Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Proper naughty bit of 60s, this music genre is always so calming and feel good to me. Triad and Wasn't born to follow both stick out for me, Triad is chilled, Wasn't Born seems like nice garden music. Overall pretty good.
How are these albums to listen to before I die, constant mediocre albums,starting to lose interest
Enjoyed quite a lot of this, some country vibes done in the right way, so I liked a lot of it. Let down by the weird instrumentals etc at the end (not sure if they are part of the core track list or not??)
Interesting music. Interesting story of its recording. And interesting use of moog synthesizer.
Solid but eh FT: 3/5
Really interesting with lots of lovely moments and a couple of standout tracks
Notorious BIG-Byrd. Pretty solid stuff.
Some nice stuff, better than Dylan.
Byrd is the wyrd
Enjoyed it and would listen again, but no profound impact on me.
Hmm. OK late 60's, distorted guitars, dreamy, etc., but not really my cup of tea. The "behind the scenes" recordings from the sessions are probably the best bit.
Good enough for a 3. Closer to 2 than 4 granted but the use of brass and none standard 60's rock and roll instruments gave it a lot more interest than I thought going in
I thought I’d enjoy it more than I did but it was very typical of them. ***
So much of the same thing.
Supposed to be one of their best albums but felt a little dated to me. Crosby's rejected "Triad" was one of the better songs, tbh
Easy listening. Some beautiful ballads.
3.9 - a pleasant blend of psychedelic and Country-western elements with hippie pop rock. Songs well crafted with pleasant harmonies, condensed to flow creating a cohesive listen with a few interesting experiments with guitar delay and some synth. The Byrds have some outsized real estate on this list (7 albums?) but so far what I’ve listened to has been interesting.
Pretty good. Not my favorite Byrds album. Country influence creeping in. 7/10
3.5 - enjoyed individual songs and sound but less love for album arc
Very 60s-era sound. Early rock and roll. Beatles-esque. It's a fun listen though. Lots of interesting effects.
I should like this album but there just something musically that I couldn’t connect with. Perhaps it’s the country and western influence perhaps it’s the eyebrow raising triad. It’s experimental but of it’s era. The vocal lines are tight but there just a dreamy quality that comes off as dreary. I quite liked hearing them have an argument on the last track. Which again speaks to me not connecting with the band. I didn’t hate it all but there was nothing for me to jam to
This is a good folk-rock album. There is some mild experimental style music(which to me is more random synth noise than anything else) and is luckily kept to a couple of songs(more or less).and the others are some decent songs.
Nice smooth 60's.
It was interesting. Lots of weird sounds, but pretty alright overall.
Light vocals, groovy mountain tunes.
Good 60s album good, good guitar, nothing bad. Nothing too memorable though. Would like to listen again
Touches more on 60s psychedelic sounds than the typical folk rock style Laid back vibe for most songs, still playing into more psychedelic and chill sounds Relying more on vocal harmonies and reverb than riffs or up front grooves Bass and drums offer tasty fills that flesh out the music The more folk leaning songs still suits their sound more than the experimental ones Parts of it sound very inspire by what the Beatles were doing at the time but the songwriting is less sharp
Lots of good sounds.
It’s ok..... nice melodies, but just a bit twee for my taste!
The Notorious Byrd Brothers takes the band back to their very simple and formulaic ways for their 5th studio project and even with the hints of Country Rock scattered all throughout this project I am still getting a bit tired of this band having nothing new to offer. I found it kind of funny after they try and be a bit experimental they revert back almost immediately back to their very tame, simple, and easy to digest Folk Rock. I wish the songwriting really popped a lot more for me because it would give me something to latch onto, but alas this project just serves up very decent but not notable music time and time again. I don't know what else to say here so I guess I will keep it at this....
probably the better of the birds albums i’ve heard so far, the 60’s sound is something i really enjoy
Es muy experimental, casi divertido.
I definitely listened to this… it was fine… but I couldn't tell you anything remarkable about this album.
Expectation: -> More 60s. After listening: -> Perhaps a strange comment, but I enjoyed the percussive elements. Liked the more high energy moments (thank you). I enjoy trumpets/horns amidst lively rock songs (e.g. Artificial Energy). Some of this made me cringe and there was an odd talking/silence track at the end. Track ranking: Artificial Follow Old John Goin' Triad Change Draft Get Dolphin Tribal Bound Harmony Space Moog Universal
meh, I guess it's not as bad as a lot of the 60s stuff
Late 60s folk rock. Blending together elements of psychedelia, folk rock, country, electronic music, baroque pop, and jazz. Too psych and otherwise bland for me.
