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Fifth Dimension (album)

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Untitled

Fifth Dimension is the third album by the American folk rock band The Byrds and was released in July 1966 on Columbia Records (see 1966 in music).[1][2] Most of the album was recorded following the February 1966 departure of the band's principal songwriter Gene Clark.[3][4] In an attempt to compensate for Clark's absence, guitarists Jim McGuinn and David Crosby stepped into the breach and increased their songwriting output.[5] In spite of this, the loss of Clark resulted in an uneven album that included a total of four cover versions and an instrumental.[2][3] However, the album is notable for being the first by The Byrds not to include any songs written by Bob Dylan, whose material had previously been a mainstay of the band's repertoire.[3]

The album peaked at #24 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and reached #27 on the UK Albums Chart.[6][7] Two preceding singles, "Eight Miles High" and "5D (Fifth Dimension)", were included on the album, with the former just missing the Top 10 of the Billboard singles chart.[3][8] Additionally, a third single taken from the album, "Mr. Spaceman", managed to reach the U.S. Top 40.[8] Upon release, Fifth Dimension was widely regarded as the band's most experimental album to date and is today considered influential in originating the musical genre of psychedelic rock.[3][5]

Background

On December 22, 1965, shortly after the release of their second album Turn! Turn! Turn!, The Byrds entered RCA Studios in Los Angeles to record "Eight Miles High" and "Why", two new songs that they had recently composed.[9] Both songs represented a creative leap forward for the band and were instrumental in developing the musical styles of psychedelic rock and raga rock.[3][10][11] However, the band ran into trouble with their record company, Columbia Records, who refused to release either song because they had not been recorded at a Columbia owned studio.[10] As a result, the band were forced to re-record both songs in their entirety at Columbia Studios, Hollywood and it was these re-recordings that would see release on the "Eight Miles High" single and the Fifth Dimension album.[4][9]

The re-recordings of "Eight Miles High" and "Why" were produced by Allen Stanton, Columbia's West Coast Vice President, who had recently been assigned to the band following The Byrds' decision to dispense with their previous producer, Terry Melcher.[10][12] Melcher had guided The Byrds through the recording of their first two folk rock albums, which had included the international hit singles "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!", both of which had reached #1 in the U.S. charts.[13][14] However, during sessions for the Turn! Turn! Turn! album, Melcher had found himself in conflict with The Byrds' manager, Jim Dickson, who had aspirations to produce the band himself.[12] Within a month of the band's second album being released, Dickson—with the full support of The Byrds—approached Columbia Records and insisted that Melcher be replaced.[12] However, any hopes that Dickson had of being allowed to produce The Byrds himself were dashed when Columbia chose Allen Stanton as the band's new producer.[12] This decision was due to Columbia studio regulations specifying that only an in-house Columbia employee could produce records by the label's acts.[12] Stanton would work as The Byrds' producer for the duration of the Fifth Dimension sessions but would leave Columbia for A&M Records shortly after the release of the album.[5]

Following the re-recording of "Eight Miles High" in January 1966 and just prior to its release as a single in March 1966, the band's principal songwriter, Gene Clark, left the band.[4] At the time, the official story regarding Clark's departure was that his fear of flying was preventing him from fulfilling his obligations with the group.[15] However, it has become known in the years since then that there were other stress related factors at work, as well as resentment within the band that his songwriting income had made him the wealthiest member of the group.[15][16] While the song "Eight Miles High" still featured the full participation of Clark, the remaining ten tracks on the Fifth Dimension album were recorded after he had left the band, although he does make a guest appearance on the song "Captain Soul".[3]

Music

Arguably the most famous song on the album was the hit single "Eight Miles High", an early excursion into psychedelic rock.[17][18] Musically, the song was a fusion of John Coltrane-influenced guitar playing—courtesy of lead guitarist Jim McGuinn—and raga-based musical structure and vocals, inspired by the Indian classical music of Ravi Shankar.[18][19] Written mostly by Gene Clark in November 1965, while The Byrds were on tour in the U.S., the song was pivotal in transmuting folk rock into the new musical forms of psychedelia and raga rock.[18] Regardless of its innovative qualities, however, many radio stations in the U.S. banned the record, believing the title to be a reference to recreational drug use.[20] The song's lyrics actually pertained to the approximate cruising altitude of commercial airliners and the group's first visit to London during their 1965 English tour.[21]

