Artist: The Byrds
Album: Fifth Dimension
Year: 1966
I'm a big fan of The Byrds' music, but Fifth Dimension, as an album, doesn't do much for me. There are a few good songs here and there, but a number of forgettable ones, and there's no attempt made to help this album flow from song to song. The folky "Wild Mountain Thyme" for example immediately precedes the uber-poppy "Mr. Spaceman"; the lack of transition is somewhat jarring.
The best songs in this collection are among the best the band would ever write. I guess the most notable song here is "Eight Miles High," which in some sense stands as the quintessential "psychedelic rock" tune. "Hey Joe" is a nice slice of upbeat country rock. "John Riley" is a great folk song with sweeping strings, which Joan Baez had done a version of on her debut album.
I could take or leave the poppier cuts here like the Dylan-esque "Fifth Dimension," "Mr. Spaceman," and "What's Happening?" I love The Byrds' darker folk-rock stuff, as they'd explore more on The Notorious Byrd Brothers later on. Fifth Dimension is OK for a transitional album, but I demand more of this band.
Rating: Worth a listen
No comments:
Post a Comment