the case with subsequent releases. I love every line-up that's existed of The Byrds, from Gene Clark to Gram Parsons and John York to Clarence White and Skip Battin, with drummer Gene Parsons himself providing exceptional all-around musicianship and serving as a steadying force while the group forged its way into country-rock after a brief dalliance with psychedlic music. But again coming full-circle, it would be their first two LPs from the folk-rock years that hold the dearest place in my heart and serve as the best starting points for future Byrds fans.

Of the original Byrds reissue series from 1996 and 1997, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" benefits more than most. The original 1965 LP was a baffling mixture of pure, undistilled brilliance and obvious filler, with little rhyme or reason. The album found the boys pushing subtly in virtually all of the directions they would take in their next few albums, whilst still retaining close ties to their first record, the brilliant and massively popular 'Mr Tambourine Man'.
Too often this album is stigmatized as being too similar to that record. That really isn't true; although the instrumental approach is similar on a few songs, the Byrds sound markedly different here. The exception, of course, is the omnipresent (and astonishing) title track, one of the most advanced pop productions of its time. Boasting complex, tightly woven vocal and instrumental harmonies, unique and unexpected time changes, and the most philosophical rock lyrics that had been aired to that point, it's indisputably a classic of considerable proportions. However, subtler indications of the group's evolution were present too: the band had grown as an instrumental unit, with drummer Michael Clarke's showing surprising proficiency just one example. And in McGuinn's picking were hints of the acoustic sound that would appear on the album. And, most of all, the delivery was august, earnest. It was a harbinger of what was to come.
The sprightly, springlike touch of their first album is missing, and 'Turn Turn Turn' is, in fact, a surprisingly bleak affair. The Dylan covers here, for example, are from the sessions for the vitriolic, pious affair, 'The Times They are A-Changin', whereas the ones on the previous album had been intended for the playful, personal, and melodic 'Another Side of Bob Dylan'. The Byrds here turn in a surprisingly grungy take on 'Lay Down Your Weary Tune', for example, with a bleary edge helped along by beautiful and unusual harmonies. Elsewhere, the solemn cover of Porter Wagoner's 'Satisfied Mind' is graced by hair-raising choral harmonies, with the verses changed and one removed, totally altering the song's message. Crosby's harmony, in particular, has a haunting shiver to it. And the traditional song, 'He Was a Friend of Mine', is retrofitted by McGuinn with new lyrics about JFK, nimble bass runs by Chris Hillman, and another lovely harmony from Crosby.
This is to say nothing of the original material, which on all but one song is first-rate. In particular, Gene Clark turns in three mournful, low-key masterpieces with 'Set You Free This Time' (boasting a surprisingly dense lyric and a sparse solo vocal), 'The World Turns All Around Her' and 'If You're Gone'. The latter features unsual droning octave harmonies from McGuinn and Crosby, which closely foreshadow the psychedelia to come on the Byrds' next trio of albums. There is also a trippy edge to the McGuinn number 'It Won't Be Wrong', a moving, urgent plea graced with brilliant, piercing guitar work and insistent time and mood changes. It even has a country-ish bridge and, in a slightly less 'pop' arrangement, might have fit well on 1968's 'Notorious Byrd Brothers' LP. Even 'The World Turns All Around Her' is subtly psychedelic and mildly experimental, being a modal, celtic- sounding song that could have passed for an Irish mountain ballad. (An alternate take is included, but besides an unintentionally goofy bongo track, it's no different.)
The original LP boasted 11 songs, and the first 8 were almost uniformly brilliant and strikingly innovative. In fact, to this point the album is arguably superior to 'Mr Tambourine Man', the LP that preceded it. However, 'Turn Turn Turn' falls apart towards the end, thanks to a trio of too-haphazard efforts. Why the Byrds decided to include the three songs they did when far better, unreleased material was available (I'll discuss that in a moment) is a minor mystery.
The take of 'The Times They Are A-Changin' is dripping with irony and ennui, and is essentially worthless. The argument that this song could not be effectively covered as an upbeat folk-rock tune is proven false by the far superior (and EARLIER), punkish alternate take included on this CD. McGuinn sings with abandon, and contributes an interesting, vaguely trippy guitar refrain. Even so, it's far from a masterpiece, but it's hardly one of Dylan's stronger songs anyway, despite its popularity. Its preachy nature and vitriol doesn't translate well to the Byrds in any format.
After the awful stab at 'Times', the Byrds move on to the pleasant but insubstantial McGuinn-Crosby ballad, 'Wait and See'. It's about as strong as some of the more obscure numbers on 'A Hard Day's Night', but one expects more from the Byrds at this point. And the original LP ended with a mildly interesting (but overlong) humorous stab at Stephen Foster's 'Oh! Susannah', which is nicely played in the verses and choruses but breaks too long for McGuinn to play an irritating solo refrain.
"Turn! Turn! Turn" almost doesn't work as an album because of these three misfires. And "If You're Gone", while beautiful and sad, is too low-key to end the album. The remedy is on this CD, which vastly improves the original lineup. The eerie, occasionally jaunty Gene Clark tune 'The Day Walk' would have been excellent album fodder, although this album is somewhat unpolished (the vocals are a bit dissonant, and Hillman's bass is out of tune). It's strange and moving, and somewhat similar to David Crosby's later 'It Happens Each Day'. Also included is the untouchably brilliant Clark B-side, 'She Don't Care About Time', one of the early Byrds' best songs (and perhaps THE best), a lyrically fascinating , intensely romantic folk-rocker. The alternate take features intriguing, foreboding piano work from Terry Melcher, a nicer vocal mix, and a more ramshackle presentation. It's almost as good as the original.
Nonetheless, the two Clark outtakes could have ended the original LP in style, and the Byrds could have tacked on 'Oh Susannah' as a cozy joke and had an airtight 11-track opus far superior to Mr Tambourine Man. Sadly, they opted not to, resulting in this album's poor reputation when it could have been regarded as a masterpiece.
That being said, this album is a flawed but essential effort.

