Roger McGuinn's Solo Albums from 1973 to 1977

[leep]

The five solo albums that Roger McGuinn released from 1973 to 1977 are as follows:

Roger McGuinn (1973)
Peace on You (1974)
Roger McGuinn and Band (1975)
Cardiff Rose (1976)
Thunderbyrd (1977)

From 1973 to 1976, you can tell he was trying to get better with each release, even if most people didn't pay these records much mind. And, to me, that's what is really sad about the record buying populace. These albums are not bad at all.

McGuinn's 1973 solo album is pretty good. Bob Dylan joins McGuinn on McGuinn's song, "I'm So Restless" (Dylan plays harmonica). Then, all the original Byrds join McGuinn on his song "My New Woman". Crosby sings backup on a couple other tracks as well. There's also Bruce Johnston, and a comical spoof song done in the style of the Beach Boys called "Draggin'" (except it's about racing airplanes instead of cars). The song "Time Cube" is AWESOME! It's one of Roger's best songs. It's banjos and moogs galore, a futuristic vision of the growth and development of humanity. The moog is funky and experimental. Pink Floyd would later put that similar sound into their own music (especially on "Welcome to the Machine")(compare). I think the version of "Lost My Driving Wheel" that appears as a bonus track on the Byrds remastered version of the album "Farther Along" is better than the one on McGuinn's first solo album. However, the version of "Bag Full of Money" on this solo album is perhaps better than the one that appears as a bonus on "Farther Along".

1974's "Peace on You" is also good. The cover features a picture of a Rickenbacker 360 carried by and eagle over the moon. He even spoofs the Byrds in his song "Same Old Sound", where he discusses the fact that most people just want to hear the old Byrd songs instead of his new stuff. Right in the middle of that song, he rips into a sassy 12-string groove, like the one from "Goin' Back" singing the "La-la-las". It's pretty cool. The songs "Without You" and "Gate of Horn" are also good McGuinn.

Roger’s 1975 album "Roger McGuinn and Band" is a solid effort that is pretty rockin’. I don’t know why Johnny Rogan doesn’t think this is a good album. Perhaps he thinks McGuinn let the guys in the band write too much of the material, but the songs are still good. Maybe it’s because McGuinn basically does new versions of songs he has previously released in some form. Like, "Lover of the Bayou", "Born to Rock and Roll". There’s even a version of Dylan’s "Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door". Nevertheless, all these versions still sound pretty darn good. The version of "Lover of the Bayou" is pretty slick compared to the rougher live version from the Byrds’ "Untitled" album. I like the rough version for its roughness though. There’s some good production, and the band is pretty good. The cover and back of the album features Roger fiddling around with these four TV screens hooked up to some big computers (futuristic for that time, funny lookin' today).

Roger’s album "Cardiff Rose" (1976) is also really good. Perhaps "Cardiff Rose" is Roger’s best solo album. The production is pretty good, and so are the session musicians that help out. McGuinn’s song "Jolly Roger" is probably the most authentic Celtic sea-shanty he has ever written. Another of my personal favorite Celtic-sounding McGuinn tunes appears on the Byrds 1973 reunion album, and that song is "Sweet Mary". I really like that one. I like "Jolly Roger" off Cardiff Rose too, because I’m fascinated with the sea, and tales of buccaneer thieves stealing gold. The picture of the ship on the cover of the album is cool too. The song "Rock & Roll Time" sounds like punk rock before punk rock was out (I feel the same way about the Byrds "Tiffany Queen" from Farther Along). McGuinn’s song "Friend" is another fine little tune from Cardiff Rose. "Partners in Crime" is a hilariously comical song that surprised me the first time I heard it. I never expected McGuinn to edit a hilariously funny "doo-wop" section into a song, almost like something Zappa would come up with. McGuinn’s version of "Pretty Polly" is kinda freaky. I don’t think he sings it with that voice on his more recent "Treasures from the Folk Den" recordings. Haha! The album ends with a real funky rockin’ version of Joni Mitchell’s "Dreamland", sung in a wild and crazy way that cool cats like Tom Waits would enjoy. This version really surprised me the first time I heard it too. The version that Roger plays at his live shows now is nothing like the version from this album. The version he plays now is more of a classic folk number, whereas this 1976 version is pretty wild.

