Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

Easy listen, but not something I’ll go back to.

Decent, lot of good covers of other songs.

Very nice country album, it has all the staples of the genre, and done very well.

A departure from previous Byrds albums, they leaned heavily on Jesus and twang, sadly neither of which really helped them here. Sonically its not bad, as it was the first Byrds album to be released on Stereo, and you can hear some good guitar and steel pedal riffs but the lyrics fall flat here.

3.5/5

I’m surprised that I liked it so much more. It used to be too twangy.

sundjerbob ahh muzika

Not a fan, even after a second listen. I really didn’t connect with this music.

6/10

This one carries a lot of historical weight, and you can hear why. It’s one of the records that really opened the door between rock and country, and a lot of the Americana and alt-country music I’ve spent years playing traces back here in some way. The playing is tight and tasteful throughout—great pedal steel, solid picking, and a band that clearly understands the feel of the music they’re trying to make. Gram Parsons’ influence is obvious, and the whole record has that early blueprint of what later became the Uncle Tupelo / Son Volt / Wilco lane. That said, listening to it now, some of it feels more important than it feels powerful. The songs are good, but the arrangements and dynamics can feel a bit one-dimensional compared to the artists this record inspired. When I hear these tunes I can’t help imagining what a band with a bigger sonic palette might do with them. So while I respect the record a lot—and I’m glad to know it in context—it doesn’t hit me emotionally the way some of its musical descendants do. Rating: 4/5 — historically important, well played, and foundational to a whole genre, even if it doesn’t quite reach the emotional punch of the best Americana records that followed.

I did not, in fact, need to hear this before I died.

Surprisingly great album. You can hear the foundation of music I love from Avett Bros, Wide Spread, Cowboy Ween and heavily flavored with golden country classics. Loved the album and will be adding it to my master list.

From The Notorious Byrd Brothers to Sweetheart of the Rodeo is a notable step but not unaccountable. The sixties counterculture was always more a matter of finding sustenance in a variety of traditions than it was merely a necessary break from boring conventions. In other words, if the blues can lay a foundation for psychedelia then why can't country. This is the best a Byrd can do, my favorite record of their catalogue, b/c it's the most fun & the most enigmatic. A large part of the fun is not knowing if irony has the last word: 'My buddies shun me, since I turned to Jesus / They say I'm missin' a whole world of fun / I live w/o them & walk in the light / I like the Christian life.' Whatchu think? More than anything tho, it sounds fin' great.

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

I’m absolutely delighted that the generator blessed me with back-to-back country albums this weekend 🙄 I can at least appreciate this one a bit more and it wasn’t as insulting to my intelligence as Steve Earle but this just isn’t for me.

Horrible awful almost unlistenable for me urgghhhh!!!

I listened to this a while back and remembered this was not what I thoght of the Byrds but read into it they made a country-style album. so not for me

Love the Byrds. Not my fave of theirs, but love ‘em.

Didn’t realize the Byrds played country. I can never be mad at a lap steel guitar.

Shiftless, shallow musicianship. Kudos for propping themselves up long enough to record that ruinous take of You Don't Miss Your Water. Don't cover Motown!! Jail.

Never listened to this album before, but into it!

If you love country, you’ll like the Byrds.

Folk country byrds seem to loveee Jesus yippe ki-yay mfer

yee haw

More like 3.75. Always liked The Byrds but don't know too many full albums. Really enjoyed this album, didn't expect it to be so Country influenced. Lapsteel is great. Will definitely revisit.

The Byrds are country? Solid album and an enjoyable listen!

As a Gram Parsons fan I like this album, it’s essentially a precursor to his work with The Flying Burritto Brother and solo output. The covers are good and as far as late 60’s Country Rock goes you can’t go wrong with SHOFR. It’s not something I’ll listen to all that regular but whenever I do it hits a spot. 3.7

I really like this and it's so clearly influential. Not wall to wall bangers but it's a solid listen.

It's too country for my taste. I can see why some would enjoy it, but it's just not my cup of tea. I don't think it's bad though!

Didn’t really do it for me but I liked some of the raw sounds.

Again, a consistent problem with most of the albums on here are just that they’re bang average. I didn’t really need listen to this before I died, it wasn’t that special.

I usually hate country music but I didn't mind this.

better than the byrds album I had yesterday but still not anything special to me

Very very country

So I learned something today. The Byrds made fricking country music - and it totally sucks. The few songs I’ve heard from them earlier have been really different from this twangy, redneck, boring shit. To me this feels nothing like rock. The best thing about listening to this album was when I noticed that the original record had only 11 songs, and I could end the listening before the extras Spotify had added. Favourite songs: None.

It's alright I guess

Felt like a drag to get through - didn't do too much for me.

I'm starting to get the impression that I don't enjoy a lot of country

Nicht meins

This is a very middling album that I find too plain to be offensive. I'm never one to dislike relaxed country songs but from the opening tracks I found something missing, maybe lacking authenticity. I found the religious lyrics very salient, which added the overall dated feel of the album.

Sweetheart of the rodeo felt like it should be playing on an old school country radio station, I can imagine my grandparents enjoying it, not in a bad way at all, I thought it was a warm and earnest album. Even though this is quite different from other Byrds albums, I didn’t feel like they were parodying country, it felt like authentic Americana. Knowing how early this was in terms of country/rock crossovers did make me appreciate it more, however it leans heavy on the country side, throughout the album you can hear loads of pedal steel and honky tonk style rhythms, some of the guitar fills were reminiscent of the fiddle. Production was clean cut without much experimental sound, tracks were very consistent with each other and felt well balanced, I thought maybe at times they did sound a bit samey but as do many albums. I thought the vocals were pretty tame and had an almost polite quality to them, they did suit the album but I do generally prefer a bit more of a grittiness/edge. Lyrics were pretty classic country thematically heartbreak, faith etc. The gospel influenced songs stood out to me, partly because I couldn’t tell at first whether they were meant to be reverent or slightly tongue in cheek. To me they did feel somewhat separate from the more secular heartbreak and wandering themes elsewhere on the album. I enjoyed this album more than I expected to, it does feel a bit dated listening to it in 2026 but I kind of like that.