Every other song sounded the same.
My second Byrds album on this, and as forgettable as the previous one.
Outside of the awesome but short Easy Rider track really not much at all of interest here...the other song written by Carole King, Goin Back is the only other one I dug. I was surprised by the opening horns on the 1st track I gotta say.
This is fine. Taken on its own, I just don't find it that interesting musically. And it's just a little too far before my time for me to really get into it. 2.45 stars, rounding down to two.
A pesar de que no haya alguna canción que me desagrade de por sí, no me parece un álbum llamativo, sino un par de canciones que tendría de fondo mientras hago alguna actividad, de todas maneras no tienen canciones malas ni desagradables, quizá me falto escucharlo prestándole completa atención.
Another 60s album, yawn. How is this different from the others? Also moog raga? White people dabbling in eastern music? F offffff 2*
Fun, but not necessarily my kind of thing. Interesting though! Favourite track: Wasn’t Born to Follow
- This isn't starting out great... the first song is kind of a chore, but luckily, the second song is great - Goin' Back - really pretty with sentimental lyrics. - I like the light psychedelic feel of the album, overall. - A little too much country twang guitar and bass at times, and I didn't enjoy when it went kind of sea shanty. - I like the vocals and the other percussive elements (glockenspiel!) and when things go a little swirly. - I could do without the dissonant harmonies on the dolphin song. - Overall, I found this pretty forgettable.
Some interesting bits but not enough to make me want to listen to it
Звучит хорошо, но скучновато Слушал фоном, хитов не
It was good until the instrumental junk.
It wasn't amazing. It felt quite experimental and probably quite ground-breaking at the time, but I was mostly a bit bored by the majority of it.
There’s band I actually like that I haven’t listened to as much in my private life, as these guys because of this list
c'est un vieux album quoi rien de transfigurant
Most songs really feel of its time. That really old style of song with the mellow singing and soft instruments. Not really my thing and no one song stood out to me on the album. I know two of their most famous songs and they are better but probably from nostalgia on my part more than anything else.
Super weird, like a folk album was overdubbed badly with a early 1960's sci-fi score
Rien de mémorable, même si effectivement on sent que ça a pu avoir un impact sur les Beatles - sauf que eux n'ont pas pondu 'Moog Raga'
2,3/5
Would describe as generic 60s music. Moog raga really got on my nerves, dropping this to a 2
Bit meh.
There wasn't really anything on this that would make me want to relisten
One song of this at a time would be fine. An entire album of it gets annoying really quickly.
I found this stilted and strange. Not very cohesive musically and not very compelling lyrically. Interesting that it may have been an early adopter of synthesizer music, but it didn’t really shine through significantly or competently.
Met heel veel moeite vond ik na het luisteren van de vier eerdere Byrds-platen die we kregen een positief punt. Met een vijfde plaat kan ik daar echt niet ineens een extra pluspunt bij toveren. Leuk dat deze lui gingen experimenteren met Moog en pedal steel quitar, maar het wordt er nauwelijks interessanter op. De hit was blijkbaar Goin' Back. Moeten we het echt hebben van dat gezapige nummer? Daar voegen de nieuwe instrumenten echt niets aan toe. Een ander populair nummer is Wasn't Born to follow. In de basis net zo gezapig. Maar zo'n twintig seconden draait het geluid inderdaad alle kanten op. Ok, hier volgen ze niemand, maar het is ook niet om aan te horen...
The arguing on the last track was wild. It's the 60s. I could do without the Moog - I think I prefer post-Byrds CSN by far.
A little too 60s for me. It’s like distilled 60s pop rock. Moog raga sounded like flatulence.
Just couldn't get into this, especially the instrumental tracks
A bit too folk for my taste
Not bad, needs another listen.
I understand all of the praise for the technical and musically pioneering aspects of this album but it felt flat, more dead than alive, to me. Not their best.
Just kinda nothing.
I found this album to be really boring. It's not repulsive at all, but just boring. Nothing here that I would enjoy returning to. 1968 had some real killer albums, this one isn't one of them.
