The Byrds – Transmission Impossible
Eat To The
Beat Records ETTB 054 (UK 2015)
Disc 1 –
The Byrds - Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California, November 2, l968
Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons, John York (they
put a picture of the wrong lineup featuring Gram Parsons and Kevin Kelley on
the CD, although it’s correctly listed on the artwork)
1. Old Blue
(3:23)
2. My Back Pages - B.J. Blues - Baby What You Want Me To Do (6:32)
3. Mr. Spaceman (3:26)
4. Time Between (2:37)
5. Goin' Back (4:26)
6. Blue Suede Shoes (1:58)
7. He Was A Friend Of Mine (2:55)
8. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (Version 1) (2:34)
9. Drug Store Truck Driving Man (5:16)
10. This Wheel's On Fire (5:08)
11. Stanley's Song (3:12)
12. Pretty Boy Floyd (3:57)
13. Eight Miles High (5:53)
14. You Don't Miss Your Water (3:43)
15. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (Version 2) (3:27)
16. Hickory Wind (4:00)
17. King Apathy III (4:12)
18. Bad Night At The Whiskey (2:25)
19. Nashville West (1:47)
2. My Back Pages - B.J. Blues - Baby What You Want Me To Do (6:32)
3. Mr. Spaceman (3:26)
4. Time Between (2:37)
5. Goin' Back (4:26)
6. Blue Suede Shoes (1:58)
7. He Was A Friend Of Mine (2:55)
8. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (Version 1) (2:34)
9. Drug Store Truck Driving Man (5:16)
10. This Wheel's On Fire (5:08)
11. Stanley's Song (3:12)
12. Pretty Boy Floyd (3:57)
13. Eight Miles High (5:53)
14. You Don't Miss Your Water (3:43)
15. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (Version 2) (3:27)
16. Hickory Wind (4:00)
17. King Apathy III (4:12)
18. Bad Night At The Whiskey (2:25)
19. Nashville West (1:47)
Disc 2 – The Byrds - McDonough Gym, American University, Washington DC, September 12, 1971
Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons, Skip Battin
1. Intro
(1:02)
2. Lover Of The Bayou (4:14)
3. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (2:57)
4. Mr. Spaceman (3:24)
5. I Want To Grow Up To Be A Politician (2:41)
6. Soldier Joy - Black Mountain Rag - Mr Tambourine Man (5:01)
7. Pretty Boy Floyd (2:53)
8. Nashville West (2:24)
9. Citizen Kane (3:27)
10. Tiffany Queen (2:35)
11. Chestnut Mare (5:07)
12. Jesus Is Just Alright (2:59)
13. Eight Miles High - Hold It (9:39)
14. Roll Over Beethoven (2:46)
2. Lover Of The Bayou (4:14)
3. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (2:57)
4. Mr. Spaceman (3:24)
5. I Want To Grow Up To Be A Politician (2:41)
6. Soldier Joy - Black Mountain Rag - Mr Tambourine Man (5:01)
7. Pretty Boy Floyd (2:53)
8. Nashville West (2:24)
9. Citizen Kane (3:27)
10. Tiffany Queen (2:35)
11. Chestnut Mare (5:07)
12. Jesus Is Just Alright (2:59)
13. Eight Miles High - Hold It (9:39)
14. Roll Over Beethoven (2:46)
Disc 3 - The Boarding House, San Francisco, California, February 9, 1978
Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, David Crosby
With Kim O’Kelly on tracks 3 and 4
1. Gene Clark - Silver Raven (3:23)
2. Gene Clark - Release Me Girl (4:14)
3. Chris Hillman with Kim O'Kelly - Bound To Fall (2:05)
4. Chris Hillman with Kim O'Kelly - It Doesn't Matter (2:32)
5. Roger McGuinn - Jolly Roger (3:18)
6. Roger McGuinn - Ballad Of Easy Rider (2:12)
7. McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - Chestnut Mare (5:49)
8. McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - Crazy Ladies (3:56)
9. McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - Train Leaves Here This Morning (4:43)
10. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Mr. Tambourine Man (6:45)
11. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - You Ain't Going Nowhere (4:16)
12. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Turn! Turn! Turn! (2:51)
13. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Knocking On Heaven's Door (5:26)
14. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Bye Bye Baby (3:47)
15. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (3:17)
16. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Eight Miles High (4:25)
17. McGuinn, Clark, HIllman & Crosby - I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better (3:17)
2. Gene Clark - Release Me Girl (4:14)
3. Chris Hillman with Kim O'Kelly - Bound To Fall (2:05)
4. Chris Hillman with Kim O'Kelly - It Doesn't Matter (2:32)
5. Roger McGuinn - Jolly Roger (3:18)
6. Roger McGuinn - Ballad Of Easy Rider (2:12)
7. McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - Chestnut Mare (5:49)
8. McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - Crazy Ladies (3:56)
9. McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - Train Leaves Here This Morning (4:43)
10. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Mr. Tambourine Man (6:45)
11. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - You Ain't Going Nowhere (4:16)
12. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Turn! Turn! Turn! (2:51)
13. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Knocking On Heaven's Door (5:26)
14. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Bye Bye Baby (3:47)
15. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (3:17)
16. McGuinn, Clark, Hillman & Crosby - Eight Miles High (4:25)
17. McGuinn, Clark, HIllman & Crosby - I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better (3:17)
Artwork Included (front, back, inside, CDs)
9 comments:
Thanks Rocking-Byrd
All three concerts are well published but together hey are a nice package from the UK.
What do we know of Kim O'Kelly/ I have never found anything other than the months she gigged with Hillman.
