The Notorious Byrd Brothers

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

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.

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.

Eh

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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).

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

Great album

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

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

Good listen.

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

Good

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.

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...

This was an interesting album. It started out predictably (in a good way) like a 60s rock/folk album would, but veered quickly into more of an experimental space with lots of synthesizers and sitar-like sounds. The concepts were interesting and I enjoyed them.

It kinda blended into the background on my first listen through, so I had to listen through again. I dug the instrumentals more than the rest of the tracks.

Moog Raga is trippy as fuck, and I loved every second of it. I like the fact that bands like The Byrds were taking big swings in a time of dramatic change and experimentation in popular music. I think that's where this album really shines. However, there are a lot of "play it safe" tracks here too that kind of make this one lose some steam for me.

A lot is going on here stylistically, from psychedelic folk and baroque pop to country and instrumental electronica, yet the record blends everything cohesively without ever seeming like it's trying to do too much.

There's a sound I like here, but this album doesn't quite work for me. There isn't enough of what I like, and there's too much of what I don't like.

It was just ok

A good picture of the 60s psychedelic rock.

Seems pretty influential. Thinking Big Star et al. Didn't mind it.

Well, that's 4 albums by The Byrds now and you know what? They kind of suck. That's a bit exaggerated but every album has felt like an existential crisis to pin down whether the album is truly ho hum or if it's just me not appreciating it. And why? Because everything I read tells me The Byrds are a major band and a key part of musical history. I don't care. I won't feel compelled to sing their praises anymore. They are not my cup of tea. Respect for constantly changing gears and styles and being on the forefront of those changes. But it's mostly average to me and I don't care who knows it.

very mellow classic rock. not quite for me but i can respect it

really good!

yeaaah

first listen. very nice and pleasant to the ears but far from being my favourite Byrds album, it doesn't really stand out

This was fine for what it was. Not really my thing though.

Previously rated: Fifth Dimension (3/5) ************************ Listened to the original 11 tracks. More hippie rock with a little country and experimental prog(?) stuff. Nothing very catchy or memorable.

I was only familiar with "Wasn't Born to Follow" so this was all new to me. Well, I say "new"; I mean it is The Byrds after all. I liked it fine. Wikipedia says Space Odyssey "features a droning, dirge-like melody reminiscent of a sea shanty". It's clearly "The Handsome Cabin Boy" almost note for note.

It was a psychedelic era, and this was just one of those albums, it was OK

Old, psychedelic rock

Classic 60s pop rock sound

"Mom can we get the Beatles?" "We have Beatles at home" Beatles at home: Als niet grootste Beatles fan is dat al licht zorgwekkend. Vind er dus niet heel veel aan, ga wel kapot om het vele gebruik van het flanger effect. Duidelijk dat dat toen nog een nieuw en interessant effectje was, waar het nu meer een kermis effectje geworden is. Super psychedelisch en dromerig album, klinkt wel geinig. Niet super bijzonder. Maar Moog Raga is een bad trip in een nummer, klinkt ook niet meer nice. Triad is hilarisch, stelt die guy nou gewoon voor om maar als trio verder te gaan? Geweldig. Maarja, het is een prima dromerig album, met een paar absolute dieptepunten zoals Moog Raga. Kom ik uit op 3 sterren. Toch iets minder aliexpress Beatles dan ik aanvankelijk dacht. FAVO: Tribal Gathering, Triad

Wasn’t sure what I was going to get, partially due to me always confusing The Byrds with The Yardbirds. Anyways, it’s a pretty decent and surprisingly atmospheric rock album for the time.

As much as I like a few birds songs I have to say whenever we've had the albums they sort of blur into one. I find it hard to distinguish. Tbf I was listening to this during an early morning run which halfway through triggered a migraine... So I was distracted. Maybe I should relisten as I didn't not like it

Not bad, all sounds the same but all good I guess. Exactly what I expected.

The Byrds have some decent tunes here, but nothing out of the ordinary for the genre.

Triad should have been on the challengers soundtrack

Just kinda sixties folky vibe. Not bad, but nothing special.

typical Byrds

a few awesome tracks, but the b-side gets REAL shitty

Do we really need 5 albums by this band on this list? I was really hoping for more undiscovered albums than a popular bands entire discography. Anyway this is a nice psychedelic rock album.

Not a fan, there are better Byrds Albums. It’s good, but not something I’d ever choose to listen to. 3.5/5

Very experimental for the time but I was never a fan of the Byrds in general.

Ok.

This feels like it probably deserves more, and could get a higher rating from me if I listened to it under different circumstances, but for now it will be a dead on 3. Just didn't cut through the noise of my workday enough, and I can't really single out a song that felt particularly good. Maybe should have listened to it more attentively, but it is what it is.

