Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

Yeeeeeehaw this blows!! Twang and the same old country BS. I listened to the entire thing; felt the need knock out my teeth and marry my sister.

fuuuuucking hell MORE crud from the tail end of the 60s. It's crazy that the editors of this book consciously excluded classical music (and rationalised that), but included 600 albums from this one 3-year period from 67-69, as if it's some fucking golden age of creativity. TBF this album is listenable, it's just more middling American folk/country that's too inoffensive to feel strongly about in any way, but as with pretty much everything from the late 60s, it falls into "not that bad, but why the FUCK is it on this list?" territory. Plus, this is the third album by these guys so far (and I'm not even 300 albums in). Are these the giants whose shoulders everyone else stands upon? fucking lol. 2/5 - I gave their earlier albums higher ratings, but I'm sick of them now. From now on, no album made between 67-69 will get more than a 2 unless it REALLY impresses me.

Can’t wait until the last of the boomers are gone and we can stop pretending every wet fart from the 60s was groundbreaking.

Reading this album’s reviews and I’m baffled this has a 2.85 rating. I’m even MORE baffled by all the 1 and 2 star reviews simply titled “Country sucks!” or something like that. I understand why country is i totally off putting - I myself used to despise everything it stood for. At some point, I started listening to Cash, and that softened me, but SotR is really what blew the whole thing open for me. It’s just so fucking brilliant. For all of his yuppie Harvard money, Gram Parsons was a musical genius. This record perfectly personifies the word “twang” while borrowing equally from psychedelic and rock music. From the opening punch of “You Ain’t Goin Nowhere” to the satirical gospel of “The Christian Life”, this is all killer no filler. If you write this one off because it’s “country”, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice. Don’t be so cynical!

The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo was not the first important country-rock album (Gram Parsons managed that feat with the International Submarine Band's debut Safe at Home), and the Byrds were hardly strangers to country music, dipping their toes in the twangy stuff as early as their second album. But no major band had gone so deep into the sound and feeling of classic country (without parody or condescension) as the Byrds did on Sweetheart; at a time when most rock fans viewed country as a musical "L'il Abner" routine, the Byrds dared to declare that C&W could be hip, cool, and heartfelt. Though Gram Parsons had joined the band as a pianist and lead guitarist, his deep love of C&W soon took hold, and Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman followed his lead; significantly, the only two original songs on the album were both written by Parsons (the achingly beautiful "Hickory Wind" and "One Hundred Years from Now"), while on the rest of the set classic tunes by Merle Haggard, the Louvin Brothers, and Woody Guthrie were sandwiched between a pair of twanged-up Bob Dylan compositions. While many cite this as more of a Gram Parsons album than a Byrds set, given the strong country influence of McGuinn's and Hillman's later work, it's obvious Parsons didn't impose a style upon this band so much as he tapped into a sound that was already there, waiting to be released. If the Byrds didn't do country-rock first, they did it brilliantly, and few albums in the style are as beautiful and emotionally affecting as this.

The other day I had a discussion about gatekeeping in Nashville and how that basically lead to Americana as shorthand for Country music that doesn’t get airplay on the radio. How important forward thinking artists like Margo Price and Jason Isbell are basically exiled from the Country charts because they are too liberal. The Byrds debuted this new sound (spearheaded very much by Gram Parsons) at the Grand Ole Opry and neither Country or Rock wanted anything to do with it. The Rolling Stone review is conflicted saying it’s too pretty to be country and too country to be rock. The charts weren’t kind to the album either. No one knew what to make of it. It would build over the years and become considered a masterpiece. It was the opening salvo of Parson’s Cosmic American music. It was a sign of things to come and the last great Byrds album. They had come a long way from the Dylan disciples bringing his message to the masses. In a way it marked the end of the folk revival. The Parsons songs are the highlights. A bright shining star that flamed out all too soon. He would take Hillman and start the Flying Burrito Brothers. This left McGuinn to carry the band (an all new band) forward. The Grateful Dead would see some success with a more Country Rock sound in the seventies. Lynard Skynard would distill the sound into Southern Rock and really make some waves with it. Artists like Uncle Tupelo would expound on the idea many years later. And then there are all them “Americana” folks from earlier (Isbell and Carlile and company) who can find a niche outside of Nashville because of a failed album by the Folk Rock titans.

