David Byboth
Plano, TX | Established. Jan 01, 2006 | SELF
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David Byboth
"My Mind's Eye"
by Lone Star Mama
Singer/songwriter David Byboth has been performing for quite sometime now, and has finally put the finishing touches on his first CD. A pure D self proclaimed “folk” singer, Byboth’s first CD is top notch, even for those of us not considering ourselves “folkies”.
As both a review writer and house concert host, I am often privy to those who send that first CD. I’ve gotten the whole spectrum of quality and content, and never really know what to expect even when expecting from an artist I’ve known for a while. I had a pretty good idea that Byboth’s CD would be one of the better ones, but folks, it’s one of the great ones. All the tunes are written by Byboth, except for a great co-write with Jim Bush on “Swimming for the Surface” and an excellent cover of Kevin Welch’s “Flycatcher Jack and the Whippoorwill’s Song”.
“My Mind’s Eye” is not only one of the tracks, but is a highly appropriate title for this disc. This CD is truly a glimpse into Byboth’s world through his mind, and he paints clear, intimate pictures of his characters and emotions with his carefully chosen words. He shows his clarity, strengths, seriousness, sense of humor and vulnerabilities all in one neat, high quality package. This one gets played over and over as I drive (where I listen to the majority of music), and it has become a family favorite. I smiled just a few days ago as I heard my 10 year old happily singing along to several of the cuts.
The opening track is one of my favorites, one of those songs that actually runs through my head sometimes and doesn’t aggravate me that it’s doing so. “Dave and Louene (The King & Queen of Melrose Drive)” tells of a special couple Byboth lived next door to years ago. He gives such clear character sketches of them that I want them to be my neighbors, I want to know them.
“On Saturdays when I was gone
He’d crank up the mower and mow my lawn
And trim my bushes, weed and edge and sweep
And I’m come home from working late
On my front porch I’d find a plate
Of Louene’s chicken fried steak, cornbread and beans
They’re seventy plus going on eighteen
The ball room dancing King & Queen
Of Melrose Drive, Dave and Loueen
I can close my eyes and see them there
Smiling face and silver hair
On Melrose drive, the beautiful Dave and Loueen”
Nosy as I am, I asked and found he did actually perform the song for them, and framed the lyrics for them, and they were completely thrilled. I wish they had been here to see the final product and tell Byboth how proud they were of him yet again. Somehow, I think they would have been THE guests to mingle with at all the shows. And what I wouldn’t give to have tried that chicken fried steak.
“Ought To Be Texas” ought to be the new song used to promote Texas tourism. I already love Texas and live here, but if I didn’t, this tune would sure make me think about getting here as quickly as I could. This song was actually written in 1995, and 13 years later, it’s as relevant as if it were written yesterday. I think this one will always be very near and dear to my heart.
Other favorites of mine on the CD are “Before the Longest While”, “Engineer Song”, and “New Year’s Day”, but I have to say if I had to pick only one, “My Mind’s Eye” would be the top pick.
“Momma’s pullin’ a pie from the oven
I can smell it from where I’m at
It’s coolin’ in the window where the dogs can’t get it
Waitin’ to make me fat"
And that’s just the beginning. Squirrels, Bill Monroe, a broken down hearse, a “Jesus Loves You” sticker, and a familiar songwriter are all tied together in this incredible song, with the chorus:
“I didn’t see it but I know that it happened
As I was driving by
I closed my eyes and it was all there
In my mind’s eye”
Really fantastic stuff, this is a “must have” to your CD collection.
Now maybe you’re under the incorrect impression that I like it because my friend did it. Well, my friends know I’m pretty honest if they ask my opinion on something. If they don’t want the truth, they better not ask. It’s the same for review writing, friend or not. Honestly, this will still be one of my top CD’s at the end of 2008, it’s got staying power. I’m not the only one who apparently believed in the project. Produced by Ray Wylie Hubbard and mastered by Gurf Morlix, Byboth was also able to enlist the the talents of Rick Richards, Eleanor Whitmore, Kelley Mickwee, Chip Woodburn, Billy Cassis, and George Reiff to complete this wonderful disc.
Check this guy out at www.byboth.net or on www.myspace.com/byboth
Lone Star Mama
Written by Dana Jones, March, 2008 - Misslana.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
David Byboth – Swimming For The Surface
“It’s just another paradise you’ll never get into.” Playing this album is like having a coupla friends over with a few beers and guitars. Nothing electric going here, no studio tricks. Just a few folks together for a good time singing songs about Texas, lost loves, good neighbors and old friends. This particular song had a few lines of thoughtful poetry included, and I love sharing good poetry. Here’s a small taste of this one:
“The voices keep on yelling from that place inside my head.
I’m trying not to listen, but they never go to bed.
I’m holding in my last breath as long as I can,
Swimming for the surface and drowning on dry land.
By Saturday my Sunday best lay crumpled on the floor.
And the rain keeps blowing sideways through the hole kicked in the door.
Tomorrow really scares me like it did just yesterday,
‘Cause those dragons keep on coming, no matter how many I slay.”
This album isn’t available quite yet, but it should be soon, so get over to the website & reserve yourself a copy. As soon as a proper link opens up, I’ll post it here.
