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03 August 2012

The Byrds Sing Bob Dylan (Dylan Sampler #2)

A quick (and unrelated) update to note that the post "Batman Score & Soundtrack Sampler" is my first to reach over 100 views!
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Anyway, for today's post, here is the third Dylan post (find the first two here and here).
This is the second sampler of Dylan covers, and the focus here is on the Byrds' recordings of Dylan songs, including the classics "Mr. Tambourine Man" (#1 US & UK), "All I Really Want To Do" (#40 US, #4 UK), and "The Times They Are A-Changing." As the Byrds are quite possibly the best-known ambassadors of Dylan's music (although Joan Baez recorded more of his songs), I thought it only natural that an exploration of Dylan covers should include a look at the Byrds' covers. I have used the 2002 release "The Byrds Play Dylan," which I own on CD, as the starting point for this compilation. I cut out some songs whose inclusion would be redundant, and added another Byrds cover from "The Very Best of the Byrds" as well as two solo recordings from the "Easy Rider" soundtrack performed by Roger McGuinn, who was a founding member of the group.
The songs are in chronological order, and all of them were recorded between 1965 and 1971, with the exception of "Paths of Victory," which was recorded in 1990 by the reunited Byrds.
I have only included one version of each song, so in cases where there are multiple recordings of the same songs, I chose one "definitive" version. Perhaps the choice of the choir-less alternate version of "Lay Lady Lay" seems odd, given that the choir-infused single version is the better-known version, but I (and many others) think the single version of that track is the only misfire in their otherwise perfect Dylan covers catalogue.
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Here is the track listing:
01. Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
02. Chimes Of Freedom (1965)
03. All I Really Want To Do (1965)
04. Spanish Harlem Incident (1965)
05. Lay Down Your Weary Tune (1965)
06. The Times They Are A-Changin' (1965)
07. My Back Pages (1966)
08. You Ain't Going Nowhere (1968)
09. Nothing Was Delivered (1968)
10. This Wheel's On Fire (1968)
11. Lay Lady Lay (1969, Alternate Version)
12. It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding (1969, Roger McGuinn Solo)
13. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (1969)
14. Ballad Of Easy Rider (1969, Roger McGuinn Solo)
15. Positively 4th Street (1970, Live Version)
16. Just Like A Woman (1971)
17. Paths Of Victory (1990)
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Enjoy!
As always, any comments are appreciated :)
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And, as a bonus, here are the Byrds performing live vocals to the studio backing track:

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