Description:
From their earliest days as 12-string-wielding folk-rockers, to the thrilling psychedelic excursions of their raga-rock period to their 1968 birthing of country-rock, the Byrds were always accorded a hero`s welcome in England. What better place to record founding Byrds member/guitarist/singer Roger McGuinn`s new version of the band--featuring fretboard ace Clarence White, bassist Skip Battin and drummer Gene Parsons--than London`s Royal Albert Hall! Rescued from a tape that had sat forgotten in McGuinn`s climatized garage for decades, this stellar 1971 set, featuring live versions of the current band`s studio faves ("Lover of the Bayou," "Chestnut Mare") as well as adventurous reworkings of Byrds classics ("Mr. Tambourine Man," "My Back Pages," "Eight Miles High," "So You Want to Be a Rock `n` Roll Star") might be the most accurate and stirring live performance yet of the legendary Los Angeles combo. By 1971, the guitar interplay of McGuinn and White had become a jaw-dropping highlight of their live performances, as had their stripped-down, acoustic mini-set and peerless four-part vocal harmonies. As McGuinn, in typically understated fashion, says of this new Sundazed release, available now on both compact disc and as a high-definition vinyl, double-gatefold LP: "It was a great night, so I`m happy there`s a record of it!" (Sundazed)
