Younger Than Yesterday (studio album) by The Byrds

From O.T. 05/28/2025 12:44

Without Crosby‘s „My mind gardens“ it would be the best Rock album I ever heard. He and the band had the amazing „It happens each day“ and „Lady Friend“ ready around that time, what made Crosby pushing his wrongly sung fantasy epos on the album?
And yes, there was everything, the force, the songs, the harmonies and the swinging beats, all in a way The Beatles could not offer, especially not while on their way into heavy thoughts in funny baroque costumes. There is a greatness here, a greatness in doing, I guess it was something Paul, John and also Brian Wilson could not deliver anymore at that time.
Do I like any of the Jingle Jangle bands that tried to find greatness in copying the sound of the Byrds? Sadly no, though I tried. I admired as a kid Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, but I guess they were just loosely inspired by the Byrds and yes, these early Creation Compilations were fun. But I guess The Velvet Underground were a better source of inspiration than the Byrds. Just like The Grateful Dead and The Band my personal favourite bands were not so succesfully inspirational. I wonder why, maybe they were too finished in what they were doing.

This album has some incredibly beautiful sounding tracks, but also some that bring it down. Still I think it's one of their most solid projects.

There are some extremely beautiful cuts on this record but they are let down by the failed attempt to be experimental and the slower more boring tracks. This record possibly has the greatest Byrds song ever made on it in My Back Pages which is just such a stunning and brilliant listen. The simple composition of it with its great lyrics and wonderful vocal makes for just pure bliss. There are a few more songs that come close to this quality but the majority of songs are far off it. C.T.A. - 102 sounds awfully cringey nowadays and the ending on the track makes me feel so uncomfortable. Then there are 3 to 5 nothing tracks that are just filler and aren't memorable or enjoyable at all. They are just there and pass the time on the album so it feels a bit more fleshed out. I think there isn't much point in returning back to this album once you have listened to it, just pick out the superior songs and listen to those instead. Overall, this is a very raw and unrefined Byrds sound and the later releases really improve on this lack of cohesiveness present on this album.

From IlMala 02/03/2022 13:01

Definitely my favourite from Byrds: personally i do not like the "country" approach of some further albums, definitely prefer on this way.

Uno de los mejores álbumes de los Byrds y la demostración de la calidad de Chris Hillman (cuya firma es la que aparece más veces en la autoría de las canciones) como compositor. Y uno de los primeros apuntes de country-rock con Time Between.

I like it with So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star; Have You Seen Her Face; Thoughts And Words; My Back Pages - the standouts for me

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!

not to my liking. twangy nothingness

From VictorVale 02/04/2021 13:35

Bela viagem folk/psicodélica do sempre extraordinário The Byrds com as harmonias belíssimas.

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.