Byrds: Requiem for the Timeless: Volume 1

The Byrds are an uncommonly fortunate band. Not only has their entire back catalogue been presented several times in a remastered, expanded and fully documented form, they have also featured prominently in the writings of some of the finest historians of popular music. All of this reflects both the profound influence that they had on other bands (including The Beatles) during the 60s and 70s, and the inspiration they have provided for subsequent generations. They are quite simply, timeless. If you are in any way, interested in The Byrds and their magnificent legacy, then you will be truly fascinated by Johnny Rogan's epic biography. It provides the most thorough analysis ever written about them or indeed any group. What exactly was that mid 60s ferment that enabled The Byrds to become such an important force? Why do five of their first six albums feature in 1001 ALBUMS TO HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE? How did their music come to evolve as quickly as it did and why was it so difficult for the wonderfully diverse talents of the individual members to remain harnessed within the group for very long? You'll be able to reflect upon these and a myriad of other questions as you make your own journey through a very special world. If you are already familiar with Rogan's previous work, you'll be aware that we have already seen three editions of 'Timeless Flight', each more informative than the last. But I would urge the prospective reader to think of 'Requiem For The Timeless' as being much more than a mere fourth edition. Its 1200 pages compare spectacularly with the 720 of 'Timeless Flight Revisited' from the late 90s and we see amongst many other jewels, an even more detailed and insightful examination of the music. We gain an ever deeper appreciation of an amazing paradox. How was it that the very forces that broke up the original band during 1967-68 also helped to make their music from that time so innovative and visionary? And what exactly went wrong with the largely unloved Byrdmaniax and Farther Along. Recently acquired observations from Kim Fowley on that are especially absorbing. And the best of it all is that what we have here is merely Volume 1! A sequel is promised in which the focus will be on the biographies and solo careers of the individual group members. As the author reminds us in two especially affecting chapters, 'Fatalities' and 'The Reaper's Blade', the majority of these are no longer with us. And it is this, of course that gives added resonance and poignancy to the very title of this wonderful book.

Not started to read yet. This is one heavy book, in weight. Intend to start over holiday period....glass of wine, mince pies, Byrds soundtrack in background .... what more to get over Xmas? Perhaps log fire!!! Bought used, but book in excellent condition and never been opened as far as I'm concerned.. (seem my sellers review!!

This book is way too big , both in physical size and in content . There is far too much information that only the greatest Byrd obsessive could want , and unfortunately not all the individuals who made up the Byrds are always the most fascinating of characters and do not justify this sort of in-depth analysis . If the book was half as long it would possibly still be too much information . Saying that I think it is quite well written and the Byrds are a fantastic group who produced some of the greatest music ever recorded . So if you buy it just be prepared to take on far more detail about them than you ever imagined you'd need !

There's some great reviews for this masterpiece about the greatest band in Rock/Folk history - I just wanted to add my five stars to it. Those were the days indeed. Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now. Dylan's words - but sung like no-one else could except The Byrds.

I love this book. It is huge in length and packed with information but, personally, I pick it up when I want a "Byrd-fix". It doesn't take long for you to be transported back to the excitement of the Byrds in the mid to late 60s when they were constantly breaking new ground and every day was exciting and unpredictable. Whether you are interested in the band, or the music itself, there is so much to gain from buying this book.

This is indeed a Requiem for the Timeless. Fantastic book that catches the zeitgeist and gives detail on the musicology and biography of everyone who was anyone in relation to the Byrds. It has given me a new found understanding of every recording that they ever made, plus a sadness that they could have achieved so much more. Lots of detail but there is always a narrative to bind it all together.

I borrowed this from someone I know and whilst reading it bought it via here as I knew I'd read it again down the line. Thorough without being sterile, warm without being the type of band biography you know was written by a fan as they can do no wrong in the authors eyes.

