Joseph Byrd
Band members Related acts
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line up x (1961-2025) - Joseph Byrd (RIP 2025) -- synthesizer, keyboards,
supporting musicians: (1976) - John Bucchino -- keyboards
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- Joe Byrd and The Field Hippies |
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Genre: pop Rating: ** (2 stars) Title: Yankee Transcendoodle (Electronic Fantasies for Patriotic Synthesizer) Company: Takoma Catalog: C-1051 Country/State: Louisville, Kentucky Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: promo stamp on back cover Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $25.00
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One of the first "collectable" albums I bought was and album credited to Joseph Byrd and the Field Hippies - 1969's "The American Metaphysical Circus". Admittedly not the best slice of psych I've ever bought, but quirky enough that I still have a copy of the album.
Released
by John Fahey's small Takoma label, 1976's "Yankee
Transcendoodle
(Electronic Fantasies for
Patriotic Synthesizer"
found composer Byrd seemingly caught up in the wave of patriotism and
commercialism that marked the Bicentennial celebration. To quote
Byrd's liner notes: "This
album is a series of aural and spatial fantasies evoking the spirit of American
patriotic music. The sounds depict brass bands, wind bands, calliopes,
fifes and drums, Regina music boxes and Wurlitzer automatic organs, music
hall orchestras and whorehouse pianos, a chorus of boy whistlers, jazz bands
hot and sweet, a Kentucky parlor on a warm afternoon in 1902, the bo
By some weird coincidence I happened to buy Joseph Byrd solo album at a used record store on October 31, 2025. The eighty-eight year old Byrd died two days later - November 2, 2025.
"Yankee
Transcendoodle (Electronic Fantasies for Patriotic
Synthesizer)" track listing: 1.) The Star Spangled Banner (instrumental) (Francis Scott Key - John Stafford Smith) - rating: ** stars The opener "The Star Spangled Banner" served as a good example of what awaited the listener over the entire album. Opening up with what sounded like Atari game consol sound effects, the classic melody quickly revealed itself, complete with synthesizer "exploding cannon" sound effects. 2.) The Yankee Doodle Boy (instrumental) (George M. Cohan) - rating: ** stars Another instantly recognizable melody, though the synthesizers sounded like they'd been recorded at twice the expected speed. Still, you couldn't help but smile hearing this one. 3.) Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (instrumental) (George F. Root) - rating: *** stars Pretty melody and one of these tracks that was unknown to me. Thanks to Wikipedia - the song title is actually "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (The Prisoner's Hope)" and was one of the most popular songs of the American Civil War. George F. Root wrote the words and music and published it in 1864 to give hope to Union prisoners of war. The song is written from the prisoner's point of view. The chorus tells his fellow prisoners that hope is coming. A Confederate version of the song also exists." 4.) Red, White And Blue (Columbia, The Gem Of The Ocean) (instrumental) (D.T. Shaw) - rating: ** stars 5.) Hail! Columbia (instrumental) (Phillip Phile) - rating: ** stars Their version of :"Hail! Columbia" should strike a chord with anyone who appreciates mid-'70s synthesizers. 6.) America The Beautiful (instrumental) (Samuel Ward) - rating: ** stars 7.) Hold The Fort (instrumental) (Phillip P. Bliss) - rating: ** stars Another unknown Civil War related hymn, supposedly based on the actions of Union Major Daniel Whittle during General Sherman's march through Georgia. 8.) John Brown's Body (Battle Hymn Of The Republic)\ (instrumental) (traditional) - rating: ** stars 9.) Battle Cry Of Freedom (Rally Round The Flag) (instrumental) (George F. Root) - rating: ** stars Hum, the '20s flavor "flapper" interludes were unexpected and odd. 10.) National Emblem (March) (instrumental) (E.E. Bagley) - rating: ** stars Another march I don't recall, even though It is also used by the U.S. military when presenting and retiring the colors. 11.) Wake Nicodemus! (instrumental) (Henry Clay Work) - rating: ** stars
(side
2) Opening up with pips and martial drums "The World Turn'd Upside Down" was an odd choice for a collection of patriotic tunes. An English ballad dating back to the mid-1600s, it was thought to have been a protest against the English Parliament's decision to tax Christmas celebrations. 2.) Chester (instrumental) (William Billings) - rating: ** stars American revolution era patriotic tune ... No idea about the title. 3.) The Washington Post (March) (instrumental) (John Phillip Sousa) - rating: ** stars One of Sousa's best known marches ... 4.) You're A Grand Old Flag (instrumental) (George M. Cohan) - rating: ** stars I guess I'd forgotten how jazzy this tune was. 5.) The Bonnie Blue Flag & Dixie (instrumental) (anonymous / Dan Emmett) - rating: ** stars The dirge tempo arrangement of "Dixie" was strange 6.) Kingdom Coming (instrumental) (Henry Clay Work) - rating: ** stars 7.) Home! Sweet Home (instrumental) (Henry Bishop) - rating: ** stars 8.) Conquest of the American Wilderness (Joseph Byrd) - rating: *** stars The long original, Byrd's "Conquest of the American Wilderness" reflected a majestic melody though I'm not sure what the end of song marching boots sound effects were intended to reflect. Would love to hear this performed by a full orchestra rather than the cheesy synthesizers. 9.) The Stars And Stripes Forever (March) (instrumental) (John Phillip Sousa) - rating: *** stars Another one that synthesizer fans might want to check out. Kind of a carousel vibe on his arrangement. 10.) Grand Centennial Hymn (instrumental) (anonymous) - rating: *** stars The oddest choice, "Grand Centennial Hymn" was actually a version of "The Internationale". Given Eugène Pottier's composition has stood as a standard for the socialist movement since the mid-1800s, it was a strange tune to hear. 11.) The Lilly Bell Quickstep (instrumental) (G.W.E. Friederich) - rating: ** stars
© Scott R. Blackerby January 2026
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mbardment
of Fort McHenry in 1814 [the event that inspired “The Star Spangled Banner”],
the Conquest
of the American Wilderness, and a 15-year-old girl cornetist in church on
the Fourth of July.”" Produced
by Charel Morris and Jon Monday the album
featured Byrd and keyboardist John Bucchino making their way through a
collection of twenty classic patriotic songs using a combination of an
ARP 2600 Synthesizer, Oberheim Expander Oberheim 4 voice Polyphonic
Synthesizer and a TAPCO 2200 graphic equalizer (the equipment listing taken
from the liner notes). Most of these selections will be known to
American listeners, with Byrd's arrangements staying true to the original
melodies; though in
abbreviated renditions. Admittedly, exemplified by tracks like "Tramp,
Tramp, Tramp", "Hold
The Fort" and "National Emblem" about half of the songs were
unknown to my ears. So much for paying attention in History
classes. The oddest offering was titled "Grand Centennial
Hymn". The song was actually a cover of Eugène
Pottier's socialist anthem "The Internationale".
Finally the collection was rounded out by a Byrd original - "Conquest
Of The American Wilderness
". It's
certainly a "niche" release, but it you're into cheesy '70s
synthesizers and have a sudden itch for some patriotic sounds (hard to
muster up in these days of political and social chaos), this might strike a
chord. By the way, sporting
twenty-two selections I'm not going to bother with comments on each and
every track.