McGuinn released another solo album in 1977 called "Thunderbyrd". There’s a version of Tom Petty’s song "American Girl" on it. I’ve never heard this entire album, so I can’t properly review it right now. Anyone care to discuss this album? This was the last solo album McGuinn released in the 1970s. He didn’t release another solo album after this until 1990! Back From Rio (1990) is good, and so is all the Folk Den material up to the present.

[rick12dr]

Lee,
Nice posthumous reveiws of these McGuinn LPs.
I personally don't care for the 3rd LP much,but I like all the others. Give Thunderbyrd a good listen; Then, go find the 2 CD set, "3 Byrds in London", which has a full set of Live Thunderbyrd in action.Reportedly, this gig was done very shortly after the Thunderbyrd LP came out, and it's HOT!! Rick Vito ,in his own right, is a neck and neck contender for runner up to a Clarence White replacement, though Clarence was basically a bluegrass flatpicker extrordinaire,crossed with James Burton on steroids.Vito handles countrified playing very well, but with a hot rockabilly and even jazzy feel.I think the Thunderbyrd live version of "American Girl easily rivals or outshines the best the Heartbreakers ever did their own tune live,and I'm a Big Heartbreakers fan.I've said this before, but in terms of giving Roger support in a band,he's had Excellent interpreters of his style and vision and legacy in the likes of White,Vito,Mike Campbell, and John Jorgenson.I think having guys like these for
backup players keeps Roger on his toes, and this shows, as for instance, the McGuinn, Clark and Hillman band, while competent, just didn't have that "fire", because there was no guitarist that had the class and chops of the aforementioned
players.

[grsnovi]

I just rec'd my copy of the "3 Byrds in London" 2 disc set earlier in the week and finished the first disc this morning. I could have done without the 4 song Gene Clark set. I liked the Hillman set. I expect I'll get to disc two tonight or tomorrow and I'm looking forward to the McGuinn set and the combined set.

[frank]

Lee,

You did a great job of reviewing Roger's '70's
music. What do you think of 'Back To Rio' ???

[rick12dr]

Man, What's Not to like about" Back from Rio," if you're a McGuinn /Rick12 nut???

[leep]

>> What do you think of 'Back To Rio' ???

"Back from Rio" is cool as heck. It sounds like Roger came roaring back with this one in 1991. It kinda sounds like R.E.M., man! The original sticker that was placed on the clear plastic of the album advertises: "The Acclaimed New Solo Album From Roger McGuinn / Includes "King Of The Hill," "Someone To Love," "If We Never Meet Again" and more / Plus special guest performers: Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Michael Penn, David Crosby, Chris Hillman and others". The sticker should have mentioned Mike Campbell and John Jorgenson too. All the other players on this album are good as well.

"SomeOne to Love" is cool. It's not the Jefferson Airplane song, "SomeBody to Love". At first glance, I remember thinking it would be the Airplane's song, but was happily surprised to find a cool new song written by Roger and his wife starting off this album. The 12-string jives are BACK with this album too! It rocks arse!

I really love the song "Without Your Love". David Crosby and Chris Hillman add some tender background vocals to this beautiful song.

Tom Petty and Roger groove on "King of the Hill".
Elvis Costello and McGuinn jam out together on "You Bowed Down".
Crosby and Hillman do some fine background vocals on three songs: ("Suddenly Blue", "Without Your Love", and the "Back From Rio Interlude").

The whole title "Back from Rio" was intended as a bit of a joke. When Jim McGuinn changed his name to Roger back in the 60s, some people thought that Roger and Jim were actually two different people. Notorious Byrd Brothers, perhaps? Haha. Supposedly, there was a rumor that Jim had gone to Rio after Turn! Turn! Turn! and kept a low profile while "brother" Roger continued on with the group. Supposedly, some people actually believed this for a long time, and, at one point, somone supposedly asked Roger if Jim was still down in Rio. Haha!! A mock phone conversation on the song "Car Phone" briefly addresses this comedy.

Other Notorious Byrd Brothers who weren't actually real brothers:

Gene Clark and Michael Clarke
Gene Parsons and Gram Parsons

Don Adamek, thanks for mentioning the album "3 Byrds in London". I'll definitely try to check this one out now. That one and McGuinn's "Thunderbyrd".

