Product Description

The Byrds were one of rock's most influential bands. Having virtually invented folk rock they went on to pioneer psychedelia and country rock, and were also the first rock band to use synthesizers. "So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star" is the day-by-day story of The Byrds, from their formation and breakthrough hit in 1965 to the brief re-union of the band's original line-up in 1972/1973. In 1965 The Byrds had a worldwide smash with Bob Dylan's 'Mr. Tambourine Man', opened for The Rolling Stones in the US, hung out with The Beatles, undertook a disastrous tour of Great Britain, and capped the year with a second US chart-topper 'Turn! Turn! Turn!'In 1972 the original line-up re-united just for recording purposes, while a different touring Byrds played a final concert in February 1973. In-between times they released the groundbreaking 'Eight Miles High' single and a clutch of classic albums, enduring regular line-up changes that would have been the end of most bands but, in the Byrds case, fuelled leader Roger McGuinn's innate capacity for reinvention. Their influence can still be heard, in the chiming Rickenbackers and harmonies of REM and Tom Petty, and just about every alt. country and Americana act on the scene.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #159808 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
'An awe-inspiring work of scholarship ... cleverly structured ... with highly insightful commentary. If you want to know what made the 60s special,a s well as learning all about one of the greatest bands of that era, Hjort's your man.' 5/5 stars --Record Collector, January 2009

'Convincing and exhaustive, it's the ideal accompaniment for working through (or even starting) your Byrds collection.' 8/10 --Classic Rock, January 2009

'A new one-stop shop for all the facts, figures, triumphs and tragedies that sprung from The Byrds' troubled eight-year existence.The day-by-day format suits their story.' 3/5 stars --Mojo, January 2009

About the Author
Christopher Hjort is a rock historian who combines a love for popular music with an interest in typography and graphic design. In 2000, together with noted American researcher Doug Hinman, he published an acclaimed chronology of Jeff Beck's career, Jeff's Book. In 2007 Hjort wrote the acclaimed Strange Brew: Eric Clapton and The British Blues Boom 1965-1970.

Customer Reviews

The finest tribute to a great band
This is a 336 page, superbly documented chronicle and includes many photographs that I had never seen before. Up to now, the greatest authority on The Byrds has been Johnny Rogan's 'Timeless Flight Revisited', which I've heard, is going to reappear at some point in a vastly expanded fourth edition. Of course, Rogan's book remains unmatched for analysis and insight. But for contemporary press reports, very many long lost interviews, posters, set lists, recording sessions and a wealth of information you didn't know before, Christopher Hjort's volume is the real deal. But beware - you'll find it dangerously engaging!