The Byrds (Mr. Tambourine Man)

The Byrds album cover Mr. Tambourine Man shows the band through a fisheye linse photo taken by Berry Feinstein. They are casually dressed all wearing black shoes and jeans. They are standing arms or hands folded and some are leaning on a log that creates a boarder between themselves and the small pond behind them. Surrounding the quarry is forest and sky. When seeing this cover I instantly think of  another group to use the fisheye lense photo for cover, and they would be the 1991 Smashing Pumpkins album Gish. The abvious difference is that the Pumpkins are up close to the camera and are more ingaged with the process of posing. On this album cover which today is recognized as an all time classic, the Title of the band is in a thick and bold type that resembles Black Oak std.  however the type on the cover is slightly more decorative or pronounced visuality with the addition of extra serifs within letters. The album ‘s title Mr. Tambourine Man is printed in a magenta color serif font that’s neither boring nor edgy but fairly simple and pleasing. On the back of the album cover were notes from Columbia records publisher Billy James that were geared to look like an open letter to a friend. The album was a success both in the U.S.  and in the U.K.. The Band was often playing cover songs that had been written by Bob Dylan. The most popular of these songs was also the title of their first albums released Mr. Tambourine Man.  The Byrds were the first musicians to be spoken of as a Folk Rock Band. There style was a successful combination of folk’s powerful and poetic lyrics and rocks prestigious back beat rythem. The back of  the album cover also featured a black and white photograph, taken by Jim Dickson, of The Byrds on stage with Bob Dylan at Ciro’s which was a Los Angeles night club which the Byrds often played. They are given credit by the New Music Express of UK as being the first group to bridge the gap between beat and folk. At the time of the album’s release, no band or artist had release a cover with a picture from a fisheye lense, so the picture of the band was a unique style. The Byrds are exceptional inspirations to the creation and preservation of folk rock music around the world.

     Before any of the music on the album is even considered it is noteworthy to mention that the album cover is a great one that is not too complicated or overdone. The track names are included on the front as is the Columbia Records Logo. Although I can only think of the Smashing Pumpkins whom have a similar cover I am sure that the picture has influenced many many other covers to become rendured in similar fashion.