Byrds - Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971
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Free Music Notes for Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971
Free Music Review: the byrds are alright with me
Hit: 4 Stars
wow!,this cd is worth just for the blazing version of "eight miles high"18 minutes and change of clarence white winding out on his "fender string-bender".like noted by others clarence's guitar is mixed down for some reason on "lover of the bayou",but the rest of the show stands out as roger and clarence play and jam togetherFree Music Review: Byrds best live performance
Hit: 4 Stars
This album gives a great overview of the Byrds career in one disc. The live playing is great, showing their soft acoustic side , their traditional side, some well chosen covers and even Amazing Grace. Good value and an enjoyable disc with amazing playing from Clarance White.Free Music Review: Excellent Live Performance
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a soundboard recording not an audience recording and it's not as bad as some make it out to be.
Wih that said, if you like latter days Byrds and if you enjoyed "Untitled" then you are going to want this. Well worth the price.
Free Music Review: Good live Album , Sound is Spotty
Hit: 4 Stars
I agree with the other reviewer . Where is the guitar on "Lover of The Bayou " ? Some great versions of The Best of The Byrds appear here. I also like " Jamaica Say you Will " , " Amazing Grace " and Nashville WestFree Music Review: Very Worthwhile For Byrds Fanatics
Hit: 3 Stars
This recorded document of The Byrds' performance at The Royal Albert Hall in 1971 is better than anticipated. It is a soundboard recording which is beneficial because it allows a live event to be mixed with clear separation of the instruments and vocals. Unfortunately, the mix was done live--as it happened. For this CD release on the Sundazed label, the sound, about which some reviewers have complained, actually improves during the course of the complete 77-minute show and is more than reasonable for an archival, originally-unintended release.
Clarence White's guitar work on track #1, "Lover of the Bayou", is way down in the mix but is restored front and center after that point. The rhythm section of Gene Parsons and Skip Battin is well mixed throughout, demonstrating what a formidable presence they were and how crucial it was to the excitement of The Byrds live. Unfortunately, Roger McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker is mixed way too low until about two thirds of the way through the concert. His vocals are prominent and clear, however; it is also refreshing to hear the fine harmony work of White, Battin and Parsons where it had been buried on the live portion of "Untitled".
As for the show itself, the song selection is generous and qualifies nearly as a "best of the country Byrds", with some notable exceptions, of course. There are newer numbers such as "Roll Over,Beethoven", "Jamaica, Say You Will" and "I Trust" interwoven with classic cuts making it a good alternative to the familiar "Untitled" show.
The live arrangements of songs differ from the more-famous studio versions, in many cases, notably the acoustic "Mr. Tambourine Man" and medley of "Black Mountain Rag/Soldier's Joy". However, others such as "Rock n' Roll Star", "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere", "Jesus Is Just Alright" and "Nashville West" are not altogether different from the famous "Unititled/Unissued" versions recorded a year earlier. In my opinion, they are generally of the same calibre as that previous show and it would be "cherry picking" to say one performance is superior to another. I must admit that, for me, however, the more-conventional, hard-rock version of "Eight Miles High" here is not very interesting throughout its duration as the solos seem uninspired and messy. The jazzier and more exploratory version on "Untitled" has yet to be eclipsed, to my mind, for its inventiveness, virtuosity and also faithfulness to the spirit of the original.
The performances on all cuts are vigorous and very definitely in a "hard rock" mode. The acoustic numbers are warm and charming. It is The Byrds at their instrumental peak and a CD must-have for Byrds fanatics. It isn't superior to the justly-celebrated "Untitled" performances, but I would recommend it without reservation and, also, to classic rock and alt-country fans.