The Essential Byrds


The Essential Byrds is a comprehensive two-CD compilation album by the American rock band the Byrds. It was released in 2003 as part of Sony BMG's The Essential series. The Essential Byrds did not chart in the U.S. or the UK. A 3.0 edition of the compilation released in 2011 contains a third disc with six additional tracks: "Spanish Harlem Incident", "I Knew I'd Want You", "The World Turns All Around Her", "I See You", "Change Is Now", and "One Hundred Years from Now".

Reception

Rob Horning from Popmatters said of the compilation: "Similar to the serial-reissue strategy is the hits-repackaging ruse, except the target here is not the fanatic, but the more casual listener, who buys one hits collection only to discover that important songs are included on some other compilation."

Track listing

Disc one

  1. "Mr. Tambourine Man" – 2:31
  2. "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" – 2:32
  3. "All I Really Want to Do" – 2:04
  4. "Chimes of Freedom" – 3:51
  5. "Turn! Turn! Turn! " – 3:51
  6. "She Don't Care About Time" – 2:30
  7. "It Won't Be Wrong" – 1:59
  8. "Set You Free This Time" – 2:50
  9. "He Was a Friend of Mine" – 2:31
  10. "Eight Miles High" – 3:36
  11. "5D " – 2:34
  12. "Mr. Spaceman" – 2:10
  13. "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" – 2:06
  14. "Have You Seen Her Face" – 2:41
  15. "Renaissance Fair" – 1:52
  16. "My Back Pages" – 3:08

    Disc two

  17. "Lady Friend" – 2:31
  18. "Old John Robertson " – 1:54
  19. "Goin' Back" – 3:27
  20. "Natural Harmony" – 2:12
  21. "Wasn't Born to Follow" – 2:03
  22. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" – 2:35
  23. "Hickory Wind" – 3:32
  24. "This Wheel's on Fire" – 4:45
  25. "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" – 3:54
  26. "Ballad of Easy Rider" – 2:04
  27. *NOTE: Bob Dylan is not officially credited as a songwriter on "Ballad of Easy Rider".
  28. "Jesus Is Just Alright" – 2:10
  29. "Lover of the Bayou" – 3:40
  30. "Chestnut Mare" – 5:08
  31. "Glory, Glory" – 4:01
  32. "I Wanna Grow Up to Be a Politician" – 2:02
  33. "Tiffany Queen" – 2:41
  34. "Farther Along" – 2:57

    European and Australasian edition

A variation of The Essential Byrds was released outside of the U.S. in 2010, featuring the following alternate track listing:

Disc One

  1. "Mr. Tambourine Man" – 2:31
  2. "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" – 2:32
  3. "All I Really Want to Do" – 2:04
  4. "The Bells of Rhymney" - 3:32
  5. "Chimes of Freedom" – 3:51
  6. "Turn! Turn! Turn! " – 3:51
  7. "She Don't Care About Time" – 2:30
  8. "It Won't Be Wrong" – 1:59
  9. "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" - 3:32
  10. "Set You Free This Time" – 2:50
  11. "He Was a Friend of Mine" – 2:31
  12. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" - 2:20
  13. "Eight Miles High" – 3:36
  14. "5D " – 2:34
  15. "Wild Mountain Thyme" - 2:32
  16. "Mr. Spaceman" – 2:10
  17. "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" – 2:06
  18. "Have You Seen Her Face" – 2:41
  19. "Time Between" - 1:55
  20. "Renaissance Fair" – 1:52
  21. "My Back Pages" – 3:08
  22. "Everybody's Been Burned" – 3:05
  23. "Triad" – 3:29
  24. "Dolphin's Smile" - 1:58

    Disc Two

  25. "Artificial Energy" - 2:21
  26. "Old John Robertson " – 1:54
  27. "Goin' Back" – 3:27
  28. "Natural Harmony" – 2:12
  29. "Wasn't Born to Follow" – 2:03
  30. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" – 2:35
  31. "Hickory Wind" – 3:32
  32. "Nothing Was Delivered" - 3:26
  33. "This Wheel's on Fire" – 4:45
  34. "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" – 3:54
  35. "Your Gentle Way of Loving Me" 2:37
  36. "Ballad of Easy Rider" – 2:04
  37. *NOTE: Bob Dylan is not officially credited as a songwriter on "Ballad of Easy Rider".
  38. "Jesus Is Just Alright" – 2:10
  39. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" - 4:55
  40. "Lover of the Bayou" – 3:40
  41. "Chestnut Mare" – 5:08
  42. "Glory, Glory" – 4:01
  43. "Jamaica Say You Will" - 3:28
  44. "I Wanna Grow up to Be a Politician" – 2:02
  45. "Tiffany Queen" – 2:41
  46. "Antique Sandy" - 2:15
  47. "Farther Along" – 2:57

    Band personnel