The Byrds. 60's mellow rock. Two of their top 10 Spotify songs are from this album; I didn't recognize them or care at all about them. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a
What are they notorious for? Sounding like other 60s bands? 3/10
didn't love it - hope the next album is from a different decade
The Good: We’re down with NBB, yeah, you know me! The Bad: Dyslexia… The Ugly: The scowl on my face… Scowl, because I just clicked the bandname on the album review page, and was greeted with FIVE fucking album covers… 5IVE… I honestly don’t know if I am going to be able to get through with the list if this keeps up. Every day I wake up with a feeling of dread as to which album will be the source of disgust today… let me check… great, some unknown country singer of the early ‘00s Did I enjoy this album? Not really. Then again, I think I zoned out at a certain point, lowered the volume a tad, and found myself listening to silence once the album was over. Will I ever listen to this album again? Never say never. Not because I would like to, but sometimes shit happens, and we can not recall all the albums which have already been presented to us on this list. Would I suggest this album to people as something they have to listen to before they die? No. Period. 2*
Starts off fairly standard and devolves into some weird experimentation stuff
I remember this album cover vividly from my dad's collection. I was a master of the turntable by 6 yrs old and I dove into what he had available (Usually due to the cover! The horse got me!). I've heard this one before, my dad loved the Byrd harmonies and had several albums by them. Sounds dated from the very first note. They have a very distinct sound and special harmonies, you know their sound right away. "Goin' Back" was familiar, as was "Wasn't Born To Follow". I'm a bit surprised this Byrds album got the nod instead of their debut (which had actual hits on it and established their sound) but then this list includes "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" which kinda sucks. I continue to be baffled by this T1001 playlist. There was nothing on this album to justify a spot in what should be the creme de la creme. Help me understand why it was included. It was boring, dated, without hits or hooks and fell short of my expectations (as a kid, and again today). 2 stars
fine
🥱 I liked these guys when I was a kid because they sounded like 'the Sixties.' (This was back in the nineties, mind you.) But now, it sounds too much like 'the Sixties.' That was a long 28 minutes!
Delightfully weird. I'm glad to know this one is out there
For all of the psychedelic rock albums that sound exactly like this album, did I really need to listen to this particular Byrds album? Like, sure, it was experimental and fundamental in developing the folk-rock sound, but do I seriously have to listen to another three of their albums?
The Byrds had some GREAT tracks, but I don’t think they ever produced a great album. This certainly isn’t. It’s interesting. They created a series of interesting sounds. But in 1968, pushing your own psychedelic boundaries didn’t distinguish you. And the only one of them who showed any talent for songwriting - Gene Clark - was long gone by this point.
Not bad, but not a fave.
Wasn’t overly keen on it for the most part, would be decent with substances I guess for the prog moog parts
Not one of their best
Only one song over 3 minutes (listened to original album without bonus tracks). So it went down very easy. Is it weird to not like 60's psychedelia, but enjoy 70's progressive rock? Because that's how I am with this one. The 60's psych stuff grates on me, the country influences are an interesting mix that's not totally unsuccessful, and the early hints of 70's progressive rock make me wish this album was made maybe 5 years later. A lot of the songs feel more like demos / ideas than fully fleshed out songs... overall, nothing I would come back to.
It's a interesting álbum, but unfortunately It's not My type. I appreciate the effort, anyway.
British twangly twee tosh. Does nothing for me at this point.
The difference between the "greats" and the rest is, the great albums, bands and songs are fondly played by future generations. The rest are only remember in lists like this. The Byrds are in the latter category.
Not something I really enjoyed listening to but feels good for the background of a bar or something
If ever there was a recording of its time and place this is it. Summer of Love, west coast California. There's Vietnam, Drugs, Psychedelia, Tribal Love, Visions, Aliens, All of us Coming Together and all the hippy accoutrements. It's sung in the sort of lush vocal harmonies that were big at the time (see also The Mammas and The Pappas and The 5th Dimension) and combines folk, jazz, rock and pop and drenches it all in more phasing and flanging and production tricks than seems possible. Imagine "Revolver" but dial it up to 11. It's all very trippy and of the moment, but I think its moment us well past. Also: "I'm coming down off amphetamine I'm in jail coz I killed a queen." Really??
Another Byrds album! It’s ok, much like the horse
This band do nothing for me. Late 60's psychedelic rock should be interesting but it's lifeless and dull to these ears.
Oh boy, it's the Byrds again. I'm not into them. They have some interesting stuff, but that doesn't mean it's great.
Not a bad effort. Technically these guys could all play but they put some of the blandest music i've ever heard. One or two gems per outing but not enough to make me want to hear a whole lot from them. "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" is the one Lp of theirs that I really like.
Meh. Usually something like this is right up my alley but there’s some misses on here.