A lot of psychedelia doesn’t really hold up. This is a great example of that. Looking back it doesn’t feel innovative, but it’s not bad.

3.4/5 Best Track: idk

Day102 - a good album just not the best album from the byrds

Pretty good band already heard one and was better than this one. Solid musicians that knew their style and flowed great. Album is cool and easy listening but the 2 instrumental songs almost made go sleep. It OK

frekar gott. er skeptískur á the byrds. en þessi fær aðra umferð. 3,5.

Mostly just okay. It reminds me of the 69s but like b-roll music you hear in the background. Sam's Choice 60s music. Doesn't have the teeth of Hendrix or Jefferson Airplane or even the Stones but it's still enjoyable. I cant see myself returning to it often and enjoy their other work far more.

Nothing bad to say, liked the atmosphere

Nice mix. Some duds. Good flow of one song to next

Solid but not super memorable, few there are many groups with a similar sound that stand out more to me.

This is a 3.5 for me. There were a couple heaters on here but like so many of these albums, by the middle to end it's melds together a bit. Rounding down cause I'm a hater at heart and probably not coming back to it save for a couple songs.

Probably not the best Byrds album, but the last good one they made. Love the psych rock stuff and overall feel of this.

Supergroups like the Byrds get more attention based on the 'who' of who is in the band than the content. It's very listenable, but average. 3/5

They decided to be the Beatles after the Beatles. That's cool, I guess.

Good album, although a bit forgettable I guess

3.5

Easy listening hippie music. Nice for a chill relaxing day hanging out and enjoying the sunshine.

The Byrds are so groovy. Wasn't Born to Follow has been a favorite of mine for years.

All the 60s vibes here. Nothing specific really grabbed me, but I dug the album anyway.

I thought that this album was pretty good. It was more experimental than I expected which was a nice surprise. All in all not bad. 3/5.

I feel like it had some advanced stuff for the era, gave a bit of a psychedelic rock feel but In the end it felt like folk rock 3.6/5

pretty basic 60s hippie shit. Its ok. 2.6.

It’s fine. Enjoyable listen but nothing that drew me in heavily.

I enjoyed it for the most part. No songs that I'm over the moon for but generally liked it. Good walkin around music

I can see how this album was popular in its time and has influenced many bands to follow. Good mix of rock, psychedelic, and folk. Prob need to give it another listen to lock it in. Wasn’t blown away but really enjoyed the jam at the end of Tribal Gathering

I liked it! Cool melody, chill vocals and all kinds of harmony going on 5.5/10

увлекательный альбом. Я слышал о группе, но не об этом релизе. С удовольствием слушаю, они мне нравятся! Отличные эффекты для 1967 года! это немного долго, и мы это сделаем, "триада" заставила меня громко рассмеяться.

I liked it! Folk rock is generally not my type of music but you can definitely hear how this album influenced a lot of future music inside this genre and out. I liked the songs that stretched the vocalist a little bit, like Goin Back and Change is Now.

I'm in a grass field listening to this

A really nice album and one that surprised me in places. The cover of Goin’ Back is a definite highlight. It is melodic, warm and beautifully arranged. The harmonies are superb and it captures that dreamy late sixties sound perfectly. It is one of those songs that just floats along and stays with you. There is a lot going on across this record. Psychedelia, country touches, studio experimentation and layered production. At times it feels ahead of its time, and you can hear how influential it would become. That said, I am not a big fan of the instrumentals. They break the flow slightly for me and do not have the same emotional pull as the vocal tracks. Overall it is an interesting and enjoyable listen. Not one of my absolute favourites from the era, but a strong and creative album with some genuinely great moments. Favourite track: Goin’ Back Least favourite: The instrumentals do not quite land for me Album artwork: A very cool and slightly quirky cover that perfectly fits the late sixties vibe

Bonito.

Cute

I really only knew The Byrds for their massive hit "Turn! Turn! Turn!" before listening to this album. Jangly 60s electric guitars and wistful, reverb-soaked vocals and group harmonies help propel this album to something I found more memorable than I thought I would (60s rock isn't really my thing usually). I did find the first half of the album to be better than the second. Interesting note from the Wikipedia entry for this album: "The Byrds also introduced the sound of the pedal steel guitar and the Moog modular synthesizer into their music, making it one of the first LP releases on which the Moog appears." Moog: best instrument name ever! Additionally, the well-known David Crosby was also fired from the band during this album's recording. Quite "notorious" indeed. Stand-outs: Artificial Energy, Goin' Back, Draft Morning, Wasn't Born To Follow, Old John Robertson

If I'd had this album earlier I'd probably rate it higher. Influential psychedelic sounds & all. Long live the Moog! But after we've had 72 other influential psychedelic rock albums I'm tired.

