First Set:
01: I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better (cuts in) (0:00 – 2:48)
02: My Back Pages (2:48 – 5:34)
03: Mr. Spaceman (5:34 – 8:46)
04: Wasn’t Born to Follow (8:46 – 10:49)
05: It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) (10:49 – 13:43)
06: Ballad of Easy Rider (13:43 – 15:56)
07: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (15:56 – 21:13)
08: Buckaroo (21:13 – 23:55)
09: Close Up the Honky Tonks (23:55 – 25:38)
10: You’re Still On My Mind (25:38 – 26:23)
11: Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man (26:23 – 29:30)
12: Chimes of Freedom (29:30 – 32:05)
13: The Bells of Rhymney (32:05 – 35:24)
14: This Wheel’s on Fire (35:24 – 39:50)
15: Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season) (39:50 – 41:56)
16: Mr. Tambourine Man (41:56 – 44:07)
17: Eight Miles High (44:07 – 53:27)
18: Band Intros (53:27 – 54:11)
19: Louisiana Man (54:11 – 57:54)
20: O Mary Don’t You Weep (57:54 – 01:01:32)
Encore:
21: Jesus Is Just Alright (01:01:32 - 01:04:36)
22: Hold It (01:04:36 - 01:06:24)
Personnel:
Roger McGuinn: 12 string guitar, lead vocals, harmony vocals
Skip Battin: bass guitar, harmony vocals
Gene Parsons: drums, harmonica, harmony vocals
Clarence White: B-bender guitar, harmony vocals
Additional Personnel:
Doug Kershaw: fiddle & lead vocals on “Louisiana Man”
This is a wonderful recording of The Byrds at the Boston Tea Party in 1970, released by the good people over at the great Sierra Records in 2014. I don't know the exact date, but based on the setlist I can tell it's pretty early into Skip's tenure in the band, so probably within the first few months of 1970. The quality is great, the playing is great, the singing is great, everything is great. Listen to it!
One of the coolest things about this album is that it features a lot of seldom performed songs by the McGuinn/Battin/ParsonsWhite lineup, such as "The Bells of Rhymney", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", and "Buckaroo". It's also always cool to hear the "Easy Rider Trilogy" of "Wasn't Born to Follow", "It's Alright Ma", and "Ballad of Easy Rider". Moreover, it's cool to hear things that make this group of virtuosos sound human, such as Clarence breaking a string midway through "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" and taking until halfway through "Chimes of Freedom" to replace it. Also humanizing is McGuinn vocally messing up the timing of "Wasn't Born to Follow", which in turn messes up Gene and causes him to pause for a bit.
Standout tracks are everything but if I had to pick some I'd choose "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "My Back Pages", "Ballad of Easy Rider", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Buckaroo", and "The Bells of Rhymney ". People who stupidly complain that these Byrds didn't harmonize as well as the originals ought to give "Baby Blue" a good listen while keeping in mind that this is live. Also cool to hear is "Louisiana Man", which features the legendary Doug Kershaw. California was an amazing place at that time; so many talented people just hanging out together making music. Anyhoot, this album features the world's greatest Country Rock band putting on a great show. It's worth a listen or 150.
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