2 Stars (5/15)
I’ve read more about the Byrds as part of this Challenge and understand their role as one of the great 1960s bands, bridging folk and rock, renowned for harmonies, jangle guitar, and studio innovation. But damn it, I just don’t like their music that much, and this record sounds dated to me.
I don't think I'm going to survive an hour of this. Yeah I didn't survive.
The Notorious Byrd Brothers was Len’s collective noun for his wives 4-7. That was because they were actual birds and all brothers! 2.2 5/17 Wasn’t Born To Follow
Full disclosure, I heard like half of the album and skipped about halfway through most of the songs I did hear. Too busy yesterday and the album wasn’t good anyway so win/win. I like the Byrd’s greatest hits, but that’s the extent of it apparently.
This is a one trick pony and it’s not a great trick. The Byrds have a unique sound but it’s very dated and this collection does nothing but reiterate that over and over again. I mean, why make an album if every single song is going to sound exactly the same?
Interesting album. I appreciate when bands experiment with new sounds, but the nuance of the new toys they used here is lost on me. It kinda sounds like folk version of the Beach Boys, and I'm not a huge fan of the Beach Boys to begin with so I'm less of a fan of this. Not for me
Not for me
This one is for the birds! (I didn’t like it any more than any other of the many albums that sound basically the same as this one)
There is some interesting sounds but I'd basically the beach boys on acid. Which sounds way better than this album actually is.
Average 60's rock. Nothing to hear here.... move along.
Except for a couple of hints of the country-rock Byrds we came to love, this is an album of bland psychodelia. For completists only.
Kinda boring. Didn’t care for it and easily forgotten.
The is was ok. Nothing more.
It's the Byrds. Some great and then some that just makes you go WTF?
Thys rycord ys boryng.
I found them bland back when, still do. Gotta admit though there's lots of sounds that surprised me - the sudden strings, the switch up from great country pedal steel to Robert Fripp-style soaring simple dual guitars, really really nice stuff, then right back to the snoozy harmonies. Somehow this album lives in the middle of flower child Turn Turn Turn folk and glimpses of rock and synth popping out.
Not my jam
some good stuff on here but I could do without the whole track of Moog farts and the final track trying to convince two women to have a threesome with the narrator
I appreciate that the Byrds are highly influential, but they’ve just never done anything for me. I do like that most of their albums have a song about space. David Crosby has maybe the best song on the album with Tribal Gathering.
2/5
Cover 4 60s folk rock of not my jam.
There are too many Byrds albums here.
Maybe not the right day mood for this listen, but fun.
- soft rock - beruhigend - schöne klang - chli repetitov, country aghuucht
The Byrds are a tough one. They're a bit like a bridge between older sounds and a new psychedelic era. With that being said, they do sound more dated than others in the genre. I get that they're pioneers and lead to many other great artists, but they aren't my favorite of the time period. Just missing a couple pieces. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)
Dear god, another one of these albums. I can't take them. It's just they're so hippy like, but not in a good way. It's somewhere between psychedelia, country and folk, with these soft vocals, ugh. I can't. But I guess they were very representative of the time.
This is another with a billion extra tracks that make it double the length it's supposed to be. The single "get back" was pretty naff and reminded me of their other album. But in their credit, the Moog sounds on natural harmony are great and it made the whole thing way more interesting. The rest of the album kind of went on. The songs are just a bit slow and I struggled to get into them. Every so often there would be an interesting part or sound, but it was gripping. Maybe the lyrics were strong, but none especially jump out after this listen.
Does nothing for me
a yawn and a half
This tread the line between tedious (Dolphin Smile, Space Odyssey, fucking Moog Raga), and pleasant (Goin’ Back). Overall, not really impressed at all. ⭐️⭐️
wow, that was a whole lot of nothing.
# 574 : The Notorious Byrd Brothers The Notorious Byrd Brothers – Experimental, but Not Exceptional Some interesting experimentation going on here—phasers, Moogs, and a horse on the cover—but none of it adds up to anything truly memorable. The playing is decent, the singing is fine, and the production occasionally wanders into cool territory. But the songs? They just don’t stick. This is the Byrds doing what the Byrds do: jangly guitars, harmony vocals, and a slightly psychedelic glaze. It’s a good representation of their sound, but not a compelling reason to revisit it. “Wasn’t Born to Follow” is the best of the bunch—spacey, loose, and a little more adventurous than the rest. But even that feels more like a highlight by default. Verdict: 2 Stars for effort. File under “textbook Byrds, but not the essential chapter.”
