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Mr. Tambourine Battles the Man Overall Album Score: 8.8 out of 10 This album was revolutionary in 1965 and it still does a commendable job holding its own today. Their jangly 12-string sound effectively married folk with the British Invasion sound, which is something that ended up helping inspire The Beatles to change... The funny thing about classic albums is that sometimes they're just not that entertaining. Naturally, that's going to vary depending on who you're talking to, but I've owned this album for almost five years now, and it has yet to inspire me. I'm not saying that the Byrds' debut album is boring or anything; in fact, this is an enormously pretty album. It's not too exciting though --- and there isn't much diversity between songs. This is the second time I've attempted to review this album (the first time was about three years ago), and the monotony of it has kicked me in the pants once again. But let's let history do the talking. This was an enormously influential album, and it inspired a new sound for the better. These guys were also among the first to use 12-string guitars in pop rock music (though obviously not the first as it is sometimes reported), which gives their music an utterly intoxicating sound. If it wasn't for this album, maybe the Beatles' Rubber Soul would have sounded different ... It's tough to talk in hypotheticals, but that's something to think about. I don't want to sound too negative, because I find Mr. Tambourine Man to be an excellent album with more than its fair share of memorable moments. It's also worth noting that while the songs tend to sound alike, there's no filler material in here. These guys gave every song their pristine and revolutionary treatment equally, for the most part. With their 12-string guitar sound, they prove they can make any song worth hearing. They're not perfect, because the sound isn't so great the seventh time as it is the first and second time. I guess another reason I don't like this album as much as I should is because the melodies aren't always prone to inspire me... They write nice melodies, but nothing that quite gets stuck in my head. The catchiest song is obviously the title track, which is a Bob Dylan cover. To their credit, they don't write any poor songs and they do some great covers. Sort of the unwritten rule for rock bands making cover versions is that they can't make it sound exactly like the original. If it does, then what's the point of doing a cover? The Byrds take this Dylan song and give it breath of harmonic and instrumental life in ways the original didn't even approach. My personal preference is always going to be the soul-tugging Dylan original, but this completely revamped version isn't far behind. Overall Album Score: 8.8 out of 10 (This song is too boring to be a 9-scoring album. But I like its style, and I do listen to it occasionally for entertainment purposes!!!) Average Song Score: 8.8 (The Byrds write pretty music! Don't diss their style, man...) Album Tilt: 8.5 (More or less, they could have benefitted from diversity. Don't they care???) Artist Rating: 9.0 (This is a hugely influential album although not necessarily their best. They still had a ways to go in the songwriting department, however.) Track Reviews Mr. Tambourine Man 10/10 Their classic hit single sparked a revolution! (I can write infomercials, too --- I recently applied for a copywriter position, but I was turned down faster than it takes me to empty my bowels.) Oh, but let's be fair. This track was a new idea at the time, and it certainly gave the Beatles something fun to work on when they released their excellent Rubber Soul album. The jangly, 12-string guitar work never sounded this special, and neither did the original Bob Dylan composition. Their work with harmonies are absolutely heartmelting. Dylan's version will always be more soul-tugging, but this is prettier. I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better 9.5/10 This seems like one of the many songs that borrowed The Searchers' "Needles and Pins" riff. Well, it's a good riff, and they are definitely making lovely music with it. The melody is fine although the song's strengths lie in the instrumentation and the harmonies. Spanish Harlem Incident 8/10 Another Dylan cover, "Spanish Harlem Incident" certainly doesn't manage to surpass the quality of the Dylan original. This version just seems flat to me and the vocals sound like they're sleepwalking. As we all hopefully know, Dylan's vocals are absolutely soul-shattering. This version doesn't sound that inspired. That's just one man's opinion. You Won't Have to Cry 8.5/10 To be fair, The Byrds were inspired by The Beatles as well! This could have appeared on an early Beatles album, and nobody would