Was not expecting David Crosby trying to pressure me into a throuple but here we are

Beatles vibes, decent songs but nothing memorable Feel like I need to listen to it again and listen to lyrics etc Remarkably consistent

Not my kind of style but was quite soothing.

Fades in and out of interesting

Some solid tracks for sure!

Short and kind of interesting folk/ rock/ psych/ country. I didn't like the sugary-sweet vocals, but the psychedelic sections were pretty good and there was some great guitar here and there. Overall it felt dated and not even particularly ground breaking. But it wasn't awful and I liked the horse on the cover so I'm giving it 3 stars.

The best Byrds album on the list so far. A bit more ambition in places but generally very MOR. A very overrated group IMHO. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Artificial Energy Date listened: 12/01/24

nice and sweet but clearly dated

I don't know that I would call this the Byrds best album. It's definitely one of their most developed, that shows their most growth and change. But I don't think that necessarily makes it their best. Still good, though! Moog Raga sounds like it would be in one of those weird SpongeBob episodes.

I enjoyed this. It was a more complex than I'd expected from my knowledge of the Byrds. The country sounds and rhythms were appealing and it held up well.

7.3/10 Artificial Energy - 8,5 Goin' Back - 9 Natural Harmony - 7,1 Draft Morning - 5 Wasn't Born to Follow - 6 Get to You - 7,2 Change is Now - 7,8 Old John Robertson - 7,4 Tribal Gathering - 8 Dolphin' Smile - 7,2 Space Odyssey - 7,9

a little too aloof. Space Odyssey especially was a hard listen. its just not fun to listen to. its not bad but nothing worth going out of your way to listen to.

Hyggelig 60’er rock, lidt country/folk vibe uden st det bliver for noget

This was a fun and whimsical album. Kind of reminded me of The Ramones in that most of these songs are very short and sound similar. I couldn't decide if this was rock or country or a mix of both.

Album number four from the Byrds. It's aligned with the psych rock that I would typically expect from them, but it's nothing too off the wall. A few good tracks, especially the really long bonus track. And I really liked the Moog Raga, what a cool concept. Give me more of that! We've had at least one Byrds album that I really loved, but some of these others aren't as interesting. Too many Byrds in the house. Favorite tracks: Universal Mind Decoder, Moog Raga, Old John Robertson. Album art: Truthfully, one of the least creative we've seen from them. It's just a photo, but I'll grant that the photo is pretty good. The guys in a stable, with a horse as seemingly the fourth band member. The brick wall below them adds a nice element to it, but yeah, this one's not got a whole lot to it. 3/5

I feel like I've heard about a hundred bands that sounded like this

This was fine. The dreamier and more psychedelic elements help smooth out some of those jangly Byrds guitars, which I think is a good thing. One of those albums where none of the tracks on their own seem particularly noteworthy but it was a pretty consistently pleasant listen regardless.

Another byrds album and it’s different than the other ones. This one is more rock experimental with their folky style still intact. The country folk style is no longer and they’ve settled with what was popular with the random Indian hymn and other experimental influence. All in all it’s alright. There are other bands that were more experimental and succeeded in the 60s. 6.2/10

I mean its alright

Very nice. the 60s were so fun goddamn it.

Simon & Garfunkel voices and somewhat generic british 60s-70s alt rock band with experimental psychedelic-ish effects. it's just fine

Absolutely fine 60’s folk rock but also circles the same sound the whole way through (it’s a good sound but…)

I was enjoying this album until the second half. Moog Raga sounded like background music from a Muppets alien sketch. Triad was about trying to convince someone to be a part of a trouple (with possibly more to join later). And I just didn't like the last three songs.

I feel like this leaned a bit more into the folk rock stuff rather than psychedelic, which isn't exactly what I wanted. I mean, there's psychedelic stuff present, but nothing as good as the peaks of Younger Than Yesterday. I have two left, which I'm looking forward too since they're older. My favourite songs were Draft Morning and Tribal Gathering.

Ik heb de laatste tijd behoorlijk wat indrukwekkende albums gehad, zowel Mount Everests als Marianentroggen. Dat zorgt er wel een beetje voor dat ik dit album alleen maar kan omschrijven als een beetje gezapig maar toch oerdegelijk. Het zit goed in elkaar, luistert aardig weg, de productie is lekker (ietwat dromerig en warm), het is licht experimenteel wat ik vaak leuk vind, maar ik voel er niet heel veel bij. Als je dit in die tijd hoorde, terwijl je als vanzelfsprekend aan de drugs zat, was dat waarschijnlijk anders. Een hoge 3 of een lage 4 qua gebruiksgenot: kwalitatief valt er niks op af te dingen. De niet-deluxe editie is na een half uurtje alweer klaar, wat reuze meevalt. Af en toe slaat de folk wel teveel door naar cuntry (track 7 en 8).