When I saw it was the Byrds, I was not expecting this at all! I'm somewhat aware of this group, but I know them for psychedelic '60s rock. This was apparently a big departure for them, but they totally nail the classic country sound. Even knowing this isn't their natural style, and despite their blend of rock elements, it still sounds very authentic. This makes me want some more classic country music on the list, like Marty Robbins. Very cool album! Favorite tracks: I Am a Pilgrim, You're Still On My Mind, Pretty Polly, Lazy Days. Album art: Very intricate, I would love to see this on vinyl if only to read all the little cartoon dialogue boxes. I love the art style, it reminds me of a tarot deck. In that way, I think the Byrds manage to combine a bit of their psychedelia into this country album. 4/5

Very soothing country rock, with particularly beautiful vocals. The decievingly simple songs obscure how well realised it is as a whole. This is the album you would show someone who doesn't like country.

An utterly charming, beautifully made recording. A country album that rescues the genre from trite sentiment, facile lyrics and insipid twanging guitars, showing a return to basics - great musicianship, melodies and skilful playing. That The Byrds changed direction is alright with me.

Can't say enough about this record, so just this: I love it, and everything it led to and influenced decades down the line. It would be hard to imagine Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, Alt Country in general… without this happening first.

When I first saw that I got another Byrds album I was honestly pretty upset because they are wayyy overrepresented on this list even if their albums were influential or whatever. I was ready to rip this album apart but unfortunately this album rocked. I'm a sucker for country rock like this and this is about as good as it gets unless you're mainlining marty robbins. It's one of those albums where I don't really have a favorite song it was just a really fun 40 minutes of music.

A quick scan of Wikipedia, along with this album, reconfirms my suspicion that I should be spending more time with the Byrds. It's amazing to me how they've managed to apply their chameleon spirit, boosting off their folk rock and psychedelic successes, to fully immerse in country. This album incorporates everything I love about the genre - the relatable storytelling, the hopeful longing, the simple and solid acoustic instrumentation - while retaining that sunny California Byrds sound. I don't know whether this album is considered by purists as part of the country canon but it will certainly be one that I return to again and again.

These guys really like The Byrds eh?! I'd rank this one higher yesterday's Byrds album, but I still feel like I could have died a happy man without hearing this one. The rockabilly style on Lazy Days was probably my favourite on this album. I'm sure there's one absolute die-hard Byrds fan who squealed with joy at the inclusion of 4 bonus rehearsal takes on this album

You’re not making country music any better, you’re just making the Byrds worse

Admittedly, I am extremely biased about this album, as it already is one of my favorites of all time. I love the Byrds as a whole, but this album holds such a special place in history and in my musical journey. I think what is lost about this album on most people is the context of this album, a rock band (who had dabbled in country before) going full country, with one of early country rock's seminal figures, Gram Parsons, joining in and putting forward his most iconic song, Hickory Wind. Ultimately, is this the most mind blowing album now? Most likely not. In fact, I think at this point, I prefer Parsons' output with the Flying Burrito Brothers more. But it was very groundbreaking at the time, and is one of the most important albums of the genre. I mean, Gram Parsons, Roger McGuinn, and Chris Hillman? It doesn't get much better than that.

Ohhh helll fucking yeah!! Kinda crazy this was the next album. Yeah love this album either you get it or your don't. The fact it was released in the same year as the Notorious Byrd Brothers is wild.