- Eartaste.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
David Byboth – Swimming For The Surface
“It’s just another paradise you’ll never get into.” Playing this album is like having a coupla friends over with a few beers and guitars. Nothing electric going here, no studio tricks. Just a few folks together for a good time singing songs about Texas, lost loves, good neighbors and old friends. This particular song had a few lines of thoughtful poetry included, and I love sharing good poetry. Here’s a small taste of this one:
“The voices keep on yelling from that place inside my head.
I’m trying not to listen, but they never go to bed.
I’m holding in my last breath as long as I can,
Swimming for the surface and drowning on dry land.
By Saturday my Sunday best lay crumpled on the floor.
And the rain keeps blowing sideways through the hole kicked in the door.
Tomorrow really scares me like it did just yesterday,
‘Cause those dragons keep on coming, no matter how many I slay.”
This album isn’t available quite yet, but it should be soon, so get over to the website & reserve yourself a copy. As soon as a proper link opens up, I’ll post it here.
- Eartaste.com
Discography
My Mind's Eye - Spygoat Music
Photos
Bio
David Byboth – Long Music Bio May, 2018
“ Are you coming to the Townes tribute next week?? What three songs are you going to play?”
Those two questions started the performing career of David Byboth. Townes was only gone for a few months. David had been playing and writing for years… but not for other people.
The tribute was in Marquetta Herring’s “Paperback Plus” bookstore in Old East Dallas. Legendary folkie, and Friend of Townes, Vince Bell and his lovely wife Sarah were coming. Vince would play “Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold” David had to follow him.
“You’ll do all right”, Vince said noticing his nervousness. He did.
So began the dual life of David Byboth. High Tech Executive for a global technology company by day. Folk singer/songwriter house concert presenter and self professed festival junkie the rest of the time.
“Folk & Texas Music is in my blood. I bought my first guitar when I was 14. Cut my teeth on Neil Diamond, Cat Stevens and others but it was Jerry Jeff, Rusty Weir & Steven Fromholz that shaped my music…”, David says.
In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s as a teenager, his Friday & Saturday nights were spent on Greenville Avenue in Dallas at places like, The Western Place, or Whisky River, or Lilly Langtry’s. David saw Stave Fromholz & Dan McCrimmon as Frummox play “Texas Trilogy” at the original Poor David’s Pub on McKinney Ave. He saw Jerry Jeff Walker with Bug’s Henderson on Guitar. He saw Rusty Weir, BW Stevenson and more.
Then came the ‘80s and KNON in Dallas. Townes Van Zandt was on the radio. He had that soft lilting voice that you can’t not listen to. David saw him with Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff and Mickey Newbury at the Arcadia Theater. It was billed as the “First Annual Texas Songwriters Reunion.” There was never another one.
David Relates:
“The Arcadia, one of the greatest old wooden theaters I have ever been in. I saw Lyle Lovett open for Jerry Jeff Walker there and Robert Earl Keen from the front row. The Arcadia became a Hispanic disco. Recently it recently burned to the ground. You can still find the Marquee sign if you look...
“I was completely captivated with Townes & Guy. I bought all their records I could find. I sat for hours with “Let Him Roll” on the turntable, moving the needle back over and over again learning to fingerpick on my $100 Yamaha guitar. Then I moved on to “If I Needed You”, “Rex’s Blues”, “Homegrown Tomatoes”.
“I was spending all my musical energy learning other people’s songs. One day it struck me. If I spend at least half my energy writing my own songs, there might be something really cool come out of that. Now there’s a challenge for a left-handed engineer with not much natural musical ability. I worked hard. I learned about song structure, keys and chords. I played for years to the bedroom wall. Then I got divorced.”
There’s nothing like a major emotional event to drive creativity. David took full advantage of his new found freedom. He started writing songs. He started going to music festivals and he joined the Dallas Folk Music Society. The DFMS had a monthly “Hootenanny”. It introduced him to the “Song Circle”.
“It was the first time I played for strangers. I played Townes’ songs. I played Guy’s songs. Most of all, I played my songs. There weren’t many songwriters in the DFMS. A lot of what was played was traditional folk; Woody Guthrie and the like. I fell in love with the people and the culture. I made new friends. I started having “jams” and my house. I also found the internet.”
“In early 1995 my “High Tech” career took me to a networking startup company. There was this cool new thing called the “World Wide Web”. I had an e-mail address for the first time. Sometime in 1996 I found a discussion group about Townes Van Zandt. Before Yahoogroups, they were called Listserv’s. Suddenly there was a whole group of people from all over the place with similar interest to discuss music with. I also found the Jerry Jeff Walker list. Jerry Jeff had a big Birthday bash every year in Downtown Austin at the Driskill hotel. I had to go. I met and became fast friends with people from places like Boston, Vancouver, England, and Australia. We played music until our fingers bled. I wrote more songs.”
In 2008 - Freshly retired from Corporate America, David moved to the Texas Hill Country and enlisted Ray Wylie Hubbard to produce his Debut CD "My Mind's Eye". After 8 years of retirement He has since moved back to the Dallas Area where Audio Production and Performing/Songwriting are his only profession.
David is currently in the studio working on his second CD.
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