Hey, I know there's a bootleg out there somewhere that features R.E.M. performing live with Roger McGuinn. Anyone care to discuss this? Also, I remember reading somewhere in Rogan's book that Roger appeared with R.E.M. on MTV discussing music back in the early 1990s. Anyone see that?

To this day, Roger's guitar skills are very sharp, and his voice is as smooth right now as it ever was.

[markthemd]

I'd love to hear the 'Crowded House' /McGuinn shows . affectionately know as 'BYRD HOUSE' .

[frank]

Lee,

I've had the "Rio" tape since 1991 when it 1st came out. I just started listening to again after seeing Roger in April.
You're right on the money, as far as the guitar work and vocals, you can't beat that album.
It was really put together well.

[leep]

I want to make a correction about what I said regarding McGuinn's version of "Pretty Polly". I thought that McGuinn had put a new version of this song on one of his recent "Folk Den" albums, and I found that not to be the case. However, I have it in my mind that he has done a version of "Pretty Polly" recently. Sometimes McGuinn posts songs on his mp3.com page for everyone to hear, and some of these songs are not on the folk den albums. Has anyone else heard a recent McGuinn version of "Pretty Polly", or did I imagine that? Or, has he been playing "Pretty Polly" at his live shows?

[harveyrickenbacker]

I'm a big fan of Cardiff Rose. With Mick Ronson producing and sharing guitar duties it puts two of the great guitarists of the period together.

[johnhall]

The whole title "Back from Rio" was intended as a bit of a joke. When Jim McGuinn changed his name to Roger back in the 60s, some people thought that Roger and Jim were actually two different people. Notorious Byrd Brothers, perhaps? Haha. Supposedly, there was a rumor that Jim had gone to Rio after Turn! Turn! Turn! and kept a low profile while "brother" Roger continued on with the group. Supposedly, some people actually believed this for a long time, and, at one point, somone supposedly asked Roger if Jim was still down in Rio.

That was me, actually. We were sitting in the Edinburgh, Scotland airport after skiing together in Avimore and I asked him if Jim was ever coming back from Rio. He said something like, "Oh, that's where he went". I then suggested it as a song and he wrote down that title on a cocktail napkin right there and then.

Some months later, he came to my then new studio in California and we recorded the demo for a number of songs for that album, including what I think was the best tune of all, "Back From Rio". When they went into the big studio to record it, there was a blockbuster crew- I seem to remember George Harrison and Tom Petty working on it- and Roger said it unfortunately turned out to be a muddled mess, so was not released. The fadeout where you hear bits of the song is from my demo tapes (uncredited, unfortunately), all of which I still have.

Surely there's bootlegs out there, as I played it (with Roger's permission) on a Radio Tay FM interview many years ago. I've suggested several times that he rerecord this simple version and release it, but he's had no interest. He seems to be the kind of guy that never looks back.

[jimk]

This turned out to be an interesting old thread. Thanks for digging it up. Somewhere between Sweetheart of the Rodeo and Byrdmaniax I lost track of Roger. And after the Byrds broke up, I wasn't even aware that he was still in the business. I'll have to go look up these old recordings.
JimK

[johnhall]

I was looking over some photos for an upcoming magazine article and ran across this one, thinking it was relevant to this thread. It was taken just a few days before Roger and I, and our wives, left for Avimore, in the lobby of Gravetye Manor.

One of these guys is a forum member! No prizes but can you guess who?

Apologies if this has been posted before.

[jdawe]

I've suggested several times that he rerecord this simple version and release it, but he's had no interest. He seems to be the kind of guy that never looks back.

If Roger isn't interested, maybe you could convince Jim!

[beatbyrd]

Some months later, he came to my then new studio in California and we recorded the demo for a number of songs for that album, including what I think was the best tune of all, "Back From Rio". When they went into the big studio to record it, there was a blockbuster crew- I seem to remember George Harrison and Tom Petty working on it- and Roger said it unfortunately turned out to be a muddled mess, so was not released. The fadeout where you hear bits of the song is from my demo tapes (uncredited, unfortunately), all of which I still have.

With very few exceptions, I've never been a fan of the Byrds or McGuinn's output after Notorious Byrd Brothers. That changed dramatically with Back From Rio, which I consider to be as good as any of the first 5 Byrds albums. That's why I covered four of the songs from it. Man, I'd love to hear the demo tapes........ Tom