Eminently important and full of impressive soundscapes for the time, but it's definitely something of a museum piece for the modern listener. It's worth checking out, along with some of their other work, just so that you can get a feel for their influence and the impact it had on what was to come. That said, it's not terribly exciting in and of itself to listeners who have become accustomed to the more sonically impactful bands that followed.

Okayish folkrock without anything exceptional 2.5

Moog!

Typical late 60's vanilla hippie music, not my jam maaaannn.

A little less country and a bit more rock to compliment the psychedelic vibe would’ve made this more enjoyable for me.

Grooovy, easy listening. Some of these songs are great, some others forgettable.

I never knew there was a horse in this band.

Cool jangle rock; realized how much Beachwood Sparks sounds like the Byrds.

Couple of good songs, like Sweetheart of the Rodeo much better.

3/11, 27%

Different sound and quite modern for the sixties. Another direction compared to their other albums.

I had a long drive ahead of me, so it's a bit of a shame I got this album - nothing really stuck in my head from it and it was all a little bit background music. Nothing terrible about it, just nothing that I particularly want to listen to again.

I really want to love the Byrd's. I get their influence but every album I listen to falls flat for me. Their are no doubt some moments of brilliance but this being my third Byrd's album on this list, I wonder what other albumin could be exposed to instead

The Byrds have a classic 60s sound. But this is not a top album IMO.

absolutely has the sound of a 60s album, but for once it works in its favor with some really good songs like goin' back, draft morning, and change is now. nothing particularly weak too (except maybe dolphins smile).

Als tiener veel gedraaid en snap nog steeds waarom ik 't toen tof vond, hoewel het allemaal wel wat fletser klinkt vergeleken met mijn herinnering.

Een 3. Wat moet ik daar nog meer over zeggen?

Well Interesting and not. I can’t really decide - at times it’s a pretty listen, at times the same record is tedious. But what’s for sure this is a record’s record. This songs are stitched well together and not simply a collection of unrelated tunes. They are greater together than the sum of their parts.

Cool.

I have to imagine that many of these tracks were quite progressive for their time. Trippy in a good way.

Some pretty fun ditties on this album! I wonder what instrument the horse played.

Pretty solid album, kind of epitomizes the sound of the late 60s. Politically charged lyrics, lots of experimenting with sounds and instruments, etc.

Ah the Byrds. Talented folks that just get way to obsessed with being super psychedelic and it creates some really bad tracks. Good stuff on here though.

I like The Byrds, but I've never really understood the reverence for them. Many of their best songs were covers of Bob Dylan songs. That said, this album is enjoyable background music, but the only song that really grabbed me was "Goin' Back" and it's a Goffin/King cover.

the compiler loves the byrds almost as much as SHACK loves riding shotgun in a porsche.

Darwin Nunez's favourite band

Definitely soft rock. Clean instrumental and lyrics.

This may or may not be regarded as "experimental" for its time, but on a straight up listen, it sounds like fairly standard "sixties music" - very dated with only occasional flashes of bringing something new to the table. But as "sixties music" goes, it's not bad.

Interested blend of styles, in an era when there weren’t that many to work with.

Das Album hört sich einfach nach einem klassischen rock 70s an und ich liebe es. Mochte den stil sehr

Nice enough, easily recognisable but not really all that memorable.

Largely forgettable songs; pleasant to listen along to; nice melodic vibes.

That was a passable album. Could listen all the way through. I'm unlikely to ever reach for it.

No I'd rather go and journey Where the diamond crescent's glowing And run across the valley Beneath the sacred mountain And wander through the forest Where the trees have leaves of prisms And break the light in colors That no one know the names of And when it's time I'll go and lay Beside the legendary fountain 'Till I see her form reflected In its clear and jewelled waters And if you think I'm ready You may lead me to the chasm Where the rivers of our visions Flow into one another I will want to dive beneath the white cascading waters She may beg, she may plead, she may argue with her logic And mention all the things I'll lose That really have no value in the end she will surely know I wasn't born to follow Its pretty hippy-dippy shit, but its actually pretty good too. Giving the album a 3 due to its only having one outstanding track, though. 3/5

Good, but runs out of steam in the second half.

old boy white blues rock n roll stuff. not that exciting.

Pretty decent!

Ok

Usually love this era of music but pretty boring. Get to You and Old John Robertson are my favorites.

Such a hard album to rate because it's a mixed bag for me. It starts off with three fantastic songs, then it's mostly boring songs with a few good songs mixed in. I really like the lyrics and instrumentation of the more psychedelic songs. If the whole album was like Artificial Energy and Natural Harmony it would get a perfect score from me. 3.5/5

Ill

Decent

passaros

Typical 60s sounding rock, enjoyable but not memorable. I did like the harmonies though

Solid

I like hearing the experimentation, it keeps this from being merely hippie folk. I like it more than most of the other Byrds albums I've heard. The early use of the Moog is noteworthy.