I don't really like this one much but ok if u do Will I listen to again: 0%

Country raíz e sem firula. Gosto muito!

I like the Christian life

Music you can both watch paint dry and beat your wife to.

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame

Listening to this right after The Notorious Byrd Brothers, I’m left amazed at what an improvement 6 months can bring. Perhaps it was a release from David Crosby’s toxic energy, perhaps the immense talent of Gram Parsons, maybe just burnout from too much acid. But they charted a course from solid, but trendy, psych rock to a timeless album of tender songs that pull on the heartstrings. Maybe they just realized they needed to go back to recording Dylan songs!

I expect and understand why many would rate this as a 2 or 3. "Christian Life"? What the fuck is this shit. It's history, man. The Byrds are a great musical group with excellent talent They pay homage to some American roots music of days gone by. I hear the baker street sound, the nashville sound and the rough honky tonk sound. Most importantly, I hear "Hickory Wind" which proves to be the most beautiful original tune on the record. Post Script: I sing "Nothing Was Delivered" to myself whenever I come home expecting some mail and find nothing.

Their sixth album. Country / Rock / Folk. I am on a run of a lot of country this last week or two. I listen to all albums in full. I don't skip a single note. That Country twang and diddley doodling on every single track in the genre is going to give me PTSD. It's like scratching finger nails down a chalkboard.

Sweetheart of the Rodeo is often hailed as a pioneering country-rock record, but for me it was a real tough listen. The blend of rock, pop and traditional country just doesn’t do anything for me. I found it surprisingly flat and one-dimensional, and listening to the extended version only amplified that feeling. There’s a strong late-’60s Nashville influence throughout, pedal steel, harmonies, and more than a hint of religious sentiment — but rather than sounding groundbreaking, it comes across as dated and uninspiring. I Favourite track: One Hundred Years from Now was passable and at least had a bit of energy. Least favourite tracks: Hickory Wind and The Christian Life did very little for me. In truth, I struggled to find many real highlights across the album. Album artwork: Lots going on and nothing very good.

Can’t remember let’s call it a 3

Nothing Was Delivered = just about sums this album up

More country than expected

No. 367/1001 You Ain't Goin Nowhere 4/5 I Am A Pilgrim 3/5 The Christian Life 3/5 You Don't Miss Your Water 3/5 You're Still On My Mind 3/5 Pretty Boy Floyd 4/5 Hickory Wind 4/5 One Hundred Years From Now 3/5 Blue Canadian Rockies 3/5 Life in Prison 3/5 Nothing Was Delivered 4/5 You Got A Reputation 3/5 Lazy Days 3/5 Pretty Polly 3/5 Average: 3,29 The country/folk rock style didn't resonate too much with me. Still an alright listen.

Lifeless and uninspired music. Belongs in the trash. Next.

es lo que es, y no lo hace mal pero yo que se

A totally irrelevant album that just splits a baby down the middle. The worst of everything country and rock. Much like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, in all of their configurations, it doesn't speak to me. And I have never enjoyed trust fund kid Gram Parsons’ take on country and country rock. I respect that The Byrds took risks, but I cannot imagine a time in my life where I would want to reach for an album like this. Felt like I was in an endless auditory blur of country shuffle and pedal steel guitar for 40 minutes (I skipped all the tracks that were not on the original release). Having said all that, the best thing about this album is the album cover which is pretty cool. I can see why it ended up in a museum. Competently produced, engineered, and recorded, but not for me.

Important but dang enjoyable, too. There are so many strong songs—“Hickory Wind,” among them—here. The Byrds helped, of course, get us to alt-country and Americana. I’m grateful.

Wait a minute, this isn't jangly rock. This is country.

What the hell... The Byrds went country? No. Just no. Why?

It’s in my ears! Get it out!

It's generally enjoyable - nothing crazy here.

That was trash

Awful in just about every way, IMO. Without quite having the chronology down, this album either sounds like the generic country I don't like or Graham Parsons invents the country I don't like on this album.

Absolutely stunning, and while this is a little out of my zone, I'm so happy I get to listen to more country music through this project.

not really a mark against it but just immediately sort of stopped paying attention to this. it wasn't like unengaging or anything but just immediately became so comfortable that i hardly checked what song i was on or anything. look forward to spending more time with it! really good!

reallllllly pushing it with this one

This feels like a different band. To be fair, three members were left by the end of the last album and the addition of Gram Parsons only took them further into the Nashville country twang hinted at on earlier records. Yet the change in direction works. The things I love about this band are still there, talents are just applied to different sounds to create a cohesive and interesting country rock album that is a delight to listen to.

It’s good to experiment every once in a while but, this was a failed experiment. It does not help that I am not really a country fan.

But really bad, but pretty boring. I kind of liked the songs that Bob Dylan wrote.

meh. old school country is a hard sell in the best of circumstances. this ain't it

Decent little record. Im kot convinced that they were as influential as the beatles, stones, or beach boys like the snippet on tidal says. Maybe to someone else but not so much here. The mix of rock and bluegrass or folk is a neat thing. I will say that. Ive heard it before but im also 70 years in the damn future with my robot brick that contains all the world's knowledge ect. Maybe this was the first to do it. I had some fun here. Saved a few songs. Christian life is the highlight for me. Im not a religious guy at all but I really respect the commitment to that Jesus guy. The harmonies are really the best. Snd the other track I really liked was like in prison. The story songs are fun on occasion. The rest of the tracks are quality but maybe not that interesting personally. Good record but for me it falls short of great

Pretty country album

Quite twangy country, didn't love it

Just some of the lyrics I loved from my first listen: "Now Genghis Khan could not keep all his kings supplied with sleep" "Others find pleasure in things I despise. I like the Christian lies" "You keep on running around ,you know and you ain't doing anything but tearing your own reputation down" "To try and forget you, I've turned to the wine. An empty bottle, a broken heart, but you're still on my mind."

Solid enough, some very good songs and then maybe a few too many country songs that don't stand out much

Fascinating country album. Very much in the style of classic country, although you can hear some 70s country-rock coming out of it. There were several good tracks; You Ain't Goin Nowhere and pretty Boy Floyd were probably my tops (if you don't count Pretty Polly, which was from the extended re-release of the album).