The album also included the McGuinn penned songs "5D (Fifth Dimension)" and "Mr. Spaceman", with the latter being an early foray into country rock and a semi-serious meditation on the existence of alien life.[21][22] In spite of its tongue-in-cheek lyrics, both McGuinn and rhythm guitarist David Crosby were serious about the possibility of communicating with extraterrestrial lifeforms via the medium of radio broadcast.[21] McGuinn in particular felt that if the song was played on radio there was a possibility that extraterrestrials might intercept the broadcasts and make contact.[21] However, in later years McGuinn realized that this would've been impossible since AM radio waves disperse too rapidly in space.[5] "5D (Fifth Dimension)", on the other hand, was an abstract attempt to explain Einstein's theory of relativity, which was misconstrued by many as being a song about an LSD trip.[5][22] In particular, Variety magazine targeted "5D (Fifth Dimension)" shortly after its release as a single, claiming that it was one of a recent spate of pop songs to include veiled drug references in its lyrics.[5] This resulted in some radio stations in America refusing to play the song.[23] The organ arrangement on "5D (Fifth Dimension)" was played by Van Dyke Parks.[21]

McGuinn also penned the album's closing track, "2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)", which was an attempt to create an aural approximation of a flight in a Lear Jet.[5] The song was inspired by the band's friendship with jet manufacturer John Lear and the title is a reference to the registration number of Lear's own personal jet, which was N242FT.[5][24] The song makes extensive use of aviation sound effects, including an in-cockpit recitation of a pilot's pre-takeoff checklist and the sound of a jet engine starting up.[24] While the song can be regarded as another of The Byrds' quirky album closers, like "Oh! Susannah" and "We'll Meet Again" from their previous albums, Crosby and McGuinn actually took the song very seriously, arguing that it was an innovative attempt at incorporating mechanical sounds into a pop song format.[21]

One of Crosby's songwriting contributions to the album, "What's Happening?!?!", began his penchant for writing abstract songs asking irresoluble questions, a trend that has continued throughout his career with Crosby, Stills & Nash and as a solo artist. During a 1966 interview, Crosby admitted that it was a strange song, noting "It asks questions of what's going on here and who does it all belong to and why is it all going on. I just ask the questions because I really don't know the answers." Like "Eight Miles High", the song exhibits the strong influence of Indian classical music with its droning guitar and melody.[5] "What's Happening?!?!" is also notable for being the first song written solely by Crosby to appear on a Byrds' record.[21]

Crosby and McGuinn also collaborated on the jazzy "I See You", which represented another example of abstract lyrics coupled with raga-influenced, psychedelic guitar solos.[2][17][22] Author Johnny Rogan has commented that "I See You" was indicative of The Byrds' move away from the darkly-romantic songs of Gene Clark towards material that examined psychological states.[5] The album also includes the instrumental "Captain Soul", a song credited to all four band members that grew out of an in-studio jam of Lee Dorsey's "Get Out of My Life, Woman" and which features Gene Clark playing harmonica.[3][21]

The cover versions on Fifth Dimension include the Billy Roberts' song "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)", which would enjoy a brief vogue during 1966, with notable versions of the song being recorded by Love, The Leaves, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.[21][25] The song was introduced to The Byrds by Crosby, who also sang lead vocals on their recording of it.[21] Crosby, along with his friend Dino Valenti, had been instrumental in popularizing the song within the larger Los Angeles music community.[5][24] Consequently, the guitarist had been wanting to record the song with The Byrds almost since the band had first formed in 1964 but the other members of the group had been unenthusiastic.[5] During 1966, several other L.A. based bands enjoyed success with "Hey Joe", leaving Crosby angered by his bandmates' lack of faith in the song.[21] Finally the other members of The Byrds acquiesced and allowed Crosby the chance to record the song during sessions for Fifth Dimension.[21]

