The Notorious Byrd Brothers

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

The Notorious Byrd Brothers was released on 15 January 1968 on Columbia Records. The recording sessions in the second half of 1967, again with producer Gary Usher, were marked by quarrels. David Crosby was fired in October, drummer Michael Clarke left the sessions halfway through and Gene Clark returned for three weeks. By the end of the process only Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman remained.

Even so the album often sounds soft and floating. The Byrds blended folk rock, country, psychedelia and jazz and used phasing and rotating speakers. It is one of the first rock albums with a Moog synthesizer, and for the first time pedal steel guitar was heard. The album opens with Artificial Energy, about the dark side of amphetamine, with a hefty horn section. It sold modestly, especially in America, but was praised by critics and is now regarded as one of their best albums.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Artificial Energy2:18Apple Music ↗
2. 2Goin' Back3:26Apple Music ↗
3. 3Natural Harmony2:11Apple Music ↗
4. 4Draft Morning2:42Apple Music ↗
5. 5Wasn't Born to Follow2:04Apple Music ↗
6. 6Get to You2:39Apple Music ↗
7. 7Change Is Now3:21Apple Music ↗
8. 8Old John Robertson1:49Apple Music ↗
9. 9Tribal Gathering2:03Apple Music ↗
10. 10Dolphin's Smile2:00Apple Music ↗
11. 11Space Odyssey3:52Apple Music ↗
12. 12Moog Raga (Instrumental)3:24Apple Music ↗
13. 13Bound to Fall (Instrumental)2:11Apple Music ↗
14. 14Triad3:32Apple Music ↗
15. 15Goin' Back3:55Apple Music ↗
16. 16Draft Morning (Alternate End)2:59Apple Music ↗
17. 17Universal Mind Decoder (Instrumental)13:44Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