Born July 13, 1942, today is Roger McGuinn's birthday. Happy #61!!!

The Byrds created a unique musical legacy, on the cutting edge of popular music for most of a decade. For one thing, their legendary Sweetheart of the Rodeo was the leading edge of the rock movement to country, well before Dylan got there- and a better album even than John Wesley Harding. It was the greatest AND the purest AND the firstest. At the time in 1968, the Byrds actually played the Grand Ole Opry. They apparently seriously confused the Opry audience, as they showed up with the long hair and full hippy raments- playing the oldest sounding mountain music you'd ever want to hear.

Of course, they made their names with the twin 1965 albums Turn, Turn, Turn and Mr Tambourine Man. The chiming sound of McGuinn's 12-string set the standards for a thousand bands of which Tom Petty and REM are only the most obvious.

My fave rave Byrd record, though, has usually been the Fifth Dimension, with the classic "Eight Miles High." That opening guitar solo (inspired by John Coltrane) remains perhaps my favorite guitar solo ever.