'Turn! Turn! Turn!' is the Byrds' second album, & featured the title track, their second & last US #1 single. The rest of the album follows the formula laid down the same year by their debut album, 'Mr. Tambourine Man', though somewhere, this second album is a bit more flawed, which is only understandable due to the hectic conditions under which it was created.

The title track is as wonderful a Byrdesque folk-rock song as any, fully reprising the glory of 'Mr. Tambourine Man', not only commercially, but also artistically.
'It Won't Be Wrong' is another folk-rock classic, whose intro sounds anticipate the coming of psychedelia a few years later. Later the song changes pace & returns to the original speed again later. All in all as great a Byrd song as any on their debut album.
'Set You Free This Time' sets their strongest lyric so far (those covered from Dylan not included), to a tune that marks a slight step down from the previous two songs, but not enough to prevent this from being one of their most underrated gems.
'Lay Down Your Weary Tune' is one of the group's best Dylan-interpretations, and, like all of those, it is hard not to think of it as a Byrds-original. An already strong song loses nothing of its beauty, but is presented in the full grace of folk-rock.
The traditional 'He Was A Friend Of Mine' is buoyed by a great, twangling acoustic guitar, but otherwise the song becomes somewhat tedious in the long run, though it isn't at all bad, and doesn't seem out of place on the album.
'The World Turns All Around Her' is a pure Byrds-classic, complete with the title, a perfect blend of tortured romanticism & mind-altering psychedelia.
'Satisfied Mind' is here transformed into a great Byrds song, but it pales next to the classic 'If You're Gone', an immortal folk-rock jewel.
It is followed by the biggest flaw of the album, the Byrds' cover of Dylan's more-than-immortal classic 'The Times They Are A-Changing'. The band simply betrays the rebellion & protest of the original & try to make it another tender tune, which just doesn't work. For the original is as angry as Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy In The U.K.', and nobody would ever make a serious folk-rock version of that track, well?

'Wait And See' is a suave little love song quite well played, & though it doesn't compensate for the previous track, it is strong enough to overshadow the flaws of the ending track, so it doesn't feel like the last fourth of the album is crap. The cover of 'Oh! Susannah' is indeed an idea spawned of genius, & a great song it is. But it irritates me the way it returns to a single guitar playing the main riff after each verse. This way, an otherwise great, rollin' song, that could have been a Byrds' classic & an album peak, is cut into small pieces, that seriously disturbs your heartbeat ;)... you get up, fall down, get up, and in the end, it gets really annoying. Hard to imagine, but easy to hear.

