Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi there. Does anyone else here think that there is an uncanny resemblance between the Byrds' "It's No Use" and the Doors' "People Are Strange?" Also, isn't the opening riff of "Sweet Child o' Mine" very similar to that of "Mr. Tambourine Man?"

No and categorically NO.


That's my take, anyway.

Gepapado wrote:Hi there. Does anyone else here think that there is an uncanny resemblance between the Byrds' "It's No Use" and the Doors' "People Are Strange?" Also, isn't the opening riff of "Sweet Child o' Mine" very similar to that of "Mr. Tambourine Man?"

I don't hear those resemblances you mentioned, although, you do hear a lot of The Byrds on the early R.E.M. records, as well as on assorted tracks by Tom Petty, The Pretenders, Gin Blossoms, Robyn Hitchcock, The Connells, and The Long Ryders. R.E.M.'s "Fables of the Reconstruction" could properly be called a Byrds tribute record: "Green Grow the Rushes" and "Good Advices," in particular, sound like a mid-1980's take on The Byrds' 12-string sound. The Byrds' influence is everywhere, though not, I think, on those tracks you mentioned.

One of my faves

Although much more upbeat and power-pop-y, The Plimsouls' "Million Miles Away" is Byrds-y, IMO, in song structure and riffiness. I play the song quite a bit out live with one of my bands, and to score the point, I end "Million Miles" with the the riff from "Eight Miles High"; it often catches a knowing look or two from someone in the crowd.

paologregorio wrote:Although much more upbeat and power-pop-y, The Plimsouls' "Million Miles Away" is Byrds-y, IMO, in song structure and riffiness. I play the song quite a bit out live with one of my bands, and to score the point, I end "Million Miles" with the the riff from "Eight Miles High"; it often catches a knowing look or two from someone in the crowd.

It's No Use is one of my favorite Byrds tunes. I look at it as kind of a precursor to 8 Miles High in that it has a rather short but jazzy lead break and that kind of thing just wasn't heard much in the '60s, especially from a debut album of a new band. Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark wrote the song and the Byrds did their rather magical thing and adapted it to a folk-rockish style (mostly rockish). Then later came 8 Miles by the same two and Crosby as the authors. I also like the way they took Jackie DeShannon's Don't Doubt Yourself Babe and made it a Bo Diddley style tune. Very, very innovative album.

People Are Strange was written by Robby Krieger and Jim Morrison. I really don't see the similarity. Their style was a lot more "Doorsy", with the Psychedelic touch.

Anyway, the Byrds and their sound inspired a lot of bands at that time. That little D-structure riff that was so prominent in "Bells of Rhymney" was in a lot of songs here, in the UK and even Japan.

But the Doors wasn't one of them in my opinion.

manta wrote: Anyway, the Byrds and their sound inspired a lot of bands at that time.

The Turtles come into my mind.

That D-chord riff from "Bells of Rhymney" actually inspired George Harrison's line on "If I Needed Someone." The only real difference is that Harrison capoed up to the 7th fret.

Let's not forget the first Love album was extremely Byrdsy. Stuff like "Can't Explain," "My Flash On You," and "No Matter What In the World" were jangly in the Byrds mode.

The Rain Parade.

Tom Petty:
Listen To Her Heart
The Waiting

The Animals:
It's My Life

The Hollies:
Carrie Anne

The Rolling Stones:
Blue Turns To Grey

The Kinks:
This Man He Weeps Tonight

The Bangles:
Getting Out Of Hand

Whether these songs were inspired by The Byrds or not, they do have that Byrdsy feel to them, at least to me

Jake,

How about:

R.E.M.'s "Gardening at Night," "Pretty Persuasion," "7 Chinese Bros." intro to "So. Central Rain," "Maps and Legends," "Green Grow the Rushes," "Good Advices," "I Believe" (played on Mitch Easter's Fender XII and/or Peter Buck's JG 360/12)
The Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang" (Tele through a chorus pedal for a pseudo 12-string tone)
The Long Ryders' "Capturing the Flag" (Played on Sid Griffin's FG 360/12)
Gin Blossoms' "Allison Road" (mostly acoustic guitars, but unmistakeable jangle)
Traveling Willburys "Handle with Care" (sounds like a Ric 12, either Tom Petty's or George Harrison's)

Robert

The cool thing about bands influenced by the Byrds is, of course, just which version of the Byrds are you thinking of? The folk-rock version? The space-rock version? The raga-rock version? Or the country-rock version?

So I'm going to say... the Eagles.

1a12 wrote:The Rain Parade.

Yes, especially the "Emergency Third Rail Power Trip.". What a great album!

And don't forget Guadalcanal Diary, who tend to get overshadowed by R.E.M. They used a lot of Ricks throughout their career. Great songwriters, too!