Listened Before? No Album Art: 3 / 5 (calls to a simpler time; really makes me wonder what I'm getting into) Looks like this album is later into the Byrds career than those that produced hits that I've heard before (Turn! Turn! Turn!, Mr. Tambourine Man, etc.). Opens with You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, which is a country-rock twang with pretty harmonization on top. This could easily be mistaken for some Workingman's Dead era Dead. So I've always understood The Flying Burrito Brothers "The Gilded Palace of Sin" to be one of the earliest Folk Country albums; however, this one predates it by a full year. And looking into its history, it appears this is album pulled Gram Parsons (also from The Flying Burrito Brothers) into its fold. Makes sense there is such a clear continuity of the sound here. Beautiful writing and pretty arrangements throughout. I have a weakness for Folk Country and this is well done. You Don't Miss Your Water is an early highlight. Slow, but earnest progression with bluesy lyrics, beautiful harmonization, and fantastic mixing that layers the plunky piano, trudging bassline, and acoustic guitar to perfection. Yeah, this is the kind of album I can fully sink myself into and just vibe with. Song after song, I am pulled deeper into its orbit. I'm halfway through at Hickory Wind and loving it. While I could see how this might not be someone's cup of tea, I think the songwriting is immaculate (lyrics and arrangement), the production quality is superb for the era, and there is a range to the songs that Parsons goes on to refine in his follow on work with Flying Burrito Brothers. One Hundred Years from Now features a more upbeat jam with some clean Garcia-esq guitar work. I'm completely consumed by this album. The Gilded Palace of Sin is one of my favorite albums for a long drive, and this feels like a natural continuation (in the form of precursor) from Gram Parsons. While this album does not contain as many natural high points as Gilded Palace, it is extremely solid through and through. On a relative scale, Gilded scores higher in my mind, but this is a very high 4 (like 4.8). I'm going to give it the nudge to a 5 and plan on ripping through it all summer. Added to Library? Yes Songs Added to Playlists: - You're Still On My Mind (Sunny-vibes)

Once upon a time, I would have hated this. Ugh; country music! But Gram Parsons was my entry point to understanding country, and I fell in love with his solo albums. I have never gone back to listen to this album, even though it is highly critically rated. And now I'm wondering why I denied my self the pleasure of this absolute classic? I love the songs, I love the performances. I don't even mind the songs that McGuinn re-recorded the lead vocals on (I actually think their voices are pretty similar). The chutzpah of Parsons to come in as a 22 year old piano player (that didn't last long) and essentially take over an established and highly successful band, change their musical direction, help write and record a genre-establishing classic, and then light out to do his own thing. Amazing! Quite a talent, if an unreliable human being.

I loved this! Not what I expected from The Byrds. But then again I expected that.

No skipper. Every track is a hit, and you can really hear how this album influenced basically an entire genre

I love this album and only today did I realize that an childhood friend of my late dad's plays fiddle on I am a Pilgrim and the beautiful "Hickory Wind." I owe a big debt to my baby brother for introducing me to Gram Parsons!

I had never listed to this album and I'm so glad I have

I've always enjoyed the Byrds for the cryptic jangly guitar work, vocal harmonies, and keen pop sense. I've never heard his but seen the album float around in various places for a long time. I loved this. The inclusion of Gram Parsons, Jay Dee Maness, and Lloyd Green was a perfect, and logical, fit. Mostly covers, and a traditional tune, this 60s psychedelic pop group made a really solid and genuine country (or country rock/Americana) album. You would think it would get old after a while, but Sweetheart of the Rodeo does a great job of keeping the listener interested with each song introducing some other element or variation with the best of it blending the bands older style with the western twinge. This brought to mind Grateful Dead's American Beauty and, ironically, David Crosby's work on Deja vu.

I love this record.

