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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1973)
f2233S Byrds' album lacks luster Review by Bart Becker Byrds. Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Michael Clarke. Asylum (SD 5058.) It's time for "let us now half-heartedly praise famous men" again. These are the original five Byrds back together for the first time in several years and, I suppose, the obvious thing to say is that they have preserved some of the harmonies that give their songs the "Byrds" sound. Byrds leans more Toward hard rock than most of what these guys have been doing on records lately. The performance, of course, is technically superior to most, although it's often - 'er too. Side One opens with Gene Clark's "Full Circle" which says "Funny now the circle is a wheelAnd it can steal someone who is a friendFunny how the circle takes flightAnd if it's right it brings it back again." That's followed by "Sweet Mary" which has kind of an English folksong sound to it. "Changing Heait" is okay, but no. spectacular. They follow it with a nice treatment of Jorii Mitchell's "For Free." I'm glad they did the song on this album, but it's unfortunate in a way. They can't possibly do the song better than Jom Mitchell herself and comparison is inevitable. The side winds up with McGuinn's "Born to Rock 'n' Roll", w Inch doesn't especially. But it does hove this good line, which everybody feels sometime or another: "Sometime, you get to do the thing you're meant to, and I know I was bom to rock 'n' roll." One of the really good things about Byrds is that they sing a lot of "oolala" background vocals and use their voices for harmonizing breaks occasionally. But of course in the final analysis it's the total sound that makes the Byrds. The second side opens with the hardest rocker, called "Things Will Be Better," and then moves on to a good cover of Neil Young's "Cowgirl in the Sand." The latter is essentially the same arrangement as Young's, but the Byrd's fuller vocal arrangements make it a unique song. "Long Live the King" is David Cross's human politics composition on the album. "The first thing that they tell you is you'll be king," it says, and "In empty space, is that the place you want to be?" "Bon owing Time" is a bright tune full of calypso rhythms. It's a fine relief tune because of its contrast with most of the other songs. The mandolin and guitar work tries, fairly successfully, to capture the steel-band sound. That's followed by Crosby's foreboding "Laughing," and the album ends with "(See The Sky) About To Rain." The latter has a lot of good vocal work and a surprising instrumental break in the middle, which is jarring the first time around. The second time around it sits real easy. It may be just my peiception of things, but it serrm as if a lot of top-flight musicians die making essentially emotionless records these days. On Byrds five good musicians go intougn some good paces. umouoman ACADEMY AWARD WINNER! HELL,UPS1D DOWrJ Gitno H.ickman Stlld StfVI.'lli Slii'lly Winters Red Buttons SHOWS AT:' , 7:00-9:15 SOPHOMORES! ( .u.iMnlail onipli merit tor the next Us o mi miners plus I 000 pel s. li fl ear for our Junior and Senna ye.ir- lo hint if yon cpulify, contact the Professor of Nbiitaiv Science. M & N Bkig , 47:-2-H.S. J)o it, NOW! LNOSTHUHSDAY X'SHOWS AT: . 7:00-9:35 Would you bo willing to give up two weeks full time and 04 hours part time this summer for $550.00? If you wish, contine in the fall at $3.82 to $4.32 per hour for 16 hours per month. For more information from a university stucfent who considers tfie Army Reserve a good part time job cull 432-7920 after 5:30 'P.M. mm AH records must be returned by Wednesday, fay 9 or UnersHy registration will be cancelled. Room 237, Nebraska Union, Monday through Friday 1:30-4:00 'fliQil 5 Return all art prints to Room 237, Nebraska Union, this week-open Monday through Friday 1:30-4:00. ALL PRINTS MUST BE RETURNED BY FRIDAY, MAY 4 OR UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION WILL BE CANCELLED. STARTING FRIDAY MAY 11 AT THE CINEMA1 J THE MEMORANDUM By VACLAV HAVEL Date: 7a itttw 5 Time: Place: TiHweniitclfteatic 12&7Z 472:2073 Topic: A comic awautt ccfeoH tie tttadt44 Off fiwicauciaccf f ---"'--'-- - i UCHLl I'HICLS Sfirfmsi J2.00 L AiluKsi $2.50 "i r f pa jo G daily nebra'jkan w(.-(lnf.cldyf may 7, 1973 i