The Notorious Byrd Brothers

Very different sounding record to the Sweetheart of the Rodeo that was released in the same year ( I guess Graham Parsons will do that to ya). This is more what comes to mind when I think The Byrds. Psychedelic, folksy rock with harmonies. Love the dreaminess of Goin' Back. Between the breathy, floating vocals, twinkling bells, and subtle slide guitar this one is wonderfully buoyant. Also love the psychedelic vibe of Natural Harmony. Something about Tribal Gathering makes me think of Steely Dan, but I can't say exactly why... Could be the harmonization? Song is a low-key jazzy jam. This was a pleasant and pithy record. Really enjoyed the opening 3 as well as Tribal Gathering. The rest were easy listening, but left less of an impression. I'd say this is high 3 to low 4 territory. Erring low.

Another pleasant '60s album with a touch of psychedelia. Low 4.

Another solid 60s rock album that was released only like 6 months after that Moby Grape album that just came up yesterday. Pretty much the same review. Im lazy

Pretty similar to the Moby Grape album, and this one actually has a member of CSN in it so this makes sense. I did find this one to be a bit more psychedelic so I'm bumping it up just a bit.

Ah boomer nostalgia. Where anything even vaguely touching CSNY, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Bread or James Taylor is revered despite any pretence to quality. Now all of these acts could do quality. But not everything they brought out was. It’s hard to criticise the incompetence of Gary Usher as a producer given his crippling addictions which lead to an early death. But compared to Phil Spector, George Martin, Don Kirchner, Sonny Bono or Berry Gordy (as examples) his work is lacking. Muddy. And a bit pointlessly weird. I like weird but it has to work. This doesn’t. Ok some of it isn’t Ushers fault. The songs are weak. Crosby storms out or is thrown out or both twice. The market is changing away from the direction they’re going ln (ironically much closer to their original vision.). Sweetheart of the rodeo is far superior. This is ok. But not 1000 album worthy. 3.5

I cannot fathom why there are five Byrds albums on this list. They did develop that jingle-jangle guitar sound that everyone from the Beatles onwards copied and they had a cool look, but really, most of their records don't have much staying power. This album is a good example of "the Byrds sound" -- jangly guitars, harmony singing, some slightly out there approach to production -- but the songs just aren't that memorable. Their lasting influence is probably having invented (or at least perfected) internecine band conflicts. Having David Crosby in a band will do that for you. He was a nasty little troll. Talented, but band poison. (He was also clearly into pressuring girls into threesomes, as documented in his song Triad, recorded for this album but ultimately rejected by the rest of the band because eww, that's just creepy, dude)

It's sad that they're all that bad.

A bit comfy, a bit weird, which I'm sure a lot of stuff was back in the day too.

6/10

Very good

Pretty standard late 60s vibes. Not a huge fan of the genre. Maybe an earlier time it would have been better. Can tell it influenced early 70s bands though.

Every time I listen to The Byrds I think I don't listen to The Byrds enough. Jangly guitars, harmonized vocals, just the right amount of pop, folk and psychedelia, this is the type of stuff that gets my left eye to jumpin'. The mid to late 60's was such a fantastically creative time for music and this album is right in the middle of it. Extra kick ass album cover with the horse.

If I was a hippy in the 1960’s I would have liked this album. Since I wasn’t. I don’t.

Definitely some noodling going on with the moog. But also the group was definitely not all in on recreating their sound. Not really any major moves away from their previous sound. One album is really enough to get the idea.

I don't find psychedelic rock very interesting, it mostly just feels really same-y to me Nad never really makes an impact on me Standouts Moog Raga 3/5

Love the mixing of this album. Felt like floating through the through a meadow whilst soaking in all the colors of the sun.

I enjoyed some of the tracks, but there were a few of the more psychedelic tracks that I really disliked

Seamless transition from the last album to this one. Pretty sad it took me until now to listen

Reminded me of less interesting George Harrison

More psychedelic than I expected from the creators of Turn turn Turn but a nice blend of folk and other music from the time

Good rock band from the 60’s. Had some good breakout songs.

not my style but why not

Enjoyed this one! Had the right amount of folk/rock-ness to it to make for an enjoyable listen.

Really enjoyed this album. It's never heard of them before now. The perfect blend of psychedelic rock, folk and country.

Why are there so many Byrds albums on this list?? My quick search says there are 5 of them! I don't think The Byrds made enough interesting music to justify taking up that many slots on this list even if they are considered "influential"!

like kinda cool I guess???? idk it was a little fun but also very reminiscent of everything else that was coming out at the time in that field. i guess it's just your standard byrds album

Some fine, straightforward folky psychedelia of its era. Pretty whatever. The Moog Raga was hilarious. I would not revisit.

Bouncy southern twang Supports angelic vocals Weds country to rock

норм. не зацепило

Classic 60s stuff here.

I feel like The Byrds are more of an influential band than one I'd want to listen to regularly. Much better than Sweetheart of the Rodeo which I couldn't stand

The Byrds are just sort of what the 60s sounded like. I think the album was a cool mix of their original folk style and leaning into a little bit of the psychedelic rock style pretty cool album not my favorite but not bad.

3 is the magic number: As the 3rd Byrds album we have had on this list, I am sensing a pattern. They are good (great even), influential, and shape shifting, but are unable to move above a 3 for me.

Psychedelic country rock of the first order.

3.5/5

When your mom says “We have The Beatles at home”. 3.5 Stars

Ah, yes. A classic album from "The Misspelled Animal Names" I don't really want to be so reductive in only drawing comparisons to another band with a misspelled animal name. I think that is unfair to what this album offers that is unique. There are some neat production tricks. I think this is an album that would grow on me with subsequent listens.

Great record. Didn’t click the first time

Technical boundaries were pushed, but u fortunately, so was my patience

There was nothing notorious here, this was the mildest shit. Not bad, not super memorable either. Stand-out: Tribal Gathering

ehh. haven't we had enough byrds now

Heavyly influenced by The Beatles

It exists

Super weak sauce.

A delicious slice of psych country rock , if there is such a genre. Classic late 60s Americana. Great album.

Solides, einflussreiches Album

This album starts amazingly with a proper focus on the harmonies the band is known for. Sadly, it then feels a bit unfocused and the guitar shrivelling is too dominant and not in line with the rest of the music. All in all just three stars because of that.

Menos interesante de lo que esperaba

I enjoyed this album, even though it did sound a bit dated. I don't think I'd go back to it, though. It didn't grip me enough. 3.5 stars

One of my all time favourite bands. So influential in so many genres in such a short time. Never quite got the love for this album though, then one day it just clicked and it’s one of my most listened to records since. A record made by a band in turmoil, see Johnny Rogans essential for any Byrd fans book for the whole story. But it ends up such a coherent piece of work, The whole soundscape of this. 5 Star.