Another cover version on the album, "I Come and Stand at Every Door", is perhaps the most macabre song in The Byrds' oeuvre.[21] The song's lyrics, which were adapted from a poem by Nâzım Hikmet, recount the story of a seven-year-old child who was killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.[21] The song describes how the child's spirit now walks the earth in search of peace in the nuclear age.[2][21] The two traditional folk songs included on the album, "John Riley" and "Wild Mountain Thyme", were both introduced to the band by McGuinn, who had learned them via recordings made by Joan Baez and Pete Seeger respectively.[5] Writing for the Allmusic website, music critic Richie Unterberger regarded both "John Riley" and "Wild Mountain Thyme" as "immaculate folk rock", praising the arrangements.[2]

Release and legacy

Fifth Dimension was released on July 18, 1966 in the United States (catalogue item CL 2549 in mono, CS 9349 in stereo) and September 22, 1966 in the UK (catalogue item BPG 62783 in mono, SBPG 62783 in stereo).[1] It peaked at #24 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, during a chart stay of 28 weeks, and reached #27 in the United Kingdom.[6][7] The album's front cover featured a photograph taken by the graphic design company Horn/Griner and also featured the first appearance of The Byrds' colorful psychedelic mosaic logo.[22][26] The preceding "Eight Miles High" single was released on March 14, 1966 in the U.S. and April 29, 1966 in the UK, reaching #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #24 on the UK Singles Chart.[1][7][8] A second single, "5D (Fifth Dimension)", was released on June 13, 1966 in America and July 29, 1966 in the UK, peaking at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 but failing to chart in the UK.[1][7][8] A third single taken from the album, "Mr. Spaceman", was issued on September 6, 1966 and reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 but again, failed to chart in the UK.[1][8]

Contemporary reception

Upon its release, contemporary critical reaction to the album was somewhat tepid, although Hit Parader described the album as "the third and best album from The Byrds."[26] The Hit Parader review also made reference to the recent controversy surrounding the album's two preceding singles by suggesting "If your friendly neighborhood radio station banned 'Eight Miles High' and '5D' you can listen to them here and discover that there's nothing suggestive about them. The only danger in this album is that it might addict you to groovy music."[26] However, journalist Jon Landau, writing in Crawdaddy!, was less complimentary about the album and cited the departure of Gene Clark as a contributing factor in its artistic failure: "Unfortunately, they recently lost Gene Clark and the new album suffers greatly from this loss."[26] Landau concluded his review by opining that the album "cannot be considered up to the standards set by The Byrds' first two and basically demonstrates that they should be thinking in terms of replacing Gene Clark instead of just trying to carry on without him."[26] In the UK, Disc magazine was also critical of the album, bemoaning a lack of energy in the album's contents and commenting "Here then are those Byrds with the fresh eager exciting music sounding like tired and disillusioned old men looking back on the happy days. This is a sad sound indeed."[26]

Modern reception

In more recent years, Richie Unterberger, writing for the Allmusic website, has described Fifth Dimension as "wildly uneven", noting that the album's short-comings prevent it "from attaining truly classic status."[2] Despite its inconsistency, Fifth Dimension is today regarded as a highly influential, albeit transitional, album that is musically more experimental than the band's previous recorded output.[3][5] The album can also be seen as a testament to the rapidity with which pop music was evolving during the mid-1960s.[26] Like its predecessor, Turn! Turn! Turn!, the album was made under trying circumstances, with the band scrambling to compensate for the loss of their main songwriter in the wake of Clark's departure.[3][26] This resulted in an uneven album that included a total of four cover versions and an instrumental.[2] However, the album actually contained fewer covers than either of their Clark-era albums did, as well as an absence of songs by Bob Dylan, whose material, along with Clark's, had dominated earlier Byrds' releases.[26]

