The Byrds “Notorious Byrd Brothers”
Nuh, nuh, NoTORIOUS! Them Byrds sure is notorious gangstas and especially on this album, recommended by us as your introduction to The Byrds. Of course, any regular reader here ought to have already exhausted their full discography, but we like beginners too!
The Byrds were a huge, huge group back in the day. Sometimes, today, it seems like they aren’t considered up there with the big boys (Beatles, Stones, Who, Byrds), but to those in the know, it’s no question. The Byrds were a monumental force in mashing up the folk and rock scenes, and they were also huge fans of Bobby Dylan (averaging around two Dylan covers per release). On The Notorious Byrd Brothers, these folk-rock gangstas went pyschedelic, brought out the Moog, fell apart, and created a masterpiece.
They say the horse replaced David Crosby on the sleeve there, he quit the band halfway through the Notorious sessions, as did drummer Michael Clarke. But Chris and McGuinn knew where The Byrds ought to be going (just consult their next album, the heroic and classic Sweetheart of the Rodeo). Some more about this album: produced by Gary Usher; featuring SFX transitions, swirling 12-string guitars, groovy laid-back rhythms, the ever present and beautiful Byrd harmonies, and two of the greatest Carole King/Gerry Goffin penned hits (Goin’ Back and Wasn’t Born To Follow, the latter which you might remember from the movie Easy Rider).
It’s the most psych of the Byrds’ outings, closing out with the trippy Space Odyssey, recorded as an attempt to get a piece of Kubrick’s movie soundtrack. All the Byrds reissues are great, with plenty of bonus tracks. Remarkably, all the bonus on this one is really good. Especially the super-weird Moog Raga.
Besides, if you don’t have any Byrds, you won’t understand when we refer to them every other review.
“Draft Morning”
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holy sh*#, I never realized the Byrds got this psychedelic.
Taylor May 18, 2007 @ 11:54 pm
It might be interesting to note that this record was among the first to use the Moog synthesizer. The man who programmed the Moog in the studio for Gary Usher co. was Paul Beaver. He (along with collaborator Bernie Krause) released “The Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music” in 1967 on Nonesuch Records, and I believe that record to be the highest selling technical demonstration record of all time (certainly for that time). It is a brilliant recording!
Beaver and Krause were also responsible for Moog-ing many popular records during that period (including work by The Beatles,The Doors,The Rolling Stones, et. al.) and were employed, for a period, by the R.A. Moog company as west coast sales representatives.
For the record, I can barely stand this album by the Byrds.
Kenneth June 7, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
whatever KENNETH! I can barely stand Beaver and Krause!!
Brendan June 22, 2007 @ 11:17 am
Well, BRENDAN, we are all entitled to our own opinions. Beaver and Krause helped (iin no small part) introduce the music world to the synthesizer, a legacy surely greater than that of the Byrds.
It should also be mentioned that Beaver and Krause had a Moog demonstration booth at the Monterey Pop Festival!
Ken June 22, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
Man Ken, seems that you don’t know your stuff. The Byrds sound influenced legions of bands from the Replacements, REM, Husker Du and the Minutemen – some big names. They were influential than and still now. That first album alone is revolutionary and considered one of the best ever! I think straight up rock will always get the nod before snyth pop. The snyth seems like a dated little toy now. Theres been some decent music created by the synthesizer, but if we are talking the 80s to current synth music, example – depeche mode is garbage or any of that new wave shit – well thats just plain bad – opinions or not. It’s just not taken seriously anymore. But I will give you the nod if your into Kraut and Prog rock.
J June 24, 2007 @ 2:04 pm
alright well, i ordered the B&K, so we’ll talk when I get it, (I lied before!)
as for the Byrds VS synthesizers….
it’s a great debate!
Brendan June 25, 2007 @ 9:17 am
The synthesizer is no more a toy than the guitar. The Byrds simply don’t do it for me, here. And on this album, it seems foolish that McGuinn and friends get the credit for this being a psychedlic or eclectic record. To me, the credit goes to Paul Beaver, Gary Usher and the R.A. Moog company long before McG and friends. Without production efforts from those aforementioned fellars (Beaver, Usher), I don’t think this would have been considered a whole lot different from previous efforts. The songwriting is good. The song lyrics are regretable. “Moog Raga” is good. I believe Sweetheart of The Rodeo to be a superior effort.
Well, in most cases, I couldn’t care less about digital synthesizers or the 1980’s + beyond. But the truth is, technological efforts by companies like Moog and Buchla in the 1960’s were the genesis for much of the technology found in recording studios today.
I would be hard pressed to find a record worth listening to from the 1970’s that did not use the analog synthesizer in some capacity. It was ubiquitous!
Let us not forget Abbey Road, which is filled with Moog.
Ken June 25, 2007 @ 11:10 am
The Byrds did some marginally interesting songs that weren’t Dylan covers. Whether they influenced any other bands or not doesn’t matter. Every band is influenced by other bands or artists. The best of the Byrds is still heard today. The rest should stay where it belongs, in the 60s.
derek November 10, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
I know I am nearly 2 years late on my comment (I just discovered your site a couple weeks ago – lots of catching up) but this is a transitional record, albeit with some good stuff on it. Production-wise I believe it to be original and, dare I say, daring when taken in context of its release. Song-wise it is lacking and cannot be fairly compared to records like their debut or SOTR. It is better than Byrdmaniax though!
W. Stacy March 19, 2009 @ 3:56 pm