or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
35 used & new from £1.20

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Available to Download Now
 
Buy the MP3 album for £3.98
 
 
 
 
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
 
 

The Notorious Byrd Brothers

~ The Byrds
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
Price: £3.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 17? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
28 new from £1.39 6 used from £1.20 1 collectible from £5.00
Buy the MP3 album for £3.98 at the Amazon MP3 Downloads store.


Special Offers and Product Promotions


Frequently Bought Together

The Notorious Byrd Brothers + Younger Than Yesterday + Fifth Dimension
Price For All Three: £13.74

Show availability and delivery details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Younger Than Yesterday

Younger Than Yesterday

~ The Byrds
4.4 out of 5 stars (14)  £4.98
Fifth Dimension

Fifth Dimension

~ The Byrds
4.7 out of 5 stars (7)  £4.78
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

~ The Byrds
4.8 out of 5 stars (8)  £4.98
Mr. Tambourine Man

Mr. Tambourine Man

~ The Byrds
4.6 out of 5 stars (8)  £4.98
Turn! Turn! Turn!

Turn! Turn! Turn!

~ The Byrds
4.8 out of 5 stars (6)  £4.98
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Audio CD (24 Mar 1997)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Columbia
  • ASIN: B000024J7C
  • Other Editions: MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 16,630 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.

Samples
Song Title Time Price
Listen  1. Artificial Energy 2:18£0.69
Listen  2. Goin' Back 3:25£0.69
Listen  3. Natural Harmony 2:11£0.69
Listen  4. Draft Morning 2:42£0.69
Listen  5. Wasn't Born To Follow 2:03£0.69
Listen  6. Get To You 2:39£0.69
Listen  7. Change Is Now (Single Version) 3:21£0.69
Listen  8. Old John Robertson 1:48£0.69
Listen  9. Tribal Gathering 2:02£0.69
Listen10. Dolphin's Smile 2:00£0.69
Listen11. Space Odyssey 3:52£0.69
Listen12. Moog Raga (instrumental) 3:24£0.69
Listen13. Bound To Fall (instrumental) 2:11£0.69
Listen14. Triad 3:31£0.69
Listen15. Goin' Back 3:54£0.69
Listen16. Draft Morning (alternate end) 2:58£0.69
Listen17. Universal Mind Decoder (Alternate Backing Track)13:44£0.69


Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

The Notorious Byrd Brothers captures the Byrds between the seminal folk-rock glories of their better-known mid-1960s triumphs and the equally influential country-rock that would soon follow, but the album is no holding action: with one time Beach Boy associate Gary Usher producing and Roy Halee engineering, the band weaves its signature vocal harmonies and chiming guitars through a lusher, more impressionistic art-pop tapestry that stops just short of post-Sgt. Pepper's cliché, employing phased vocals, sound effects, Moog synthesiser, and horns. Thematically, the project pits utopian innocence ("Tribal Gathering", "Dolphins Smile") against a new wariness ("Artificial Energy", a cautionary look at amphetamines, and the Vietnam vignette of "Draft Morning"). In a field of well-paced, inventive songs, the zenith is the silken, wistful "Goin' Back", Carole King's poignant meditation on childhood and innocence. --Sam Sutherland


CD Description

Building on the maturity of their previous effort YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY, the Byrds delivered a suite of songs that naturally flow into one another with uncanny ease. It is one ofthe few vinyl releases where both sides would always be played, and 30 years later it begs to be heard uninterrupted--played individually, the songs lose their power. This was an artistic triumph and a commercial disappointment, as the memory of Crosby faded only to be replaced (allegedly) by a horse on the album sleeve. The Byrds moved on to their country phase and numerous line-ups but they were never to sound so perfect again.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Three men and a horse -- perfection, 26 May 2002
By gigidunnit (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
Astonishing as it seems, the late 1960s were peppered with albums as perfect as "Notorious Byrd Brothers", a glut of riches which meant that many releases now acknowledged as masterpieces ("Forever Changes", say) were practically ignored at the time. To return to "Notorious" is to open a jewellery box of almost embarrassing luxury: eleven perfect songs adding up to just 28 minutes where even the hippiest longeur ("Space Odyssey") is less than four minutes in length. It's not only astonishing that an album of this quality can be tossed out at the end of 1967, but that it was achieved by a band going through terminal dissolution.

