Younger Than Yesterday
by The Byrds

An excellent album from The Byrds. Younger than yesterday, really sees the band moving on. Opener, so you want to be a rock'n'roll star, is a sardonic take on the music business featuring trumpet from Hugh Masekela, and it's followed by, have you seen her face, one of Chris Hillman's best byrd songs. Elsewhere, there's hints of, sweetheart at the rodeo, on the countryfied, time between, and, the girl with no name, and, everybody's been burned, is a great David Crosby track. Unfortunately, another Crosby number, mind gardens, is atrocious, an awful attempt at something unconventional, it's the only moment on the LP that stops it from being a total classic. A pity, because everything else here is great, from the brilliant, thoughts and words, and an excellent Dylan cover in, my back pages. All in all, a very good album, just tarnished by a moment of indulgence from Crosby. (Edited)

I really appreciate the execution on this one - spacey, psychedelic, and on-point with the jangly, country/folk-tinged sound that so defines the Byrds. 'Younger Than Yesterday' might be their most refined release, and probably David Crosby's best album contribution with the group.

Some listeners will be put off by it's more experimental nature compared the radio-friendly releases that put the Byrds on the map, but those who lean into the atmospheric offerings will find some interesting sounds in the space.

Overall, pretty groovy & pretty out there, but Younger than Yesterday consistently returns to earth after each spacey sojourn. Essential listening for fans of the late 60's pop/folk/psych infusions! (Edited)

From Brad1770 TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/08/2019 06:21 | #231551 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

The Byrds fourth album 'Younger Than Yesterday' may not receive the critical acclaim of 1968's 'The Notorious Byrd Brothers' and 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo' but for mine it's their best album. Period

It's such a beautifully varied album with so many flavours and music gene's. There's the two Chris Hillman country rock-flavoured songs "Time Between" and "The Girl with No Name" , there's the LSD-influenced "Thoughts and Words" (Hillman again) ,the British Invasion-influenced "Have You Seen Her Face" (a fourth Hillman-penned song) , there's the classic "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" which suggests certain ironies due to the pre-fabricated aspects of the Byrds own origin, including drummer Michael Clarke having been initially recruited for his good looks, rather than for his musical ability with some fans mistaking the track for being autobiographical , there's the jazz and psychedelia influenced "C.T.A.-102", the moody jazz-influenced "Everybody's Been Burned" , the wonderful Bob Dylan cover "My Back Pages" which would be the fourth song from Dylan's 'Another Side of Bob Dylan' album ,the Indian / Ravi Shankar inspired "Why" and of course the psychedelic "Mind Gardens"

And of course that adorable jangle of Jim McGuinn's Rickenbacker 370 model 12-string guitar makes this album
for mine

The Byrds peaked right here with this wonderful album (Edited)

I tend to think of this album as the spiritual godfather to all future jangle pop as eventually played by Peter Buck, Johnny Marr and Bob Stinson in the 80s not to mention a host of bands in the mid to late 90s. The variation of songwriters and lead singers makes for an album which doesn't get stale and seamlessly transitions from the earlier incarnation of the band which had just turned over. "Mind Garden" is the big misfire and "CTA 102" is polarizing, but this album is chock full of great songs like "Thought and Words," "Have You Seen Here Face," "So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star," and "Why" along with a pretty famous cover of Dylan's "My Back Pages." This is one my favorite albums of the late 60s. (Edited)

This album can be compared to "Revolver" and the "Notorious byrd brothers to "Sergeant Pepper". I think you will notice these similarities too. "Younger Than Yesterday" actualy is my favourite byrd album, becouse of it's variety and consistency. From folk rock (Have you seen her face), psychedelic rock (Toughts and words), baroque folk rock (Renaissance Fair) to the Hillman's country and western "Time between". Let's not forget the hit "So you want to be a rock and roll star" and Crosby's finest composition "Everybody's has been burned". So many great songs. (Edited)