I liked *some* of the weird noises in this. The rest was a bit dull. Was thinking I was getting some trippy hippy fest, then it turned into a whistling stove kettle and a synthesiser falling down some stairs. It's like they're trying to capture an acid journey, but they just pretended to take it for cool points in the hippy circle. Could be better; could be worse.
I'm glad they enjoyed the Moog but this felt interminable. And weirdly horny.
It's okay not fantastic some of the instrumental are annoying and it's over long and dated I got a lot bored.
I didn't know what to expect, but I enjoyed this.
This should have been called every song sounds the same until they dont
Another Byrds album, and another album of pure nothing. Everything that I’ve heard from this band and a few adjacent releases has just sounded like band practice recorded with some good equipment. Everything once again melts into one, the chief exception being Tribal Gathering (which melts into Dolphins Smile anyway) and the closing Space Odyssey, which might actually be an OK song, though it’s hard to tell when it’s surrounded with all this. Thanks, Byrds. I can’t wait to hear more half-hour compendiums of your mediocrity! See you next time, for the many Byrds albums that are included in this list.
The American Beatles sounds like itself. Not much to say about this one. Maybe would improve after several listens, but for now, it just sounds like one of the many 60's pop records.
Lame but not bad at all.
Too much folk for my taste. I've liked some of their tracks with more psychedelic touch, but seem to run into this same problem with each release. Feels like our rating group is getting super fed up with this flood of American folk and 60's stuff, to the point that even I don't feel like finding out why said album is important or what it achieved to receive it's place in a list like this.
Some interesting bits sonically. Solid instrumentation. None of the tracks popped for me. The components make me feel like I should like it more, but it is a bit too soft and ultimately forgettable.
meh
I was too harsh on Meatloaf yesterday, shoulda been a 3. This is meh.
Classic rock-folky stuff not really my style.
Il y a des jours, dans ce projet un peu fou des "1001 albums", où l'on tombe sur des pépites oubliées, des disques qui nous retournent le cerveau et nous rappellent pourquoi on aime la musique à ce point. Et puis, il y a les autres jours les jours où l'on se coltine un "classique", un "monument", une "pierre angulaire", et où l'on passe quarante minutes à se demander si la machine à remonter le temps n'est pas tombée en panne. Sur le papier, tout y est. The Byrds, les pionniers du folk-rock, les mecs qui ont électrifié Dylan et dont le jangle des Rickenbacker a inspiré des légions de groupes, de R.E.M. aux Smiths. L'année, 1968, le grand bordel psychédélique, l'année de toutes les audaces, où les studios d'enregistrement se transformaient en laboratoires d'expérimentations sonores. Le contexte ? Un groupe en pleine implosion, David Crosby venant de se faire virer avec la délicatesse d'un coup de pied au cul. Le chaos, souvent, ça donne de grands disques ou pas. Je vais être direct, parce que la vie est trop courte pour tourner autour du pot : je me suis fait chier et royalement. J'ai écouté l'album d'une oreille lointaine car il n'a jamais réussi à capter mon attention. C'est un fantôme musical, une relique d'un temps révolu qui, malheureusement, n'a pas eu la bonne idée de bien vieillir. Le livre qui guide mes écoutes parle d'une "synthèse céleste de mélodie et d'expérimentation, incluant des textures électroniques innovantes". "Textures électroniques innovantes" ? En 2025, ça sonne surtout comme les gadgets d'un Géo Trouvetou qui vient de découvrir le phasing et les bandes passées à l'envers. On sent l'effort, la volonté de sonner "moderne" pour l'époque. On entend les trompettes sur "Artificial Energy", les tentatives de collages sonores, mais tout ça sonne... daté, terriblement daté. C'est comme regarder un vieux film de science-fiction où les fusées sont en carton-pâte. Ça pouvait faire illusion à l'époque, mais aujourd'hui, ça prête à sourire, et pas toujours avec tendresse. L'album est un patchwork un peu bancal, le son d'un groupe qui se cherche sans se trouver. On sent les tensions, le départ de David Crosby, l'incertitude. Ils tentent de marier leurs harmonies vocales sublimes (il faut leur laisser ça) avec des expérimentations qui tombent souvent à plat. C'est un disque de transition, et comme beaucoup de disques de transition, il a le cul entre deux chaises, et finit par s'asseoir par terre. Il manque un