The Byrds – Fifth Dimension (1966)
[Album 706/1001]
When does a theory officially become disproven?
Is it when new evidence suggests the results won’t hold 100% of the time?
I ask, of course, because one of my theories is on the verge of collapsing.
For you see, when I reviewed The Notorious Byrd Brothers, I suggested that when a Byrds album contained a cover, that cover tune would inevitably be the album standout.
And up until now, it’s been true 100% of the time…
.
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The pattern was just so consistent:
Standout tune on Mr. Tambourine Man? The Rickenbacker-tastic title track.
Younger Than Yesterday? Another fine Dylan interpretation, My Back Pages.
Notorious Byrd Brothers? Goin’ Back.
Sweetheart of The Rodeo? Blue Canadian Rockies.
On Fifth Dimension? I was cheering for the cover of Hey Joe, to keep the streak alive!
And while the cowbell didn’t hurt its cause, I’m afraid it wasn’t enough.
The Clark-McGuinn-Crosby original, Eight Miles High, was too good of a track to ignore.
Though perhaps this lone case of an ‘original track as the standout’ is merely an outlier/asterisk/exception to the rule?
If the ‘cover is the standout’ theory remains true >= 80% of the time (as I gather it may be with their Turn! Turn! Turn! album & title track as well), there’s still some validity?
In any event, if you’re going to be proven wrong about something, there’s no shame in losing to a worthy opponent.
And if my Byrds theory has to be disproven, having a song as strong as Eight Miles High break the streak is a good way to go out!
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Verbalize the Positive
Cheers to Graham/Aphoristical for finishing first in this year’s Artist of the Week quizzes!
1001albumsin10years 
Thanks for the shoutout. That cover of ‘Hey Joe’ is terrible – ‘Eight Miles High’ is clearly the standout.
For narrative/pie chart convenience, it would have been nice to suggest Hey Joe was the top track – but alas, as you are well aware having heard the track, it just wasn’t possible!
For the record, I’d definitely pick Turn! Turn! Turn! on its album, but would pick one of Parsons’ tracks like ‘Hickory Wind’ for Sweetheart of the Rodeo. I love most of Notorious, so that one’s not clear-cut either.
ahh well, the covers theory was good while it lasted!
It’s all opinion. Maybe if I was Canadian I’d be opting for Blue Canadian Rockies too…
Yeah, it’s hard to look beyond Eight Miles High, eh?
But in general, I think The Byrds were great at interpreting the songs of others.
I would agree with both of the above, J!
Time for another theory.
I was afraid that might be the case!
Van Halen’s Diver Down would be opposite Geoff.
I would put 80% originals being excellent.
20% covers with Where Have All The Good Times Gone The Kinks cover almost sounding like a VH Original.
I think you should check Diver Down out Geoff!
That sounds up my street Deke – especially when there’s math/a pie chart involved!
Do you remember the terrific nerf herder song, Van Halen? Diver Down was the one album they didn’t name-check from the DLR era. Sounds like an oversight!
I boufght that CD for that song. I recall Tbone saying this dissed Diver Down. hahaha
We both howled and I cannot even tell you what another song from them was on that disc!
Made a good coaster haha
“And if my Byrds theory has to be disproven, having a song as strong as Eight Miles High break the streak is a good way to go out!”
It also marked the begin of the decline of the Byrds. Their stuff at the beginning was great, especially the 12-string Rickenbacker Dylan covers. But then they went country. It wasn’t country rock like, say, the Eagles, but down-home, clod-hopping, tear-in-my-beer country. What a shame. Maybe they were a one-trick pony.
I sometimes wonder if the songs beneath the 12-string rickenbacker tones are good – I’m so enamoured by the guitar tones, it’s possible the actual tunes aren’t as good as I think they are!
I wonder if I could find a similar, but opposite streak with “Weird Al” Yankovic. I have always found his originals are better than his parodies.
Frank’s 2000″ TV might be my favourite in his catalogue!
Yes, that’s good one! The Biggest Ball of Twine In Minnesota never gets old to my ears.
Nor should it!