The Notorious Byrd Brothers

The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the fifth studio album by The Byrds, released on 15 January 1968 by Columbia Records, and represents the pinnacle of the band's late-'60s musical experimentation. An essential listen for anyone interested in The Byrds and the remarkable group of musicians associated with them, the album is as fascinating for the story behind it's creation as it is for the music itself. For example, David Crosby only participated in the first half of the recording sessions. Even Gene Clark, who had previously left the band, returned only to leave again after three weeks. In the end, only Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman remained from the beginning. Surprisingly, the listening experience is very cohesive, and the diverse line-up adds to the richness of the album, which features elements of psychedelia, folk rock, country, jazz and electronic music thanks to the use of the Moog modular synthesiser. This album clearly bridges the gap between the band's early jangly pop-rock albums and their subsequent country-rock classic. Among the session musicians on this album was Clarence White, who impressed the band so much that he was given a larger role on the 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. All of this makes it a real classic in terms of both it's sound and it's story. The Notorious Byrd Brothers is available as a limited edition of 1,500 individually numbered copies on 180 gram white coloured vinyl.