One of those "classics" I've never spent any time with. A few songs are decent but it mainly sounds like parody and gets quite irritating. Gram Parson's solo records are a bit better, probably due to Emmylou Harris. Generous 3

The Byrds started their career with 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and became over the next few years one of the most important bands to come out of the first major Folk Rock scene. They, over the time, combined their Folk sytle with many genres including Psychedelic Rock or even bits of Jangle Pop. But after they pretty much did all that was possible with that genre they had to move on somehow. And they did by inventing a new genre: Country Rock. It seems pretty weird that it took more than three years for Country Rock to fully emerge from of Folk Rock but The Byrds gave it life with this album. And multiple songs on the album are hardly even considered Country Rock but just plain Country. And although this album was very influential, it isn't The Byrds best or even most influential work. It is an alright standout in their catalogue but they have made better albums before. The album starts with the Bob Dylan song 'You Ain't Going Nowhere' that already includes the classic Country guitar sound as well as typical stacked vocal harmonies in the chorus. It's a nice song but nothing too crazy but they do make the lyrics justice with the chorus. 'I Am a Pilgrim' sounds even more country with the addition of a very present banjo. Because the song is a traditional folk song, they added Mandolin and general style do make it feel like pilgrim song. Again, it's quite but doesn't knock your socks off. The next song 'The Christian Life' is a song the Louvin Brothers made me hate with their album 'Satan is Real' but this version is much better and is listenable but I have some personal problems with the lyrical content but the instrumentation does make up for that. 'You Don't Miss Your Water' is great in both vocal and instrumental regard. I love the chorus and the harmonies as well as the piano in there. Easily one my favourite songs on the album. In comparison 'You're Still on My Mind' feels like just another standard country song that doesn't really get me excited although that definitely was the intent with this one. I just don't really think that it's a very interesting song. The closing track of Side 1 'Pretty Boy Floyd' has much more Bluegrass influence than other songs and it does honestly work with their style but overall a kind of forgettable piece. 'Hickory Wind' opens the second half as one of the two songs on which a member of the band as written (or co-written in this instance) the lyrics for the song. It is an alright song that does loose itself very fast and feels kind of messy. They return to a much more rock sounding approach on 'One Hundred Years From Now' that does greatly benefit from that and is one of the better songs on Side 2. This is the other song written by one of the band members. The momentum that was build isn't really build on as 'Blue Canadian Rockies' is again very basic. Not enough rock for the song to work with them behind the instruments. Similar with 'Life in Prison' although this comes off way more genuine than the song before. Still it isn't the kind of country song that really strikes with great songwriting. The closing track 'Nothing Was Delivered' does safe the album a little bit as this is a really nice addition to the album and closes it off with another well made piece with great harmonies and instrumentals. favourites: One Hundred Years From Now, You Don't Miss Your Water, You Ain't Going Nowhere, Nothing Was Delivered least favourites: Hickory Wind, Blue Canadian Rockies, Life in Prison, You're Still on My Mind Rating: strong 5 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Et revoici Gene Clark et sa bande d'attardés. Cela fait déjà trois albums générés pour ce groupe et cinq pour Clark. Le moins que l'on puisse dire, c'est qu'on commence à en avoir ras le cul. J'ai d'ailleurs écouté cet album pendant un moment d'énervement. Je vous explique le contexte. Alors que je devais me rendre à Paris pour y passer mes annuelles vacances de la Toussaint, mon train partant de Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe en direction de Mannheim eut un retard d'une trentaine de minutes. De ce fait, je dus descendre une station plus loin et prendre un autre train depuis la gare de Karlsruhe. Comprenant rapidement que j'allais devoir patienter une bonne heure, je décidai de lancer l'album des Byrds. Au retard intellectuel de ces pitres vint s'ajouter des retards ferroviaires successifs : d'abord cinq minutes, puis dix minutes, puis quinze, vingt, vingt-cinq... J'étais à bout de nerfs. À mi-album, alors que l'impatience et le dégoût provoqués par les sons qui parvenaient à mes oreilles commençaient à se lire sur mon visage, certaines personnes vinrent me manifester leur soutien : "Les Byrds, hein ? Courage..." pouvais-je lire sur leurs lèvres formant ensuite un sourire compatissant. La seule bonne nouvelle résidait dans ma non-obligation d'écouter les derniers morceaux puisque il s'agissait de répétitions de chansons déjà jouées.

Straight up country music. I’m baffled.

