Byrdmaniax

| The Byrds

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Byrdmaniax

Byrdmaniax is the tenth album by the American rock band the Byrds. It was released in June 1971 on Columbia Records (see 1971 in music) at a time of renewed commercial and critical success for the band, due to the positive reception that their two previous albums, Ballad of Easy Rider and (Untitled), had received. The album was the second by the Byrds to feature the Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons, and Skip Battin line-up of the band and was mostly recorded in early 1971, while the band were in the midst of an exhausting tour schedule. As a result, the band had little time to hone their new songs before recording commenced and thus, much of the material on the album is underdeveloped Byrdmaniax was poorly received upon release, particularly in the United States, and did much to undermine the Byrds' new-found popularity.-Wikipedia

Critic Reviews

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  • Rolling Stone

    1971- The Byrds were always the number one more-of-the-same band in the land, now the thing that they’re all the same as ain’t the same old thing it used to be the same as, so it’s a different story.  

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  • Louder Sound

    2018- After years as a catalogue folly, Byrdmaniax returns. And it isn’t as bad as usually painted, now sounding like an overblown LA curio harbouring decent songs, notably McGuinn’s lovely Pale Blue, and those Battin-Fowley collaborations are delightfully weird. 

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  • All Music

    Not an awful album, but Byrdmaniax is hardly the pleasure it could have been in the hands of a more tasteful production team. 

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  • Tape Op

    2000- Byrdmaniax leaves a lot to be desired but I find it fascinating.  

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  • Excatholic4Christ

    2018- The Byrds hit rock bottom with Byrdmaniax. 

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  • Alan's Album Archives

    2013= You see, Byrdmaniax is ones of those albums that even committed fans can't bring themselves to love. From the eerie 'death mask' sleeve . . . to the off-key vocals to the ridiculously OTT orchestration, there's something about this album that not even a mother - or a Byrdmaniax - can love. 

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  • Don Ignacio's Music Reviews

    Wow, this is a boring album! Other than that, there's nothing particularly wrong with it; I just struggle to find much that's right about it. 

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  • Music Banter

    I urge everyone to go back and listen to Byrdmaniax again, but when you do, check any pre-conceived notions at the door. Enjoy what it has to offer the listener. It's a mellow, reflective album that contains many delicate and beautiful songs.  

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  • Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews

    Despite all the effort, song after song is an embarassment; McGuinn's mushy ballad "Kathleen's Song" might be the closest thing to a genuine sentiment. 

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  • Dreaming-Spires Quad Archive

    It should be noted that if you know the stereo mix then you’ll find say the quad mix is quite different. 

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  • John McFerrin Music Reviews

    Anyway, point is, this isn't that great an album, but it's definitely not worthy of its bad reputation. 

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  • George Starostin's Reviews

    An almost complete sonic revolution here. 

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  • Adrian's Album Reviews

    It's a highlight and rather pleasantly pastoral sounding.  

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  • Rarebird's Rock and Roll Rarity Reviews

    This quartet was more talented than they are usually given credit for, but Byrdmaniax doesn't do them justice. Producers Terry Melcher and Chris Hinshaw reportedly overdubbed the album without the band's consent, adding strings and angelic background choruses that don't suit the country rock songs well. 

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  • Byrdsnet

    All in all, "Byrdmaniax" is a thoughtfully produced and garnished, gospel and jazz tinged, country/folk-rock masterpiece that belongs in any comprehensive record collection. 

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  • Robert Christgau

    Two good white gospel (a fundamentalist and a modernist) plus one good Roger McGuinn song (out of four, and he needed a collaborator) plus one good Skip Battin song (he needed a collaborator too--Kim Fowley). 

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  • Pennyblackmusic

    2019- Although the album suffered criticism at the time of release, 'Byrdmaniax' holds up quite well. For the genuine Byrds fan, there is really quite a lot to like here.  

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  • REBEAT Magazine

    2018- Byrdmaniax is by far the most loathed Byrds album thanks to uninspired songs and Terry Melcher . . . trying to disguise this fact by dressing them up with syrupy strings, horns and female choruses (apparently all done without their knowledge while the band was on tour). 

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  • J Hendrix 110

    A fiasco. . . . The band was retreating somewhere (Airplane rootsy? soft-rock?), but it was not a dignified march. Avoid. 

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