Liked this, get over the byrds mr album man though

Oh my god really will you stop with the Byrds? I already had them this week. And last week I had Gene Clark. And the week before that I had The Byrds again. How have I listened through 1002 albums only to have this full on Byrdstrike so close to the end? And where's the nearest telephone box? I feel like Tippi Hedren. I look forward to getting the horse's solo album next week. Although actually given that horse represents Croz, I've already had his fantastic solo effort. So what do I think of this record? Well, it's brilliant isn't it. One of the Byrds albums that inarguably deserves a spot here. You've still got the creative core members (playing at least). Wasn't Born to Follow trails the next album while maintaining the freak out psych elements with gusto. It is a wonderful piece of music. As I read in a particularly good review on here, feels like losing your grip on reality for a few seconds, like seeing a monster out the window of a speeding train. Change is Now repeats this psych vibe with a folky structure in a far more gentle and beautiful way, but equally as affecting. The introduction of the Moog synthesizer. I think I am done with the Byrds after this but it's great to finish on a clear highlight.

Pretty solid, but I probably wont return to it much

Jedan od njihovih razvikanijih, ali meni je nekako bolje ono ranije

Does not contain "Turn, Turn, Turn"

I was lied to. I was told that the Beetles were the experimental, hard hitting 60s band, but these guys are so much better. They are so much less up their own ass than the Beetles and it shows in their music. This might be one of the first psychedelic rock albums I’ve ever liked…and I do a lot of drugs.

Very good. Perfect length to not drag on and yet still have plenty to enjoy

Not bad but after the monkees it was hard to get excited

Rating Date- March 31, 2025 Initial Rating- 3 Album Number- 37 Album Plays- 5 Top Tracks- Natural Harmony Tribal Gathering Skip Tracks- Listening Notes- Only a couple of stand out tracks I’m adding to playlists, but no bad tracks either. An enjoyable listen, but not something I’ll play repeatedly.

I could take it or leave it, but gun to my head? I'd leave it

Nice, but not for me.

Lovely album. Crosby's Triad song was one of the best songs and should have been on the album. Some lovely bass playing by Chris Hillman and of course Roger McGuinn's jangly guitar. Harmonies on point as always Best songs: Basically all of them 4.5

It's my 4th Byrds album so far and I liked all of them. This is the most experimental and imaginative of the four, it's a great mix of psychedelia, folk, electronica, jazz and even country. Considering the changes in the band during the making of this album, it's surprising how consistent it is. There are no standout tracks, but it's quality from start to finish. The vocal harmonies are especially lovely, and I like the experimentation too (it was one of the first albums which used Moog synthesizer on it). It's also an influential album a lot, so overall I would give it a 4 and a half stars if I could, but since there's no half stars I'll stick to just 4.

It’s fine, offensively inoffensive.

It was listenable but nothing really stood out. I think if I paid more attention to the lyrics there might be something striking but 60s protest music doesn't really excite me. Musically, meh but not bad.

I have a real soft spot for 60’s music, especially when I feel like they’re trying to do weird shit. This was David Crosby’s first band, before he was in Crosby, Stills and Nash, so it’s cool to see where people came from before they were in what I know them for.

Meh

I’d give this 3.5 if I could — 60s harmonies are always excellent. I liked it overall but feel like I’ve gotta be into it to go 4 or higher

The Byrds are super consistent regarding '60s country rock and folk acts—especially ones with pop leanings. There is a psychedelic twist here, apparent in the lyrical themes of the opener and the instrumentals of songs like 'Natural Harmony' or 'Old John Robertson'. The offputtingly ethereal sound of 'Draft Morning' paired with those morbid lyrics and harrowing snippets made for a gripping political song. I'd go as far as to say that the vocal harmonies and instrumentation of the calmer parts of this song reminded me of the late '80s and early '90s dream-pop sound. 'Space Odyssey' might be the most mind-blowing track here - a subtly grating, clipping drone and theremin-sounding thing drive this very ominous sci-fi song. This is the type of experimentation you'd expect out of the Beatles from this time. It's a black sheep here though, most of the other songs are relatively soft and easy on the ears - 'Goin' Back' and 'Get to You' are two of the many gorgeous tracks here. Maybe I dismissed The Byrds after enjoying Gene Clark's solo work so much more (A man who's not even on this album much, if at all - he had left by this point). But this album kicked ass - it's how I like my warm '60s music. Like a cozy hug on a cold morning.

3.1 Typische eind jaren 70 muziek, wel leuk maar niet echt mijn smaak

Another classic, 60s album from the band tha launched a thousand bands. The open track, "Artificial Energy" sounds like what the record company wanted them to open the album with (maybe the title is tongue in cheek?), very up and radio friendly. The song Draft Morning is a great "freak-out" song that Wilco may have had in mind on YHF. The rest of the album is what you'd expect from the Byrds, chiming guitars, incredible melodies, unusual arrangements. All in all, a pretty damn good album.

Wishy washy

I enjoyed this a lot, but it probably isn't something I come back to much if at all. It's just a bit too dated for regular listening. Clearly deserves to be here though.

🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴/🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴

Mediocre folksy psych rock. Albums in this genre have to be really exceptional (or maybe just weirdly particular to my taste) for me to feel anything other than indifferent toward them, and unfortunately, this one didn’t rise to the occasion. It’s not you, it’s me. Maybe. It might be you.

I have come to like The Byrds from this list. I have liked their other stuff more, but there's a few I liked in this one

This album definitely needed to be on the list. I have never listened to a full Byrds album before, but it's incredible how modern some of these songs sound. Dolphin's Smile literally sounds like the start of Time to Pretend by MGMT. Other songs, like Wasn't Born to Follow, create the mold for 70s folk rock. While there are these highlights, there are also some of the worst songs I've ever heard on this album. Moog Raga made me feel like I was having a stroke. Best Songs: Wasn't Born to Follow, Change Is Now, Tribal Gathering Worst Songs: Space Odyssey, Moog Raga

Man, the Byrds suck.

Inte riktigt min kopp te, lite likt Beatles, men mjukare

Nyt tulee joka päivä vähän liian samankaltaista rockia

Nowhere near as insufferable as Sweetheart of the Rodeo, but also generally pretty bland. Congrats on using a phase effect, I suppose? I don’t know. Think I just don’t identify with the 60s mentality at all.

stfu

Überwiegend ruhiger Rock, plätschert so vor sich hin. Mich hat es nicht begeistert, auch wenn nichts stört. 2/5

Enjoyed this album, although it became more background music as I got busy. No standout massive hits but all tracks were pretty decent, nice lyrical imagery. 3.5/5

It's allright, but noall rightt very memorable.