Wasn't expecting 60's country. Solid album, could have done without the extra takes of songs tacked onto the end. 3/5 stars.

Exactly what I thought.

It was ok, some good stuff but kind of forgettable.

To me, this is one of those records which definitely belong on this list just based on their legacy but aren't musically anything that mind-blowing. Don't get me wrong, it's a great record and I very much enjoyed it, but at least in my opinion it doesn't quite hold up to other "classic" country rock albums which came afterwards (e.g. Neil Young's early solo work, like 'After The Gold Rush', just to name one example). It's good, but it isn't as envelope-pushing and artistically intriguing as the music that came in its wake. Especially compared to other works by The Byrds and Gram Parsons, this feels very conventional from an artistic point of view. Being conventional isn't bad, though, and for what it's worth, I still think this is a very good album and deserving of its place on this list. 4/5

Otro de country Basta 4/10

If the whole album sounded like “One Hundred Years From Now” I’d be all in. Alas, it does not. It’s just…a country album. Although, the final three songs (not on the original release) were more interesting. I don’t normally count bonus tracks as part of my review but in this case it’s a mercy. It allows me to feel okay about a 3/5. So, this is a very generous 3/5.

This is the Byrds at their most uninspiring. It feels like they reached the point where they either needed to evolve, take another step, reinvent themselves, and they landed on exploring a genre for which they had little to offer beyond their signature sound. I think they had just lost steam and made a poor choice - and it pretty much ended them as a relevant band. Fortunately, it doesn't undo their earlier greatness.

A bold step for a very successful band that lost fans, but gained critical acclaim. I couldn’t listen to this album for years but gained appreciation for what they achieved

I mean, yeah, it's nice enough, but it's also boring. It's too country for me.

like sweet south, very country and folk. almost like i’m biting on a piece of grass too, during a real hot day. amazing at what it does, quite incredible. my favorite parts are the real clean violin parts. really great (in the background.)

I'm going to say something that is probably going to piss off most music critics, but I genuinely couldn't care less about what they think so I'll say it anyway. I think the Byrds are very average. Music critics seem to adore these guys, so much so that 5 of their albums ended up on this list for some reason, and I just think that they're okay! And you know what? This might be my the most average album of theirs I've heard so far. Sweetheart of the Rodeo is good, but I don't really see it as much more than that! This album saw the band shifting away from the psychedelia of their prior albums and leaning hard into country. That's probably why I like the other albums more. I like the psychedelic style more, okay? In fact, other than some of the vocal harmonies and the presence of Bob Dylan covers, this feels more like a decent 60s country album than anything. It's probably because David Crosby wasn't in the band anymore and Gram Parsons was in the band by this point. Lineup changes are weird like that. The writing is decent, though the vast majority of the album is covers. The songs kinda blend together a bit too. I'm being weirdly negative today. I think I'm just jaded from the fact that this is my fourth album that I've had to listen to from this band and there's still one more that I have to listen to in the future. I'm tired of the Byrds, okay? I said it. Nothing here is bad, but nothing impresses me either. It's a good 60s country album, but that's about it. I respect it, I respect those who like it, but this doesn't speak to me in the way that it does for others. It's okay. 3/5.

9/10

Even with a name like Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, I was not mentally prepared for a Byds country album going in. My only experience with the Byrds has been with their early psychedelic material, so the transition to country was surprising. Once the flashbang wore off, the country I was listening to was just okay. It definitely gives off the pastoral country vibes if that's something that entices you. I'm just not sure I'm a huge fan of the psychedelic harmonies in this country setting. The whole thing feels very carefree and light, best represented in You Ain't Goin' Nowhere which feels like rocking back and forth on a bench swing. I just don't think this has enough challenge or grit to it for it to be a country release that I enjoy. I love the traditional instrumentation, but it's a little too bubblegum in its presentation for me. Throw in some lyrical themes I couldn't really care less about and you get a pretty unimpressive country album.

This is gd brilliant, 5stars! 5stars plus a hearty round of applause. W/o looking it up, my understanding is these are CA hippies with poor judgement regarding drugs and they briefly recorded at a very high level. *And* there's a true crime element! I look fwd to reading more. & of course listening much, much more **EDIT: okay now that's what happens when you don't look it up. It appears that my understanding was incorrect, but only slightly. I have now spun the Flying Burrito Brothers & aforetomentioned understanding fits them better. We are talking mostly about the same people tho. I do think this 'un is better than that 'un. At least I like it more at this time. Respect to both for influence & trailblazing

Old people spending country music, not my cup of tea

Competently made record, but just really not my thing. Don't have much else to say about it. 2/5

Day761 - i love this country rock genre and im grateful to gram parsons and the byrds. lazy days is a good one and you ain’t goin nowhere is one i first heard from the counting crows

3.3 2x

Песни для фильмов про человека паука с тоби магваерлм

Idk man I think they do hippie rock better

OK, so I am not sure how to categorize this music as Dylanesq folk rock and or early country rock. It is a fun album to listen to. The Byrds definitely had harmonies.

I liked this better than Gram Parsons personal project. Still it suffers from that generic country sound.

Not at all what I was expecting but had some fun although felt a bit repetitive

fint dette!

this was very jaunty

Dusty roads, soft heartbreak, and a band quietly changing history. Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: This album feels like a deep breath after chaos. Gentle, sincere, and rooted in tradition, it helped invent country rock without making a big deal about it. Favorite Track: Hickory Wind. Tender, homesick, and painfully sincere.

3.5 stars. Steel guitar for days. It's country but it's folk. Almost parody of country, but not quite. They just do country really well. Nearly every track is a cover.

I'm so happy to find there's a Byrds album I don't hate. I don't know how it made a list of important albums compared to the massive influence of their earlier stuff, but so glad to hear their country side bust out.

All I can say is 🐦➡️🤠 This ain't the Byrds we've heard before! I like this style of country music so I did find it enjoyable, but certainly nothing that special. I think the Byrds were more distinctive and memorable with their rock stuff. I'm pretty sure all of their albums thus far have been 3s for me though, so clearly I'm not much of a fan and honestly I liked this album more than the previous ones. The album cover is cool though and the cowboy aesthetic has been super popular in the last few years, so that aspects feels more relevant than the actual music.

