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Its obvious inspiration on countless formative bands of my youth, especially Teenage Fanclub and The Stone Roses, also helps explain my fondness for this song. With a sharp sparkly intro, chiming guitars underpinned by equally sunny percussion, all topped off by beautiful honeyed vocals, “I’ll Feel…” is a reliably refreshing record that always helps raise a smile when listening to its considerable charms. However, my choice had to be the proto-jangle pop of “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better”. With such a legacy, the Byrds are another band where I’m spoilt for choice in picking a favourite song – and it’s especially tough to leave out “Eight Miles High”, the early 1966 birth of psych rock (also the subject of one my favourite ever cover versions, by Husker Du.). Inspiring fellow LA bands like Love and Buffalo Springfield, plus boasting the Beatles as firm friends and supporters, the Byrds sound is seen as a key influence on “Rubber Soul”, particularly “Nowhere Man” and “If I Needed Someone”. Even by 60s standards, the Byrds’ output of 6 classic albums in 4 years (from 1965’s “Mr Tambourine Man” to 1968’s “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo”) is a breath-taking run, basically inventing or playing a massive part in the birth of folk rock, jangly guitars, psych rock and country rock along the way. Nomenclature aside, it’s their near instant popular appeal followed by rapid musical evolution that makes the Byrds analogous to the Fab Four.
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Reviewing my song choice #24 I described Kraftwerk as the electronic Beatles, and the closest to an American Beatles would undoubtedly be the Byrds, even down to the purposely mis-spelt name. Moving into the top 20 of my favourite songs list now, courtesy of The Byrds’ joyful, jangle pop pioneering “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” from 1965.