#89 - Pleasant enough but can't find much revolutionary about it?

Shit. The hippies found the flanger.

This is mostly standard fair 60s, landing somewhere closer to CSN than the Beatles. Lots of familiar sounds and harmonizing with the singers. There are a couple special moments throughout that elevate the album to me, including Goin' Back. A beautiful song that I really enjoyed. I also liked Change is Now and Tribal Gathering.

4 stars

Verged on cliche 60's hippy mystic sounds at some points but I enjoyed it

Good at times, meh at times

This just about gets a 3, mostly because it’s short and bored of giving this albums a 2

Not my favourite of theirs. Although my favourite of theirs is Mr Tambourine Man and that isn’t even really theirs anyway. Simpsons: Yes

Nice short one. The music was fine.

this is really outdated. not the worst but definitely not the best

Liked this less than the other Byrds album, still a 3 though

I know this band. Have definitely heard of their tracks. When I first heard them, being younger, immediately thought they were a The Beatles wannabe, but they are not. Interested to actually check out one of their albums. They are a little too mellow for my liking.

CSN yesterday, Byrds today, 1001AG must think I need David Crosby in my life now....

good album.

01) Artificial Energy - 6,5 02) Goin' Back - 8,0 03) Natural Harmony - 7,0 04) Draft Morning - 6,5 05) Wasn't Born to Follow - 7,0 06) Get to You - 6,5 07) Change Is Now - 7,5 08) Old John Robertson - 6,5 09) Tribal Gathering - 7,0 10) Dolphin's Smile - 6,5 11) Space Odyssey - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,86 (69/100) Current ranking: 281/417

Not much to say about this one. Nothing stood out to me as exceptional, it was all pretty mediocre, but listenable.

No. As much as I love the sixties sound, this seemed like a phone in. They were really missing David Crosby.

This put the No in Notorious.

What a delight! I knew Byrds radio hits over the decades but thus is beyond their best! Loved it!

Cozy vibes

Didn't grab me. Maybe I just didn't get it.

2.5 if im honest. Too folky for too long

no, please, just, no. Some of the melodies are nice and smooth but this is boring. Very psychedelic and i don't know, maybe psychedelic rock is not my thing after all. Very Magical Mystery Tour. Some are interesting, but for the most part it's just boring, I can imagine people enjoy it, just not my thing in general. 2-2.5/5.

Meh

could i write poetry to this? n

A fine collection of Pop-Americana-Psychedelic-Folk songs. Without any of the Byrds' classic hits, the record lacks any real highlight. The lush vocal harmonies are typical of the California scene that The Byrds were a significant part of. Hey, look! It's another album featuring the accomplished studio drummers Hal Blaine and convicted murderer Jim Gordon!

I like the music more than the vocals.

I found this really dull. I think it has aged a lot and just didn't hold me interest

I just can’t dislike The Byrds. Not my favorite album of theirs, but it’s still good. Also not sure there needs to be as many albums on the list by them as there are, but that’s a separate point. The best songs here are “Get To You” and “Old John Robertson” but all the songs are enjoyable. The replay value of this isn’t super high for me, which is why it isn’t getting a 5, but I still really liked it.

younger than yesterday is the goat

This was so much better than I thought. I thought Id skip this one after the first few songs but actually this just sounds really good. Low 4

Ενα αλμπουμ το οποιο μου θυμισε απο πλευρας vocals παρσ πολυ τους beatles. Παραγωγη ιδιαιτερη και θα ελεγα οτι αρκετα advanced και μπροστα απο την εποχη τους. Καποια πολυ καλα κομματια τα περισσοτερα οχι το στυλ μου. Rating: B-

Feel like this is the fairly standard Byrds review. Just not that interesting and a little 'over before it's started'. I get the sense it's kind of self-consciously 'groovy', like maybe even their contemporaries rolled their eyes at it. There are some nice songs though, Get To You rattles along well and Dolphin's Smile has a slight Simon and Garfunkel quality to it. That's always the way with the Byrds though, at their best, they sound like someone else.

Man all these white man groups sound the same. It was fine. I don't remember anything about it.

I'm a jangly Byrds man, so the album where they started to leave the jangle behind for country rock, with a side order of psychedelic whimsy is not my favourite. Three generous stars.

Innocuous ploof.

Got through most of the album but pretty generic, not for me, probably wouldn't listen to it again.

Pretty forgettable for me.

Sick to the back teeth of Beatles rip offs now. Slightly psychedelic pop rock, ham fisted attempts at Indian music and general groovy vibes. I don't think this was quite as offensive as say the kinks (no harpsichord) but I don't feel I've heard anything new from listening to this. Please no more.

I know they are one of Jack's favourite bands but I really can't get into them. Just a little bit dull. Younger than Yesterday was alright, but not a fan otherwise. Derivative.

Another entry from what Spotify considers my 5th most listened to band! It was fine, mostly passed me by to be honest, but it's nice enough. Shouldn't think I'll be bothered listening again though, no matter what Spotify thinks 3

More hippy shite from The Byrds - my tolerance for this was pretty low today. Some of it not too bad I suppose; there was one song I thought was pretty decent, but I can't remember which one, and I'm not going to listen to them all again just to find out.

Incredibly soggy sound. One of those things that I can't understand how I listened to back in the day.

A good and important album, but I see it more as a stepping stone for future bands instead of being magnificent itself. Huge development into psychedelia and rock, a lot of funny stories and incidents that have largely been forgotten, and a bonus track about a threesome that started them. A good diverse showing 3.5/5

Vähän heikoksi jäävä genrekavalkadi.

Was mostly good although the remastered edition had a lot of psychedelic instrumentals

Fantastisk psykedelisk folk

Mira, se deja escuchar, pero uno no puede dejar de pensar que en la medida que añadimos décadas a este proyecto o aumentamos la cantidad de discos o sacamos algunos que, la verdad, solo tienen valor para un nicho muy reducido.

Which came first? The Beatles or the Byrds?

This one is good because it vaguely sounds like goofy medieval music. Album cover made it look like this was going to be some more honky-tonk country bullshit, but thankfully it's not at all. Even if there's a whopping 5 Byrds albums on this list, which is like 6 more than there should be, I'm glad that most of them are around 30 minutes long and don't overstay their welcome. Much easier "Artist overkill" to digest than Elvis Costello.

