Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

I just can’t.

I'm tired of this Grandpa Admittedly, I'm not a fan of American rock/Folk. Nothing stands out to me. This all just sounds like music I'd hear standing in a roller coaster line at Knotts berry farm. Listening to this made my day actively worse.

Decent

Yeah chief this just ain’t it. I’ve never been a big country fan, but wondered if maybe the problem was I was mostly exposed to post 9/11 country. Maybe the old shit would be better, more like good folk music with more soul. Then I hit something like “The Christian Way” and I honestly don’t know if I’m listening to a parody song it’s so on the nose. First 2 star review.

Ay caramba, da losi erneut das top Radiohead album, schriibe mis review, Schicke ab, und denn chund wider de huere lassoschwingendi, Jesus verehrendi cowboy-brunz. Macht mi hässiger je meh so Albe bide 1001 sind. Fuck that, Abbroche und d ohre eimal gründlich usgwäsche. Ein Chautabak-gfüllte speuz in Spucknapf für das zügs

Hippy meets köntry? Macht das sinn - glaubes nöd. Muss es sinn mache - theoretisch nöd. Heds mi abgholt - denkes nöd. Gids gnüegend sterblis - nöö 2 bluemigi saloons us züri

the byrds sind anschienend doch meh köntry und weniger classic rock als ich sie in erinnerig gha han scho nöd so spass gmacht, darum haui mim pferd nur 2 mal uf d‘fudibagge

Volvemos luego del descanso de Semana Santa al reto con ésta banda que sólo ubico de nombre. Disco tranca que, como vengo sosteniendo en comentarios anteriores, es de un género difícil de enraizar en otras latitudes más allá de Estados Unidos. Sin nada más para agregar, me despido hasta mañana.

While most of the rock bands in 68 were doing psychedelic stuff, The Byrds were one of the few bands who said: "Fuck it. Here's some old ragged ass fuckin country music up your ass, mate!"

I wasn’t really into this album at all. The Byrds do a decent job of crossing over into the country genre, but I’m not really a country guy, so this didn’t speak to me much. I’d only been exposed to the albums Turn Turn Turn and Mr Tambourine Man when I was younger, and I never liked them enough to dive deeper into their discography. I got this album and thought it would be more of that kind of generic 60’s vibe, and instead it was worse. It was country. And Crosby was already gone at that point. Not my thing.

Dans Country-rock, il y a certes rock, mais il y a surtout country.

Not much of a fan of the Byrds in this musical genre

This sounds like what some old baptist woman queued up for us after she learned we were listening to songs about wet tits yesterday. I'd love to give this a 1 star because the whole album's lyrics must've been written in one afternoon, but I really didn't mind listening to it. 2.5 that was almost rounded up, but You Got A Reputation makes me round down. Singing songs shaming people for "running around" should tear the Byrds' reputation down.

I feel like a big part of the Byrds success was repackaging Dylan for people who wanted music to be more boring. Starting this album with an uninspired Dylan cover did little to allay these concerns. Now I realize their thing wasn't so much repackaging Dylan as it was watering down distinctive music until it had no edge to it at all. Astonishingly empty album, now that I'm deeper in. What if we had the softest most boring band try to half-ass country for an album?

"first country rock album", snoozer

Ach man das ging runter wie Butter mit der Pedal Steel Guitar. Kann meinen Geschmack aus der Bewertung nicht raushalten 😅

This is very un-Byrds like IMO. Extra triple hokey country. It's more funny than it is bad, but it's still pretty bad.

That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.

Die Byrds im Country Modus, nicht schlecht aber auch nicht spektakulär. Nett zu Hören.

It sounds like a parody of country music.

Decent harmonies throughout, and Life in Prison was quite good, but overall I wasn't blown away.

I’ve never heard this album before. It’s a little bit Grateful Dead meets Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

honestly even though this type of music isn’t really my thing I found it pretty relaxing

Man this was so long. I liked pretty polly though

Pretty nice, rolls around quite nicely for a bit, doesn't outstay it's welcome

Delightful folk rock foundations of both storytelling and musicality with strong country identity.

Aside from "The Christian Life" I love it. Graham Parsons is a greatly influential man who I've come to respect a lot. Also a Bob Dylan song, how great! I gave 5th Dimension a 3 earlier in this project and I've come to like the Byrds much more since then, as well as country music as a whole.

Surprisingly good. Not an album I’ve previously rated, always too much country, but once you get past the twang there are some really strong tracks. Will listen again.

Some really good country coming from a “Tamborine Man”. 3.5 goin up.

