TURN TURN TURN

The Byrds: David Crosby (guitar, vocals); Jim McGuinn (12-string guitar, vocals); Chris Hillman (bass, vocals); Michael Clarke (drums); Gene Clark (tambourine, vocals). Reissue producer: Bob Irwin. Recorded between June 28, 1965 and November 1, 1965. Includes original release notes by Derek Taylor and new liner notes by David Fricke and Johnny Rogan. All songs have been digitally remastered using a 20-Bit Super Mapping system. More of a companion piece than a follow-up to their debut, TURN! TURN! TURN! established The Byrds' place in the puzzle that was American rock & roll in the mid-'60s, but not for reasons commonly attributed to it. On the one hand, this was another batch of songs furthering the California folk-rock boom. "Turn! Turn! Turn!," the band's second (and final) number one single, was Pete Seeger's musical interpretation of proverbs from the Book Of Ecclesiastes; "Oh Susannah" was a 19th century minstrels' tune; "He Was A Friend Of Mine" was a folk standard; and, as was a norm for the early Byrds, there were a couple of Bob Dylan songs. Yet the application of The Byrds' sound to these long-known songs gave each of them a new, wholly different life. "He Was A Friend Of Mine" included additional Roger McGuinn lyrics that allude to John F. Kennedy's assassination, turning a mournful standard into a personalized declaration. "Oh! Susannah" was updated at a break-neck rock & roll tempo. The title track became a snapshot, evoking the turbulent '60s as much as it did the Bible. In short, this album depicted The Byrds as an early work in progress, already capable of defying the public's perception of their artistry, and stretching further with every note.