I've always thought that the Byrds were cool. Except this was my first studio album by them that I got. Why was that? I don't know...I guess it was because I thought there were other albums that I'd rather get. That and because the Byrds are a bit boring in comparison to other things I listen to (like Led Zeppelin or Queen or Yes or something). Ah, but I got this album because it was on sale! At Barnes and Noble! For 5 bucks! (Sorry...I feel the need to repeat that fact.)
When I first listened to it, I thought, "What the heck is this? How can those songs be so darned short?" (You have to remember, I was used to 20 minute songs by then.) Naturally it took some getting used to. But it was worth the effort.
So You Wanna be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?: So the Byrds are writing us a little ditty about the people who decide to be rock stars for the money and not for the music. It's - slightly moral-sounding, actually, if you think about it. The sound effects are a rather nice touch, too. Yeah, it's a pretty cool song. I might not have chosen it to begin the album with, but the overall effect is nice.
Have You Seen Her Face: I often forget that this song exists on the album. Obviously it's not one of the highlights of this album, but if I think about it, then I realize that it's as good as anything here.
CTA-102: Is this song goofy? Yes. But is it good? Surprisingly yes. It's definitely quite weird, what with all the sound effects and alien noises and stuff. (Actually - it reminds me a bit of the Carpenters' "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". Sorta...)
Renaissance Fair: Wow! This song is really good! I didn't know that the Byrds could give their music a medieval sound! That makes it really quite cool. The lyrics are rather cool (even though they don't contain the lyrics; that was never a problem for me though), and the instrumentation is quite good. The only problem is that it's quite short. So short in fact that when it was over, I thought, "Is that it?"
Time Between: I keep forgetting this song for some reason. I guess it's okay. I dunno...
Everybody's Been Burned: The first time I heard this song, I thought it was a very haunting, slightly disturbing song. And my opinion hasn't changed much. I still think it's a haunting song, and I can identify with it quite well. This song is definitely one of the highlights.
Thoughts and Words: I think the best thing about this song is its chorus. The chorus is quite good. So's the rest of the song. And also the parts where the other guy's repeating what was just sung is cool too. And the reversed guitar thing in there. Actually, the whole song's cool.
Mind Gardens: This song blew me away when I first heard it. I loved it. It's quite a weird song, what with the (apparent lack of) melody and the obviously symbolic lyrics and those reversed guitars! (Everybody was doing weird stuff in the 60's...some were doing weird musical things, others were doing different weird things...) Another reason I like this song is because the lyrics seem to be telling a story that I indentify with. Actually, it was a story that I pretty much lived. That's why I like Mind Gardens.
My Back Pages: The Byrds liked to sing Bob Dylan songs. Well, that's all well and good. (I don't particularly care for Bob Dylan myself...) But this! I think this song is amazing! Who cares if it's a cover? It's still fantastic! The way they sing it...even though Bob Dylan isn't singing it and thusly it's not the same (it's not really as personal), it still sounds like a renouncement of something they'd loved for a long time but had to give up. I can identify with this song too. A real favorite.
The Girl With No Name: This song's not nearly as good as the earlier three, but that's okay. I don't expect the Byrds to have four great songs in a row. After all, they're only the Byrds. They're not Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin or something.....But it's still a decidedly nifty song.
Why: This song is easy for me to understand. It has a rather cool tune to it, or at least I think so, and it's rather interesting to hear them singing that one-word chorus (Why?). I probably wouldn't have used this song to conclude the album, but they ended it as well as they did.
Best tracks: Renaissance Fair, Everybody's Been Burned, Mind Gardens and My Back Pages.
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