Ooooo

Interesting album from the Byrds, very unlike their other two, was not the biggest fan of this one. It wasn't terrible, it just really wasn't great. Especially their inventiveness and psychedelic aspects on their other albums. Nothing stood out, not one song. I also would like to add I am not a country hater, there is good country out there. But this was cookie cutter country, just bland and nothing to really grab the interest of the listener. I will say, its interesting to listen to in comparison to their other albums. Gives you a wider window into the artist as a whole, which to be honest I kind of like in a weird way, even though I didn't particularly enjoy the album. 5/10?

Gram is the best part about this one

Can't really stomach The Byrds normally, but add some Gram Parsons, and I'm in. The country takes the edge off of the boomer psych rock shtick that always grates on me, makes them sound like a different band.

This was fine, nothing remarkable, quite pleasant at times. Miles better than Fifth Dimension - I think the production here is a lot better.

Bad bad bad, not my scene at all ! The Christian life needs banishing to hell

Don’t quite get it. Like British country?

Not a fan

Gives me kind of grateful dead vibes. I like the folk vibes.

Pretty far far away from being my favourite Byrds stuff!! I’m normally here for country but I don’t think it suits em, could barely even muster a yee haw. I didn’t hate it but won’t be hurrying to listen again

Yeah, no. No thank you. I will never understand peoples strange obsession with Gram Parsons. I guess he did pave the way for the "butt rock in a 10 gallon hat" people pass off as country music today, gee thanks. I honestly wish I had never listened to this and that there was a score lower than 1 star, but here we are.

not for me

3.5

jesus eat my ass

Very much of it's time. Good album though, and anything with David Crosby in is going to be pretty good.

More 60s bullshit

Second Byrds album for me, didn’t like the first one. Hated this one. It was on a fast track to one star. Then we got to Lazy Days. Bloody great song. Then it’s followed up by Pretty Polly, another great track. I wish I had enjoyed the rest of the album as much as these two cause I’d be looking at a 4 or 5 star but it is what it is. Top Track - Lazy Days

My favorite modern artists like Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Isbell, and many many others wouldn’t be making music without this album. It’s perfect.

Folk rock was born from country, and here is the evidence.

not my cup of tea

This is an amazing album and I hear so much of this in artists coming up afterwards.

I think this was one of those "you had to be there" things

We hadden al aardig wat albums van de Byrds gehad, en aardig wat zouteloze countryplaten. En nu moet dat dus gecombineerd. De nummers van Dylan zingen ze met de maniertjes van Dylan, overigens. We leren er verder niks nieuws van, het doet denken aan die bushokjes met lege reclameposters: hier had een betere plaat kunnen staan.

Yep, daar zijn ze weer, die Byrds. Om er dan toch wat goeds over te zeggen. De albums hadden toch steeds hun eigen stijl. In dit geval vooral een nog wat meer Amerikaans geluid; zelf zo sterk dat het zich totaal niet onderscheidt.

Gram Parsons heeft maar 1 album, dit album, gemaakt met the Byrds, maar op de wiki wordt wel gesproken van de Gram Parsons era. De man drukte een vrij zwaar stempel blijkbaar. De eerste klanken zijn ook onmiskenbaar country en dat is iets wat ik totaal niet met the Byrds associeer. Dat the Byrds groot zijn geworden met Dylan-imitaties is wel wat ze meenemen van de eerdere albums. Ook hier is een van de singles een werkje van Dylan. Het folky element blijft wel behouden, maar de countrysaus is dik en overheersend. Maar ach, het duurt een half uurtje, we hebben er weer kennis van genomen. En bedankt, 2 sterren voor de moeite.

gram Parsons you silly trust fund son of a bitch, you were what the byrds had been missing, apparently

4/5

Sweetheart of the Rodeo is an album I approached with some distance, mainly because country is not a genre I’m particularly drawn to. Still, taken on its own terms, it’s an album I generally enjoyed. The record is quite homogeneous in sound and mood, maintaining a consistent style throughout. This could risk becoming monotonous, but its short length works in its favor. At just a minutes over half an hour, it never overstays its welcome and remains an easy, focused listen. However, there isn’t much here that truly stands out. None of the tracks left a strong impression on me, and while the songwriting and performances are solid, the album feels more cohesive than memorable. From a technical perspective, it’s very well done. I listened to the original 1968 vinyl pressing (CS 9670), and both the recording and mastering are of high quality, with a clear, warm sound that holds up very well. Overall, Sweetheart of the Rodeo is a competent and well-produced album that I respect more than I connect with. A solid listen, even if it didn’t leave a lasting mark. I probably would not come back to it tbh. 6/10

There are a couple good songs on here, and the rest aren't bad, but they slip into the background so easily and totally blur together, which I don't think was intentional and brings the album down to two stars.

Very good album

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere was a ripper of a tune that I'd forgotten was a Byrds song. Aside from that it was pretty standard 60's hippie folk/rock.

It's like they're making fun of country. I just don't get why I needed to hear this. The Byrds just weren't that great of a band in any incarnation. They had a single moment of innovation then tried to recapture that over and over. Frankly, I think Ringo did country better. There's so much shuffle mid tempo country here. I feel like country shines most on the edges. The sad slow Patsy Cline and Willie and the rebel Johnny Cash and Waylon.

Fantastic. Loved every song

There's no reason in the world why this album should work, and yet here it is, one of the greatest country albums of all time. Yeah, I said it. The secret ingredient: Chris Hillman. Sure, Gram Parsons, blahblahblah. I love Gram's music, but without Hillman this album is a non-starter.