I'm only 160-odd pages into this but this much I know already - it's heavy stuff. The book that is; it's all very interesting stuff, albeit probably slightly more for the obsessive fan than the mildly interested. But my overall point is, it's jolly heavy. If you do all your reading at a desk and put the book down in front of you, you'll be fine. However, for those of us who read in an armchair and/or in bed, the weight will start to annoy. Dreadful shame this isn't available in Kindle format. Can't quite believe I've written a book review going on its size, but the advice above still stands. In fact I may not have bought it if I'd read a similar review. Will I be getting Volume 2? Maybe, if this carries on being interesting/gets more interesting

Another excellent tome from Johnny Rogan. All you prospective writers read it and weep A masterpiece.

I bought the first version of this book some decades ago, must have been something like 180 pages. This was already quite interesting and obviously a work of love. Now 40 years later Rogan puts out all the informations he has compiled since then, because he never stopped researching and interviewing people from and around the Byrds camp. So what you have here is 800 pages of narrative and 400 pages of sources, detailled discography, just about everything one could ever find out about the group, although volume 2 is already announced and will treat the après-Byrds. This is just plain crazy. I'm only at the description of the second LP, after more than 200 pages, and he does not leave any detail out, who punched who in the nose and when, for instance, who said what etc. Too much detail for the only slightly interested reader for sure, but for the others this is a must. Get it while you can, when it's sold out it will be very expensive on the used books market, as we could see in the past with the other versions. Thank you Johnny Rogan, thank you editor, this is absolutely special, I have never seen a thing like that!

"Byrds: Requiem For The Timeless, Volume 1" (2011) by Johnny Rogan (1953- ), is a 1,200 page tome whose release Byrdsaholics have long awaited. Rogan, seasoned British rock scribe, also penned books on CSNY (one of numerous Byrds offshoots), Kinks, Van Morrison, Roxy Music, Smiths, Wham! and Neil Young. From 1980 to 1998 he published five, ever expanding, editions of his "Timeless Flight" series, on the Byrds' legacy. Culled from these, with fresh material, is the enlarged "Requiem," which "Spin" (magazine) called "The most ambitious rock biography ever written...." But wait, there is a volume 2, chronicling individual Byrds, in the offing! Rogan's intrigue for "The Famous Five" began in 1965 when, as a youth in Westminster, he was perusing the "New Musical Express" and, in "Requiem," says he "...discovered the Byrds by accident...`Mr Tambourine Man' was so exotic....the group name...even more perplexing." As it topped the charts, that first week of June, when he first heard it, the song "...sounded unlike anything I had ever heard before." And, he told me (in response to my e-mail, December 16, 2011), remains his favourite "...because that's where it all started...." In "Requiem" the story behind each Byrds song (of some 15 dozen recorded) are purveyed--from "Eight Miles High" to "Ballad Of Easy Rider." Also, all the Byrds' albums, like "Younger Than Yesterday" and "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" (Rogan informed me were his favourites) are meticulously described (i.e., moog synthesizer, advanced studio techniques). Rogan avers what made the premier folk-rocker Byrds fabulous was the genres they created (on albums): "The