liant, une âme, une direction claire. On passe d'une ballade folk-country un peu mièvre à une tentative de rock psyché sans jamais que la sauce ne prenne vraiment. Pourtant, au milieu de ce marasme temporel, une lumière, une seule, mais elle brille fort. Avec "Space Odyssey" on sort de la naphtaline, ce morceau, avec son Moog futuriste et son ambiance cosmique, est le seul moment où l'expérimentation ne sonne pas comme un gadget mais comme une vision. C'est un court instant de grâce où les Byrds ne regardent plus en arrière ou ce qui se fait à côté, mais droit devant, vers l'inconnu. C'est étrange, audacieux, et ça, pour le coup, ça n'a pas vieilli. C'est la seule piste qui m'a fait relever la tête et monter le son, le seul moment où j'ai eu l'impression d'écouter un classique et non une pièce de musée. Alors, au final, que retenir de ce "Notorious Byrd Brothers" ? Pour moi, qui ai grandi avec le post-punk et le rock indie, ce disque est une curiosité historique. Il fallait sans doute être là en 1968, en plein "Summer of Love" finissant, pour en saisir toute la portée. Aujourd'hui, il me laisse froid, c'est un album qui s'écoute comme on regarde un documentaire en noir et blanc : on apprend des choses, on voit comment c'était "avant", mais on ne ressent pas grand-chose. Un album à écouter avant de mourir ? Oui, si l'on est un archéologue du rock. Pour les autres, disons que ce n'est pas une urgence. La prochaine fois, j'espère tomber sur un disque qui me fera saigner les oreilles ou pleurer toutes les larmes de mon corps. N'importe quoi, mais pas cet entre-deux poli et poussiéreux. Note finale : 2/5 - Et c'est bien payé, juste pour "Space Odyssey".
Apparently important but I just found it to drag. A few interesting bits but overall I wanted it to end way before it did
i enjoy the weird psychedelic rock stuff but when the singing hits i fucking hate it. and most of it is just that folk singing so this gets a 2
This is about what I expected from the Byrds. At least Space Odyssey wasn't a bad cover.
tried to dig it but could never get into it
While it had a few good songs, the album was all over the place and I found it to be a weak link to the overall magnificent music the Byrds produced.
Not their best. Too experimental and just got bogged down a bit.
The best of these samey songs are the country sounding ones, so it makes sense they followed with a country album
First reaction; not impressed. 2/5
Just boring.
2.5
Booooring
I didn't love this one. Maybe just not my style. 2 stars.
They made some interesting choices the production of this album. Super washy and the instruments are panned super wide. It made a difficult to listen to somehow. This could have been a good one. I also noticed his album has none of their hits on it. There are like 10 other albums more popular this one.
mehhhhhhhhh
I like the Laurel Canyon sound, and this record has some good tunes on it, but I’ve always felt the American music press over-hyped The Byrds.
Gee, do I WANT to listen to the fecking soundtrack to every gotdamn Vietnam War movie ever? Not really. Look I respect them but this stuff really aint my jam. Kinda hate it.
Vanilla
Sounds like a very typical Byrds album. There weren't any stand out tracks for me on this one. It’s fine but I think they have better albums. Not one I'd go back to listen to again that's for sure.
This is not my favorite time period and genre of music. First impression: It all sounds like the same bland hippy-ish rock from the late 60's to mid 70's. Lots of bland lyrics (yes even the Carole King co-written song) about generic enlightenment or anti-establishment vibes. After full listen: first impression mostly stands up -- there is a little more variation, a little country in there and early synth touches but still a big no for me.
2.5 rounded down
Not their best
Yeah, not excited about this.
Pretty uninteresting listen. Not that it's bad or anything. But don't know if it deserves to be included in the list.
God i'm really not in the vibe for this atm
Classic early British Rock with just a touch of psychadelia
This list has too many Byrds albums. I have nothing against the Byrds, but doing this project is kind of making me hate them. Update: after hearing "Dolphins' Smile" I have something against the Byrds. Ugh.
At the risk of 'damning with faint praise', this was ok.
To me this album is just an aimless rambling pile of music looking for a decent song to emerge. 2 stars or D.
Blah. Average 60s stuff. 2.5.
Experimental, but not in a good way.
giving this one the byrd.
There’s nothing wrong with this album. They’re obviously excellent musicians but I don’t like the music.