Sounded more like a parody of a country album than the pioneering country rock album it was (according Wikipedia) but it sounds like they took a huge career risk to make it so I respect that.

This ain't for me, chief

Everybody’s favourite cover band, ey? Thoroughly ruined by auteur theory, I struggle to get over the Byrds’ paucity of originals, though I love “Eight Miles High”; you may not think me an idiot for that. This album baits my prejudice out: while I appreciate what their transformation “Bells of Rhymney”, this sounds like standard plink plonk country rock to my untutored lugs, albeit with hippy vocals. I’ve decided to be a jerk and just listen to this once, and let this mean opinion ossify. Simon, waiting for your refutation. Before listening to this I bought “The Gilded Palace of Sin” in anticipation of wanting to hear more Gram Parsons. Now I’m all ha ha the Byrds hired a slide guitarist and a plink plonk pianist to go country, and then had the piss kicked out of them at the Grand Ok Opry for being poseurs.

"The Byrds' move away from rock and pop towards country music elicited a great deal of resistance and hostility from the ultra-conservative Nashville country music establishment" and from me

I feel like this was made as a peace treaty between racist Southern grandmas and hippie rockers. /s

Clouds so swift, rain won't lift Gate won't close, railing's froze Get your mind off wintertime You ain't goin' nowhere - Bob Dylan

Always a good listen

Reverent without being derivative. Pretty neat.

Loved it

Cowboy country. Fun.

Right as I was pining for the old feel of Austin & San Antonio country, this album pops up. I'm impressed with this Californian band, and it seems Gram Parsons had a lot to do with the sound on this album. When I think of country rock, I usually think of The Rolling Stones, but I'm stunned at how good this is. I love classic country & country-rock, so I'm adding this to my favorites. 4.5 stars

Really good. This album ushered in the country rock genre.

great lp

Släpigt och suveränt.

Maybe not the first country-rock album, but the one that inspired countless bands and artists. Just a gorgeous album.

Just pure Americana goodness. Nothing bad to say about it.

Standouts - The Christian Life, You Don't Miss Your Water I liked this album a lot, the folky/country sound was really nice and the vocals were pretty classic

Was great back then and still great

This is the Byrds’ 6th album, and it’s the furthest I’ve gone into their discography so far. Honestly, this album feels like a completely different band. The Byrds are usually known for blending psychedelic rock and folk, but this album is straight-up traditional country. Back then, it might have been called country rock, but by today’s standards, it sounds more like classic country than most modern country music. I’ve listened to a lot of their solo work, so I knew they had this in them, but this one still felt like a big leap. That being said, it’s a really good album, and I enjoyed it a lot. Just don’t go into it expecting it to sound like their earlier albums.

uristen de gyönyörű ez

The Byrds with the addition of Gram Parsons was the perfect alchemy for this country rock classic. Parsons was one of the pioneers of country rock and sadly, through mis-adventure, left us way too soon. I love everything about this album and though Parsons had parted ways with the Byrds by the time this album was released I'm so thankful to have discovered him through this recording so I could explore his music even further. This is more a Gram Parsons album than it is the Byrds but nonetheless it's an important album and well deserves to be on this list.

One of my favorite albums of all time!!

Wantlist

Ahh I remember my first rodeo sweetheart. Debra was a 33 stone monster, who ate 13 portions of fish finger sandwiches every day. She was airlifted into the rodeo by a team of highly skilled drones and four contestants from World's Stongest Man on stilts. I couldn't take my eyes off her breathtaking beauty. Literally breathtaking for her, as she struggled to breathe, poor love. She was plonked down on the row in front of me and I could smell her body odour as she panted and wheezed, wondering where the fuck she was. It was love at first sight. I climbed on her back and yelled with delight. She barely noticed, as she was suffering a gigantic heart attack at the time. She died and I was left devastated.

I mean. Historical significance aside, every song is a banger. The Dylan songs are the best. Cosmic American music.

A real delight! Great country music.