It was about time for another inkling of country on this album. And well, it was just fine. I will say, Gram Parsons' presence is definitely felt here, in a way that was maybe divisive for some Byrds fans, but in a way that I didn't mind. A couple of good songs here or there, and a fun, nostalgic message that ends the album off are enough to make this about middle of the road for me. 2.5, if maybe someday we're able to do half-stars. Highlight: Hickory Wind Lowlight: You Don't Miss Your Water

Once again The Byrds have totally surprised me. Sweetheart of the Rodeo is a complete country album from folky psychedelic band. They are like a completely different band, which in a way is impressive and I get that it’s an important album in country rock being mainstreamed but again, it’s not for me. It all sounds exactly the same. 5.2/10

To make it enjoyable, me imagine que estaba jugando Fallout New Vegas escuchando los radio stations. Could do without the religious songs, pero i enjoyed it (not a big country fan). 2.9/5

It's not bad. It just kinda drags on a bit too long

It’s a stock standard country album where they wrote none of the songs, this song imo is not revolutionary in any way, if I want to listen to a bob Dylan written song, I’ll just listen to bob dylan

Good vibes!

I tried - I really did. Initial listen I assumed was a parody. Then I read a little bit about the origin of the album and the interpersonal dynamics and gave it another listen with an open mind. I enjoy country and bluegrass, can definitely appreciate old timey music. I just couldn't turn the corner, sorry fellas.

Generic country. Not terrible, not great. Another one on here that is apparently influential but it's lost on me.

I now know The Byrds went Christian country, and I listened to it once. It's a whole lot more evangelism than I prefer to put in my ears.

I like the byrd's and gram parson, and respect the mission of bringing country to rock. Songs aren't that good though.

Oh man, I didn't enjoy this. I was hopeful.

Solid. Like me some Crosby. A little more country than expected but fun

No more C&W please

Sounds like a perfectly nice country album accidentally made by a band that didn’t really want to be there. Historically important, emotionally beige.

After listening to The Notorious Byrd Brothers last week I was not excited to listen to this. Instead I was charmed from the first notes of Dylan's You Ain't Going Nowhere and held to the end. Without an ounce of insincerity, The Byrds go to church on I am a Pilgrim and The Christian Life, suffer heartbreak, get nostalgic, go to jail and, on One Hundred Years from Now, even manage to sound like The Byrds. Of course the Rock and Roll people didn't like it (Too Country!) and Nashville hated it (Hippies making fun of us) but at this distance it's clear that it's an utterly charming piece of Americana.

this challenge has taught me some valuable lessons. one of which is that i fucking hate the byrds

3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-byrds/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo/ Bit too yee-hah for me, even though some of the more folky songs are quite nice.

Not really my cup of tea

some of us enjoy some classic country-folk, actually

So. Many. 2*. I'm not one much for country, and this is pretty much the worst kind of country as far as I'm concerned. I'm only giving it a 28 because it's the Byrds. But I also think I'm being generous because it's the Byrds.

It's better than their other albums on here but it's not unique. A lot of albums on this list sound like this but it still sounds alright. I'll cut the Byrds some slack

This challenge has made me realise I do like the sound of country music, which isn’t very popular where I’m from. Some of the albums on here I have found sound nice but get repetitive fast. This one held my attention a lot better. On research I realise a lot of this is covers, but I’m not sure if that should affect my rating. Speaking of covers, I think this album has a great one and I like the title too.

A middling country-folky album. Not terrible but the songs all just kind of sounded the same to me. Not quite my jam

Not what I expected when I saw The Byrds was the artist. Just seemed to me that they were just chasing genres in their careers- or sometimes leading the chase but this was just an OK listen for me - I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn’t more than just a country album. And where is the Rickenbacker?!?

Definitely too long. I like country and some curation would have gone a long way here. Some good tracks I'd go back to but not a whole album listen through.

The Good: We get to do a little bird watching… The Bad: I forgot my binoculars… The Ugly: The parked car underneath a tree is left full of… He-Haw! However, I don’t feel like He-Hawing… and the faux-drawl just isn’t doing it for me. Don’t know if it is because I am tired of these past 2-3 weeks with countless sub-par albums, that I need to listen to something really great to get excited. This album did not do the trick for me. As a matter of fact, I would throw this album straight out of the window into a ravine, thus ensuring that nobody else would have to listen to the album. Don’t get me wrong, there’s musicianship on display, and the songs aren’t half badly written… however, if you’ve been psychedelic rock, stick to that, or go to rock, don’t start he-hawing things up in the hopes that you will get applause left and right. Imagine Crosby Stills Nash and Young doing a disco album… just doesn’t work. So, I will be a bastard and throw 2* their way… sorry folks, just not my cup of tea at this moment.

Uh this sucked

Decent Rock, not my preferred genre.

Eh, I liked some of the instrumentals but this was pretty boring for me. Was every band in the 60s/70s required by law to rip off Bob Dylan???

not for me

Tää levy oli liian kantria. En tykännyt. Tutuin biisi oli Jeff Walkerin (Carcass) ”You’re Still On My Mind”-cover.

Not bad, not good.

Saw the band and the album cover and started laughing. I even told a friend that also does this challenge that I was going to hate this in the morning. Lo and behold, I hated it. Folk/Country crap, and when I hit the song “The Christian Life”, I was like that’s enough for me.

Truly not for me.

listen up you byrd motherfuckers my name is gram parsons and we're making a christian country album now some really over the top jesusy stuff but it's pretty good other than that (partially because it's so unbyrdsy)

not the most invested i've ever been in yeehaw music, but it was perfectly fine yeehaw music for sure. 2.5

This album is soooo incredibly 60s country music - you got your Jesus songs, you got your murder songs....It's too much for me to really enjoy sitting down and listening to but I feel bad giving it a 2.

I was honestly shocked to learn that The Byrds did country?!? The band that did 5D? Mr tambourine man? Turn turn turn? And it isn’t actually that bad.

I don’t appreciate the insinuation that non-Christians are immoral. 0 stars for that. I enjoyed Pretty Boy Floyd, but I prefer Woody Guthrie’s version.

Not really into country but it was a good album.

What? Sorry I fell asleep. Listen there IS good country. There is good twang. It's just not this.

- i love the folk elements - very catchy

An album of covers played in country rock style. No thanks.

Interesting, didn't know the Byrds did sort of country. Maybe a little overdone but pretty good. Sorry to the people who hate country for no reason

Hippy Country. Pioneers of modern day Alt Country. It’s good, but I’ve never been a big fan of The Byrds’ harmonies.