Pleasant. The sound is dated, not necessarily in a bad way, but also not something that I grew up listening to so it isn't nostalgic either. It's interesting that something that was once cutting edge now feels old fashioned. Similar to the Beatles but lacking something, possibly just my familiarity. I like the guitar melodies, and the instrumental parts. I liked Draft Morning.
i will never get this band or why there's 300 of their albums on this list
I really liked the country album that came after this, and their early stuff is better. You can hear the older stuff along with the country, but this isn't good.
Surprisingly disappointing. Not the Byrds best stuff. None of their popular songs and it seemed very experimental in a way that was more failure than success.
Cool as hell that they have a horse in their band. Get To You > Tribal Gathering > Change Is Now > Artificial Energy > Draft Morning > Old John Robertson > Dolphin's Smile > Goin Back > Wasn't Born to Follow > Space Odyssey > Natural Harmony Gonna keep being a stinker in my ratings haha. If you're telling me I need to hear this fifth Byrds album before I die, before I have lived a full life of experiencing all the beautiful art the world has to offer, I'm gonna shrug a bit! Some nice stuff and some silly stuff, glad I listened to it. Perfectly fine. It's a 2.
Good instrumentals but not my taste
Vanilla Beatles.
I respect Nirvana and especially this album for what they started and inspired
For the byrds.
One of those bands I think I SHOULD like but reality differs. This album washes over me but fails to engage. It's not unpleasant but it stirs no emotion. Musical blancmange. 2/5.
Another confirmation that I do not like psychedelic rock. Love the album cover though!
More like The Notorious Bad Brothers I was disappointed in this one because I've enjoyed their previous stuff. This was weird though and not in a good way Very boring and nothing stuck out to me. I was just counting down the minutes waiting for it to end 2 ⭐️
That's not jam mate, that's just total fucking marmalade. Really long, really dated, really boring. People were still doing this airy fairy shit in 1968? I thought the world had well and truly moved on by then. The phaser on Old John Robertson legit hurt my ears. That's literally the only thing that stood out to me. I really don't have anything to say about this. It was so uninteresting I forgot I even had music on in the background. I'd probably play this if I was an aged care worker and had just sedated one of my patients after they had a dementia-induced psychotic episode.
Psychedelic Folk Rock copying their style from the beatles, copying their lyrics from Bob Dylan. That being Said the Synthesizer mentioned at the end of the album doesn't make it the best so far. I'd rather say not any better than the last one in my list
A bit too old-fashioned for my taste. O.k. but nothing remarkable on.
Very bored by this one. The Byrds try to dabble in psychedelia and it all sounds like wishy washy nothing. 2.3/5
Not for me
Not for me
A good and important album, but I see it more as a stepping stone for future bands instead of being excellent itself. Too jangly and country-adjacent for my taste. 2⭐️
meh 2/5
Inoffensive but nothing to excite
I enjoyed some of the tracks, but there were a few of the more psychedelic tracks that I really disliked
Reminded me of less interesting George Harrison
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"!
Some fine, straightforward folky psychedelia of its era. Pretty whatever. The Moog Raga was hilarious. I would not revisit.
ehh. haven't we had enough byrds now
Super weak sauce.
I could take it or leave it, but gun to my head? I'd leave it
Meh
Wishy washy
stfu
this is really outdated. not the worst but definitely not the best
Didn't grab me. Maybe I just didn't get it.
2.5 if im honest. Too folky for too long
Meh
could i write poetry to this? n
I found this really dull. I think it has aged a lot and just didn't hold me interest
Man all these white man groups sound the same. It was fine. I don't remember anything about it.
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.
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.
Classic 60s sound. It’s ok but nothing really sticks out.
This is your run-off-the-mill psychedelic, 60s Rock album, and a pretty derivative one at that. 2/5
Some basic americana sounding stuff. Not much noteworthy but easy enough to listen to. 4/10
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🐦🦅🦆🐴 Production: 😲🙂👌 Music: 🎤🦋🌈 Rating: 🐦🦅/5
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.
Average 60s psychadelic rock. Nothing remotely special.
It's music in album form and it's certainly from a year in the late 60s.
Boring
Okay. Ending was cool
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
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
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
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.
Dated
zzzZZZzzz
Nothing special
Ok
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.
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.
Prob between a 2 and a 3 for me
For the love of God, no more Byrds albums please
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.
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.
It’s a late 60s psychedelic, folk, country album. Nothing to write home about.
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
It's just totally fine. Nothing I loved, nothing I hated
Best wel saai, en een poging iets psychedelisch te maken. Voelt niet echt.
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
Dated.
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
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
Nothing too special idk 2/5
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.