In his 2003 book Eight Miles High: Folk-Rock's Flight from Haight-Ashbury to Woodstock, Unterberger regards the album as a pivotal moment in establishing the Byrds' status within the emerging counterculture.[27] The author goes on to say that the album is a continuation of their folk rock sound, but clearly establishes the break away from "folk-rock into folk-rock-psychedelia".[27] He also notes the album's influence on the Byrds' contemporaries.[27]

The album was included in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[28]

CD reissues and Another Dimension

Fifth Dimension was remastered at 20-bit resolution and partially remixed as part of the Columbia/Legacy Byrds series.[29] It was reissued in an expanded form on April 30, 1996, with six bonus tracks, including the RCA versions of "Why" and "Eight Miles High".[2][21] The final track on the CD extends to include a hidden promotional radio interview with McGuinn and Crosby, dating from 1966.[30] The interview is open-ended and formatted with gaps between the group's answers, whereby a disc jockey could insert himself asking scripted questions, giving the illusion that The Byrds were being interviewed in person.[30]

On April 26, 2005, Sundazed Records issued a compilation of outtakes from the Fifth Dimension recording sessions, titled Another Dimension.[31]

Track listing

Side 1
  1. "5D (Fifth Dimension)" (Jim McGuinn) – 2:33
  2. "Wild Mountain Thyme" (traditional, arranged Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, David Crosby) – 2:30
  3. "Mr. Spaceman" (Jim McGuinn) – 2:09
  4. "I See You" (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 2:38
  5. "What's Happening?!?!" (David Crosby) – 2:35
  6. "I Come and Stand at Every Door" (Nâzım Hikmet) – 3:03
Side 2
  1. "Eight Miles High" (Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 3:34
  2. "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)" (Billy Roberts) – 2:17
  3. "Captain Soul" (Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, David Crosby) – 2:53
  4. "John Riley" (traditional, arranged Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, David Crosby) – 2:57
  5. "2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)" (Jim McGuinn) – 2:12
1996 CD reissue bonus tracks
  1. "Why" [Single Version] (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 2:59
  2. "I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider)" (traditional, arranged Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby) – 2:43
  3. "Psychodrama City" (David Crosby) – 3:23
  4. "Eight Miles High" [Alternate RCA Version] (Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 3:19
  5. "Why" [Alternate RCA Version] (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) – 2:40
  6. "John Riley" [Instrumental] (traditional, arranged Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, David Crosby) – 16:53
Notes
  • The album erroneously credits "John Riley" to Bob Gibson and Ricky Neff.[24]
  • The instrumental version of "John Riley" ends at 3:10; at 3:20 begins "Byrds Promotional Radio Interview"

Singles

  1. "Eight Miles High" b/w "Why" (Columbia 43578) March 14, 1966 (US #14, UK #24)
  2. "5D (Fifth Dimension)" b/w "Captain Soul" (Columbia 43702) June 13, 1966 (US #44)
  3. "Mr. Spaceman" b/w "What's Happening?!?!" (Columbia 43766) September 6, 1966 (US #36)

Personnel

NOTE: Sources for this section are as follows:[3][4][21][24][26]

The Byrds
Additional personnel

Release history

Date Label Format Country Catalog Notes
July 18, 1966 Columbia LP US CL 2549 Original mono release.
CS 9349 Original stereo release.
September 22, 1966 CBS LP UK BPG 62783 Original mono release.
SBPG 62783 Original stereo release.
1989 Columbia CD US CK 9349 Original CD release.
1991 BGO LP UK BGOLP 106
1991 BGO CD UK BGOCD 106
1993 Columbia CD UK COL 567069
April 30, 1996 Columbia/Legacy CD US CK 64847 Reissue containing six bonus tracks and a partially remixed version of the stereo album.
May 6, 1996 UK COL 4837072
1999 Sundazed LP US LP 5059 Reissue of the partially remixed stereo album with two bonus tracks.
1999 Simply Vinyl LP UK SVLP 0047 Reissue of the partially remixed stereo album.
2003 Sony CD Japan MHCP-68 Reissue containing six bonus tracks and the partially remixed stereo album in a replica LP sleeve.
2006 Sundazed LP US LP 5199 Reissue of the original mono release.