It's fine but, I dunno The Byrds just don't do a ton for me. Totally fine, I liked the psych and electronic elements though.

meh it's ok

Ikke ubehagelig, men føles litt utdatert. Beatles-esque?

3.5, pretty fun. More experimental than I thought.

I can imagine this in high rotation on an easy listening station. Quite an enjoyable listen with fave tracks being the opener, Artificial Energy, and Triad. Moog Raga is also pretty cool.

Well, it's very harmonious and melodic, but that means it's very good at blending into the background. I evidently wasn't paying sufficient attention to hear what was innovative or groundbreaking about it. Fave track - "Goin' Back" I guess? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Bonito.

Nice listen

Very cool to hear the early psychadelic rock and how it kind of came out of their country sound. I really liked Moog Raga even though it is fucking weird sounding. But boy willickers, if I were a parent in the 60's these lyrics would be scandalous. Talking about psychadelics and threesomes?! Golly

Okay, this is the third album by The Byrds on this list, and I can now say with full confidence, that I'm not a fan of the band. The music is very basic and sounds generic, which probably makes sense, because it's an 55 year old album. I don't see any magic in here, or any transcendental parts, it's just a simple country/psychedelic record that is very outdated. The only reason its on this list is possible of historical impact, which is not enough for me to give it a high rating. Just another average album in here.

The Notorious Byrd Brothers is at its best when it allows itself just go off the rails, face first into psychedelia, with Roger McGuinn doing some astonishing guitar work. but in the same breath, that spontaneity breeds clunkiness, especially as the record progresses further. there’s a softness to the record that leaves it feeling light and airy, and their voices are smoothly harmonious, but after a while the songs slowly blend into each other — albeit interspersed with momentary bursts of brilliance that bring you right back into the overall beauty of the album. no true standout tracks here (though argument could be made in favor of “Wasn’t Born to Follow”, “Goin’ Back”, or “Change is Now”), so its strength lies in its overall uniformity (a blessing and a curse i guess). The Byrds are brimming with ambition and weighty ideologies, and they lay it bare on here that you almost don’t notice how hard you’ve been hit.

Mellow when listening to it, yet totally forgettable once it's done.

Somewhere between genius and really high in the sixties. Moog Raga is the sound my sleep paralysis demon makes.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think this was too short. It was kind of difficult to get into any song because they were almost all over as soon as they started. That said, this felt like bog standard 60s psychedelic rock. I liked Mr. Tambourine Man but this just felt lacking in comparison.

Moog Raga was so excruciating to listen to I deducted a Full point.

Довольно прикольный психодел рок, который иногда бьет тебя электронными звуками словно шокер, отчего становится не по себе Стоит заценить первую половину и дальше уже по желанию

Пункт номер 0: да, они реально читаются как Birds, но написали себя через y. Чувствую в этом французский след... Альбом остался мной непонятым. Ну да, он революционный для эпохи: в нём много синтаксисах для 60-х. Но всё это пока из разряда экспериментов и иногда делает альбом не сильно слушабельным. Наверное, удивление могло у меня вызвать то, что этот альбом легко можно отправить в "будущее": ну то есть, в 80-х он может быть также будет тянуть на пластинку с актуальной музыкой. Но в целом, прослушивания в целом не сильно заслуживает.

Жанр вообще понтовый, но чёт сами песенки зашли кое-как. 3ка, даже с минусом, потому что иногда было даже тяжеловато слушать

Another 60s folk rock album

But dated but very groovy psychedelic. Probably early use of a synth keyboard. 3 stars

Experimental is good for expanding a band or artists vision of what they are capable of making and performing. Experimental music does not always breed enjoyable songs, but will usually lead to original and enjoyable music later. This album is definitely experimental for the time, but not compl enjoyable. I enjoyed it, but not all too much. Definitely original, but not quite fun. Also, production wasn’t that great, but lyrics were good. 3/5

It’s fine. It’s certainly a 60’s album: left/right separated audio, crunchy sounding guitars, and folk/country elements. However, it’s better than some other 60s albums I’ve listened to on this list. One nice thing about these 60s albums is that they’re short, so if you’re not into it, you don’t listen for very long.

This album was okay. I was excited on the first song because I thought it was going to be an interesting 60's psychedelic album, but the songs all have a pretty samey feel that makes it uninteresting. I was hoping for some more diversity in the songs that went beyond the surface level of 'including weird sounds in the songs and that makes it psychedelic.' Anyways, the instrumentation on the album is pretty good, and the singing is pretty good and not washed out. There are things to like, but it's not all that. Highlights: 1, 2, 5, and 6.

