The Byrds' second album was only a disappointment in comparison with
Mr. Tambourine Man. They couldn't maintain such a level of consistent magnificence, and the follow-up was not quite as powerful or impressive. It was still quite good, however, particularly the ringing number one title cut, a classic on par with the "Mr. Tambourine Man" single. Elsewhere they concentrated more on original material,
Gene Clark in particular offering some strong compositions with "Set You Free This Time," "The World Turns All Around Her," and "If You're Gone." A couple more
Dylan covers were included as well, and "Satisfied Mind" was their first foray into country-rock, a direction they would explore in much greater depth throughout the rest of the '60s. [The reissue adds seven decent alternate takes and bonus tracks, the most interesting being a version of
Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," and an enigmatic
Gene Clark song, "The Day Walk (Never Before)."] ~ Richie Unterberger