Label: Columbia Records (Europe), COL 483707 2
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Time: 62:21
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 343 Mb
Charts: US #24, UK #27.
The
best known song on the album is the hit single "Eight Miles High", an
early excursion into psychedelic rock. 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. Written mostly by 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. 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. Although 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, both Clark and rhythm guitarist David Crosby
later admitted that the song was at least partly inspired by their own
drug use.
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. In spite of its tongue-in-cheek lyrics, both McGuinn and
Crosby were serious about the possibility of communicating with
extraterrestrial lifeforms via the medium of radio broadcast. 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. However, in later years McGuinn realized that this
would've been impossible since AM radio waves disperse too rapidly in
space.
"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. 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. This resulted in
some radio stations in America refusing to play the song. The organ
arrangement on "5D (Fifth Dimension)" was played by Van Dyke Parks.
(full version: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Dimension_(album))
01. 5D (Fifth Dimension) (02:36)
02. Wild Mountain Thyme (02:33)
03. Mr. Spaceman (02:12)
04. I See You (02:41)
05. What's Happening?!?! (02:38)
06. I Come And Stand At Every Door (03:06)
07. Eight Miles High (03:37)
08. Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go) (02:20)
09. Captain Soul (02:56)
10. John Riley (03:00)
11. 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song) (02:21)
Bonus Tracks:
12. Why [bonus] [single version] (03:02)
13. I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider) [bonus] (02:46)
14. Psychodrama City [bonus] (03:26)
15. Eight Miles High [bonus] [alternate-RCA studios version] (03:22)
16. Why [bonus] [alternate-RCA Studios version] (02:43)
17. John Riley [bonus] [instrumental version 1] (16:53)
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