Fan of the twang, less so of the religious undertones. 10/10 album cover

The thing is i really like country i think so the vibe of the album was conceptually tops and pretty polly in particular really scratched an itch but then overall the dissonance felt a bit much so maybe i don’t like country?? Again i fear plane listening is a disadvantage but i felt like i was desperate at times for a properly resolved cord. Still enjoyed it, would listen again defs to key songs in a terrestrial environment but overall good but hard?

This is my first exposure to The Byrds (forgive me) and this is not at all what I thought The Byrds’ sound was? I’m assuming Sweetheart of the Rodeo was somewhat of a departure for them (especially thanks to the bonus theatrical track of a woman insisting that this WAS indeed The Byrds). On the whole, this album was a little too country for me. I did enjoy the liberal use of the banjo and the fiddle throughout (I’m not anti-country!!!). “You Don’t Miss Your Water” and “Blue Canadian Rockies” have broken through for me but not my fave album of this journey!

I’m sorry to say I was ready for this to be over within the first minute of starting the album and it didn’t grow on me Had a brief flicker of joy when the opening of I Am A Pilgrim reminded me of the start of 5, 6, 7, 8 by Steps

The Parsons contributions to this album are its most important factor, and that’s not limited to the three songs he lends his voice to on the standard release. Both ‘You’re Still on My Mind’ and ‘Hickory Wind’ are particular highlights and form, along with ‘You Ain’t Going Nowhere’ the peaks of the album. This both is and isn’t a Gram Parsons album. By all accounts, he helped lead the push towards this musical approach for the Byrds, but I think he’s well tempered by having a band of capable and successful musicians behind him. Whilst no harmoniser here can hold a candle to Emmylou, they do an admirable job and the album as a whole avoids the mawkish sentimentality that his solo work sometimes falls into. His vision for country rock inspired leagues of pale imitators, but still to this day none can match his voice or vision. the Byrds weren’t overly comfortable with this, and re-recorded many of his tracks. Who’s to say if they were right.

David Crosby's exit and Graham Parsons' introduction cause a shift in sound within The Byrds' camp. Rather than the folk tinged rock they had been performing, the group decided to give country a go. To their credit, the country music on Sweetheart Of The Rodeo is more dynamic and varied than most of the country records on this list, but not that much more. It's still a collection of mostly covers (similar to The Byrds' debut), and while the performances all all decent, it's nothing I would come back for.

This is apparently a seminal album in country rock? I didn't much care for their psych stuff on the Notorious Byrd Brothers and didn't much care for rut Gram Parsons album that came up before. Well, he didn't improve them at all. Pretty generic and boring country (again, Steve Earle exists). Life in Prison was awful. Also the slide guitar sounded awful. And it's not the guitar. Ben Keith on Neil Young"s Harvest shows how lovely it can be.

see length wise this was great. music wise this was not. i preferred the other two albums we’ve had from them.

I'm not into country music. It shares parts with other music I don't mind, but I don't like the vocal twang they employ and I'm not into slide guitar cheesiness and this album had both. It also had god stuff, which doesn't help me. Right at the end there were a track or two without the slide guitar which was better. Those tracks were a bit more bluesy too. There are some really nice harmonies on here and there were some fascinating parts that swap from unison to harmony and back again. It's not for me. I didn't enjoy it and won't be putting it on again. Furthermore when reading up about it it sounds like there were other plans for the album to be wider reaching and cover more genres like a history of American music, that sounds like it could have been fascinating but instead gram parsons pushed them into making a country album, then he left the band. That makes it feel more disappointing to me.

Beautiful, fantastic, album cover taught me about the great artist Jo Mora love it

Really liked this album - you can hear a lot of the country after in this album - don’t understand why this rated so low ?? Love the album cover

Another Byrds album that bores me to death. There were two or three songs here I tolerated that had a cool mellow Americana vibe but not enough for me to tolerate a country (a genre I mostly do not really like) album from a band I already do not like. Man do I just not really like the Byrds.

Ah, their country album. A lot of this is too middle of the road classic country for my tastes. There are a few good songs though.

Cool record -- hadn't heard this side of the Byrds before

Poeh, een uur lang country luisteren, het moet je hobby maar zijnzeg... En dat is dit ook zeker niet, ik kan me een eerder album van The Byrds herinneren waar veel meer afwisseling in zat en meer spanning in te vinden was. Dit is eerlijk gezegd nogal saai. Mijn grootste issue met country? Het is ontzettend simpel, zeker qua instrumenten. Eigenlijk elk nummer voelt hetzelfde, hilarisch om te horen van iemand die van techno houd, maar het is wat ik vaak vind. Tel daarbij de teksten die... Tsja me gewoon niet zo interesseren en je hebt een country album. Ik hou gewoon niet zo van country. Dit zou heel goed een fantastisch country album kunnen zijn, dat kan ik gewoon niet echt goed beoordelen op het moment. Ik heb ook niet echt een favoriet nummer, ben gewoon blij dat het voorbij is.

Screw the haters this slaps

Pleasant country music with a nice clean sound. The production is very good. This is nice, easy listening all the way through. Just glanced at the Wikipedia — this was the first album to be called “country rock”? That’s wild.

Some nice tasteful twangy country. I really liked "I Am a Pilgrim", which I can tell influenced Bruce Springsteen's song "Nebraska" a lot. Not usually my favorite type of sound but I didn't dislike it.

Too country for me

Endlich mal wieder hörbare Musik. Toller Mix aus Country, Rock und Folk. Harmonien statt Gekreische, Lärm und Gestotter.

good

I expected a gimmicky genre hop and got sincerity instead. This album is warm and grounded with pedal steel and harmonies that feel authentic rather than ironic. It’s probably a four-star record on paper, but it earns a bonus star for surprising me!

What a fantastic discovery - and here I thought I knew The Byrds. Great country sound all the way through - love the ever present slide. Really like 'One Hundred Years from Now' since it brings their vocals back to the sound that I'm used to from the band.

Everyone seemed to freak out, one way or another, when Dylan went electric. But no one seemed to be too bothered when the Byrds made a country album.

Good country rock

C&W is not one of my usual favorites but the balanced musicianship is wonderful.