Remix information

Fifth Dimension was one of four Byrds albums that were remixed as part of their re-release on Columbia/Legacy.[29] However, unlike Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn!, which were remixed extensively, only a third of Fifth Dimension was remixed, although it is unknown exactly which tracks received this treatment.[29] The reason for these remixes was explained by Bob Irwin (who produced these re-issues for compact disc) during an interview:

The first four Byrds albums had sold so well, and the master tapes used so much that they were at least two, if not three generations down from the original. In most cases, a first-generation master no longer existed. They were basically played to death; they were worn out, there was nothing left of them.[32]

He further stated:

Each album is taken from the original multi-tracks, where they exist, which is in 95% of the cases. We remixed them exactly as they were, without taking any liberties, except for the occasional song appearing in stereo for the first time.[32]

Many fans enjoy the partially remixed album because it is very close to the original mix in most cases and offers noticeably better sound quality.[29] However, there are also a lot of fans who dismiss the remix as revisionist history and prefer to listen to the original mix on vinyl or on the pre-1996 CD releases.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 541–546. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Fifth Dimension review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Fricke, David. (1996). Fifth Dimension (1996 CD liner notes).
  4. ^ a b c d Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. pp. 80–87. ISBN 1-906002-15-0.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 177–186. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  6. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel. (2002). Top Pop Albums 1955-2001. Record Research Inc. p. 121. ISBN 0-89820-147-0.
  7. ^ a b c d Brown, Tony. (2000). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 130. ISBN 0-7119-7670-8.
  8. ^ a b c d e Whitburn, Joel. (2008). Top Pop Singles 1955-2006. Record Research Inc. p. 130. ISBN 0-89820-172-1.
  9. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 620. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  10. ^ a b c Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 152–158. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  11. ^ Bellman, Jonathan. (1997). The Exotic In Western Music. Northeastern Publishing. p. 351. ISBN 1-55553-319-1.
  12. ^ a b c d e Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 147–150. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  13. ^ "Terry Melcher obituary". London: The Times. November 23, 2004. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  14. ^ Rogan, Johnny. (1996). Turn! Turn! Turn! (1996 CD liner notes).
  15. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 165–167. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  16. ^ Einarson, John. (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. pp. 87–88. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  17. ^ a b "The Byrds Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  18. ^ a b c Einarson, John. (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. pp. 82–86. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  19. ^ Lavezzoli, Peter. (2007). The Dawn of Indian music in the West. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 155–157. ISBN 0-8264-2819-3.
  20. ^ Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 158–163. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rogan, Johnny. (1996). Fifth Dimension (1996 CD liner notes).
  22. ^ a b c d "Fifth Dimension". ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  23. ^ Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. p. 97. ISBN 1-906002-15-0.
  24. ^ a b c d e Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. pp. 93–95. ISBN 1-906002-15-0.
  25. ^ Stax, Mike. (1998). Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 (1998 CD box set liner notes).
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. pp. 101–103. ISBN 1-906002-15-0.
  27. ^ a b c Unterberger, Richie (2003). Eight Miles High: Folk-Rock's Flight from Haight-Ashbury to Woodstock. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 4. ISBN 0-87930-743-9.
  28. ^ Dimery, Robert (2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 9780789320896.
  29. ^ a b c d "The Byrds Remastered Albums 1996 - 2000". Byrds Flyght. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  30. ^ a b Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. p. 108. ISBN 1-906002-15-0.
  31. ^ "Another Dimension review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  32. ^ a b Irwin, Bob. (March 1996), ICE Magazine #108 {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
Bibliography
  • Rogan, Johnny, The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited, Rogan House, 1998, ISBN 0-9529540-1-X
  • Hjort, Christopher, So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973), Jawbone Press, 2008, ISBN 1-906002-15-0.
  • Einarson, John, Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
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