The Byrds : Younger Than Yesterday :: A Look Back
The Byrd’s “Younger than Yesterday” was released in Feb. 1967. The majority of tracks were recorded Dec. 1966. This LP once again demonstrated the potent growth of the Byrds and their transformation from singles band to an LP band. Are the Byrds the greatest American rock group? To these ears I would say they are up there with the Beach Boys vying for that title with Creedence Clearwater Revival not far behind. This record is brilliant, perhaps the best Byrds album.
The CD release in 1996 by Sony is a lesson in how a treasured classic of the sixties should be reissued. Exceptional sound, bonus tracks, and previously unreleased photographs with good liner notes compacted in an enclosed booklet. “Younger” is the fourth release of a long unbroken stream of great records by the Byrds, culminating with 1968’s “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”
The Byrds after 1966 were able to adapt to the loss of their principle in house songwriter, Gene Clark, by the emergence of the song writing talents of the other members. On the previous LP “5D”, Crosby rose to the occasion with “What’s Happening” and “I See You”. On this album it’s bassist Chris Hillman’s turn, churning out no fewer that 5 of the 12 highlights of the album. Kicking off with “So You Want To Be a Rock and Roll Star”, the subject matter decrying the ‘plastic’ hit making machine of corporate rock (timely. yes?), this track was inspired by the TV industry manufactured Monkees pop group and TV show. Based on a great bass riff by Hillman, a mesmeric McGuinn 12 string riff, incessant 4/4 drumming from Michael Clarke, illuminated by the patented Byrd harmony sound, the track is a great LP opener.
The 2nd track “Did You See Her Face’ is a true rock classic. This is another one of those brilliant Beatles ventures by the Byrds, so reminiscent of the Beatles “You’re Going to Lose That Girl’. McGuinn eschews his Rickenbacker 12 string for a Fender Telecaster, playing a great, fat hook opener joined by those beautiful Byrd harmony vocals. On the right speaker, what originally on vinyl sounded like a rhythm guitar, is actually a piano- (probably an upright.)
Speaking of the Beatles influence, Hillman’s “Time Between” hearkens back to the previous years Beatle LP, “Rubber Soul”. With it’s “I’ve Just Seen a Face” texture, it includes the quote “It’s Only Love”- another reference to another Beatle track from the U.S. version of “Rubber Soul.”. A simple drumbeat and a prominent shaker on the right speaker maintain the pace as featured guitarist and future Byrd Clarence White provides the Fender Telecaster country licks on the left speaker.
The similar sounding “The Girl with No Name” repeats the formula on “Time Between” Opening with an acoustic 12 string (which is quickly and quietly) shifted from the left to right speaker after the introduction, this song again showcases White on guitar. The beat is almost identical to “Time Between”. In this song the shaker shifts to the left speaker.
Both songs clock in less than 2 minutes-both are little jewels. Hillman’s “Thoughts and Words” reflects again on the Beatles but on the more recent “Revolver” than “Rubber Soul”, with its “Tomorrow Never Knows” backward tape loops McGuinn provides the urgent finger picked electric 12 string guitar introduction to this track, with faint rhythm guitar on the right speaker. Hillman would produce the similar styled composition “Change is Now” on the subsequent “Notorious Byrd Brothers”.
Not to be denied, David Crosby contributes three key tracks to the album “Renaissance Fair”, “Everybody’s Been Burned” and “Why? (Co-composed with McGuinn.) “Fair” continues the tradition of twin guitar arrangements to the Byrds sound. Major examples of this style are evident on previous Byrd tracks “Feel a Whole Lot Better”, “Bells of Rhymney”, “Chimes of Freedom”, and “Turn Turn Turn”. These feature independent but interlaced guitar parts, with Crosby either providing sharp rhythm jabs (“Feel a Whole Lot Better”), or parallel double stops (“Chimes of Freedom”.) “Fair” is an intricate musical arrangement. Opening on the right speaker is finger picked guitar soon joined on the left by sharp guitar chording, braced by a busy bass arrangement by Hillman. Experimentation rules, as a soprano saxophone joins the main guitar hook.
“Everybody’s Been Burned” follows the ballad form Crosby utilized on “What’s Happening?” from the previous”5D” LP. “Burned” is richer and more laid back than the previous tune, featuring guitar duet finger picking, a thick bass in the center, and shaker on left speaker to lighten the mood in the dark texture of this tune. McGuinn plays a mournful and skillfully meandering solo that aurally accents the isolation and emptiness of the song’s intent. “Why” is one of the most re-recorded tracks by the Byrds. Used as the album closer, this song previously appeared in a stronger version as the B-side to “Eight Miles High”. If the prior version remained unknown, this number would still be highly regarded-but as it stands; the 45 version remains the standard in all its raga- glory.
The bonus tracks on the CD release include Crosby’s “It Happens Each Day” which may have been left off the album since it was one too many ballads for the record. However it probably would have been a better choice than “Mind Gardens.”(A nice instrumental version of this tune is a hidden bonus track on the CD.) The forgotten 45 Crosby’s “Lady Friend” is also included as a bonus track. Its chart failure in 1967 is one of those great mysteries of rock, but after “Eight Miles High” the Byrds singles, despite their quality, didn’t match the Beatles and Stones chartings. Theories regarding radio bans of the Byrds due to the ‘drug’ nature of the “Eight Miles High” single are said to have doomed them in the charts. Whatever happened, it can’t be denied that the years of 67 through 69 were an embarrassment of musical riches, and perhaps the Byrds singles, despite their excellence, were just crowded out.
Besides being the musical maestro, arranger, and band leader, McGuinn’s major contribution on the record is “My Back Pages”. Another brilliant transformation of a Dylan composition, McGuinn turns the interesting chord sequence Dylan came up with for the song into a bright new composition. McGuinn changes the timing, ups the beat, and takes the best verses from the song to come up with a 3 minute pop masterpiece. What interpretation!
The arrangement opens with a great guitar opener, a totally original riff by McGuinn; claves on the left speaker begin the percussive arrangement, soon enjoined by drums heavy on the rim shots, crashing in on the empty right speaker joined by subtle organ chords. McGuinn sings the poignant Dylan verses solo, joined by the rest of the Byrds in the chorus. A highly compressed and compelling 12-string guitar solo highlights the song, demonstrating McGuinn harnessing harsh electricity and somehow melding it into a sad softness. Call it Rock Alchemy.
