Old Enough to Forget

I'm not sure how I ended up with so many releases that feature Chris Hillman. I knew of him, of course, from that one time he appeared on a 77s album way back in 1987. Everyone always made such a fuss over Roger McGuinn and David Crosby, and that was all I really knew about The Byrds ... of course, there were other members of the band, but they seemed to be a footnote. Right or wrong, perception can be a cruel and unfair thing. A while ago I found Chris' 1976 release Slippin' Away . It was on Asylum Records (which I always associated with prestige back in the day), and the cast of characters on the album was really impressive. The album, though? I can't remember it ... at all. It was instantly forgettable, but pleasant as well. It was enough that when I found anything with Chris on it, I bought it. From his collaboration with J.D. Souther and Richie Furay to an album with former Byrds McGuinn and Gene Clark, I would snap them up. When I found a pristine, and I mean pris...

I was perusing the dollar section and found this one. The jacket was in immaculate condition, and while there was no insert the record itself looked shiny. I also mistakenly thought it was another SFH Band release (J.D. Souther, Richie Furay and Chris Hillman), and while the one I had was rather forgettable, it was enjoyable, so why not? It wasn't until I dropped my buck that I realized this was McGuinn, Clark & Hillman. Now, I'm a casual fan of The Byrds, and I enjoy most of what I've heard over the years - except for "Eight Miles High." Yeah, it's a classic, but for goodness' sake Roger McGuinn spent most of the song trying to get his fingers untangled from the 12 strings on his Rickenbacker. It may be a cacophonous masterpiece to some, but to me it's a reminder that not everyone can play lead guitar. As a casual fan I knew that Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn were former Byrds, but didn't know that Gene Clark was as well. Turns out here were...

Sometimes the anticipation and mystery of the unknown are greater than the reality once it's revealed. I found this album the same day I found the debut album by The Karroll Brothers, and at the time I mentioned I was pretty stoked to find this one. The Karroll Brothers album was a wonderful surprise. This one was a surprise too, but for different reasons. Let's get a couple of things out of the way right up front. I'm a casual J.D. Souther fan. I have a couple of his albums and, aside from his "hit" "You're Only Lonely," they were rather forgettable. However, his contribution to the 1988 movie Permanent Record (where I became a fan of Keanu Reeves), "Wishing on Another Lucky Star," is one of the finest pop songs EVER written. For that alone, I consider myself a fan. Chris Hillman is another guy I know more about than I actually know. I do have one of his albums, and I remember enjoying it, but I can't actually remember any of the songs...