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Rating: Riding the wave of the success of the 45 single "Mr. Tambourine Man" and the album of the same name, the Byrds released another Dylan-penned single from the latter. Unfortunately for them, "All I Really Want To Do" had just been covered and released by Cher, whose version reached number one on the Billboard chart, relegating the "belated" (and wonderful) Byrds cover to the lower parts of the same chart.
McGuinn and company were not discouraged by the setback and quickly returned to the studio to tackle another track, "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Reason)," this time a traditional that Pete Seeger had recently adapted to folk by incorporating parts of the text from the Book of Ecclesiastes from the Bible.
The 45" was a hit, reaching number one among singles in October 1965 (six months after the tambourine), also boosted by "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better," a splendid B-side written by Clark. Buoyed by this new success, the Byrds began working on and drafting the second long-distance chapter, and the album "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (which once again, as in the debut case, takes the title from the leading single) was released on December 6, 1965.
In the span of eight months, they went from anonymity to the high peaks of the American (this LP reached 17th place) and British charts. The style is still the folk-rock of the debut, characterized by McGuinn's typical "jingle-jangle" Rickenbacker and the multicolored vocal harmonies of Crosby, Clark, and McGuinn himself; but the group's blend has been perfected and refined incredibly. The inevitable Dylan covers ("Lay Down Your Weary Tune" and "The Times They Are-a-changing") lose the aggressive intensity of the originals and become superb, soft, and dreamlike melodies; just like the traditional "He Was A Friend Of Mine" arranged by McGuinn becomes one of the anthems that helped kick off the hippie movement and the seasons of Peace+Love.
As in the previous work, this album features three numbers by Gene Clark, which clearly indicate his inspired creative vein, his way of composing perfect pop songs, blending Dylanesque folk, the recent British Invasion, and the country-western of the vast prairies; and the total sum of all this resides in the 2 minutes and 50 seconds of the splendid "Set You Free This Time."
But Clark's contribution ends with this album, his departure is imminent, effectively leaving the reins of the group to the McGuinn-Crosby duo, who make a general rehearsal here with the song "Wait And See," written collaboratively; as does Hillman, who actively participates in drafting the tracklist, arranging the country-western "Satisfied Man" by Porter Wagoner, which a decade earlier reached the top of the sales charts.
This track signals the future country shift the band would take in the early seventies with Crosby's departure; but only after actively contributing to the explosion of the psychedelic scene, as during the days of "Turn! Turn! Turn!"'s release, the band was engaged in creating the hallucinogenic gem of "Eight Miles High" ... but that's another chapter, this one closes with McGuinn's revisitation of the song "Oh Susanna," by Stephen Foster, a true pillar of American popular culture of the 1800s; which also closes the album in question.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season) (03:45)
Words-adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late
02 It Won't Be Wrong (02:00)
Every time I see you smile, come to me, don't be long
Let me tell you how my heart goes wild.
Please let me love you and it won't be wrong
Every time you're in my arms, come to me , don't be long
You know that I'll never do you no harm
Please let me love you and it won't be wrong
Chorus:
Let me love you and then you'll see, come to me, come to me
Let me show you once and we'll be free
Please let me love you and it won't be wrong
Repeat first verse
Repeat chorus
09 The Times They Are A-Changin' (02:20)
Written by Bob Dylan
Come gather round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
Then you better start swimming
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a changin
Come writers and critics
who prophesize with your pen
Keep your eyes open
The chance won't come again
Watch what you say
For the wheel's still in spin
And there ain't tellin' who that it's naming
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a changin
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he who gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside raging
It'll rattle your windows
and shake down your walls
For the times they are a changin
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticise
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly aging
Get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a changin
11 Oh! Susannah (03:02)
Well I come from Alabama with a banjo on my kneee
And I'm going to Lousiana Sasannah for to see
Oh Susannah now don't you cry for me
Cause I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee
Well it rained so hard the night I left, the weather it was dry
And it was so hot I froze to death, Susannah don't you cry
Oh Susannah now don't you cry for me
Cause I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee
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