Quite possibly the worst album I've listened to thus far. It's derivative, indistinct and inauthentic, yet somehow manages to offend me in ways that it's thankfully short runtime can't atone for.

Nice album

Very Good Byrds Album. There are better.

I'm Wayne's World, there is a joke about a band playing called The Shitty Beatles and that they live up to the name. I imagine that band is actually The Byrds

Classic 60s sound. It’s ok but nothing really sticks out.

The right ammonit of trippy. Also found songs that have been covered from them By others and never knew it was theirs first.

3.2 2x catch up 12/29/24

Decent in places, average in others.

This is your run-off-the-mill psychedelic, 60s Rock album, and a pretty derivative one at that. 2/5

Sounds like the music of that era. I like it, but not enough to give it more than a 3. It probably deserves more love than that, but I need to immerse myself in it more.

Some basic americana sounding stuff. Not much noteworthy but easy enough to listen to. 4/10

Sure. It's fine. Also has a song ("Triad") about trying to talk a woman into a polygamous relationship, so there's that. If you like twangy psychedelic stuff, you'll like this. The outtake at the end with the band basically yelling at each other about how to arrange a certain song is pretty funny, though.

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🐦🦅🦆🐴 Production: 😲🙂👌 Music: 🎤🦋🌈 Rating: 🐦🦅/5

Groovy Byrds sound.

An album which I was not familiar with but once listened to contains a lot of familiar songs. All standard 1960’s fayre which for a chap my age creates a lot of nostalgia. Pick of the bunch must be Wasn’t Born To Follow, one of the standout songs from the soundtrack of Easy Rider. An iconic film of the time and which spoke to my generation even here in the UK. For this reason that soundtrack should be on this list but as it’s a compilation of various artists it is not. It is also hard to find now but there are plenty of playlists compiled by enthusiasts like me, on the streaming platform’s, which you need to listen to. This is a very good album. There’s quite a bit of phasing technique’s going off which certainly puts this album in the 1960’s but that is not to its detriment. A very enjoyable discovery and an album I will return to. 4/5 7/11/24

A very pleasant album. I hadn't realised they were a Callifornia Sound group but many of the songs were very Mamas and Papas like. I'd say very much of its time, but also with hints of what's to come. Not specifically from this band but how music was going to develope. Some parts were quite progressive. I liked it a lot, but how much? This rather annoying it's very much better than a 3, but is it a 4? Hmm.

I am grateful to the list for making me sit through albums from artists I’ve heard of but never listened to. This is one of the many artists that I now know that I never have to bother with again. Beige.

People have said to me in the past, 'listen to the Byrds, they are right up your street'. Very never understood why, probably because it's always end up listening to the one with 'Mr Tambourine Man' on and think, this is slightly better than Busker Bob... So i had no high hopes for this. What a surprise! A great bit of classic psychedelia.I really loved it, lots of experimentation and the use of the early synthesiser on 'Space Odyssey' I'm always a lover of a good effects pedal or two, then chuck in a few horns and what have you got? A 5.star record. I'm easy to please.

Just the kind of chill I needed after election day.

Good album. Will be added to a rotation.

full of little surprises that reward close listening. "space odyssey", set in the far-off future of 1996, is the only misstep, and it's too goofy to hate. great album

There is something about 60's psychedelic that drives me nuts. Sure there are some interesting parts but overall it's like nails on a chalk board for me. I dislike the vocals on this album and the "trippy" lyrics. Its gang vocals in an empty room. The little bits of country western music thrown in were the only silver lining. Most interesting parts of the album was the last track where you hear them arguing during the recording process.

it was fine. probably won't listen to this ever again

Provide a bit of background on early country/folk rock. Interesting but not really in my wheelhouse.

Mi álbum favorito de The Byrds (junto con Younger than yesterday). Una absoluta obra maestra. Es una obra en que participan varios miembros de la banda que entraban y salían de la misma (Gene Clark, Michael Clarke o el propio David Crosby) además de colaboradores que luego formarían parte del grupo (especialmente el magnífico Clarence White). La producción de Gary Usher (que produjo el anterior y el posterior, es decir la mejor parte de la discografía de The Byrds, además del de but de Gene Clark con los Gosdin Brothers) es otro paso de gigante en la música. Comienza con Artifical Energy (tan actual aún hoy en día) a galope de unas trompetas rimbombantes , sigue con la versión de Goin´Back (King y Goffin) que fue el sencillo del álbum, calmada y con ligeros toques country (nada que ver con lo que vendrá en su siguiente disco). Wasn't Born to Follow es otro tema de Goffin-King que los Byrds convierten en auténtica ambrosía (incluída luego en la banda sonora de Easy Rider) Natural Harmony ya es otra cosa, space rock? psicodelia? lo que sea, pero es una delicia. The Stone Roses bebieron de Draft morning (Waterfall) y de todo el disco para su excelente debut. Es una gozada de tema. Get to you, es una delicada pieza de orfebrería pop con las voces de la banda a pleno rendimiento (aquí está el fugaz retorno de Gene Clark, también en Goin´ Back). La cara B abre con la mejor canción del disco: Change is now, una canción que va por caminos normales hasta que descarrila en otra maravillosa dimensión. Old John Robertson era una canción publicada previamente (la cara B de Lady friend). Tribal Gathering es otro viaje que merece la pena. Dolphin Smile es la típica canción The Byrds con tintes ecologistas. Cierra con Space Odyssey (hola David Bowie) que está obviamente inspirada en la literatura de Arthur C. Clarke. Introduce Moog, drones y un sinfín de cacharrería. No se puede hacer más y mejor en menos de media hora, algo que muchos músicos de hoy no son capaces de entender. La edición extendida incluye dos instrumentales además de Triad la polémica canción del polémico Crosby. En mi opinión está bien fuera del álbum, no aporta gran cosa. Este mismo año publican otro disco esencial: Sweetheart of the rodeo. En mi opinión son una banda fundamental en la historia de la música. La influencia de The Byrds en Dylan, The Beatles, en cualquier banda coetánea y posterior (REM sin ir más lejos) es enorme. THE BEATLES- White Album , THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Electric ladyland, Odessey and Oracle de The Zombies, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - White light, white heat, THE KINKS - The Village Green Preservation Society, VAN MORRISON - Astral weeks, THE ROLLING STONES - Beggars banquet, CREAM - Wheels of fire, THE BYRDS - Sweetheart of the rodeo, THE SMALL FACES - Ogden's nut gone flake, THE PRETTY THINGS - S.F. Sorrow, OTIS REDDING - The dock of the bay, BLOOMFIELD , KOOPER & STILLS - Super Session, JAMES CARR - A Man needs a Woman, Dance To The Music de Sly & The Family Stone, Safe As Milk del Capt. Beefhart, Surrealistic Pillow de Jefferson Airplane, Lady Soul y Now de Aretha Franklin, We're Only in It for the Money de Zappa, Idea y Horizontal de los Bee Gees, For Once in My Life de Stevie Wonder , A Saucerful Of Secrets de Pink Floyd, Spirit de Spirit, Bookends de Simon and Garfunkel, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida de Iron Butterfly, el Soundtrack to 1968 TV special de Elvis, Nuff Said! de Nina Simone, Child is father to the man y Blood, Sweat & Tears de Blood, Sweat & Tears... Debuts de JEFF BECK GROUP, NEIL YOUNG, THE BAND, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, OS MUTANTES, SILVER APPLES

Average 60s psychadelic rock. Nothing remotely special.