Byrds had pioneered jazz rock, raga rock and the birth of psychedelia, so...they should be...first .... With...country...McGuinn hoped...the quartet would be ready...to move into...electronic music." Well, they later melded country rock (with superb arrangements of traditional songs) and space rock. This all influenced future artists (not to forget the Byrds' impact on the counterculture). Rogan assures us in "Requiem" that he has no favourite Byrd, but apprised me, "...some might say I favour Crosby...the most passionate of the group...." (ibidem) Yes, there were jealousies within the group, too, leading to sometimes violent rivalries and eternal grudges, on and off the concert stage. Compounding this, the devastation exacted upon many Byrdsmen through substance abuse. Rogan authentically records and replays every moment. The 32 page photo essay for "Requiem" was sagaciously presented. Rogan's scholarly compilations of complete discography, sessionography (including dialogue between Byrds and producers) and tv appearances/videos/dvds, is astounding. In 50 chapters Rogan, poetically, through painstaking research and interviews with former Byrds and countless others, first takes us back to the Byrds' hatching as the Jet Set (later the Beefeaters) in June, 1964, when genius melodist Gene Clark approached folkie, later "King of the 12-Strings," chiming Rickenbacker ace Jim (Roger) McGuinn, at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles, to form a duo. Then came angelic harmony vocalist David Crosby; bluegrass mandolin virtuoso--cum progressive bassist, Chris Hillman; and statuesque drummer, Michael Clarke. Manager/producer Jim Dickson, instrumental in devising their sound and moniker, and visionist producers Terry Melcher and Gary Usher, are all extolled. By 1968 all the originals depart, save Roger--who would maintain that coherent, but restlessly eclectic, Byrdsound. Enter/depart mainstays Kevin Kelley, Gram Parsons, Clarence White, Gene Parsons, John York, Skip Battin and John Guerin. Rogan gives each of these multitalented players their due. We read how, in 1973, the original Byrds regroup and record a new album and disband again. Late 70s we see McGuinn, Clark & Hillman. From 1985 to 1994 old combines with new, when Clark and/or Clarke and/or Battin regroup sporadically with York, Gene Parsons, et al. Then came the failed lawsuits from Crosby, Hillman and McGuinn, for the Byrds' trademark name (which Crosby later purchased in 2002 for, reputedly, $20,000). Therefore, no Famous Five reunion; in fact, in the 80s, much to Clarke's chagrin, Rogan tells us, they (Roger) "...rejected a million dollar deal to play a 45-minute set at the Us Festival in Pasadena...." (offered by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak). Nevertheless, the original Byrds quintet were inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, January 16th, 1991, at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria, where they last played together. Rogan is immensely and justly proud--but exquisitely sensitive over being denigrated--regarding his, not unfairly critical, contribution to Byrds lore. I told him that it would be interesting to ascertain what the surviving Byrds think of "Requiem." "Not for me it won't" he retorted. (op. cit.) Johnny thanked me for my e-mail encomium for his book, when I concluded, "...you seem to indicate the Byrds were unparalleled in the annals of rock...." (op. cit.) Johnny Rogan tells us he'll be writing of the Byrds "...till the grave beckons...." Read about them now, in "Byrds: Requiem For The Timeless, Volume 1," where the Byrds bard chirps another masterpiece.

