The Byrds Under Review DVD (NR) +Movie Reviews

A Fascinating Insight into a Unique Phenomenon

Mr. John L. Ward | Manchester, England | 09/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have just spent an entire afternoon viewing this. If you are in any way interested in the The Byrds then you will find this attractive little package to be truly enthralling. If you are a Beatles fan as well and you enjoyed the 'Anthology' DVDs then this certainly will not disappoint. It begins with a highly intelligent analysis of the ferment that mid 60s America experienced. From then on all the Byrds albums (except the reunion one from 1973 on Asylum)are examined in some depth. Throughout all this, the highly knowledgable experts consider just what it was that made this wonderful band so special. A most welcome quality is the way it gives roughly equal time to each phase in the group's history - and so the second disk is devoted almost entirely to the post 1967 period. To this end there are lengthy and extremely thoughtful insights from latterday Byrds, John York and Gene Parsons. To top it all the extremely versatile Mr York has written and performed on 12 string guitar, a most engaging little score that initially has you wondering which early Byrds album it comes from. Up to now the best biography has been Johnny Rogan's 'Timeless Flight Revisited'. This latest release would serve as a superb companion piece to that. I've been a Byrds'devotee ever since first hearing them on Radio Caroline in the summer of '65 .... but I learnt a great deal from this."

Not what I expected

Garry Daniel | Knoxville, TN United States | 10/11/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a fan of the Byrds since 1965, and I expected great things from this DVD. There isn't a lot out there, visually, on the band, so this was a real treat.At least until I watched it. There are no complete performances, and many times you'll see a performance without music...just someone talking over the scene. Only two former Byrds were interviewed, those being John York and Gene Parsons. Yes, I understand that many Byrd's members are no longer walking the Earth, but NO CHRIS HILLMAN? NO ROGER MCGUINN? VERY LITTLE CROSBY? As much as I enjoy the latter day Byrds with both Mr. York and Mr. Parsons, I would've enjoyed the viewpoint of some of the remaining founders. The box does say that neither CBS or some of the band members endorse the documentary and the producers were probably very limited in their interview sources, but I wonder why the above mentioned members chose not to participate. Anyway, I was not impressed with this DVD. Why can't someone produce a DVD using complete performances of the many Byrds phases? The footage obviously exists. I paid 21.00 for this DVD and will probably sell or trade it. You can get all the information on the set from Johnny Rogan's excellent book on the Byrds. This is less than the Byrds deserve."

Byrds Fans--don't bother with this one!!!

J. R Sategna | Martinez, California United States | 10/15/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Right on the DVD cover is a statement saying not authorized by the Byrds McGuinn, Hillman or Crosby--that should be your first clue. The DVDs consist of performances by the Byrds which are cut off and short and a lot of talking by persons close to Byrd members stating their opinions of how the Byrds involved. I was extremely disappointed. How can you have a DVD set like this without MCGuinn-Hillman-Crosby input--the ones who know the exact story. Having two of the latter day Byrds on was OK but you need the original group to start the story. I learned alot more about the Byrds start from talking to Chris Hillman at one of his recent club appearances in San Francisco than from this DVD set. Don't bother with this --hoefully the original members left will come out and contribute to a better film about the Byrds--it is long overdue."

Under (Limited) Review

Mark A. Super | Sewell, NJ USA | 09/22/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I watched the entire documentary including the extra features. I want to say that I was initially discouraged by the following statement on the back of the boxset cover: "This DVD is not authorized by all the Byrds or by Columbia records."

This statement probably represents why Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman are notably absent.

I would have also liked to have seen some type of old video clips of interviews with Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Clarence White, Michael Clarke, Skip Battin, Terry Melcher and Jim Dickson if they even exist.

I enjoyed everything that York, Parsons and others shared about each album. I guess that I got bored at times not seeing a "fresh" speaker share a different viewpoint. Overall, I think that it is a must for all Byrd fans."

ALBUM-BY-ALBUM RETROSPECTIVE

Mark | Santa Monica, CA | 10/20/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
As a longtime fan I was pleasantly surprised to find this a fresh retrospective on the Byrds that is well worth seeing.

The program opens with a look at the folk and rock background from which the original members emerged. Then how the Byrds forged an original sound that fit between Dylan and the Beatles.

After that, the history is simply traced album-by-album, with documentary footage and snippets of songs from each album. Disk I covers the first 5 albums, "Mr. Tambourine Man" through "Notorious Byrds Brothers." Disk II finishes out their run on Columbia from "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" to "Farther Along".

Other reviewers complained this was "not what they expected". Thanks to them I wasn't looking for something else.

Truthfully this may not "entertain" those unfamiliar with the Byrds and their music. The surviving original Byrds - Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Chris Hillman - do not appear as commentators except in brief archival footage.

Surprisingly, that didn't bother me -- I found it refreshing. A Byrds fan who has read "Timeless Flight Revisited" or the Byrds CD booklets, or seen other rock retrospective DVDs, pretty much knows what they have to say at each point in this story. So it was kind of nice not to have to sit through yet another reiteration of their perspectives.

Instead, they are rightfully the subjects of this history, where their music and careers are evaluated by some highly qualified commentators.

Johnny Rogan, author of the superb Byrds biography "Timeless Flight Revisited" is the commentator with most wide ranging knowledge of the band and its history. Van Dyke Parks (who played keyboards on "5D"), John York (bass player in "Dr. Byrds" period), Gene Parsons (post-Clarke drummer), Rolling Stone rock writers, and a guitarist from the legendary session band "Wrecking Crew" offer unique perspectives on various albums and periods. John York is especially well spoken on music in general and how the Byrds fit into their time.

The result is no simple rehash.

If you are a fan of the Byrds, or want to learn more about them and their music, this is a pretty good place to start.

"

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	The Byrds Under Review Genres: Music Video & Concerts NR 2007 DISC 1 Hickory Wind; So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star; Eight Miles High; Mr. Spaceman; Chestnut Mare; I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better; Mr. Tambourine Man; DISC 2 Sweetheart of the Rodeo; Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde; Ballad... more »s of Easy Rider; Untitled; Byrdma « less
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