It's music in album form and it's certainly from a year in the late 60s.

I can see why this changed music, but, it's not something I will ever return to. The points are purely for history.

The 🐦🦅🐓🐧🦜

This was a cool album to hear. Very much a Beatles influence in the lyrical sound but I also like hearing the electronic experimentation all the way back in 68'. I'm such a fan of psychedelia, so that sounds was great as well. Go Moog!

1968s sounds silly. At times boring, at times bored.

This is my type of rock album, when the vocals sounded like they were recorded in an empty apartment room. Voices just echoing everywhere, music sounds too polished these days dammit bring back the authenticity!!!

I have my own bones to pick with The Byrds, but this was enjoyable to be fair...

It had some good ones overall. But something was missing. It did like the extended versions and how unique they were

Exactement ce à quoi je m’attendais d’un album de cette époque, avec la petite touche de country en plus

Cooler than some people give it credit for. I appreciate the experimentation and the mix of styles going on here. Would like to revisit 👍

Unexpectedly good - a cut above the usual late 60's psychedelia. I'll come back to this one.

Boring

it’s okay but again this is an album I think I’ve heard multiple times on this list already

Okay. Ending was cool

Honnêtement pour moi The Byrds se résumait à leur tube Turn! Turn! Turn! et à leur aura musicale que je savais très importante. La fan de CSNY que je suis ne savait même pas que David Crosby avait été un des chanteurs de ce groupe ! Leur folk-country psychédélique m'a embarqué, et leur influence paraît en effet indéniable : un peu comme si Syd Barrett et Simon&Garfunkel avait fait un album ensemble.

The one where they eventually replaced David Crosby with a horse. Sure suggests that copious intakes of LSD might have been taken during the making of this album, which may explain a few things that's going on in it. The many twists and turns of *The Notorious Byrd Brothers*, with so many hairpin curves between full-blown psychedelia and the country western flavours the Byrds would later dive headfirst into on *Sweetheart Of The Rodeo* -- not to mention its jazz forays, or its novel use of electronic touches such as phasing, flanging and the Moog synthesizer -- make for a complicated initial listen. But once you get your footing, you soon realize how wonderful and groundbreaking this LP is. Ironically, its experimental nature has been watered down a little over the years -- so much has happened since then. But it's the songwriting and guitar arrangements that makes this record quite a distinctive one today. Both the songs and their instrumental arrangements are stellar on the first side. "Artificial Energy" starts things up in a brass-laden regalia evoking later albums by Beck (Hansen, not Jeff Beck), the Carol King and Gerry Goffin-penned country-rock songs "Goin' Back" and "I Wasn't Born To Follow" are absolute gems. "Natural Harmony" is an epic micro-adventure all by itself -- not only for its experimental production values and effects, but also for its moody harmonic modulations. And "Draft Morning", obviously about the Vietnam war, is another small jewel, both topical and aptly evocative on a musical standpoint. Side two also comprises great stuff: "Change Is Now" splits the difference between psychedelic rock and country-folk in a very elegant manner (and what a great guitar solo in its middle section!). "Tribal Gathering" starts with a jazz-inspired 5/4 rhythm (also found on "Get To You"), and then transmutes to quite a heavy rocker for the time period. And "Space Odyssey" is... well, all you need to know about that one is already stated in its name. That closer eerily sounds like a Silver Apples composition, which can only be a compliment coming from my mouth. Too bad David Crosby's "Triad" (now found as a bonus on CD editions) was not included in that second side. It would have been perfect between "Old John Robertson" and "Tribal Gathering" and brought the fantastic ballad that was needed in the second half of this quite short LP. Had the Byrds been better at interpersonal relationships within the band, and kept Crosby until the end, the overall end result would have been even better. Still feel like *5th Dimension* is an even more striking album within the Byrds discography. But the more I listen to *The Notorious Byrds Brothers*, so finely attuned to the artistic (r)evolutions of the late sixties, the more I'm growing fond of it. Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn and Michael Clarke sure were creative forces to reckon with at the time. Oh, and let's not forget that very talented horse, of course! 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 5. 9.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 4.5). Number of albums left to review: 38 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 416 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 243 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 306

Ok

It was super bizarre hearing the last track with recordings of them fighting and swearing at each other in the studio when the album was so tame? It was interesting enough but not a stand out for me, but the last track brought it down unfortunately. Though I suppose most bands probably have fights that don't make it to the album, I didn't enjoy listening to them argue and that level of passion didn't translate to the songs, which were fine and that's about it

Really enjoyed this album, plenty of diversity of sounds. Love the harmonies.

A pretty epic album, great production.

This is like if CSN, The Mamas and The Papas and Jefferson Airplane came together to make an album...it's terrible. The hippies were too high to realize what they were listening to was no good. Draft Morning is the best track so far, kind of a Youngbloods Get Together vibe. Harmonized vocals are overrated. A song titled Space Odyssey by a psychedelic band in 1968 is exactly what you would think it is. A fitting end to a wildly overrated album.

trotos

I like the Byrds but this was not my favorite album.