Impossible to comment on all three discs in one commentary, so let's start with the first. This is one of the two best-known bootleg recordings of the post-Sweetheart Byrds (along with the Boston Tea Party set) and is one of the best examples of the John York-period Byrds. What I liked about these concerts (and I saw one of them in the Midwest) was the variety of different material they presented, unlike the later Byrds (with Battin) which tended to stick to a similar format, depending on which album had been released. John York replaced Chris Hillman not only on bass (and he's very good here) but also on high harmony, where he's less successful. I find his voice on these sets to be rather strident, lacking the softness of Crosby and Hillman. Unlike the Boston Tea Party concert, he has no lead vocals here, which means that McGuinn was wtill a bit insecure about giving new memebers vocal duties for fear of not sounding like the Byrds (did Gram Parsons sound like the Byrds?). Understandable, but maybe too conservative a position, since he was the only original Byrd left and did not dominate lead vocals on the most recent albums. The setlist is varied, with songs from most of the previous albums (except the first) with some surprises. For example, a Chris Hillman tune (Time Between), wghich McGuinn mistakenly attributes to Notorious Byrd Brothers, and an electric version of Pretty Boy Floyd. Despite the fact that this is basically a new band, they play rather tightly together, and Clarence really shows why he was tapped as lead guitarist. Some other surprises--the lead 6-string guitar by McGuinn on Rock and Roll Star and BJ Blues/BAby What You Want Me to Do). Later McGuinn reliquished all leads to Clarence, and what leads he did have were not so effective as in the original Byrds lineup. What is missing here (and in the recording on YouTube) is the magnificent rendering of Jesus is Just Alright. Originally, the song starts with an a capella (drums and vocals) by Gene Parsons), who is then joined by John York, and then by all four Byrds before breaking into the song with instruments and vocals. The arrangement of the vocals was superb and closer to the original Byrds than anything else they did (except maybe for It's All Over Now Baby Blue). All in all, this concert rivals the Live At the Fillmore release, and is a good indicator of where this version of the Byrds was heading before York's departure. Gracias, R--B.
Disc 2. This concert's been around fo awhile, but it's worth listening to again as the sound's very good and the group very energetic. McGuinn sings lead on all but three songs-two of them instrumentals (although he does yodel unpleasantly at the end of Nashville West). The only other lead singer here is Skip Battin, doing his song Citizen Kane, from Byrdmaniax. I actually like the song, especially the more stripped-down version in this concert. The material is a mixture of old Byrds songs and three tunes from the last two albums; the preponderance of material comes from the latter Byrds, which is how it should be at this point (and is what John York wanted while he was in the group). The playing is very good--these guys knew the material by heart and could play around with it at will without messing it up. The acoustic segment is only three songs long, which is a pity as these were always nice to hear and pre-dates the unplugged fad by many years. I never saw this lineup in concert but it's easy to see why the band was so popular on the concert circuit--they really put on a good show. Unfortunately, they were unable to put that energy on records as well. Thanks again.
Odd that the 2 Gene Clark tunes on the Boarding House show are reversed here. The show started with Release Me Girl, then Silver Raven. Makes no sense as to why they messed with them here. Nice review by Steve. I think the Tea Party show is the best example of the York-White band, and shows what variety the band was capable of.
I'd been waiting for this to be posted.
Thanks a million RB!
Disc 3. This was as close as the original Byrds got to another reunion, after the ill-fated reunion of 1973. Crosby was willing to do it, but eventually McGuinn, Hillman & Clark went on to form a trio without him, without the name, and without the sound. I saw the three of them in San Diego in 1978 (I think) and the format was similar: two songs each by each of singers, then a group performance made up mostly of old Byrds songs plus a few others. There was no band, just Clark on acoustic guitar, Hillman on mandolin and McGuinn on the Rickenbacher. Very much like this concert, but without Crosby. Crosby here adds a new twist to the Byrds harmonies in that he joins in Hillman on high harmony, giving the group two-part harmony by four singers (Chris didn't sing at all on the first three records)--very full and rich. The setlist is good, and Hillman's friend Kim O'Kelley, who joined him when he went 'solo' as a harmony singer, adds depth to Hillman's rather weak voice. I'm not sure Crosby is on all the songs attributed to him here--I can't hear him at all on the last song or Bye Bye Baby--maybe it's just my tinnitus. This group could have done better if they had accepted the fact that they weren't really a new group and had let the 12-string into their songs on the first album, which was rather derivative. Their concerts were far more Byrds-like, and it was a real pleasure hearing them play a latter-day Byrds song like Chestnut Mare (though one misses Clarence's guitar) live. In fact, they were a very good live group at the end, and there was promise of even more great music to come. Alas, it wan't to be, and Gene Clarkleft the group after the second album, and a final album with just Hillman and McGuinn went nowhere. We didn't hear from the Byrds again until the early 90s, when there was a fight over the use of the name and Crosby, McGuinn and Hillman toured briefly as the Byrds. But that's another story.
Some good comments, Steve. I saw these guys a number of times, from the Clark / McGuinn acoustic shows, right up to the last lineup with Al Perkins and Tom Mooney. I think all 3 lps were very weak : the first and last being unlistenable, for different reasons. My own opinion is Greg Thomas was the wrong drummer for the initial group ( too much of a basher ); on the tapes with George Grantham they sound much better. I also think they could have done without Sambaterro as well : a keyboard player would have added more, and filled out the sound, as Paul Harris had in Manassas and Ben Tench does with the Heartbreakers. McGuinn abdicated to much of his lead playing, just as he did with Clarence White in the Clarence White band. Just my opinion, to be sure. Losing Gene pretty much sealed it anyway.
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