Never knew all the history of folk, country, and rock & roll that was wrapped up in the making of this band and record. Loved it.

Cool, but I'd rather just listen to Guthrie, Dylan, and Parsons.

This is an all time great. The start of country rock. This album is always a great listen.

The Byrds really should have been called the Chameleons given how many times they changed their sound. Between the Gene Clark folk pop era, the David Crosby psychedelic era, and this the Gram Parsons country rock era (and then whatever miscellaneous came after that), they really did not fear change. Gram Parsons was the kind of lightening-in-a-bottle talent that lived a short life but made anything he touched into gold. This album, along with his solo albums and time with the Flying Burrito Brothers, are all nearly flawless. He ushered in the country rock genre, making a beautiful marriage between tragic country storytelling and the sweetness of steel guitar. The album sounds so cohesive, you wouldn’t know that it’s such a mix of borrowed songs and covers with only two Parsons-penned originals. Excellent.

Five easy stars.

It's interesting to me what time does to an album, how something that was audacious in how it bucked convention when it was made, can be viewed by some now as utterly conventional. If this album doesn't quite land with everyone here, no matter. Where it did land was substantial, and these songs can be heard in the bones of a lot of music that came after it, both in mainstream country and in roots/alt/outlaw/Americana country genres. That's quite a feat considering that the Byrds were considered longhaired hipster interlopers when they attempted to bring this sound to Nashville. It really is a thing of loveliness though. Every song here is a gem, no filler. The songs are warm and engaging, with gorgeous guitar work, earnestly expressive vocals, and an off-kilter sweetness and charm that's hard not to enjoy. I love this more every time I listen to it. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, You're Still on My Mind, Nothing Was Delivered, You Don't Miss Your Water, Life in Prison, One Hundred Years from Now, The Christian Life, Hickory Wind, I Am a Pilgrim, Pretty Boy Floyd, Blue Canadian Rockies

Gram parsons. Massive country fan. Would have made it to Nashville as royalty had he lived despite his difficult qualities as a human being and the poor reception at the Ryman. Elvis didn’t go down well either and now the Nashville country music museum has one of his limos We forget sometimes just how good the byrds could be. Usher produces this album well and while most of the original byrds have moved on (David Crosby being famously replaced by a horses bottom on one cover) this is a pretty fine lineup. The great John Hartford on fiddle banjo and mandolin is a highlight. This is a great album. Perhaps the best the Byrds did. 4.5 stars.

Excellent honky tonk album from a band I thought was 60's Brit pop. Need to revisit often!

Gram Parsons > David Crosby ...and it ain't even close

Great album. Maybe I should listen to more country music because this was so fun to listen to, every song was enjoyable

Once upon a time, I would have hated this. Ugh; country music! But Gram Parsons was my entry point to understanding country, and I fell in love with his solo albums. I had never gone back to listen to this album, even though it is highly critically rated. And now I'm wondering why did I deny myself the pleasure of this absolute classic? I love the songs, I love the performances. I don't even mind the songs that McGuinn re-recorded the lead vocals on (I actually think their voices are pretty similar). The chutzpah of Parsons to come in as a 22-year-old piano player (that didn't last long) and essentially take over an established and highly successful band, change their musical direction, help write and record a genre-establishing classic, and then light out to do his own thing. Amazing! Quite a talent, if an unreliable human being.

Absolute classic and best countryrock album ever, a notch above earlier 1001 albums from Flying Burrito Brothers / Gram Parsons: more variety in the songs / song-writing, better vocal harmonies, Roger McGuinn has the better voice etc.

I LOVED this.

Glorious. 5 stars.

Great album. Love the mix of country, bluegrass, folk and rock.

Gram Parsons really pushed the Byrds fully into country resulting in the first notable country rock album. The dominance of Parsons vision, to the detriment of Roger McGuinn's vision of a double album exploring the musical heritage of America, caused a rift between him and the band which led to his departure before the album was released. The finished album is stunning from the fantastic covers, to the songwriting, and to the brilliance of the session musicians. This album accomplished what Parsons set out to and remains and essential country record.

this album was more than i expected. i listened three times. i really enjoyed the dark themes without the dark instrumentals. HONKY TONK!!!!!