Eh. This style of country rock is not really my jam. I can recognize this is a foundational album that set the stage for the genre... but I've never liked the genre. I appreciate the authenticity of the sound compared to, say, a lot of country pop rock nowadays, but this all blends together and just does my head in.

The Byrds really went through some changes to end up as a country band in 1968. And, for my money, as country as any “real” country band going at the time. I’ve heard of this album all my life, but never really listened to it. In fact, when you mention the Byrds to me, I think of a folk group, which they were in 1964, or as a psychedelic rock, which they were in 1966. It really sounds like The Byrds didn’t really know who they were, and in a way, they didn’t. They just wanted to play everything all at once, which never works, except that for the Buyrds, it all worked. As a folk group, they had hits with Turn, Turn, Turn, and Mr. Tambourine Man. As a psychedelic rock band, they had a hit with Eight Miles High. And then they went country. Except they really weren’t going country at all, the plan was to record an album with songs showing the complete history of American pop music, from jazz, blues, country and everything. However, a fellow named Gram Parsons joined the band, changed the theme of the album to all country, helped write and record the album, and then quit the band to hang out with Mick and Keith and ended up living in Keith's house. It’s a long story, and you can look it up on Wikipedia, but Sweetheart of the Radio is a great country album and went on to inspire what would be known today as country rock. While the album got pretty good reviews, it kind of threw people. This was already a very successful rock band going in a completely new direction, which cost them a lot of their rock and pop fans. Like many great or groundbreaking albums, the album only became more successful and recognized as a masterpiece as time passed. The album starts out with a song I’ve heard many times, but didn’t realize was the Byrds, a song called You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere, which meant nothing to me until I heard the opening chords and the chorus: ​​Ooh-wee, ride me high Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come Oh-ho, are we gonna fly Down in the easy chair? This was the first single and probably the most well-known song off the album. The second single was I Am a Pilgrim, which you may have heard because it’s an old hymn. Musically, the album feels like a group of dudes sitting on the porch just playing, but the album is filled with some of the best country session players at the time, many with connections to bluegrass, which, being a Kentuckian, endears me more to the album. The music is tight without sounding like it. I think if this album were put out today, the Byrds would get the same result, no country radio play. They’d have to put an electronic drum in a song or rap a few lines….But, as usual, I’m an old man and yelling at clouds. This album is both important and great, which I haven’t been able to say for most of these albums on the 1,001 list. Be sure to look this album up, I think, especially if you’re a fan of country music from back in the day, you’ll receive a blessing to wash these Yankee carpetbaggers of today out of your ears.

A gospel/country album by British group? I will allow it.

Favorite track(s): You're Still on My Mind, One Hundred Years from Now, Nothing Was Delivered

Love this one. The byrds are an underrated band that I only knew from those 60s compilation informercials.

This is #day499 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… yay, here's to my first The Byrds record on this list. As I've mentioned a couple of times, country is among my worst genres on this journey and will likely stay that way until the end of it. This kind of music just does nothing for me. This is a low 2 out of 5. Looking forward to, wow, #day500.

yeehaw hvis man lytter til meget country kan man måske høre, hvordan det her er mere moderne og påvirket af rock og psycheledlia, men for mig lød det som alt andet country

Ja det var da en ret god klassisk country plade ig

Must've been a banger at Christ camp '68

I liked Nothing Was Delivered, You Ain’t Going Nowhere, You Got A Reputation, Lazy Days - the more rock side of the country rock album. I really didn’t like: Life in Prison, The Christian Life. Everything else I just didn’t particularly like.

You know what? Not bad actually. I am not going to joke about him switching to muslim life instead because music is banned in islam and I'm not going to say that this is music for bald retards because I still have about 12% of my hair left and it wouldn't be factual

Strange; as I claim many albums are

This is a foundational text of alt-country, but I don't think I've ever listened to it, and I definitely didn't know the story behind it. (Gram Parsons sounds like he was a lot.) I'm a sucker for this kind of thing, and I also appreciate a good artistic left turn, especially when it's so unexpected and counterintuitive. This doesn't all hit—"I Am a Pilgrim" and especially "The Christian Life" are kinda sloggy—but it's enjoyable overall, and "One Hundred Years From Now" and "Nothing Was Delivered" are especially great. This is the rare album that I willingly listened to the expanded-edition tracks (minus the rehearsals).

There was a time in my early 20s where I felt it imperative to know and love everything with which Gram Parsons was associated. Which didn't really work out. But upon relisten to this, it's great. The Byrds are such an interesting and amorphous band. Not sure this is something I'd go back to over and over again, but I do love me some country rock and appreciate this seminal album on its own and for its contribution to the genre. Interesting coverage of this and Nashville's response in the Ken Burns documentary on Country Music.

Extraordinarily important historically. But as a listening experience? It's pretty average. I'm a fan of country and really appreciate what Gram did bringing it into the mainstream. But his shitty voice, and the Byrd's harmonies, and these crack session players trying to make a full-on-Nashville album just doesn't quite work. Gram's recordings become brilliant when he finds Emmylou and embraces (sonic) intimacy. And, of course, there were hundreds of albums coming out of Nashville at this time that took this sound and did it better with amazing vocalists. That said, the cultural wake from this album has produced some of my favorite music. So I appreciate its importance. I just don't love the music.

3.3, didn't listen to the whole thing but i wasnt completely in the mood for it

Surprisingly good.

How sweet -- I love this sound.

Dios dejen de recomendarme albums de este mismo estilooo No lo he escuchado porque ya sé que va a sonar como los otros 20 albumes de esta misma clase que me han recomendado

This album is more like Christian country. Not their best album

It’s passable country but like, why would the Byrds do this?

Enjoy their psychedelic albums more. Standout song: Nothing was delivered

Classic country, Christian focused. Not bad!

some of you just don’t get it

..

Honestly unsure of this one…

Not what I was expecting, more country twang than 70’s rock

Twangy, country vibe

I don’t like country.

I have such a soft spot for country music. I get why some people don’t like it, but seeing reviews that say “country sucks” just seems so lazy. This album wasn’t the most groundbreaking thing I’ve ever heard but I still enjoyed it enough. It was objectively a decent listen

Enjoyed parts of it but felt a little too repetitive for me

Hadn't realized the Byrd's has a country western exclusive album, though I'm slowly understanding that just about every brit invasion band does. This one was quality, but not anything to blow your mind.

