The Notorious Byrd Brothers (studio album) by The Byrds

What a great record.

This record is genius in so many ways and the group create some simply phenomenal music on here. The way they walk on the line between psychedelic and poppy is marvellous and they never tend to lean too heavy on either side. This leads to a very balanced sounding record that fulfils both things you could be looking for. If you enjoy the more sing a long, pop rock songs then they are on here and are so infectious and catchy. If you enjoy the psychedelic and complex musicianship of the group then that is also on here with a diverse array of instruments all played beautifully. The record never feels slow as well and the music flies by due to how well it is put together. No song is skippable also and the record is an experience right from the start all the way to the end as the group really find their flow on this album making it feel so cohesive. The only issue is the length which is just so short which can lead to me craving more of it once its finished. Other than that this release is stunning and such a delight to listen to. Overall, a fantastic album that really deserves a lot of credit for its progressiveness and for its very high quality which is evident throughout.

Trippy, folky, psychedelic - it should be great but apparently it lacks something for me. This is unique and intriguing sound, but at the same time it fades into the background.

I enjoyed this without it coming near my top 100

From mdbaxter 11/05/2021 16:55

Lovely mix of psychedelic country folk rock. Really comes together in the middle. The songs work so well in sequence of each other and the fade in between them accentuates that. "Space Odyssey" is goofy but kind of neat. Could be their best but I haven't heard anything after it yet.

From Boltzmann 07/21/2021 00:43

It's funny that literally always what people do first when they get a new instrument in their hands, is just make the same shit but with a new instrument. The theremin was at its conception only used as a replacement for a soprano voice and it took until the Beach Boys to do something interesting with them. An other example - why not, I got time - is the electric guitar itself, just look up the first recordings with electric guitars in the '40s, you'll ask yourself why they bothered to use one. The same here with the Moog synthesizer. I can almost hear Ralph und Florian thinking in the background "I can do this better". Anyway, other than that, it's a great record; they've created a rather distinctive sound at this point and almost can't go wrong anymore.

surreal half decent

From teague 06/28/2020 00:20

Not exactly a magnum opus, but I enjoyed it. The production is quite thin most of the time, occasionally blasting out. The vocals sound sped up, like the singer was sucking on helium before he recorded. I do enjoy the guitar and bass interplay throughout.

I absolutely love this album, particularly the first two tracks. A psychedelic masterpiece. One of my most listened to psychedelic albums. Definitely the best Byrds album.

From OldToad 10/22/2019 22:17

The bonus track Universal Mind Decoder is definitely worth a listen; the last seven minutes or so is some interesting studio chatter. Crosby and McGuinn give the drummer Michael Clarke all kinds of grief while trying to get the sound they want from him, but also the two of them going at each other. The sound of a band falling apart.

Terrific album, as everyone has said.