STANDOUTS: n/; blah generic dad music OVERALL: 2/5
Not very interesting American late 60s pseudo psychedelia.
The sound of an era. Perhaps the originators of the cliches.
Not doing it for me. Old-school style music.
Two stars because it wasn’t unbearable, no more because it wasn’t interesting
Little slow hippy music it kinda sounds like. It’s ok but nothing memorable really.
2/5. A little more intelligent writing with unique experimental sounds for a pop band but it doesn't really age well. A lot of inspiration from the Beach Boys and Beatles but not quite the same feeling. It kind of just gives off feelings trying too hard to sound different. It gets points for the willingness to try something new but didn't astound me. Also the mixing truly drowns out the vocals. Best Song: Artificial Energy, Wasn't Born To Follow, Tribal Gathering
Feel like sometimes the Byrds' reputation outstrips their output. Some of this comes across like unused tape cuttings from a Beatles studio floor. A bit noodly and inconsequential. Suspect I'd hear more from this on repeat listens but I'm afraid for today, on first impression, it's a low score.
Too 1960's for me. Not putting down the music, it's just not to my liking. Boring is the word that comes to mind. With these exceptions: (I wrote this midway through the album, thinking I'd hear a few classic ones from my youth that would resonate with me. None did.)
ну это совсем уже психодел, не
It was alright. I'm just not a fan of psychedelic music, so I probably won't revisit this.
It's okay
not much to say. very samey samey
The Byrds are a little too slow for me
Boring
Typical hippie shit
It's nice, unexciting, and well produced for the time. Wallpaper music, but good for what it is.
This album is fine, but a lot of the songs start to blend together, and there isn't really many standout moments. This album sounds very 60s, which I think holds it back just a little. It is also weird how many songs are around the 2 minute mark, but I guess that was just the time. I wasn't crazy about this one. High 2.
I thought I would like it, but nothing stood out.
meh
This really just passed me by and failed to grab my attention. Felt a bit like Simon and Garfunkle but without the catchy hooks. Maybe unfair since I know The Byrds were groundbreaking but since it just passed me by with nothing that really stood out it's getting a 2 star for now.
Strange production choices on this album. The horns, the fuzz guitar in the middle of a country track, the out of place strings... To me it felt like they were reaching for something on every song, and never got there.
It just sounds like an album from 1968. Not in a good way or a bad way, just in a 1968 way. There’s no way that horse is a part of the band!
A bunch of meandering hippie nonsense that sounds incredibly hypocritical coming from a group that was falling apart and couldn't stand recording with one another in between alcohol benders and heroin blowouts. Still, it is mellow and easy to listen to, and mercifully short - probably short enough to fit on one side of an LP if you hate money.
2 stars just because I've run out of ability to think about The Byrds at this point.
Fine but so so long not bad but not notable
Sound is so old
Didn't like them when they were popular. Still don't.
It sounds like Bsides off of a weak Beach boys album. Maybe a hint of the Doors in there or some Mamas and the Papas. None of it really grabbed me though.
Really didn’t give me much, feel like it blended in as background music at times. The moog raga was near unlistenable I had to fight hard not to skip that. Towards the end I liked goin’ back Harmonically the album was very familiar, but given the year it came out that might just be because people have copied this style. I don’t know, but I don’t feel an urge to listen again
Hippie Byrds aren’t bad.
intensely boring
Moog Raga was a ridiculous jam, and name for a song. This was a weird album. I liked a few songs but not enough to seek them out again.
I don’t think I gave it a fair shot considering I didn’t listen to the whole thing, but was listening while multi tasking. Found myself a little annoyed at some of the noises during the songs…
60s psyche folk country, interesting but not that enjoyable
Tykkäsin enemmän kuin oletin, energia on hyvä ja taitavaa menoa. Mutta muistijälki katos heti kuuntelun jälkeen. Plääh siis? Vähän liian kuuskytluku kuitenkin kolmostähteen.
Oikeuksiinsa nousevat Carole Kingin vähän junnaava rallatus ja folkahtava readymade "Old John Robertson". Kertoo tarpeeksi.
I haven't listened to The Byrds for ages, but I thought I liked their music then. But as I now discovered, this is not the case (anymore?). This is not bad nor a total waste of time, but no type of music for me.
there are better things by them in my opinion
So forgettable but not offensive apart from a few weird songs
Not my thing. I think it’s the vocals.
Agradável, porém nada notável.
FIAT actually really interesting
Mellow