The Notorious Byrd Brothers, with Michael Clarke on drums
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Artist:
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is an awesome Byrd's album that I've listened to alot, the way the album unfolds with the production linking it together like a surrealist portrait you've stepped into was especially influential when I was mixing my new album, along with 5th Dimension, so I have a soft spot for it. I was surpirsed when someone suggested the drumming was Jim Gordon, so I took a look and found out Michael Clarke plays everything up until he left the group around October '67 so based on the recording dates I've rounded up the songs on The Notorious Byrd Brother's and some of the the outakes that Michael Clarke played on. I was always thought some of the other songs didn't have the frantic jazzy rock-explosion ridding at a nice clip of his playing so now I know why. Good news is all the ones I thought had his style are him! He's also has a songwriting credit and and came up with the song title for Articifical Energy" so he had a hand in that too even if he's not on the recording.
Draft Morning, ridding on out
Change Is Now, rockin out
Old John Robertson, that's Michael Clarke's clop for sure!
Tribal Gathering, dig the jazzy flow
Dolphin Smile, maybe my personal fav, but wait they all are!
Bound To Fall (outtake), i wish i was there when they did this!
Triad (David Crosby song that was left off) sweet band sound
Goin Back (version 1) this was recorded in September, a month before the album version and the liner notes say a disgruntled David Crosby was in attendance" so it's very likely so is Michael Clarke, given the laid back vibe and jammed outro. It's even got glockenspiel!
Enjoy!
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Comments (9)
Always dug this album - nice post!
woooooo!
sleepily spectacular! Meaning I like it but it'd put me out like a bottle of sake!
5D and NBB are just the best LPs as an expression of where production could go in those days.
Thanks for all that homework. I thought the album was recorded as a quartet with the changes coming afterwards. I saw The Byrds at Winterland not too long after this where they played as a trio. (On a bill with BB King.) I wish I could remember more of what they sounded like - their onstage demeanour was workmanlike and not starry at all. Unfortunately, Wolfgangs Vault hasn't pulled up the gig yet.
Tha's awesome, I'd like to hear that! From most of what I've seen on videos and heard from Wolfgangs and other gigs they really did some great playing, very solid and always kinda open sunding, like they are going with the energy from the audience rather than just a show kinda thing. I bet the trio were keeping it interesting.
Well what I remember, compared to the later line up with Skip Batten and Clarence White, was that they were doing a workmanlike show. I saw them a bit later at the Avalon and the power went out in the whole neighbourhood while they were on. So they started playing an acoustic set and taking requests from the audience. That was fun.
Haha awesome! I'm sure they made sure it sounded good even if they're not thinking about it.
Memorable quote (and why do I remember this over 40 years later??) from McGuinn: "Hey, what if we do 'Hey Mr. Spaceman' real country?" Which they did. I vaguely remember an acoustic/country version of 'Eight Miles High' as well.
Awesome!!!