DAILY DIRT: ‘I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now’

The Byrds are, at times, one of those hall of fame groups that get pushed to the back burner because their best years conflicted with the Beatles and other British invasion bands. They are, however, worth remembering … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 313 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Let’s salute another of our favorite classic rock groups.

Today’s choice is the Byrds, who have long been considered one of the most influential bands of the rock era. Influenced themselves by the Beatles and other bands from the British invasion, the Byrds were able to successfully meld those sounds with traditional folk and then later psychedelic sounds.

(PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Steve is being kind. The Byrds were a straight carbon copy Beatle-wanna be Bob Dylan cover band. There were no Lennon’s or McCartney’s in this group, although David Crosby deserves some props. Plus, they had like a dozen guys cycle through. We all know there were only four Beatles, with apologies to Pete Best. They can have the title of best cover band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. JRG)

Here are my five favorite Byrds songs:

1a. “My Back Pages” (1967): “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” What lyrics!

(PUBLISHER’S NOTE: “When I was younger, so much younger than today…” Beatles “HELP!” (1965) JRG)

1b. “All I Really Want To Do” (1965): Again, the lyrics were so good, probably well ahead of the band’s time. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Yeah it was ahead of their time. This song was written and first performed by Bob Dylan. JRG)

3. “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965): One of the groups two No. 1 songs. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Yes, Dylan. JRG)

4. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” (1965): And this was the other. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Yes…another cover. This one was by Pete Seeger. JRG)

5. “So You Want To Be A Rock and Roll Star” (1967): This was their last major hit, and also one of their most upbeat sounds. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: They actually sang one they wrote! Yay! Give them a cookie. JRG)

2. Yep, time for another unusual menu item. Go ahead and grab a barf bag.

It’s something called khash, and is popular (I have no idea how) in parts of the Middle East, eastern Europe and Turkey. I assume those parts are rather secluded. Khash is “a pretty gruesome little dish made up of stewed cows feet and head,” according to hostelworld.com. “It was once a winter comfort food but is now considered a delicacy. I’m sure it’s fine, so long as you don’t mind that grinning skull staring at you through its cold dead eyes.”

3. A few days ago I referred to Paul McCartney as the left-handed Beatle, which later got me thinking.

I wonder how many other famous musicians have been lefties?

Here were the top five — not including Sir Paul — that I found:

• Ringo Starr: All these years, I never knew Ringo was a lefty.
• Jimi Hendrix: He’s the only guitar player in this group, and correct me if you feel I’m wrong, but left-handed guitar players simply look cooler than their right-handed counterparts.
• Phil Collins: The second of three drummers on this list.
• David Bowie: He’s a natural lefty, but chooses to play the guitar right-handed. Maybe he should have an asterisk.
• Stewart Copeland: The former Police drummer says most lefties are ambidextrous. I’m not sure that is any sort of scientific fact.For the record, Beethoven, Mozart and Bach were also lefties.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Steve has always been a righty. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: I’m left-handed. JRG)

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He has a great personality.