At 03:56 PM 8/20/2003 EDT, GaryPig@aol.com wrote:
>I haven't had the pleasure of spending much time on Jeffrey Glenn's couch 
>lately
>(Hi, Jeff!)
>so this is as good a virtual opportunity instead as any
>to once again bemoan the fact that J. McGuinn and his Byrds
>should share at least HALF the credit for, quote,
>inventing folk- and/or jangle-rock
>with the almighty, all-harmonising, electric-12-string-since-'62 (!!) 
>Searchers.

A bit of sad news: the Searchers' Tony Jackson died earlier this week.

>I know Tom Petty has studied those first four Searchers albums religiously;
>Peter Buck should only be so candid  ;-)

I kinda doubt Peter Buck has heard a single Searchers song after "Needles
and Pins" and MAYBE "Sugar and Spice."  I also doubt he's particularly into
the Byrds.  Early R.E.M.'s antecendents suddenly fell into place for me a
few years ago when Buck mentioned that his favorite album in the earliest
days of the band was the Soft Boys' UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT: I put RECKONING
on directly after that album and immediately thought, "Oh.  Of course."
It's not an influence anyone would automatically pick up on -- especially
if like 98% of all their American fans, you discovered the Soft Boys
*after* R.E.M. -- but once you listen for it, it's obvious.

S