Hardcover-5 pages of Acknowledgements, 20 page Preface, 851 pages of text, 142 pages of Notes (which, if you want to learn even more, are worth reading), 21 pages of Byrds Sessionography, 5 pages of Byrds Unreleased Material, 43 pages of Byrds Discography, 58 pages of Byrds Bootlegs, 14 pages of Television Appearances/Videos/DVDS, and an Index. There's also 32 pages of b&w and color photos. Befitting a book of this size, there's a place-mark ribbon sewn into the book-a nice (and needed) touch. If THE BYRDS are one of your favorite bands, chances are you've read (or at least heard about) author Johnny Rogan's previous works on the band. Rogan has spent many years researching the band, their music, and the period when THE BYRDS were making some great pop/rock/folk/folk-rock/country/country rock, that stands as some of the best music from that era. It's even more amazing when you consider that the group was made up primarily of "folkies", a died-in-the-wool bluegrass player, and a drummer who, in the beginning, played on cardboard boxes. Rogan's previous works were seemingly about as in depth as a fan could wish for. But with this book (Vol. 1), Rogan has delved even deeper into the world of THE BYRDS and the never to be repeated era of the mid/late 60's (especially), when music (and just about everything else) was either changing or was ripe for change. From there Rogan looks at the changes in music-both in the band and other artists of the period. In a nutshell-if you've read his previous works on THE BYRDS (as I have), you'll still want to purchase this great book for Rogan's in depth look at the evolution of the culture of the times, the music industry, the bands, the musicians, and of course, the music. Along the way Rogan looks at other important bands of the time-THE BEATLES, Bob Dylan, and other artists who were likewise recording great,influential, timeless music-both in Los Angeles and Britain. Beginning with the early life of THE BYRDS, first known as THE JET SET, (and for about a second THE BEEFEATERS), Rogan goes into some detail concerning their early music and performances, the early concerts, the zany people who followed the band-along with being almost forced into recording Dylan's "Mr Tambourine Man" (they didn't see it as a hit record), and Dylan's efforts to win the band over and release it as a single. From that point Rogan delves deeply into all the areas of the band-the first British tour, coming home and realizing that folk-rock was on the way out. The chapter on the making of the band's second album is very telling-going into great detail concerning various band members and producers, and the conflicts that arose. The band's work in the studio, the various musical influences (rock, folk, jazz, country, electronic, East Indian, etc.) their albums and singles, the rise of the "LP", Gene Clark's departure from the band, the Monterey Pop Festival, the so called "Summer of Love", inter-band squabbles, the jealousy over Gene Clark's many fine songs, Crosby's attitude towards songs, money, leadership, and his eventual firing is looked at very deeply here, the change in sound-from pop/rock to something closer to country-rock and then pure country (Crosby has said that this new sound wasn't THE BYRDS-the original five guys was THE BYRDS), the various band members who floated in and out of the band (Gram Parsons, Skip Battin, Gene Parsons, Kevin Kelley, Clarence White, etc.) changing the band's sound along the way, their eventual dissolution and reformation (to no avail), and finally, the band's role as examples and elder statesmen of the 60's era of rock music. One of the major points Rogan has laid bare is that THE BYRDS were a group of people who came together to explore this "new" music that was happening, not a band in the truest sense of that term-people who had known each other for years (perhaps growing up together), and knew each other well. The various personalities of virtually every member of THE BYRDS, from the beginning through the next 2-3 years sparked some fine songs but also led to squabbles amongst the various members of the group, and to several key people leaving. This first volume ends with the last three chapters-"Survivors", "The Reaper's Blade", and "Epilogue"-a fitting way to wind up the era of such great change, when old age/death was seemingly so far away, and everyone and everything was so new, exciting, and vital. Here (as in the rest of the book) Rogan has done everyone who has followed THE BYRDS and that wonderful era, a great service. His years long studies of the band and that time period, his first hand interviews, and having the perseverance to put it all together into this book (and Vol. 2) gives us a real view-something approaching "clear light"-into that now, hazy world. But along with the story of THE BYRDS, the author takes a deep, informative look at all the changes that happened during this exciting period. And that's where this great book takes a step further than the previous editions on THE BYRDS. The idealism of the 60's counterculture, which slowly morphed into a "me first" lifestyle, the rise (and fall) of various performers, and the difficulty of trying to adapt to the changing public's idea of music-that and more are here, but never straying too far from THE BYRDS, in an intelligently laid out, easy to read, chronological style. Rogan has spent many years interviewing the many people who were there at the time-including members of various bands, and those in the studio. These portions of the book are invaluable, partly because a number of these people are now no longer living. And with everyone who falls by the wayside, we are that much more removed from the actual events as people witnessed them. The choice of photographs was astutely done. Pictures from the beginning-a great informal color portrait of the band and the various dancers ("Vito's group") from the early days, THE JET SET from 1964, THE BYRDS in the studio-dressed in (then standard) coats and ties, a great early shot of a smiling David Crosby in a suit holding a Rickenbacker guitar, the band on stage in Britain with Crosby wearing his green cape, a strikingly beautiful color portrait of the original group, Crosby in the studio with THE BEATLES during the "Sgt. Pepper's..." sessions, plus several photos of THE BYRDS over the years with Kelley, both Parsons, White, and York, a shot of the band on stage at their last performance in 1973, plus many other interesting, telling photographs. This book (and Volume 2) will stand as one of Rogan's very best. This is not only about THE BYRDS, but about a certain period of time that will never be repeated again. If you came of age (as I was lucky enough to) during this era, and thought it was exciting, you know what I'm talking about. I was fortunate enough to hear the band both when they opened for THE ROLLING STONES (1965, who were late), and as a trio (1968, and we didn't know who would show up)-and I still remember the sound of the original group's harmonies, and, as a trio, McGuinn's 12 string ringing out, and Hillman's fluid bass work. If you weren't lucky enough, this great book will take you back when it was all happening-good and bad. Everyone who has an interest in 60's culture, the music, the bands, and all the various happenings will want to read this book. I can't wait for Volume 2. So put on your favorite BYRDS' album and delve into this fine look at one of the best bands from an era of exciting music and cultural change.

Very informative