Mr Tambourine Man – THE BYRDS*****

Mr Tambourine Man/I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better/Spanish Harlem Incident/You Won’t Have To Cry/Here Without You/The Bells Of Rhymney/All I Really Want To Do/I Knew I’d Want You/Its No Use/Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe/Chimes Of Freedom/We’ll Meet Again

Mr Tambourine Man was the stunning debut album from the hugely influential Californian folk rock band The Byrds. The title track topped the singles chart in both countries, with All I Really Want To Do peaking at No. 4 in the UK. (US:6 UK:7)

"What a debut. The Byrds only released two albums and a handful of singles with Gene Clark - but what a couple of albums they were. Mr. Tambourine Man, their first release, would of course be hailed as one of the ultimate folk-rock records."

"In 1965 The Byrds released Mr.Tambourine Man, creating a new jangle guitar sound influenced by the words of Bob Dylan. The Byrds transformed folk to a new electric guitar sound including Roger McGuinn's legendary 12-string Rickenbacker."

"Mr.Tambourine Man, besides creating a new sound and setting new limits for rock, is an amazing album. One thing is for sure, it's one of the best achievements in American music."

"As a band, The Byrds are one of the greatest and certainly one of the most influential bands in rock and roll history. Adding to that legacy, Mr. Tambourine Man's status as one of the greatest debut albums in rock history is almost without question. This band could do it all; country, folk, rock, jam, psychedelia, etc, etc."

"During the early and mid sixties, albums contained one or two hit songs and a handful of fillers. When The Byrds debut LP Mr. Tambourine Man blasted onto the rock scene, the formula was changed completely. The Byrds were the first American band to challenge the British Invasion. Not only did they change the concept of an album but they also made rock music mature."

"Mr. Tambourine Man is one of a handful of nearly perfect debuts where a new group's sound and vision is almost fully developed from the beginning. The classic Byrds' sound of soaring three-part harmonies and ringing electric 12-string guitars. Few rock 'n' roll bands hit the ground running as full of new sounds as The Byrds."