The 12-string electric guitar may never recover. As long as there are baby boomers roaming the earth, its airy jangle will signify psychedelic innocence and optimism refracted through the peculiar light of mid-'60s Los Angeles. With Roger McGuinn leading, the Byrds kicked off American rock history with a merger of Bob Dylan's words and the Beatles' melodic energy. The results are here: "Mr. Tambourine Man," "The Bells of Rhymney," and "Eight Miles High" still jump off the airwaves. The midpoint between Dylan and the Beatles is a one-of-a-kind place, where optimism and innocence still sound smart. --Steve Tignor
