The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II

The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II is the second greatest hits album by the American rock band The Byrds. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 29, 1971 by CBS Records (see 1971 in music) as a follow-up to the band's first compilation album, The Byrds' Greatest Hits. The album appeared following the band's successful appearance at the Lincoln Folk Festival on July 24, 1971 and may have been issued by CBS as a reaction to the band's previous studio album, Byrdmaniax, having failed to chart in the UK.

Contents

• Side 1
• Side 2
• References

The album gathered together many of the singles that The Byrds had issued in the UK since the release of their first compilation in 1967, and as a result, it is the first album to feature the band's recording of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay", which had been issued as a non-album single in May 1969. Most of the tracks on the album were originally released between 1968 and 1971, but the song "The Times They Are a-Changin'" dated from 1965, despite that era of the band's career having already been covered by The Byrds' first greatest hits album.

The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II failed to reach the UK Albums Chart but its critical reception was generally warm, with the NME describing the compilation as "an indispensable acquisition for any student of the cream of American rock, particularly of the roots and influences." Nonetheless, a number of contemporary reviews also made note of the album's inaccurate and misleading title, since among the twelve tracks included, only the song "Chestnut Mare" had been a genuine hit in the UK.

The album has never been re-issued on CD and is currently out of print.