have been surprised by it. (Well, the guitars I guess would have been new.) The melody is good though they clearly were inferior songwriters to the Fab Four. But that's such a huge standard; this song is very catchy. Here Without You 9.5/10 I used to not like this song for a reason that I don't remember. It's another Byrds original, and it sounds more specific to their style. The melody is pretty, and the 12-string guitars are very calming. This is a nice song in particular. The Bells of Rhymney 8.5/10 This is Dylan cover #3, and it is quite gorgeous and haunting. The melody is quite good, and I enjoy the instrumentation they employ. The guitars are particularly layered on thick with this track. All I Really Want to Do 9.5/10 This has a really nice melody, and it really suits the Byrds style enormously well. Their use of harmonies here is nearly intoxicating. But the melody seems rather inconsequential to me. Well, who cares when those twelve-string guitars are hypnotizing me! I Knew I'd Want You 9/10 Here is another one of The Byrds more intoxicating tracks. It has a pretty melody and another great example of these fangled 12-string guitars. The vocal harmonies are quite excellent here. By the way, this sounds so much like the Moody Blues used it to write "Nights in White Satin!" It just reminds me of that song --- very uncanny. It's No Use 8/10 It contains some Chuck Berry-esque electric guitars, which gives it a different sound from all the others. However, this track honestly doesn't do much to inspire me. I don't find the melody to be that special, and even too repetitive and it grows dull by the end of its run. Don't Doubt Yourself 8/10 This is another 12-string jangly pop rock track ... if you're worried about getting tired of their sound, then don't worry --- it'll probably happen! I enjoy the melody, and these guys surely sounded like they knew how to instrument it. But are they just going through the motions? I'll let you sort that one out. Chimes of Freedom 9/10 Here is another one of their Dylan covers. I enjoy this song as usual. The melody is quite catchy. I would like to write more about it, but this sounds exactly like all the other songs!! We'll Meet Again 9/10 This is the cover of that old-timey song that appeared at the end of Dr. Strangelove. For some reason, I really enjoy this song. Maybe I'm too old fashioned for rock. BONUS TRACKS "She Has a Way" sounds exactly like the early Beatles, but somebody turned down the tempo knob, and the vocals are boring. "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" is an "alternate version" that sounds the same to me. Obviously these bonus releases were meant for the goofy fans who have every single note and tone memorized! Again with this alternate version of "It's No Use" ... I think I can detect some differences, but I honestly don't care enough about it to really analyze it. This version does seem rawer somehow. "You Won't Have to Cry" is another useless bonus track! "All I Really Want to Do" ditto. The production doesn't sound as thick here, so the album version is much better! "You and Me" is finally a song that didn't already appear on the album. It's an instrumental, blues jam session of sorts. It's not that fun though --- mostly inconsequential. Leave your comments about this album here. matthew.storms@gvc.edu (matthew storms) received August 22, 2004 Most of The Byrds' covers of Dylan songs are superior to Dylan's versions, regardless of your claims to the contrary. Not only are they technically superior, they have an aching, yearning quality to their harmonies reminiscent of the Everly Brothers. You assert Dylan's ability to inject his songs with greater sincerity, but he sounds like an off-key, screeching version of my Grandmother singing at church in the process. Some of the best, most emotionally driven music is R&B that you say you mostly dislike, a la Wilson Pickett (who could actually sing, unlike Dylan, and was a decent songwriter, as well), so what do you know about emotional, raw, powerful music? By the way, I do like some of Dylan's work, so I am not bashing him, and I recognize the influence he had on the Byrds and many other bands, and how much they are indebted to him in the progress of songwriting. Also, I am not personally attacking you, regardless of how it might sound from what I have written. I don't know you personally, and you seem genuinely interested and generally knowledgeable about the music you review. Sincerely, Matt Storms P.S.-Were there no good albums recorded prior to 1965? I have at least two dozen in my collection (namely, Chuck Berry Is On Top and St. Louis to Liverpool by Chuck Berry) that are easily superior to albums you give 9.0+ scores to).

All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence, narrow-minded bigot.