Solid grooves. Great chill music

Goin' Back and Wasn't born to follow are great tracks. Rest are not really that special to me or a bit too weird (looking at you Moog Raga)

Nice and chill. Didn’t pay that much attention to it though when I listened. But will probably hear it again. 3.5.

A far more enjoyable album than the previous one on this list from this band that I got,but still not the kind of music I'll usually listen to. 2.5 but I'm rounding up for kindness.

Some interesting arrangements here, not really much stand out stuff though. It's an intersection of music I like (psychedelic) with folk/country which I'm not very keen on at this moment in time Saved tracks: Natural Harmony, Get To You (because of the ending), Dolphin's Smile

Pretty good. Not my favorite album in the world, but a good listen. I wish bands in the 60s/70s didn't full-pan different instruments to different sides. Drums right, guitar and bass left makes it feel like there's a war going on in my head. Makes it hard to appreciate it all at once when everything is begging for your attention separately. Favorite track - Draft Morning Least favorite track - Dolphin's Smile

Thought the songs were okay but this album has the tinniest mix I’ve ever heard. I’ve heard obscure one-album Italian prog rock bands with remasters and yet Spotify still has the mix from the 60s? Oof. Might listen again

Eh

Listened to on 12/8/22 3/5 Favorite song: artificial energy, goin’ back This album was lovely and then took a very odd space-y turn with some chaotic noises thrown in and immediately lowered it

This is notoriously the Byrds

Far out dude now pass me a doobie man before this shit gets heavy

77/100: Super experimental Beatles-style rock. I'm a big fan, although it at times feels derivative. I suppose if you've listened to all of the Beatles stuff and are growing bored of it, this is the perfect group for you. Very unique album, but I get the sense this isn't the best the Byrds get.

This album is for the Byrds man. Standard, boring ‘60s rock. Not interesting…but pretty chill. That chill attitude really brings the whole album together even if nothing sort of stands out.

Pretty okay

Rock. Un poco psicodélico. Más bien aburrido.

I mean, it's OK. Considerably better that the other Byrds album from the list, but I'll not be going out of my way to listen to it again.

Album is perfectly fine. Favorite track: Moog Raga

Pretty wide reaching album with an eclectic sound. I hear all manner of other later bands from track to track, so it's influence is obvious. Maybe not for me, but I get it.

Listened Before? N Trippy, man! These guys are great. The 60's personified as a band. Sometimes mellow, sometimes trippy, sometimes intolerable (Moog Raga), and sometimes SAUCY - as in the polyamorous "Triad". It was pretty enjoyable beginning to end. A solid effort. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Goin' Back

I win this time, motherfucker! I knew a minute into 'Moog Raga' that I was listening to some 'expanded edition' bullshit! I win! I win! I was like "what are these mouse farts doing?" and then I knew. Whew. Anyway - this entire album played in the background and never grabbed me once. Just nothin'. Nothin'. Absolutely fine background.

It's alright, I guess. I'd prefer significantly less yee-haw, simpering steel guitar, banjo-picking country in my psych rock, though. The combo didn't really work as well as I think they wanted it to. There are some creative engineering choices here that just didn't work out either. Over all, a pretty disappointing showing from some folks who are objectively pretty good musicians.

I really enjoyed this! It was a little trippy but in a Costco-sample kind of way. The melodies were nice and I liked how the squiggly, weird sound effects would blaze right through an otherwise typical arrangement. Thank you, The Byrds, very cool!

60s psychedelic hippie folk. Some interesting ideas with the instrumentals and they regularly add in a country twangy slide guitar sound that you wouldn't expect to hear in this style of music. Vocals were the weakest part, but overall a decent representation of the time.

Meh

Really enjoyable album, very pleasant listening experience. Favorite track: Draft Morning

Mix of some of my favourite genres, classic Byrds sound. Think I’d have to listen a few more times to really get into it. Fav track: Wasn’t Born To Follow

Some very nice psychedelic folk rock, not sure I'm enticed to listen to any more of their albums though.

A bunch of basic bitches imitate the Beatles.

I really enjoyed this, never listened to a byrds album but it was quite enjoyable. Very chill, very Crosby Still and Nash.

Nice tunes, but nothing really leaped out at me. In fact, I can’t remember a single song just 30 minutes after listening (albeit I was working while listening, but a 4 or 5 star record will at least distract me at times from that work).

Nothing that really stuck with me; although I generally like psychedelic rock, I prefer it a little harder. I imagine The Byrds were pretty influential so they get a lot of credit from me for that.

p141. 1968. 3.5 stars. Schizophrenic mix of pop, country, folk and 60's psychedelia wrapped up in an aura of world weariness. It's odd, but it's got something, and it still sounds fresh nearly 50 years on.

i liked the idea very beatlesque

Not bad by any means but nowhere near as exciting as some of their other albums

First listen: Can we blame the Beatles for this? Second/third listens: There's some nice stuff on this (e.g. Draft Morning, Wasn't Born to Follow)

It just isn't for me. It's good for the style and one of the Byrds' best works as far as I've heard

Ima dobrih stvari, lagani folk plus psihodelija u farbama. 3 puta sam preslušao album, jednom putem na posao i dva puta na poslu dok sam 3 tone robe prebacivo na ruke. Al svejedno mi nije za četvorku.