But except the full-scale flaw of 'The Times They Are A-Changing' & the much better 'Oh! Sussannah', which is anyway mostly a joke, the album is about as great as 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. As for the bonus tracks; 'The Day Walk (Never Before)' has a riff that sounds like 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' some years too early - but otherwise that song is pretty inessential.
But on the other hand, 'She Don't Care About Time' is a timeless Byrds classic, & their cover 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' actually surpasses Dylan's original (the only time the Byrds inarguably did that). Those two songs are so great that it seems complete foolish they were left off the album for the sake of the Byrds' greatest flaw, 'The Times' cover.
As for the alternate versions, they are really not essential, but they don't hrt anybody with their presence, and the instrumental 'Stranger In A Strange Land' is also fine enough, though one can only imagine how the Byrdesque voices entwined in each other would have transformed it...

Between the twenty-third of August and the first of November of 1965, 'The Byrds' recorded the 18 tracks that make up this 1996 reissue of their second album. Already, 'The Byrds' possessed several of the elements that would combine to make them one of the most proficient and influential bands of the greatest decade for music, the 1960's. Jim McGuinn's chiming 12- string guitar sound is fundamental to every song, as are the exquisite background harmonies being delivered by Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Chris Hillman. The only element still reserved for development was their talents as composers. Only vocalist Gene Clark was beginning to reveal himself as more than a soundboard for other writer's works, penning five numbers, four of which are among the best on the disc. Jim McGuinn only offers one composition of note, and David Crosby teams up with McGuinn for his only writing contribution, aside from the closing instrumental.

On 'Turn, Turn', Turn', the continuing success of 'The Byrds' turned on their ability to accomodate old and sometimes obscure compositions, as well as chart-topping hits, to their own distinctive sound. On this disc, the quintet parlay the music of Pete Seeger ('Turn, Turn, Turn'), Bob Dylan ('Lay Down Your Weary Tune', 'He Was a Friend Of Mine', 'The Times They Are A-Changin', and 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'), and even Stephen Foster ('Oh! Susannah'). It is perhaps that last, unlikely choice that most dramatically demonstrates the remarkable skill of this band to take any composition, especially folk music, and make it their own. If not for the many, many times most of us have both heard and sang along to 'Oh! Susannah', this Byrds version could well pass for a modern folk song. Every Byrd cover I hear brings new meaning to both lyrics and music, often in stunning ways.

Aside from the title track, which endures despite being played into what should be oblivion by now, the best songs on the disc are the Dylan covers. The ninth track, 'The Times They Are A-Changin' was the hoped for sequel to their first Dylan cover, 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. The recording, however, was deemed inferior to expectations, and was shelved toward the end of the album. While it probably didn't deserve to be downplayed, it is the 24 second shorter bonus recording of the same track which should have been released as a single. This bonus track, along with the alternate mix of 'The World Turns All Around Her', a Gene Clark original, present a much more determined atmosphere than the released versions, both suitable for Top-40 contention. Another bonus track, 'The Day Walk (Never Before)' is another Gene Clark composition that should have found it's way onto the 'Turn, Turn, Turn' disc, being the most basic rock tune the band put down during these sessions. Another recording of note is Crosby's 'Stranger In A Strange Land', a tasty instrumental from an artist best known for his talents as a vocalist and lyricist. Add to these numbers two versions of yet another excellent Gene Clark composition, 'She Don't Care About Time', and it's clear that a much bolder 'Turn, Turn, Turn' disc could have emerged in 1965. It's perplexing why producer Terry Melcher didn't hear the potential for some of these tracks over lesser numbers such as 'Satisfied Mind', 'If You're Gone', and 'Wait and See'.

Despite the shortcomings of the original release, all is forgiven with the inclusion of these tracks in this 1996 reissue, adorned with glorious 20-bit remastering. Although subsequent releases such as 'Fifth Dimension' would enlarge, expand, and mature the talents of each band member, 'Turn, Turn, Turn' expands our exposure to what the band was in 1965, in itself a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. Revel in the 12-string and harmonies being applied to some of the finest compositions of any era in this handsomely illustrated package. Definitely four stars, and approaching five.

Sony has done a great job on the Byrds reissues, this is the famous 'blue' cover of the suede clad 5 man Byrds- this includes bonus tracks- including the rare "Times They Are A-Changing" version that is better than the official release. This version is the one played during their "Hullabaloo" TV performance. Also included is the backing track of "Stranger in a Strange Land"- demonstrating the arranging skills of Mcquinn and Crosby (check out the arrangement of "Turn Turn Turn", "It Won't Be Wrong", or "She Doesn't Care About Time"), Gene Clark's "The Day Walk" which sounds way ahead of its time (remember this is 1965)...a great rock version of Dylan's "Its All Over Now baby Blue" with a great sonic guitar solo...
The Byrds, in my opinion, are the greatest American group- in that rarified air with the Beach Boys and Creedence.

