''The Notorious Byrd Brothers

1. "Artificial Energy" by Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke; 2:18
2. "Goin' Back" by Carole King, Gerry Goffin; 3:26
3. "Natural Harmony" by Chris Hillman; 2:11
4. "Draft Morning" by David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn; 2:42
5. "Wasn't Born to Follow" by Carole King, Gerry Goffin; 2:04
6. "Get to You" by Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn (but credited on the album to Hillman and McGuinn); 2:39
7. "Change Is Now" by Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn; 3:21
8. "Old John Robertson" by Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn; 1:49
9. "Tribal Gathering" by David Crosby, Chris Hillman; 2:03
10. "Dolphin's Smile" by David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn; 2:00
11. "Space Odyssey" by Roger McGuinn, Robert J. Hippard; 3:52

• Roger McGuinn – vocals, lead guitar, Moog synthesizer
• David Crosby – vocals, rhythm guitar on "Change is Now", "Tribal Gathering", "Dolphin's Smile", "Triad", and "Goin' Back" (alternate); rhythm guitar on "Draft Morning", "Bound to Fall" and "Universal Mind Decoder"; vocals, electric bass on "Old John Robertson"
• Chris Hillman – vocals; electric bass all tracks except "Old John Robertson"; guitar on "Old John Robertson"; mandolin on "Draft Morning"
• Michael Clarke – drums on "Artificial Energy", "Draft Morning", "Old John Robertson", "Tribal Gathering", "Dolphin's Smile", and "Universal Mind Decoder"
• Gene Clark – possible backing vocal on "Goin' Back" (master) and "Space Odyssey"

Additional personnel

• James Burton, Clarence White – guitars
• Red Rhodes – pedal steel guitar
• Paul Beaver – piano, Moog synthesizer
• Terry Trotter – piano
• Gary Usher – Moog synthesizer, percussion, backing vocals
• Barry Goldberg – organ
• Dennis McCarthy – celeste
• Jim Gordon – drums on "Goin' Back", "Natural Harmony", "Wasn't Born to Follow", "Bound to Fall", and "Triad"
• Hal Blaine – drums on "Get to You" and "Change Is Now"
• Curt Boettcher – backing vocals
• William Armstrong, Victor Sazer, Carl West – violins
• Paul Bergstrom, Lester Harris, Raymond Kelley, Jacqueline Lustgarten – cellos
• Alfred McKibbon – double bass (bowed)
• Ann Stockton – harp
• Richard Hyde – trombone
• Roy Caton, Virgil Fums, Gary Weber — brass
• Jay Migliori – saxophone
• Dennis Faust – percussion
• Firesign Theatre – sound effects on "Draft Morning"
• unknown musicians – trumpet on "Draft Morning"; string quartet and additional fiddle on "Old John Robertson"

There are a number of people who believe this is the Byrds' best album. And I understand why: it is pretty consistent, song-wise and, sort of, stylistically. And that's all the more remarkable for what the band was going through, losing one of their primary songwriters and their drummer and failing to re-integrate their original main songwriter into the record. The fact that it is as good as it is is something like a miracle. I also appreciate that this is probably the only time they fully integrated their three competing sounds - folk rock, psychedelic rock and country - into a coherent whole. On earlier albums, the hints at country often stood out like sore thumbs and some of the folkier tracks felt at odds with the really psychedelic/jazzy stuff.

But I gotta say I personally prefer the more daring earlier records, even if they were not as consistent. And though the songs are good here, my favourite Byrds songs are not on this record.

It's still a classic - I'm not sure any other band managed to combine country and psychedelic music at all, let alone this well - but I don't think it's their very best album. 2nd or 3rd best in my mind.