and this byrd can sing

Yesterday Fox News ran a screen flyer to one of their ad breaks on how The Byrds "Turn,Turn,Turn" was the No1. single 50 years ago! It wasn't.. but then that's Fox News for you.
It's next year The Byrds would be celebrating their 50th anniversary, and later in the year their first top selling single "Mr Tambourine Man". All very nice if The Byrds were still active. Crosby would definitely give it a go and McGuinn would definitely not. A recent interview in 'Uncut' Magazine revealed the extent of his divide with the past began back in the 80's when one more road trucking tour with at that time The Rolling Thunder Revue had convinced him it was time to go solo and quit the heavy traffic that comes with full size bands. Which is very achievable when you have a back catalogue as influential as McGuinn's, his solo performances still include some of those classic Byrds songs.

But what really separates him from many is a real hands on approach to how he produces his current work. In particular his output on the web.
He's had his Folk Den Project for years.
His web site has continued to give access to all his other projects. He records independently in his own studio (check out the Digital Recording Setup or his website map for loads of other stuff)
His wife Camilla and tour manager, runs his blog which is really a travelogue postcard of the places they go to on tour but fun to see and hear what they do all the same.
And most impressively of all has no record label "Who do you think would get all the money?".
And his final words on the whole reunion thing?
"I'm not afraid to talk about The Byrds. I just don't want to be in The Byrds"

Here's a good sample of his home base and him doing a reworking of that Byrds classic "Rock And Roll Star". And doing a pretty sharp job playing that limited edition signature Rickenbacker 360 12 string.
Wonder if he's still got those shades?

roger mcguinn

Roger McGuinn lead singer and guitarist with the Byrds wrote some of the most influential songs of the 1960's.
"During his time with The Byrds, McGuinn developed two innovative styles of electric guitar playing. The first was "jingle-jangle" – generating ringing arpeggios based on banjo finger picking styles – which influenced the folk rock genre. The second style was a droning (similar to the sitar) style of playing, heard in psychedelic rock." (edited from wiki)

In 1995 he set up a web site to archive folk, blues and other traditional music. By recording a song a month, a long with the lyrics and music score, he now has an amazing collection all available on The Folk Den.
The Folk Den Songs are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Which basically means there are Mp3 files and lyrics all free to download.
It is the project of a man who believes in music far beyond any commercial advantage but as a benefit for all people. The Folk Den is here.
There is also a fine podcast interview here - The Byrds' Roger McGuinn Works To Preserve Folk (via boing boing)

Here is McGuinn playing "Eight Miles High" at The ACL (Austin City Limits) in 1996 and boy does he give that 12-6 string hybrid a work out. Sensational stuff.