The Byrds”The Notorious Byrd Brothers” (1968) ColumbiaIn...

The Byrds

“The Notorious Byrd Brothers” (1968)

Columbia

In 1968, the glorious heyday of the Byrds seemed to be coming to a premature end. Internal dissension had caused Gene Clark to depart from the seminal L.A. folk-rock group in 1966 and David Crosby to fly the coop a year later. The band--known best for its two major mid-’60s hits, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!”--suddenly was reduced to leader/primary vocalist Roger McGuinn, bassist Chris Hillman, drummer Michael Clarke and a handful of session musicians. 1967’s “My Back Pages” would prove to be the last of the band’s seven Top 40 singles. The Byrds would never again be as popular.

Still, they proved not just resilient but inspirational with the soaring “Notorious Byrd Brothers.” Eclectic and trailblazing, the smartly crafted work still stands as one of their most enduring statements.

The Byrds’ fifth studio album features just about every musical element that made them so deserving of induction to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. The nostalgic ballad “Goin’ Back” beautifully merges a jangly 12-string guitar sound with lush vocal harmonies. The horn-spiced “Artificial Energy” and the trippy “Space Odyssey” showcase psychedelic rock. Such cuts as “Tribal Gathering” and “Dolphins Smile” even flash an impressive facility for jazz-oriented rhythms.

But the most significant contribution of “Notorious” was its then-bold excursion into country-rock. The twangy “Wasn’t Born to Follow” and the rustic dance track “Old John Robertson” helped break down the barriers between Nashville and Los Angeles, and the album set the table for the Byrds’ next, the even more country-esque “Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” which introduced new member Gram Parsons.

After listening to “The Notorious Byrd Brothers” it’s easy to understand the Byrds’ place in rock history. As a folk-rock act, they helped pave the way for such artists as Tom Petty and R.E.M., and as a country-flavored band they were an obvious influence on groups such as the Eagles.