It was okay, it didn't stand out much

It's got some nice tracks here and there, and the rest are not very memorable. It was enjoyable nonetheless. 3/5

Back in my first attempt to do the 1001 albums, Pet Sounds was the very first album I got. While I had heard it before, it was that listen that made it my favorite album of all time. The next one I got was this. I was young and excited to experience these new avenues of music that I was just beginning to be informed on. The only stuff I knew about the sixties was Pet Sounds and the Beatles’ entire catalog. This album by the Byrds extended my views vastly. While the album didn’t feel a whole lot different from what the Beatles were doing (in fact, it felt like what they were doing but a tad inferior), I still enjoyed it. In the years that I have come back to the record, with a wider knowledge of music history, but especially of the ‘60s, I can very much identify the points of inspiration the Byrds were taking on here, as well as where they were pushing things forward. In comparison with many of their contemporaries, the fact that the band put country pop songs next to psychedelic mind fucks next to baroque pop ditties that are almost all incredibly well written is nothing short of an accomplishment. The Byrds, while they weren’t the best to do it of their era, showcased the peak of their abilities here. They weren’t the most talented at any of the sounds that they attempted, but they attempted them and made fantastic songs in the process. There’s not many bands that try as many styles on one singular release as The Byrds did here, and for that, they were surely successful. No, this didn’t follow up Pet Sounds. Arguably nothing can. But a musically decade defining album? That at the very least did important things for my musical knowledge going forward.

Not for me, boring and very samey

Once again I am baffled by how much Byrds there are on this list. I don't feel like anyone who isn't a boomer talks about them. I feel like once the boomers die off this music will be forgotten as it hasn't had the staying power of other artists from that era. Especially given they had 5 (!!) albums on this list

Okay dad rock album

Why are there five Byrds albums on this list? Why did I get the Byrds for two straight days? Too many questions. Not enough answers.

Have this album and I like it quite a bit.

Dated

This doesn’t have their hit Turn, Turn, Turn. This record has that groovy baby, 60’s vibe. Very Summer of Love. Cloyingly so, at times. It’s good, but not great. At least it doesn’t have anymore Clapton. Tribal Gathering is solid, Triad is a gas. 3/5

Notoriety well deserved. Could be a skewed perception because I literally just listened to them a few days ago, but somehow I doubt it

zzzZZZzzz

another byrds album?? why??

is there a gas leak in here? why are all the top reviews five stars? this album is just an hour of experimental nonsense without anything truly memorable. i can't imagine being alive in the 60s, buying this album for an exorbitant sum (especially in today's dollars), taking it home to play on the turntable, and hearing THIS. and THEN, an hour later, thinking, yes, that was money and time well spent. this band respects me, their devoted listener. naturally, everyone's favorite groundbreaking oddity, the moog synthesizer, is here too. too bad it sure doesn't pack the punch they were hoping for; rather, it sounds like five minutes of farting noises played on trombone champ. there are a lot of byrds albums on this list and i think all of them have been better than this one, though maybe that's not exactly high praise... favorites: goin' back, wasn't born to follow, tribal gathering, dolphin's smile

This started off good and then went sideways to weird, even for me

Nothing special

Ok

Very fine album

I had never heard this before, but wasn't feeling it. Seems pretty dated. Perhaps the most interesting track, even if it is not great, is the Moog instrumental.

3.5

I think this is the 3rd The Byrds album I've been hit with in my time here. It's not helping my opinion of them.

This album was a little annoying at times Im not going to lie. There were vocal areas where I was peeved and then it just kind of set me off however I do usually like the Byrds so maybe it was just a different album that isn’t usually my type.

It's the creamy-soft vocals from the Byrds that make me lose interest, nearly fall asleep, or conversely put on some Iron Maiden. The music is pretty great on this though - especially considering it was released in 1968 - weird effects, synths, no fewer than *two* songs in 5/4 time signature, etc. All of which give it a little more something than what I'd expected or heard from the previous/bigger Byrds radio hits. "Tribal Gathering" is notable - totally sounds like it could have been on the B-side of CSNY's "Deja Vu" - I wonder why.... Oh and they steered further away from the 12-string jangly shit that I think of when I hear "The Byrds" which was a good call - those songs are my least-favourite. It's Roger McGuinn's vocals that I've never vibed with which could never make them a favourite old-timey band for me. Still worthy of a listen or 3 for sure and if you like these vocals/harmonies which probably most people do I'd even highly recommend it. 6/10 3 stars

Never did like The Byrds much

Weirdly I’d JUST been recommended this album as apparently John squire was a big fan. I can see why, wobbly guitary psychedelia. It’s decent actually.

Ein faszinierendes Album, das den typischen Byrds-Stil mit einer Prise Simon & Garfunkel verbindet. Die sauberen und gut produzierten Songs bieten eine angenehme Hörerfahrung. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die Tracks “Going Back” und “Wasn’t Born to Follow”, die durch ihre eingängigen Melodien und harmonischen Arrangements überzeugen. Gerne mal wieder.

Meh

Prob between a 2 and a 3 for me

For the love of God, no more Byrds albums please

Most of the songs were okay. I skipped parts of Space Odyssey, Moog Raga, and Universal Mind Decoder because of an irritating, high-pitched sound. I probably wouldn't listen again though.

This is perfectly pleasant jangly 60s country infused pop. Nothing stands put, but I wouldn't hate to hear it again. One thing I will say is that I do go hard on albums that simply hang around for too long, and a sub-30 minute album makes a nice change, and less of a commitment for repeat listens.

psychedelic rock avg 2 tällästen huipputeoste takia... turhaa älämölöä

I thought from the album cover we were going to get something less psychedelic than their prior two albums, but save for some country influence that'll become a lot more apparent on the next album this is still pretty trippy at points. That means a lot of perfectly okay psychedelic rock songs that don't really do anything to blow me away, nor is there anything obviously poor. It's just another album from the era for me, and it is obvious at this point that most of the other rock groups from the time are outdoing the Byrds at what was originally their own game. It's alright, but as time passes and the necessary classics shift and change, this one fades from view.

I haven’t had a Crosby Still and Nash adjacent offering for a while. I’m going to make like an American moaning about Britpop and complain about there being far too many on here . I actually get how this was influential as it used Moog etc. The production is badly dated though, nothing stands out and it just does nothing for me.2.5

Yeah The Notorious Byrd Brothers does nothing for me, it's boring paint by numbers 60s psychedelic-folk stuff that meander forever and offers little excitement. 2.

Probably would've got a better score had we not already had eleventy billion 60s folk-adjacent albums that sound more or less the same as this. Fine, unremarkable, this is one of 4 Byrds albums on the list and I'm not sure even they would argue that a) we need more than 2, and b) this would be one of those 2. 2/5.

Not an album I would go to every day due to my personal tastes. But I like these tracks better than their radio singles, and it’s fairly representative of the pop-folk genre.

Phew, there is a Byrds album I do like: when they do psychedelic folk. Good harmonies and haunting sound on this one, with “Artificial Energy,” “Draft Morning,” and “Tribal Gathering” standing out.

It was fine.

Nice album; very reminiscent of the times and these guys had a pretty unique sound while also sounding very period-correct. No major songs jumped out at me but was a good listen. 6/10.