Looking back, it's hard to say exactly how different the album would have been had David Crosby still been a member of the band during its realisation. Though three of the songs were written by him -- "Draft Morning", "Tribal Gathering" and "Dolphin's Smile" -- he doesn't appear, the others performing rather spooky Crosby vocal impersonations which mean the harmonies are as lush as ever. Crosby's voice might have been slightly more distinctive in the mix, but the basis of his contribution is still here. In fact, one of the points of diagreement was the inclusion of Goffin/King's "Goin' Back" rather than Crosby's "Triad" (which appears here as a bonus track), and to be honest the band made the right decision. "Triad" is more of a period piece even than the glockenspiels and harpsichord of "Goin' Back", and though it was covered with spine-stiffening eroticism by Grace Slick on Jefferson Airplane's "Crown Of Creation" its inclusion on "Notorious" would have been an embarrassing weak point.

That an album as varied as "Notorious" works is as baffling as the perception that the sum is greater than its parts. As each track blurs into the next, extraordinary juxtapositions come and go almost without comment: you just get used to the changes. How does the strident brass of the cautionary (speed kills) opener "Artificial Energy" work set against the swooning nostalgia of "Goin' Back"? Why doesn't the orchestral break in the middle of prototype country rocker "Old John Robertson" grate on the senses? And how did McGuinn ever think he could get away with setting words based on Arthur C Clarke's "The Sentinel" (forerunner of "2001") to a sea shanty? Perhaps it's because, throughout, there's a unifying sense of lushness, vocally and musically, which sets each moment shimmering like jewels, while never once coming across as over-rich or gaudy. That's an incredible trick to pull off. Not even The Beatles managed it, as the rather ugly and awkward juxtapositions on the white album show.

The bonus tracks are a mixed blessing. Crosby's elaborate single "Lady Friend" isn't on here -- you'll find it on "Younger Than Yesterday" -- though thematically it charts the rift between them as much as Crosby's appearance with Buffalo Springfield at Monterey. It's also a good parallel to Graham Nash's "King Midas In Reverse". Instead there's an instrumental "Bound To Fall" which sounds half finished, alternative versions of "Goin' Back" and "Draft Morning", the former even more luxurious than the released track, the latter merely emphasising the bugle-like coda faded out of the album version, and an early version of "Change Is Now" sans vocals oddly titled "Universal Mind Decoder", possibly evidence of McGuinn's continuing obsession with science fiction. Unfortunately, before you get to any of these, you have to sit through an eternity of "Moog Raga" which is, just as the name suggests, an Indian raga played on the Moog, and quite horrible, especially since each time you play the CD you have to dive for the off button in order to miss it after the fade in-out ending of "Space Odyssey". Hidden away at the end is the notorious studio tape where Michael Clarke grows ever more entrenched in his inability to play the subtle drum pattern to "Dolphin's Smile". Presumably this sarcastic bickering accompanied the entire recording process, but any evidence of it is completely absent from the sublime finished album. A rare trick indeed.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What it should have been..., 5 Jan 2004
By nicjaytee (London) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
Running for just over 28 minutes the original LP release of this, arguably the best of the Byrds' albums justified the adage that "less is more". Side one flowed seamlessly from "Artificial Energy" to "Get To You" and was a brilliant example of just how to integrate a suite of songs into a satisfying whole. Featuring superb production from Gary Usher, faultless harmonies and (for the time) highly innovative instrumental breaks it ranks as one of the most impressive LP sides ever made. Side two continued in exactly the same vein for the first four tracks (and a full ten minutes!) before hitting a serious brick wall with the dull, ponderous and wholly incongruous "Space Odyssey", leaving the listener with the distinct impression that something had gone horribly wrong or that they had just ran out of songs.

