![]() ![]() Byrds expert Tim Connors has described the album's title as evoking a gang of outlaws from the American Old West. ![]() The album later came to be widely regarded as one of the Byrds' best album releases, as well as their most experimental and progressive. ![]() Although The Notorious Byrd Brothers was critically praised at the time of its release, it was only moderately successful commercially, particularly in the United States. A cover of the Gerry Goffin and Carole King song " Goin' Back" was released in October 1967 as the lead single from the album to mild chart success. The Notorious Byrd Brothers reached number 47 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and number 12 on the UK Album Chart. Author Ric Menck has commented that in spite of these changes in personnel and the conflict surrounding its creation, The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the band's most cohesive and ethereal-sounding album statement. Additionally, original band member Gene Clark, who had left the group in early 1966, rejoined for three weeks during the making of the album, before leaving again. Recording sessions for The Notorious Byrd Brothers took place throughout the latter half of 1967 and were fraught with tension, resulting in the loss of two members of the band rhythm guitarist David Crosby was fired in October 1967 and drummer Michael Clarke left the sessions midway through recording, returning briefly before finally being dismissed after completion of the 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. With producer Gary Usher, they made extensive use of a number of studio effects and production techniques, including phasing, flanging, and spatial panning. The album represents the pinnacle of the Byrds' late-‘60s musical experimentation, with the band blending together elements of psychedelia, folk rock, country, electronic music, baroque pop, and jazz. The McGinn-penned and sung Sweet Mary is one of the album’s highlights, demonstrating that the band’s genius harmony skills were very much intact.The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the fifth album by the American rock band the Byrds, and was released in January 1968, on Columbia Records. You may think it doesn’t capture the classic sound of the Byrds, but wait! Firstly, they experimented with so any different styles that surely there is no “classic” Byrds sound, and also given how the records made in the 60s sounded very different to the 70s, and that goes for every band/artist, then it really doesn’t matter. It may have its flaws for some purists, but it’s still a beautiful record. This album was the last time the original line-up of Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke would ever record together, and indeed the last time the name The Byrds would be used again for a new record. It has to be said though, that Clarence White whose life was tragically cut short in ‘73, was probably the best guitarist ANY band ever had, not just The Byrds. And as democratic it may have been for McGuinn to let the “new recruits” to write and sing lead on some of the songs, most of these songs or the album-filler cover versions weren’t very good. ![]() It’s unfair to completely dismiss the material that came after that, there were some moments of musical triumph, such as Ballad of Easy Rider or Chestnut Mare, but it kinda wasn’t really the Byrds any more. They made a lot of fucking genius albums in a very short space of time, beginning with 1965’s Mr Tambourine Man, shedding original members at a regular rate, and after 1968’s Sweetheart Of The Rodeo lead singer/12 string guitar player Roger “Jim” McGuinn was the last man standing from the original line-up. They freed country music from its shackles of a mainly conservative audience and made it cool and accessible for the hip crowd, pissing off a few purists along the way. The Byrds had a rich musical history, with a phenomenal musical output from the mid to late ‘60s, making hugely influential records that ranged from folk-rock and psychedelia to country rock. The Byrds’ self-titled 1973 reunion album, featuring all five original members: Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke (the last time they would ever record together) – is given a remaster on Cherry Red’s Esoteric imprint with liner notes. ![]()
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