This was good, but I found it underwhelming.

Has a couple of good tunes.

Pretty run of the mill 60s rock. Not good, not bad, nothing really stands out on the album for me.

I’ve said a few times already that I have a soft spot for 60’s psychedelia but I find it interesting to think about why some psychedelic albums from this era sound timeless while others (like this one) sound very much of their time. Songwriting is probably the biggest factor. The Byrds are using similar production techniques and effects as The Beatles were around this time but obviously the songs on this album (while still enjoyable) aren’t on the same level. Of course, it’s unfair to compare any band to The Beatles in terms of songwriting but I do think songcraft is what separates classic music from good music, at least when it comes to pop and rock. Still, if I imagine myself in 1968, sitting cross-legged on the floor of a friend’s room listening to this album on freshly purchased vinyl, I would have been very into The Byrds. Their sound has a nice mix of druggy mood music and folky country rock. “Change is Now” stood out as a highlight for me.

Pretty interesting album, lots of experimental production techniques that might not stand the test of time / they might conflict a bit with common modern production ideals, but without bands doing this during this period of time we wouldn't have those modern ideals. I read that this was one of the first records to utilize the infamous Moog synth, so that's pretty great! I love the SFX in "Draft Morning" too. I incorporate them into my own music and I rarely hear other musicians use them. As experimental as the album is, I kind of felt like I wanted more excitement in the compositions themselves. A lot of them had similar feels and when they would have an exciting change or shift in the track it was all dependent on the production and sounds rather than the performance- almost like they were leaning on the production oddities to carry the load.

Some of this I enjoyed but I'm just not a huge fan of The Byrds sound

Redelijk saai album, voelt erg ouderwets

Seemed pretty good, would like to listen to it a few more times to get a better feel for it.

Alright

harmonising hippies but not my bag today man

A couple interesting tracks but overall it all blended together. Lots of different genres but nothing particularly unique.

Notoriously middle of the road.

Pleasant but boring. Only one or two songs I really like but the rest was forgettable. Impressive production and composition but ultimately fell flat for me. The last track where you got to listen in on the recording process was pretty interesting.

This was fine, flirting with annoying (looking at you, Moog Raga), other times pleasant to listen to (Wasn't Born to Follow). I was entertained but not amazed. Honestly it was mostly pretty hokey.

I mean it’s pretty cool. Lots of sound experimentation, I’ve listened to “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” before and I honestly think it’s better. Still a fun one tho

Meilleur que je pensais. La première moitié était un peu dull, mais certaines pièces vers la fin ont un nice vibe progressif. À réécouter

just average

Another really over-represented band on this list. Although I like this kind of thing pretty well as a rule, there is an awful lot going on in this era to give so much coverage to one group.

It's Byrds. Mix of some weird psychedelic stuff with bland storytelling.

This album sounds like the 60s in a rather bland, generic way. The Byrds clearly had an influence on the culture to have a sound that is so representative of the era but there aren't any songs on this album that draw me in, that make me want to listen again. I'm disappointed.

Equal parts interesting and boring. Weird dichotomy of a record

It was ok. Very 60s. Won't listen again.

It's fine. Pretty standard late 60s pop. Wouldn't turn it off if it was on, but not going to look to play it again, either.

More mediocrity by The Byrds. This is the third album this list has tried to convince me that this band is worth listening to - they just aren't. The boggiest of bog standard. I suppose the tracks are short. So that's a bonus? Best Tracks: Draft Morning; Wasn't Born To Follow; Tribal Gathering

Pop tranquilo sin complicaciones con buenas voces. Acordes limpios y con canciones muy reconocibles.

3-, not bad psychedelic album

I listened the extended version of the album, and I thought I give it 4, it is usually catchy, but I enjoyed the bonus part more than the original part, so I give it 3.

jangle jangle bloop whooooooo

Pretty good.

Loved the use of 5/4 time but wasn't really that hooked by the whole thing.

Pleasant enough

Gut gut

Definitely has a 60's psychedelic vibe but it was pretty chill. Easy listening

Psychedelic and jangly enough. 5/10

First repeat band on the list. I liked the other album better.

Californian 60 poppy rock.

It's alright. I can't really listen to too much psychedelic rock without getting tired of it and also tired in general. Groovy nonetheless

Not bad, not memorable

Good album, folksy rock sound

Yea its fine, I'm not into it.

I'm surprised! It's country music I actually enjoyed. The experimental nature gave some songs quite the Pink Floyd feeling.