I have never really paid much mind to The Byrds. I am not sure if I even realized that Gram Parsons was in the band for a minute. But this is a great album, and just feels like a bonafide classic. Just country-rock bliss.

love the byrds...the harmonies ..Roger McGuin's Rickenbacker 12? hell yeah

Outstanding. Very enjoyable.

Great country music for Lego building with my son on a Saturday morning.

"Sweetheart of the Rodeo" is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Byrds. It was recorded in Nashville and LA. with the addition of country rock pioneer Gram Parsons and a number of session musicians. The songs are mostly covers of country and folk songs. The album was originally conceived as a history of 20th century American popular music including country, jazz and R&B by vocalist and guitarist Roger McGuinn but was steered by Parsons to purely country. It is widely recognized as the first album of country rock and seminal in the progressive country genre. It did not do well commercially reaching #77 in the US. The album opens with "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," a Bob Dylan cover from what would become his basement tapes. It has the distinctive Roger McGunn's vocals and Byrds' harmonization but the music is definitely country including Lloyd Green on the steel pedal guitar. Lots of steel pedal guitar on this album. We get a fiddle and banjo going on the traditional Christian hymn "I am a Pilgrim." Chris Hillman on the vocals. They cover The Louvin Brothers' "The Christian Life." McGuinn singing in a southern twang. Doing a better job than Mick Jagger tried to to do. JayDee Maness now on the steel pedal guitar killing it. The second side begins with a Gram Parsons' original (co-wrote with Bob Buchanan) "Hickory Wind," my highlight of the album. Parsons on lead vocals. Female backing vocals. Banjo, fiddle, piano and steel pedal guitar. It is a nostalgic song about climbing a tree as a child comparing to the perils and pursuing of fame. Parsons get lead vocals again on the Merle Haggard cover "Life in Prison." Dual simultaneous steel pedal guitar and piano solos. The album is bookended, closing with another Bob Dylan basement cover "Nothing Was Delivered." There's actually hints of rock as the song alternates between a rock beat and straight-forward country. The goods were failed to be delivered. We can only assume drugs. I woke in the mood for a bunch of waltzes and the wish was granted. This is what makes doing this random album challenge worth it to me; there's little chance I go back listen to and research the history of a Byrds' country album. Glad I did. Besides McGunn's vocals and the harmonies, there's little resemblance of The Byrds as you knew them. A complete transformation. Country rock???? This is country. The session musicians were great especially Maness on the steel pedal guitar. All the Parsons lead vocal and written songs were the highlights. Parsons would leave the band before the album was released on to other things. I know those things are upcoming in my future; I'm looking forward to that.

Strange but catchy Christian rock

Great album...only con is the Christian themes.

Great Americana sound, slight country.

Their most consistent album as they move into a warm country rock fusion that was still very novel at the time. This was the first album that got me to appreciate country, and acted as a gateway for 70s outlaw and 90s alt country. Huge fan of their iconic harmonies. It's fast and displays 50s rockabilly aspects to pull in rock audiences. It's hard not to like parts like the gorgeous instrumental bridge of "Life in Prison." Strong intro (a catchy hit) and strong closer (a dramatic bang). Most songs stick out, and it's a slideshow of their talents (mostly Gram Parsons) with 11 songs in just over a half hour. Favorites: You Ain't Goin Nowhere, You Don't Miss Your Water, You're Still On My Mind, One Hundred Years From Now, Nothing Was Delivered

Pretty good folk/country album. Not sure if it's something I'd listen to on the regular but I like the instrumentation and the mastering.

not a huge western/country fan, I mean I like it when Bob Dylan does it but this had a less appealing sound to me still the execution was pretty solid and the production had some diversity - 7/10

Pretty decent country.I enjoyed it.Maybe not the most memorable thing in the world but it’s relatively short and decent.