I had never truly listened to The Byrds before this challenge. Now I’m on the third album of theirs that’s been assigned and I am continually amazed!

7/10…igwas zw. Country und Psychadelic Rock

liked tracks like "Goin' Back" but some of the instrumental/experimental stuff not really for me.. but overall... was ok.

I'm sorry, this is a pleasant enough listen but there are 5 (yes FIVE!!) albums by this band. They have some great songs but I think they were living on borrowed time by this album.

Eh

This was good. I can smell the indica coming out of the speakers.

Perfect

Fantastic music. Mellow acoustic based rock. Very nice to listen to. Great musicians and singers.

This is a marvelous example of a 60s rock CD, right down to the one god-awful song being an Indian sitar track. Let's dispense with that one first - "Moog Raga" sucks, I had to skip it after 30 seconds. But the rest of the CD is great. They've got two really winning modes. One is their own style of psychedelia, which a few other guys (e.g. Beatles) can do also. It features very spacey, sound, heavy droning bass, jangling trebly guitars, lots of open guitars, and maximum-echo backing vocals. That's kind of the formula behind "Goin Back" and "Wasn't Born To Follow", and it just works. The other is more like country/western, replacing some of the amplification with fiddle and mandolin, and they do that pretty well too. The wheels kind of fall off after "Old John Robertson", capped by The Notorious Moog Raga. But it's a a nice CD, I'd put it on again.

Good in places

It’s really just not all that. Everything they do reminds me of other 60’s bands that just did it better. They’re not as boundary pushing as the Beatles, not as technically masterful as Jimi Hendrix, not as fun as the Kinks. They’re just… part of the decade. Not daring enough to be considered influential or even long lasting. I will say, the second half of the record seems to take it up a notch, but still not creatively enough for me to give this anything other than a 3. It’s also not helpful that most songs here blend together and sound mostly the same with the exception of maybe Space Odyssey and the instrumental tracks. Really did not care much for this album. Not bad but not great.

I notice that there are bands that define eras and bands that are timeless. Listening to the Byrds you feel the 60's vibe throughout, if one is prone to nastalgia or those sorts of throwback feelings, the Byrds will give you that in droves. They are in good company and many wonderful bands have this affect. However, ALL the truly great bands that stand the test of time are what I call "timeless." These are the bands that you can hear for the first time today and think it could have been recorded yesterday. This does not mean anything bad for the Byrds or any other era specific band, it simply means that if you listen to this album you ARE listening to a 60's band performing 60's music. It is good -- It is simply specific.

1. energy - 1 2. back - 1.5 3. harmony - 1 4. morning - 1.5 5. follouu - 1 6. you - 1 7. change - 1 8. robertzon - 1 9. tribal - 1 10. zmile - 1 11. zpace - 0 12. moog - 0 13. fall - 1 14. triad - 1.5 15. back - 1.5 16. morning - 1.5 17. univerzal - 1

It’s a late 60s psychedelic, folk, country album. Nothing to write home about.

I don’t even have anything to say about this one. It was okay.

Sounds like some good old country boys dropped acid then slugged down a years worth of estrogen before writing songs.

Me sorprendió el sonido, la influencia de The Beatles es muy notoria en este banda, o al menos en este álbum.

Didn’t enjoy this album as much as the Byrds Mr Tambourine Man. The synth sounds they had in Draft Morning were cool to hear and contemplate the idea of synth in the 60’s, but cool tech doesn’t always equate to great music. 2/5

I almost like Natural Harmony, Wasn’t Born to Follow, Old John Robertson)

It's just totally fine. Nothing I loved, nothing I hated

Chris Hillman is a vital organ of the American rock corpus. Discuss.

Lamenting that I didn’t rate that Hanoi Rocks record higher

best byrds one so far

listening to this record feels almost as though you are listening to one long sound, that modulates and changes slightly as it flows smoothly into the next track. this creates an ethereal, gentle sound, which appeals greatly to me, characterised by seemingly-eternal harmonies , that pervade every single track. as is often the case with many albums recorded in this time, its production was rife with interpersonal challenges. to then create a record such as this, which, in contrast, often seems happy and hopeful, is quite a feat in my eyes.

A bit weird, a bit good - but just a bit

I'm familiar with a couple of the Byrds' big hits from the mid-60s, but had not heard most of this album before. I thought it was very solid, though the random acid-trip breaks in the middle of a couple songs wear a little thin.

Best wel saai, en een poging iets psychedelisch te maken. Voelt niet echt.

The Byrds were exceptionally busy in the '60s, but I'd reckon most of that can be chalked up to exploring different rock sounds. Folk, country, psychedelic, and pop, all swirling around with different members dropping in and out to influence each new record. This album happens to fall right between their psychedelic stuff and their country stuff. It seems the Byrds had a pretty good handle on the music by this point because it's better than the last two albums. That said, side A easily clears side B. I appreciate the improvement at the very least.

Good 60s sound but nothing exceptional

There are a lot of chill vibes on this album, yet I feel like it lacks the songwriting to back it up. At points the faux interesting psych attempts to make it interesting reads more like self sabotaging than real artistry (guitar solos on Tribal Gatherings is one example). While Goin' Back is an absolute gem, it's pretty much the only track on the whole album that really works as a whole. 2.2

It's melodic. The aptly named Artificial Energy had a ton of it. Get to you was a bit of a miss, but does have the 60s sound...

A bit boring, but very serviceable Byrds pop rock from the 60's. There's nothing controversial or offensive, though it's a bit dated, and there's only a couple tracks that are strong (Goin' Back and Natural Harmony).

The Bryds need a whole different rating system. There stuff was so good. This really is not my favorite Byrds album. That would be Mr. Tambourine Man and Sweetheart. But this is damn good. You can tell the influence of the Beatles and Beach Biys in the production especially. And of course Dylan in some of the lyrics. I’m giving 4 stars on the Byrds adjusted scale but clearly a 5 star on the normal scale

haha nomel de voguls. het etz nöd so viel blöser erwartet ufem erste track. aber isch no en coole sound. goin' back isch viel ruhiger und halt e schöni 60er ballade. de qobuz begleittext seit s het sölle en hit sii und da gsehni etz no. natural harmony macht de psychedelic und so. s goht direkt indraft morning übere und finds recht agnehm und beruhigend. au wenn de text glaub de vietnamchrieg goht space oddyssey isch en mega nice schluss. git e starchs 3. glaub keis vieri wells chli z wenig mit mir gmacht het.

vogul artificial isch na fun, paar verschiedeni instrument goin back kenntmer? uf jede fall mega schön warms lied hahaha me ghört das phasing easy guet, funny, iwie passts hie und da übertribets echli hahahah jap definitiv hahaha aber funny tribal gathering gfalltmer space odissey isch chli heavy sber verstahs als closer sehr es lustigs und churzwiligs album, wo vill probiert aber au nöd alles hiihaut. schwanke sehr fest zwüsche 3 und 4

I liked this album much more than the name suggested I might. A very fun listen, good vibes

Dated.