Some more imaginative and varied tracks on this one than previous Byrd outings – though the strong psychedelic streak at the start fades out in the back half, there's still enough thematic links (and a hell of a lot of flanger) to cohere the entire LP together.

not bad

Their first 5 songs are amazing. The later songs where they make use of the Moog Synthesizer are really quite bad, but hey props to them for trying out the new electronic alien sound machine, to help the industry adopt those kinds of sounds so we can have the amazing synth music we have today. Second half is quite bad, but the sounds of alien blasters and things breaking must have been very refreshing in 1968. Very nice album. 3.

nice

Ok det er alligevel lidt mærkeligt. Noget godt men en mærkelig sammensætning af lydd/musik. Ikke helt min smag.

Jangly and psychodelic. Some is very pretty, not as much country as I was expecting.

Some entertaining folk, not much more to say. Seems to be a lot of Byrds on this list..

Never got into the Byrds - is this their must listen?

Much better than I thought it was going to be

Meh? It was good? Easy listen but not too memorable. A little soft to be "notorious" but I did like the throuple song and how the guns in the war song sounded more like lasers.

Pretty weird but interesting 6/10

5/10. Pretty boring

They tried to make it interesting but I think where this album and so many like it fall short is a lack of energy. All of the songs are sort of slow and have lilting vocals that just put me to sleep. 6/10

Peaceful and relaxing. Kind of reminds me of the Monkees, if the Monkees got super into psychedelics and Cream. A few songs left an impression, the rest kind of floated by. Favorite tracks: "Tribal Gathering", "Change is Now"

This album had solid examples of the vocal harmonies and jangly guitar that typifies music from the Byrds, I think that all of the tracks were new to me. I've never heard more than a few songs from the Byrds, and probably music prior to this album. The album was worth a listen. I marked "Change is Now" as a track to come back to. I'm not sure what to do with "Dolphin's Smile". This album almost gets a pass into the "I'd listen to this again", but I don't think it quite makes it there.

Paar goeie nummers, maar lang niet alles

Pretty nice and I love the harmonization.

Wasn’t impressed. Not a fan of this style of music

Pretty fun folk rock

I think I enjoyed this, but it kind of passed by while I was concentrating, so it's difficult to tell.

I've listened to all the Byrds albums to Sweetheart of the Radio several times, but I honestly cannot see the acclaim they received from contemporary sources. However, I do understand the great significance. The Byrds' experimentation used rock as a medium rather than a genre, instead playing other genres but with a rock twist. And here we see the Byrds at their most expressive, employing folk, pop, country, psychedelia, and jazz. Now, folk rock was dominant in the first two albums, and psychedelic rock in the next two, but the country is definitely new, and points to where they head in their next albums. Note that nobody has ever done these rock fusion genres before, so congratulations to the Byrds. They're influential to music, but how do the albums themselves hold up? I like it. I like their sound and the genres they play. It makes for lovely easy listening. But the songs are mostly just ok. "Goin Back" and "Triad" are the best but still at best decent. This album is probably the best of their catalogue for an average person to listen to because there's so much variation (and the least amount of terrible songs), but I think they're experimenting too much in this album and don't really know what to do with the songs they're producing.

Felt like kinda standard southern rock. Easy to listen to, but no jams

A nice little folk music album. Should maybe listen again.

Wild and weird with beautiful harmonies. McGuinn is definitely a weird dude and can’t decide whether to make a psychedelic, folk, or country album, so instead the band deliver it all in one. Worth a headphone listen but not something I’d keep coming back to.

Some fun psychedelic rock, but nothing that captured my attention.

I was supposed to laugh out loud at the start of "Moon Raga," right? The horns at the start were unexpected, but after that this settled in quickly as a cohesive album that comfortable and snuggly and warm. “Draft Morning” devolves unexpectedly but interestly into noise and chaos briefly, clearly the mark of a band with a set style but also an yearning to experiment. (It was right before this album that their lead singer changed his first name, to Roger, as part of joining an Indonesian “spiritual movement.” The 60’s, man... What super-vanilla white dude name would you pick when you join some kind of zen cult?) I only really knew “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn, Turn, Turn” really well, but I found their harmonies and arrangements to be classic. Perhaps classic rock even?? But they were pioneers of folk rock, and were experimenting here with psychedelic rock... of course, everything before 1997 with a guitar is classic rock, right? ;) Finally, the Byrds are not brothers, so this album title is another case of false advertising. (This only missed **** because “Moon Raga” totally took me out of it.)

False advertising, wanted more soul. …for real…

Nope...sounds Beatles-ish.

Definitely Beatles-esque. Like the sound and the different instruments. Perhaps a bit ethereal for my taste as typically like more of an edge to my music. Good background music though. 2.6/5