Great songs, great harmonies, love the sound of the lap steel (and/or B-bender) and the marriage of rock and honky tonk country. Feels like the fore-runner to a lot of “alt-country” and I am a Gram Parsons fan, I’d give it a 5 if I listened more.

Enjoyed: Life in Prison Lazy Days - a bit more fun, a bit more rock and roll. Pretty Polly - reminiscent of "Pastures of Plenty". However, the rest of the songs seemed to blend together for me. Overall, still glad I listened.

More country than I typically listen to, and even kind of honky-tonk, but I actually really liked it; The Byrds' sound works really well with this genre.

This one was a real struggle for me. Favourite tracks: none. Won't be revisiting. 1/5

I was not expecting the heavy Country vibe! Thanks, but No!

Today I learned the Byrds did country music. Like super twang county music. I'm used to the hippe turn turn tun and I get something.... else. So I finished the album. It's not bad as far as super twang albums go. I wish my one Grandmas was alive as we LOVED the supertwang stuff. Some of the tuns were decent. I kept getting stuck on it being the Byrds as it's a huge shift from their earlier work. Not for me but if you like the

I specifically said I didn't want country and this is the first offering?

Nice chilled, some much better than others

An important album for sure. But really the only song that hooked me was "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"

Ironic getting this the day after "Music from Big Pink", one that came out a month earlier and by which this one pales in comparison. Still didn't think this one was bad as an early country rock or "roots rock" example though.

nice sound - fun but... 3/5

Not a fan of most country music and while this wasn't bad it wasn't remarkable.

perfectly listenable folk/country

I listened through this not too long ago. Listening to it again, it has no business being on this list. It's pretty basic folk country and nothing more.

jada. skriver seg inn i statistikken.

Very country and Christian. Nice harmonies

A milestone in the Cosmic American Music and an excellent entrypoint into Gram Parson's catalog, this is an act of love and homage to a significant branch of American music. More country than what Nashville was producing at the time. This album and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (also on this list) bring a new chapter to country and bluegrass.

Why did the Byrds go Country?

Right up my alley

Country aint my thang

It's more country than I expected, but maybe I was conflating the Byrds and the Yardbirds. Either way, it's largely covers of country songs, or covers of folk songs to make them more country. It's a fine listen, but this kind of country music doesn't really speak to me.

I wasn't expecting a country album from these guys. It was well done, but not something I'd like to revisit.

I cringed at first when I heard twangy guitars but they slowly grew on me. Country has never been my favorite genre, though I find a lot of older country tolerable and every now and then I hear a song I actually like. This is a solid record even for a non-country fan like me. I’m not super familiar with The Byrds other than some of their hits. And I’m certainly not well-versed in country. But this album seems ahead of its time in a way. The songwriting is fairly well developed. Though there’s not much variety and the songs start to blend together. Still, I liked listening to most of this. I don’t think it’s a record I’ll come back to often though, just not the style of music I’m usually in the mood for.

nice

This was decidedly not for me.

Hieno läpileikkaus amerikkailaisen musiikin historiasta. 4/5

This album sounds like old Austin, which I guess makes sense given the group and the timeframe. I happen to like old Austin.

Graham Parsons turns the Byrds full country and pioneers country rock in the process. The Byrds are definitely over represented on the list, and this is not their best album, but I believe the spot here is merited for essentially inventing a genre.

Fine country music. Not my style. Strange to hear from the byrds

Not for me. Too religious

Got garbage

2.1 The Christian life was bad the first time you didn't need to sing it twice.

This album is getting a resurgence after being rated as one of The Byrds worst is now a favorite. It is for me and that's all thanks to Gram Parsons and his push to take the band into Country Rock - the experiment failed at the time but this album and Parsons' legacy are now cemented as Rock classic. 4.5/5

It was a great country album

8.5/10

To quote themselves: "others find pleasure in things i despise..."

solidan kantri koji na kraju krajeva ostaje tek običan kantri. nekako mi je izrazito američki izdizati ovo u nebesa, ali i žestoko pljuvati po ovom. sve u svemu okej, doduše fora omot

Classic country vibes, not too bad, didn’t hate it but didn’t love it. Not a massive fan of the Christian lyrics but the songs sound nice, could’ve been worse

Country vibes, John Denver? Banjo baddie- 2/5

This is a clear improvement on the twee folk they were pumping out prior. Although the playing is great, it still strikes me as relatively soulless when it's not Gram Parsons doing vocals. Playing at country more than it is playing country.

🐐

Track 1 - great track

maybe a little too country for me. 2.75

This is when I realized the Byrds weren't just the world's best Dylan/the Bible cover band, but were also the world's best turn of the century bluegrass cover band.

I love this album.

Kind of a mishmash here, from classic country to almost rock. I liked some of the songs more than others.

I like the Byrds better when they don’t meddle with country. If I want to listen to country, I’d rather have some old Willie Nelson, Marty Robbins or Dolly Parton. There are a couple of good songs here, like The Christian Life and You’re Still on My Mind, but overall it’s slightly too boring. Then suddenly Nothing Was Delivered ends the ball by being the best song by far, and earns the album 3 stars

Twang trauma.

better than expected

Some of the songs are good, very Americana. But so god damn samey that I cant score it well.

Look, I get it. The 60's was a fun time and rock was in kind of a weird transitional place but JFC this is... annoying as shit.

Fuck it all. I know ifi was raised with country, it would hit me in a different way. But I wasn't, so it doesn't.

I didn’t have any expectations going into this album and yet somehow I was let down. I really liked the cover, but that’s where the positives end. The lyrics did nothing for me, the vocals were underwhelming, and worst of all I hated the instrumentals. Honestly a miserable experience from start to finish.

Got a bit bored of the Rodeo

Long, kinda boring, and way more country than I expected

Great album!

Oh dear. One track was decent but the rest were very bad, dull and joyless. This list has a few very poor albums that are on there just because they are the beginning of a new genre regardless of the quality.