Reminded me of the Beatles but country. Meaning I didn’t like it.

I’d recommend listening to this album with headphones or earbuds and really paying attention to the production. Between phasing, echo, and multitracking, you can truly pick up on the rich textures and dynamics of the studio effects that enhance the psychedelic soundscape of the album. An interesting aspect of this album is the internal conflicts and turmoil the band faced during its making. They lost two members, one being a founding member and the other the drummer. Additionally, an original lineup member rejoined briefly before leaving again. Despite all this conflict, the band managed to create such a high-quality, cohesive album.

I'm a sucker for 60s psych rock, what can I say. This album is very spacey and chill, while still having enough energy to keep it open. I love the ethereal vocals and guitar.

The early Byrd gets the 5 star review for their best output and easy listenability 50 years later.

Хороший альбом, мне понравился. Я, к тому же, полюбил то, что некоторые песни переходят друг в друга, составляя единое произведение.

I liked this way more than expected. Definitely a bit derivative from the psychedelic albums that came out the year previous but definitely a different spin on the sound.

Great album

Nice blend of folk rock in consistent style of the late 60's. Nice vocal harmonies, diverse instruments with standout guitar work.

überraschenderweise hats mir gut gfallen

Solid classic rock. I enjoyed this one more than Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

This was a breath of fresh air after some of the garbage this list has served me lately. Thank you, Croz 3.5

Nicht alle Lieder waren gut.

Folky rock, 60's stuff, interesting, and certainly was influential at the time, but not my cup of tea... a strong 2 or a weak 3

They weren't cappin when they said this record was "ethereal", it was quite a nice listen. I had no idea that Carole King had a hand in writing one of the songs on here which explains the wonderful lyrics. I wouldn't say this is a perfect record but it retained my attention throughout my time listening to it. Some great psychedelic rock for ya. Best - Goin Back, Draft Morning, Get to You, Change Is Now, and Tribal Gathering Worst - no bad songs 4.00/5

💤

7.5/10 This was nice, a swerve from what I expected Yes, 60s California pop but very psychedelic with hints of country and really interesting production Good tunes, good vocals, all through an interesting lens Feels a couple of years ahead of its time Sometimes the vocals felt too low in the mix and got lost a bit Best: Old John Robertson

nice, jangly 60s music

Good listen.

Not my cup of tea but the harmonies and the melodies were quite enjoyable

Good

Okay ... A little disappointed that the horse wasn't heard on the album itself and was just there for the album cover.

There’s a part of me that’s really annoyed with album, because I can see where parts of it are already quite good, and also see where some the more out there ideas could be better executed by bands who had better material

A fully-realised experimental album, albeit with some slightly weird sonic artefacts, like the phasing on Old John Robertson. Great songs, with the band trying as many different ideas as possible to make them standout - fuzz guitar, strings, phasing, tape manipulation, wide panning, etc.

Nothing too special idk 2/5

Good psych rock. Couple of random Beatle references. Just good 60s stuff

I was not familiar with this album until I listened for the 1001 Albums project. The Byrds is a foundational group (in all lineup combinations) for American folk rock and indie folk. You can hear the echoes of their influence everywhere. This isn't my favorite Byrds album but the songwriting and musical experimentation are undeniable. "Natural Harmony" and "Draft Morning" are beautiful and stand up to similar music today.

Never heard any of these songs before. Never heard anything that sounds exactly like this either. It's captivating and somewhat enjoyable, I'll give 3 stars for originality and talent.

A Simon and Garfunkel meets The Beetles vibe. “Get Back to You” is great.

A good album, I liked Goin' Back, Wasn't Born to Follow, Get to You and Space Odyssey.

The Byrds are not in a good space in this album. Crosby had left and Clarke was about to (More on that later). The album was supposed to be a continuation of the era of Eight Miles High and songs within the psychedelia culture. What it turned out to be was far from that. The album finds itself in a state of limbo for the band. They are somewhere between heavy psychedelia and the country rock in which they achieved so well in. As stated within the album the Moog synthesiser is used and features heavily. And as Andrew Hickey puts it, it was probably one of the two guys in the entire world that owned one, that just showed up to the studio, and showed it off to the group. Reminisce of the beloved Byrds harmonies remain. With David Crosby gone it was always going to be lost within the group. The country rock elements are lurking about in the guitar parts of this album. And it only helps to know what comes next, that makes you really appreciate that. What really stood out on the Bonus Track Reissue was the inclusion of a fight between Roger McGuin and Michael Clarke. In which McGuin calls out Clarke on his drumming. This breaks out into a real fight for the listener. And knowing the history of the group it is quite brutal on Clarke. As he is replaced during the making of this album for a more technically proficient drummer. So the Byrds are down two members. And the best song on the record comes out of that circumstance, "Triad". Back to jingly jangly folk rock for McGuin. But as the story goes on for the Byrds, it just becomes whackier. Enter Gram Parsons...

The fourth Byrds album I've listened to as part of this project, but I can't find much to make the Notorious Byrd Brothers discernible. They dabbled in psychedelia, which allows me to differentiate this album from their previous. But lots of artists were doing that in 1968, and not many songs stood out. I suppose at least very least the Byrds didn't let me suffer through a double album? They kept it under thirty minutes. Good job, guys. The Monkees covered "Wasn't Born To Follow" on their last studio album in 2016. Peter Tork provides vocals; this rendition of the Goffin/King song is beautiful and poetic--and immensely improves on the Byrds' lackluster original version.

Nothing inherently wrong with this album, but I just found the entire thing to be very mid. It seemed like The Byrds' attempt to break into more psychedelic, astral, cosmic sounding music. Maybe it works for some listeners, but I didn't care much for it.

Many similar sounding tracks

This is like the fifth Byrd album I got from the list? Somehow, their entries get steadily worse over time. Maybe going through 1001 Albums just made me sick of mid psych rock.

after 5 listens i finally perceive the truth: this is pretty good

Stellar psychedelic rock from The Byrds. I'll have what they're having!

As good psychedelia and folk rock gets.

STANDOUTS: n/; blah generic dad music OVERALL: 2/5

Not very interesting American late 60s pseudo psychedelia.