Saturday, July 25, 2009

byrd with coils



albinio banana california king snake.

A Jaques Levy & McGuinn composition from The Byrds' untitled 1970 LP, featuring Clarence White, Gram Parsons and Skip Battin. Also including the great Terry Melcher on piano in pieces, this was undoubtably the last release from McGuinn under the Byrds banner of any merit. McGuinn's voice on this live cut is a barbed thing of wonder; strangled and bitter and devoid of Christian rectitude.


For the most comprehensive and concise detail on Clarence White imaginable, move directly to The Adios Lounge. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200, or gain surplus pounds. And hang on to your "Get out of Jail" card, brothers and sisters.

THE BYRDS: LOVER OF THE BAYOU (LIVE) from "Untitled" 2 x LP (Columbia) 1970 (US)

12 comments:

Your driver said...

I had forgotten this song. It was a staple of '70's radio. The song is not bad, but lawzy didn't I ever hate '70's radio. My misplaced memory would appear to be a baby/bathwater mixup. Thanks

ib said...

You are welcome. I know you are a Byrds aficionado.

Late 70's radio, in the main, was awful here too, Jon. Idiots in jumpsuits - sadly not orange - proclaiming undying loyalty for the most turgid crap on record. I listened to this LP for the first time only a couple of years back. There was a time when I seriously believed the Byrds career ended with "The Notorious Byrds Brothers". Maybe "Ballad of Easy Rider".

It took me a long time to finally succumb to "Sweetheart of the Rodeo", even, which is practically unforgivable.

There was also a time, not that long ago, when I was sure David Crosby deserved to have his moustache burned right off of his face.

Denier said...

I had this album passed down from my older brother, who had exceedingly good music taste. We're talking Ziggy Stardust, Kinks Greatest Hits, Byrds Greatest Hits, Highway 61, Slider, Killer, Paranoid, Slayed. Untitled was among his collection, and this song just pops off the record. Nice change of pace here, ib.

And you're right about Adios Lounge. He's got the Byrds territory pretty much covered. I'm probably the bigger Byrds fan in my census tract, and it's nice to see people with good taste on these here Interwebs.

ib said...

I was the older sibling in my family, but I had friends and acquaintances who were much lie older brothers. Most of the albums you name here were those I sought out on my own; I was a huge Bowie fan. At the time.

Adios Lounge has much of it sewn up tight regards the Byrds. I like the way, though, he keeps unpicking the stitches as the pregnancy grows larger.

Brushback said...

Slightly off-topic, but "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" is one of my top 30 or 40 favorite songs ever.

The song you've posted here isn't half-bad, either, in its "modern Dylan-ish" way.

ib said...

Brushack! Fine indeed to hear from you. Yes. "Dylan-ish". What else might one expect from McGuinn ? The biggest Dylan interpreter (imposter ?) this side of John Cooper Clarke and Barry McGuire.

warning: you may just force me to paste up some Hüsker Dü.

Anonymous said...

Another fine post.

That Adios Lounge post is also a treat - still working my way through it. I got to The Byrds through my older sisters' collections - they had a major Gram crush. I have never had much interest after the hits dried up but it's the later stuff I'm more likely to listen to now. Eric

Anonymous said...

Gene Parsons not Gram.

Brushback said...

warning: you may just force me to paste up some Hüsker Dü

"Eight Miles High"? They did a great live version for a show that was videotaped in England-- I had a copy on VHS once...


Is the last commenter confused between Gram Parsons/Gene Clark?

ib said...

Gene Parsons AND Gram, I believe. No relation.

Matt said...

Is that the earth snake, coming out of a hole? And does that certain earth snake (the one in this pic, dig) know it's in B/W while the rest of the whirl is still hanging onto day-glo?
Inquiring minds, and all...

(and how about this for my grand return CAPCHA verification: 'tardscap'! I couldn't make it up)

ib said...

Matt! How ya been ?

Could be. Could be. That is the thing with albino snakes, I suspect. They are always off colour, if not out of sorts.

"tardscap". Would make a helluva name for a band.