Roger McGuinn - If I Needed Someone & The Byrds - Bells Of Rhymney

[musicmann1967]

Love George, LOVE the Beatles, love "If I Needed Someone", but "Bells of Rhymney" kicks it's ass...

[genericgeorge]

or convincingly

[genericgeorge]

McGuinn's voice has lost it's old bark and bite. It's really watered and down sterile here. The new digital recording tools just dont capture the old classic Byrds sound for me. The magic just isnt there or maybe McGuinn has lost the fire in his belly. Or maybe he just cant sell a Beatles tune convincly

[92ninersboy]

@genericgeorge I definitely don't agree with you - I think McGuinn sounds beautiful on this track, both guitar and vocals. He really turns this into a Byrds track, which if you know the history of it, you know that Harrison lifted the guitar vamp from The Byrd's "The Bells of Rymney". This isn't disputed, Harrison called McGuinn to tell him about it before The Beatles even released the song.

[genericgeorge]

@92ninersboy It's not a bad sound, it just inspire me like the old Byrds sound. The 12 string was the feature in this song and it's hardly heard here other than him playing the solo. It's more of a 6 string sound. And the voice.....all in tune and that but he just doesnt have the character like he did. He's a lot older so he's not going to sound like he did at 24. Bells is probably my fave Byrds track.

[QueenBeatlesWings]

normally, Beatles covers are awful because nobody can sing like them, but Roger's voice is something unique and fits the song because this song is based of Roger/ the Byrds "Bells of Rymney"