Back From Rio

Sound DNA

• Rock

About

For fans of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn’s return to performing and recording with a full band in 1991 was a triumphant event. Since McGuinn’s preceding album, <i>Thunderbyrd</i>, had been released 14 years prior, <i>Back from Rio</i> is considered his comeback. And with the box set <i>The Byrds</i> surfacing just three months before <i>Back from Rio</i>, McGuinn’s timing couldn’t have been better, nor his sound more rooted in his jangly folk-rock past. The opening song, “Someone to Love,” recalls The Byrds right from the sparkling chimes of his 12-string Rickenbacker and godly backing vocals, courtesy of fellow founding Byrds David Crosby and Chris Hillman. (Those three hadn't recorded together since the band's 1973 eponymous reunion album.) “King of the Road” is an incredible standout that became an accidental radio hit. It features a duet with Tom Petty, who owes much of his sound to The Byrds—especially McGuinn’s guitar style. Fittingly, “Your Love Is a Goldmine” shines brightest here. The song plays like a lost Byrds gem, unearthed and polished with heavenly harmonies.

via Apple Music

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