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...