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4.3
Average of 4 reviews
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The Pitman Mono variant #1, US edition, boasts exceptional sound quality and an impressively low noise floor. I was genuinely amazed by the excellence of this pressing and the richness of the mono soundstage. Honestly, I'd never truly valued this album until I experienced this dedicated mono version.
A band on a journey to somewhere... yet never truly arrived. Humor me for a bit. The Byrds' debut album, 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' had one foot planted in folk and another slightly in rock 'n' roll. By 1965, they released 'Turn! Turn! Turn!', an album deeply rooted in the folk side of folk-rock, while The Beatles were dropping 'Rubber Soul' and The Rolling Stones unveiled 'Aftermath.' Yet, The Byrds were still trying to define themselves as some sort of latecomer version of Bob Dylan. This isn't a great album, it's not comfortable listening, it's not a album to enjoy while high, it's certainly not a trip for a lysergic adventure, and it doesn't define anything other than an American band in the mid-60s struggling to find their identity. A band that looked ultra-cool, had a fantastic name, and were at odds with each other from the start. What The Byrds did have was a distinctive sound, partly created by McGuinn's jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker, dynamic textures, and great harmonies, along with Gene Clark's ever-present drum patterns that seamlessly wove in, out, over, and under each song. All the material on the album was rather middle-of-the-road, nothing groundbreaking, except for the spiritual nature of the songs and their delivery, which, at a time when faith was being questioned by the younger generation, harkened back to the values of our parents... the establishment. Even with each song laced with pop-oriented country-esque vocals and instrumentation, it never really moved anyone. In short, The Byrds were nearly out of step with the musical changes filling the airwaves. The album only reached #20 on the charts, thanks entirely to their covers of two Dylan songs. For some reason, The Byrds gained a lot of attention without having done anything notable. This album picked up right where 'Mr. Tambourine Man' left off. And that's part of my issue with them, embracing artists like Porter Wagoner and his song 'Satisfied Mind,' representing the lower-class country audience standing in the way of progress, segregation, equality, and fully supporting the Vietnam War. Then there's their take on Stephen Foster's tune 'Oh! Susannah,' a song from my grade school days, creating an atmosphere of racism and injustice rolled into a seemingly harmless ditty. Of course, there wasn't much worse than building a song around the Book of Ecclesiastes, with 'Turn, Turn, Turn' being the creation of Pete Seeger, a leftist, a communist, a man irrelevant by the mid-60s, who made his career in a forgotten era... so why were The Byrds reaching so far back when what we were all waiting for was just around the corner with 'Eight Miles High'? There's no journey with 'Turn Turn Turn,' it doesn't develop or refine as it plays, it's stuck right where it was when it was recorded and always will be. Of course, you're forever going to hear others say this is an interesting album, yet interesting doesn't command your attention. Yes, I'm sure there are those who enjoy the genre, but for me, the record was every bit a sheep in wolf's clothing. And most annoying, constantly seeing Roger McGuinn in those silly Ben Franklin sunglasses, all style and no substance. Let me support my argument by saying, The Byrds could have simply been a singles band, as they only had a handful of charting hits: 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' peaked at #1, 'Eight Miles High,' peaked at #14, 'So You Want To Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star,' peaked at #29, 'Ballad Of Easy Rider,' peaked at #65, 'Chestnut Mare,' peaked at #121 (though it was a progressive FM radio staple). Yes, the band had other singles, but the reality is those other singles were embraced by almost no one. As to the actual value of Byrds' albums, mint copies of original pressings for all albums can be had for almost nothing.
Kevin Gray's copy is absolutely amazing. Don't mix it up with the other Sundazed Mono release that's quite alike. This one's got different matrices and it's AMAZING!
This is a terrible pressing. The sound quality is poor and there's an insane amount of surface noise on every track. It's absolute rubbish. And yes, I made sure it was thoroughly cleaned in my Hannl RCM before reviewing. Steer clear. There are way better pressings of this classic out there.
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| Date | Lowest price | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Aug 2025 | £21.99 | €21.99 |
| 30 Sept 2025 | £22.49 | €22.49 |
| 31 Oct 2025 | £18.99 | €18.99 |
| 30 Nov 2025 | £22.49 | €22.49 |
| 31 Dec 2025 | £22.49 | €22.49 |
| 21 Jan 2026 | £22.49 | €25.71 |