I bought a used copy of this record back in the early-80's and though I had been a fan of the Byrds earlier albums, I only listened to Sweetheart once before decided it wasn't for me. I was never a fan of Country music, so it sounded too country for my tastes, though it still had some elements of "rock" in it. Fast forward a decade later and a lot of the music I was listening to had plenty of Country-rock vibes to it which was updated and "re-branded" in the 80's and 90's, as Alt-Country. This genre produced some great bands, Uncle Tupelo, Long Ryders, Jayhawks etc and opened my ears to the possibilities of meshing rock and country together with an alternative edge. More recently, I have been spinning Sweetheart of the Rodeo often and it's influence and it's pioneering musical style is undeniable. Thank the Byrds for this bold statement in 1968.

A time when Country-Rock was great before The Eagles ruined it forever.

4/5. Honestly, the more I listened to it, the better it got. It feels like the quality of a rock/pop band diving into country and making catchy tunes. Some songs don’t fully hit but it is a good album overall. Also, the twangy guitar can get a little old but it’s not bad. The song quality makes up for it. Best song: I Am a Pilgrim, Nothing Was Delivered

I understand the musical importance and can see how contemporary artists I really like, like Kacey Musgraves & Jason Isbell trace back to Graham Parsons. But I'm a still a little resentful that what feels like the entire Byrds & all related artists' discographies are on this list.

Twangy, bright and bold country from the Byrds Boys. I've always loved this take on The Christian Life, as it can be taken either literally or as an ironic sort of dig. I can hear it both ways. And The Byrds were, to these ears, THE best at Dylan covers. The sparkle and harmonies they add to a Dylan number make it zing like nobody else ever.

Finally! I knew there were a ton of Byrds albums on here, and this is my first one. In many ways, this is one of the finest country albums I've ever listened to, and the best country album I've heard so far from this list. It starts off with a bang (You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, written by Dylan, is a 5). No David Crosby in this version of the Byrds, but we get the wonders of Gram Parsons instead. Sneaky suspicion there are too many Byrds albums on the list, but this one is definitely a keeper.

I knew of the Byrds but didn't know that they made a country album. 3.5 stars.

Widely considered the first country rock album (although Michael Nesmith was dipping his toes in the pond beforehand), the Byrds combine this extremely homespun American art form with a burst of colorful psychedelia. It’s refreshing and played beautifully, especially by guitar virtuoso Gram Parsons.

Genre: Country Rock 4/5 An absolutely delightful treat from The Byrds once again. Gram Parsons, the country rock god who left us much too soon, joins the group for an album and the result is a gorgeous tribute to 50s-60s country, as well as a tremendous step forward for country rock as a genre. The opener lays it all out on the table. Those beautiful soft/folk rock harmonies that we've known to love from The Byrds, but with heavy doses of pedal steel guitar to let you know this won't be your average Byrds record. The rest of the album plays out like a country fair, with beautiful steel guitar solos, the occasional fiddle sting, and sunny vibes throughout. Highly enjoyable record.

This is not a bad album but I think it's too country for my taste. The same melody starts to get tiresome halfway through, the last few songs are more rock and enjoyable. If country is your thing, this one is quite good!

a nice country excursion. i just wish my buddies would stop shunning me for turning to jesus!!

4 good shit

Loved the twang of this album. You can really hear the influence it had on sturgill simpson and others like him.

Did not know what to expect with this one. I inly knew Mr Tambourine Man by The Byrds. This was very good. Slick Americana. 😀

Liked this a lot. More Byrds please

Loved a lot of the songs and it very much reminded me of New Riders of the Purple Sage. Which is a really good thing for me because they’re a favorite, but this album was a huge departure from the Byrds most people know and love. I’ll listen to this album again and again.

I had written off The Byrds as by-the-numbers psyche-pop, but this an incredibly solid country album. I'm dubious that the need a whole five albums on the list, but this album sounds like what Wilco is trying to sound like on any given day.