[Today: Blasting off with The Byrds' lost classic...]
One friday night last fall, I came home from work sick as a dog, stuffed up, and flu-ridden. I could barely stand, and finally surrendered to the virus – going to bed at 7pm with the help of a big shot of Nyquil™.
I awoke at 5am the next morning not exactly cured, but refreshed and rested. I went to our music room and cued up The Byrds Untitled album. It’s an album I bought during college for 25 cents but historically hadn’t given much play. But for some reason I gravitated right to it that morning. Side one starts off with an aggressive, live version of ‘Lover Of The Bayou’ – an excellent song to listen to in the deepest dark of night [creepers! this song popped up on the cd changer as the 't' of that last sentence went off the tip of my finger - voodoo indeed].
Then I cued up side two – the album length ‘Eight Miles High’ – and watched the sun come up from pitch black to completely over the horizon in one incredible album side. Around the 12 minute mark, the band sounds like they’re about to lift off into orbit. And that’s exactly what the sun did while I watched it rise over the Oakland hills. It’s an album that hasn’t been far from the turntable since, and a constant reminder that there are lots of masterpieces kicking around my music collection, waiting to be (re)discovered.
4 November 2008 at 10:08 am |
[...] was easily the most proficient live version of the band. As evidenced on the live platter of their Untitled album, this band thrived on stage and was capable of powerful live performances. In the liner notes [...]