In 1972, the four principal original members of The Byrds—Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Chris Hillman—set aside their solo careers to reunite for a self-titled comeback album, encouraged by a lucrative deal from David Geffen's Asylum label. The reunion mattered because The Byrds had been hugely influential in shaping folk rock and psychedelia in the mid-1960s, and fans hoped this pairing of the original line-up might recapture that creative spark after years of internal conflict and line-up changes had eroded the band's output.

Recorded over just a few weeks in late 1972 with Crosby producing, the album titled simply "Byrds" featured two songs each from the band's four songwriters plus cover versions of tracks by Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Released in March 1973, it sold reasonably well but was poorly received by critics, who noted the absence of McGuinn's signature guitar sound and generally weak songwriting, with band members later admitting they had been hesitant with one another and had held back their strongest material for their own projects. The disappointing reception ended any hope of a lasting reunion, and McGuinn released a solo album just months later, closing the door on The Byrds' recording career.