Turn!Turn!Turn! is one of the great Byrds albums and one of the great albums of the 60's. I was surprised to see so few reviews for this classic. This album represents the second and final album made by the original quintet of McGuinn, Crosby, Clark, Hillman and Clarke, arguably the finest assembly of musicians, songwriters and vocalists of any 60's American band.

The title track was of course the Byrds second number one single and the second song "It Won't Be Wrong" is one of McGuinn's great early pieces. But the real star of the album is Gene Clark in his last album as a Byrd. His three songs are magnificent. In addition Columbia has added on the new CD Gene Clark's incredible outtake from the sessions "The Day Walk" and the B side single "She don't Care About Time".

Columbia Legacy has again demonstrated why they are the finest back catalogue label in the businness today. The 20-bit remastering is superb and I own this album in every concievable form. The 7 added tracks alone are better than 95% of the albums released in the 60's.

Finaly I also must refute the assertion made by the reviewer from Atlanta. ALL the Byrds played on Turn Turn Turn. The session musicians referred to only played on the Byrds first 45 session and not on the balance of Mr Tambourine Man and Turn. Enjoy!

This album is a little underrated because it has always been compared to it's precessor MR. TAMBOURINE MAN. I will admit that it is slightly weaker than the Byrds debut but that does not stop it from being a classic hit album. This album is very similar to MR. TAMBOURINE MAN but has a slight tinge of twangy country-rock which is shown by Roger McGuinn's trademark tweleve-string rickenbacker guitar.

The album opens with the timeless TURN! TURN! TURN! followed by the Beatle-like IT WON'T BE WRONG. After that is Gene Clark's classic SET YOU FREE THIS TIME one of my favourite Byrd songs. Then comes the country tinged LAY DOWN YOUR WEARY TUNE. After that comes the McGuinn tribute to JFK with HE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE a very beautiful song! Then another great G.Clark tune called THE WORLD TURNS ALL AROUND HER. The Byrds return to country-rock with SATISFIED MIND followed by IF YOUR GONE another pretty Gene Clark love ballad. Next is a classic Dylan tune by the name of THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'. Then comes a catchy love song called WAIT AND SEE and the album closes with a lively version of OH! SUSANNAH.

The bonus tracks are a wonderful addition to this cd reissue. THE DAY WALK(NEVER BEFORE) kicks it off followed by the b-side to the title track SHE DON'T CARE ABOUT TIME which for some reason did not make the album. Then come a string of unreleased unissued takes, one of them being a better version of THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN' the other being an excellent song that for some silly reason never appeared on this album, IT'S ALL OVER NOW BABY BLUE is one of my faves. The other two are just alternate versions of SHE DON'T CARE ABOUT TIME and THE WORLD TURNS AROUND HER that have little to any difference to the originals. The bonus tracks are wrapped up with an awesome instrumental called STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND.

Although TURN! TURN! TURN! was considered a disappointment compared to MR.TAMBOURINE MAN and only peaked at #17 on the charts, however it should not be over-looked. TURN! TURN! TURN! is an awesome album on it's own. It's timeless, beautiful and delivers a wonderful message! Highly recommended!

What an amazing album. Often compared this to their debut "Mr Tambourine Man", but the only real similarity lies in the fact that they are both extremely solid albums which predate this groups mostly successful (but sometimes disappointing) exploration of psychedelia. "Turn" has a more subdued, slightly darker tone than the first album. The unstoppable youthful energy of a song like "I'll feel a whole lot better" is replaced by a more subtle, surging vibe that is epitomized on the title track. Here, and on "set you free this time", and "the world turns all around here" the Byrds manage to sound optimistic, world-weary, and indescribably wise all at once. The only thing that keeps this from being a great "rock" record is the inclusion of some straight-ahead folk songs executed in a very understated matter.

Contrary to what the reviewer from Atlanta says, ALL the Byrds indeed played their instruments on this album. And do they play--the single Turn! Turn! Turn! is of course a song for the ages, but this record includes gems such as "It Won't Be Wrong," "He Was a Friend of Mine" and all those passionate and sophisticated Gene Clark songs. This album, and the previous Byrds album, "Mr. Tambourine Man," must have scared the daylights out of the Beatles--an American band that was in their league and beyond.