During their original 1965-1971 lifespan, the Byrds were one of rock-s most consistently inventive and influential bands, embodying the -60s ideals of restless experimentation and creative risk-taking. Through a lengthy series of artistic evolutions and personnel shifts, the Byrds maintained their place on rock-s cutting edge, with founding visionary Roger McGuinn joined over the years by such legendary figures as Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons and Clarence White. The musicians- diverse talents combined to produce one of rock-s richest and most rewarding album catalogs. The Byrds- first two albums, Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn!, gave birth to the folk-rock movement by applying soaring vocal harmonies and jangly 12-string guitars to Bob Dylan songs, traditional folk material and memorable originals. The band-s subsequent releases Fifth Dimension, Younger Than Yesterday and The Notorious Byrd Brothers helped to usher in the psychedelic era. With 1968-s Sweetheart of the Rodeo, featuring new member Gram Parsons, the Byrds became the first major rock act to explore the traditions of country music. After that album, McGuinn reinvented the Byrds once again, with a new lineup featuring the brilliant guitarist Clarence White, for a series of eclectic psychedelic-country-soul albums, including Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde, Ballad of Easy Rider.