Jump to content

Limited Edition


desdemona

Recommended Posts

THE JINGLE-JANGLE MAN:

An Interview with Pop Legend Roger McGuinn

[20 May 2004]

by Dennis Tyhacz

Roger McGuinn's a living legend. He emerged from the world of folk, and successfully changed rock and roll forever, with his rock version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" (with his band the Byrds) back in December 1965. He then proceeded to out-play every guitar player in the process with his "Folk Meets Rock" genre-building. Who else performs banjo-rolls on a 12-string electric Rickenbacker (a guitar that's notoriously hard to play), and still manages to sing like an angel on top of it? Nobody, but that hasn't stopped countless people from trying to approach McGuinn's folk-rock sound and domain. Tom Petty, Teenage Fanclub, the Eagles, the Jayhawks, REM, Counting Crows, Rain Parade, the Shins -- the list goes on and on, regardless of decade or musical scene. You can hear Roger McGuinn's influence everywhere you turn your ear.

Once you see McGuinn perform onstage, even today, it's apparent he was the head Byrd for a reason. While Gene Clark, David Crosby and later Chris Hillman each contributed their own great songs and contributed to the trademark Byrds harmonies, McGuinn was the definitive Byrds "sound." He used his guitar like a weapon in "Eight Miles High", but he could also made it sound like an orchestra (note the guitar breaks in "What's Happening?!" or the bag-pipe sounding outro in "5D"). The Mamas and the Papas famously paid tribute to McGuinn in "Creque Alley" with the line "McGuinn and McGuire still gettin' higher," as well as the late George Harrison, who claimed his song "If I Needed Someone" was directly influenced by McGuinn's ascending and descending Rickenbacker intro in "The Bells Of Rhymney".

Upon learning he has a new album out called Limited Edition I snagged myself a copy and soon found myself playing it on my stereo, over and over again. It's safe to say McGuinn is back on top, and in rare form. His singing and playing have never sounded better, and it's apparent he's only gotten better over the years. It's as if the man has jumped into a fountain of youth, taken the best of what the Byrds had to offer, and put it all right here on his latest record, and it's a great ride worth taking. I decided to get the man on the phone and talk to him about how this great album came to be, and to pick his brain about technology, the Internet, and the current state of US Radio.

the interview is here:

http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews...er-040520.shtml

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was always a big Byrds - all their incarnatoins. Other than their hit singles, Mr Tambourine Man and 8 Miles Hight, my favorite Byrds album is obscure - The Notorious Byrd Bros. Though a cut was used on Easy Rider, its largely ignored. Check it out...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Our picks

    • Wait, Burning Man is going online-only? What does that even look like?
      You could have been forgiven for missing the announcement that actual physical Burning Man has been canceled for this year, if not next. Firstly, the nonprofit Burning Man organization, known affectionately to insiders as the Borg, posted it after 5 p.m. PT Friday. That, even in the COVID-19 era, is the traditional time to push out news when you don't want much media attention. 
      But secondly, you may have missed its cancellation because the Borg is being careful not to use the C-word. The announcement was neutrally titled "The Burning Man Multiverse in 2020." Even as it offers refunds to early ticket buyers, considers layoffs and other belt-tightening measures, and can't even commit to a physical event in 2021, the Borg is making lemonade by focusing on an online-only version of Black Rock City this coming August.    Read more...
      More about Burning Man, Tech, Web Culture, and Live EventsView the full article
      • 0 replies
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
×
×
  • Create New...