Both conclusions were true and the bonus tracks on the remastered versions of "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" and "Younger Than Yesterday" provide the answer. Cut out "Space Odyssey" and put David Crosby's "Lady Friend" (from "Younger Than Yesterday") as the opener to side two and his "Triad" (from "The Notorious Byrd Brothers") as its closer and... bingo... everything fits, both sides work and the album is transformed into a true masterpiece.

Recorded in the same period as the other tracks on the album, both songs rank up there with the best of Crosby's compositions and were presumably rejected from it as a result of his acrimonious departure part way through its production. A serious case of group politics at its very worst, and an album that should, but alas will probably never be reissued with this track listing as evidence of just how good it should/could have been.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars fabulous, 12 April 2003
By Mr. Nicholas Davies "Your FILM DEITY" (Redditch, Worcs, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
Such tender music created in such an atrocious situation. Back in 1967 the byrds recorded their masterpiece album, full of beautiful songwriting and hauting harmonies, but behind the scenes they were bickering like children. Before the album was originally released David Crosby was fired (his songwriting credits are minimal but excellent) and shortly after michael clark left also. So what are we to expect from such an album...an aimless ego-tripping bloated beast..nope a quite beautiful charming record in fact. The real beauty comes not just from the harmonies that one can only compare to the beach boys but from the way that david and roger seem to caress their guitars inot creating some of the most lovely textured guitar work I can think of. Get to you, and the fantastic dolphin's smile are highlights, but surely the albums greatest treasure is the beautful goin' back.
The outtakes show what terrible choices the byrds often made (the ommision of triad is criminal) but are probably best listened to separately from the rest of the album.
Check the hidden track at the end of the cd to hear some of the arguing that I mentioned earlier, it's excruciating.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars CD OK, but case smashed to bits in transit
This is a good CD, though I have to question the packaging - the case was smashed to bits in transit. Thankfully the CD survived and is a good listen
Published 16 days ago by C. J. Hacking

5.0 out of 5 stars The Byrds Greatest Album is ............
The Notorious Byrd Brothers,its got everything,although I can live without 2 of the bonus tracks,Triad & Moog Raga,which is experimental to say the least. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. Thompson

5.0 out of 5 stars falling apart beautifully
Notorious Byrd Brothers is perhaps best known for the internal rivalry between the band members and the sacking of David Crosby mid-recording. Read more
Published on 2 Nov 2007 by M. Shobbrook

5.0 out of 5 stars 1968's classic succesor to 'Younger than Yesterday'
The Byrds had become a great album-band, releasing the classic '5D' and 'Younger Than Yesterday' sets - the latter their first minus the great Gene Clark. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2006 by Jason Parkes

5.0 out of 5 stars Stratospheric!!
Is there such a word?..i`m not sure but it certainly describes this record,,the Byrds were at the height of their power on this one... Read more
Published on 2 May 2005 by James Mcintyre

4.0 out of 5 stars cool as always..... the byrds
this is a album that is diffrent. I was thinking this space rock ifluence has to be quite cool, and the good thing with byrds as allways when they try somthing new in music they... Read more
Published on 25 Jul 2001 by Jan Freidun Taravosh

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Byrds album
This is the best Byrds album and if you do not like their country album Sweetheart of the Rodeo then their last album of any note. Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2001 by martinspencer@cwcom.net

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Byrds album
This is the best Byrds album and if you do not like their country album Sweetheart of the Rodeo then their last album of any note. Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2001 by martinspencer@cwcom.net

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Notorious Byrd Brothers
78% buy the item featured on this page:
The Notorious Byrd Brothers 4.6 out of 5 stars (11)
£3.98
Younger Than Yesterday
8% buy
Younger Than Yesterday 4.4 out of 5 stars (14)
£4.98
Very Best of the Byrds
5% buy
Very Best of the Byrds 4.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£3.98
Fifth Dimension
4% buy
Fifth Dimension 4.7 out of 5 stars (7)
£4.78

Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject








i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.