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Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA
Do you think much of the variety in the Beatles' music was caused by them working to produce songs that reflected the different tastes of the members? Or was the variety caused more by each musician individually having an eclectic taste? And what makes you like George Harrison's talents the most? I don't know enough about Beatles songs to know who contributed what to the different songs.
I must confess I have never listened to the Byrds other than to their famous cover songs like "Turn, Turn, Turn." I'm listening to a few other songs now (Chestnut Mare, Eight Miles High, I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better). Hmm...they sound kind of like The Beatles but not as adventurous maybe, and more folksy? I think I like the Beach Boys better than the Byrds, based on what I've heard! Somehow the Byrds' music sounds depressing to me.
So for me, The Beatles > The Beach Boys > The Byrds
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I don`t think its any secret about the different tastes that the individual Beatles had, and their incorporation of these influences were just part of the process of any great band, admittedly the Beatles did this process better and more varied than anybody else. I particuarly liked George Harrison, because like most people that listen to the Beatles for the first time, its the songs by John and Paul that are usually the best known, if you dig deeper you find George is the gem and in George`s work there is a spirituality and sensitivity more evident IMO than in the work of the others. He also introduced the group to indian mysticism and the few songs that he composed on each album were usually classics! Nearly all his gems have been covered over the years by other bands.
As for the Byrds you need to listen to the albums "Fifth Dimension" and "Younger Than Yesterday" IMO their two best and its on these albums that they predate the Beatles in certain styles of music, that the Beatles themselves would later indulge in. The best known Byrds album is probably "The Notorious Byrds Brothers" but I prefer the previous two. Their sound encompassed folk, pop and psychedelic and IMO could match the Beatles on this. I`m not so fond of their later stuff though when Gram Parsons was in the band, as its very country influenced and sounding and this is something that`s just not my style! Early Byrds were kind of like the Rolling Stones and specialized in covers and Gene Clark was certainly the Brian Jones of the group and they certainly brought a life to the Bob Dylan songs that they covered.