2.5 ok nothing great

Good birds country

Not for me at all. I don't like country even when mixed with other genres. I've softened to some types of country music, which is usually a bit more hard rock than it is country, but this particular kind of country is just a big no for me.

Favorite Track: You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

Way more country/western than I was expecting.

This one is a bit all over the map.

Weird album, but I liked the weirdness especially the end when it got self referential, overall a good one and I’d listen again.

Meh. It was alright, felt a little preachy.

Country music is in such a weird state currently. You have artists who have devoted their entire careers to country music starting to fuse other genres into their work, resulting in some truly abysmal stuff, as the rest of the industry begins to experiment with the twang in turn. A lot of it is good and deserving of praise, like Cowboy Carter, but a lot of it is really fucking bad (I'm thinking of things like Yippe-Ki-Yay by Kesha). However, the real sin is that a lot of the country-fusion stuff you can find in modern music is utterly soulless. Every Friday, I go to Pitchfork's website to see what the new releases are and then I spend the rest of the week listening to them. 9 times out of 10 there is some new country-fusion thing - all the way from singer-songwriters and rappers to emo bands and pop stars. At this point, it feels like a coin toss to determine whether or not it will be dog shit. This era of genre experimentation feels just as bad as it was with hip-hop in the '90s - '00s. We're getting some truly terrible, pandering, "just-stick-with-what's-popular" music as a result. It's likely this will be just as much of an embarrassing footnote as Nu Metal. So, coming into a country-fusion record by a psych-rock band like The Byrds had me worried. But of course it's good. It has soul, it has passion, it has a palpable love for the music it's emulating. That's largely due to Gram Parsons' contributions, but that feeling carries this record beyond a tired approximation of a genre into a genuine country album. Maybe that's the key to making this sort of thing work. This is a well-produced, performed, written, and conceptualized album. It's fun, even if it gets a bit same-y and somewhat stale towards the end. I wish this album would have tried to color outside the lines a bit more, but I also appreciate the efforts to stay true to the vibe. 8/10

dimenticabile

I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it.

When a sixties rock band makes a better "country western" album than any country band today ...

7/10

All country e helt ok, detta med

There are too many The Byrds albums on this list - please eliminate one. While Sweetheart Of The Rodeo might deserve its' place in the history books for being a defining moment in the country rock genre, it lacks the experimentation and psychedelic leanings of more prominent Byrds records.

Going straight from a string of great psychedelic rock and folk albums into an album consisting mainly of country covers is a weird choice. Gram Parsons was to become somewhat of a legend, but as a newcomer in the group, I don’t really get why they would abandon their sound so drastically in such a short time. It’s fine I guess, but I wasn’t compelled to it in the way that I had hoped.

Okay, so. I don't think this album is anywhere near as bad as the reviews suggest, but at the same time I really struggle to understand how this is, in any way, essential listening. A very convincing, but maybe not all that challenging, country album.

Not at all what I know/knew of the Byrds. But it is pretty and gentle country music.

A solid country album, the twang is there, but for me personally, it's not up to par with the genres grates, it's just doesn't have that emotion. Having said that, this is still a fun album to listen to, the guitars and piano feature some really great melodies and sound pretty good. Lyrical themes are in line with the genre. I saw the guys switched direction from more of a psychedelic rock to country. Their biggest hits came in the former, and the switch might have caused a loss in popularity, but this album is still a pretty solid country album. One more thing I have to mention is the decent production, everything come off well, clear and balanced.

Not as good as I thought it would be.

If you're a fan of Country and Western, then I suppose you would enjoy this album. While I can listen to that in some situations, this is not one of them and it is just hard to listen to.

I had no clue The Byrds went country. But man did they do it well! I love that old country sound. The vocals were great, this was an easy listen,

I'm vaguely familiar with the Byrds earliest output but didn't know as much about the Gram Parsons country era of the band. I guess a lot of the folk leaning rock bands of the day went through a country phase. Anyway, it was an interesting listen. Album 7/10

Ruined a 3 star by being too stereotypical country for me

I just don't think we need this many Byrds albums on here. This is number 5 for me and I think I gave them all 3 stars. A few good songs that are covers, and the rest are forgettable. Maybe a greatest hits album would have been a better choice.

Really pleasant country music.

Some Good ol' fashioned country music. You're a nerd and can't get over your country music bias if you don't like it. 8/10 loved the Gram Parsons stuff

betra en seinna kaliforníuköntrí. áhrif parsons? 3,5.

Absolutely not. I thought I was listening to a parody album for the first few tracks. It had all the elements of early country but exaggerated to comical levels. The lyrics were embarrassingly simplistic, they went in for the extra twang, and for some reason decided the fiddle wasn’t highlighted enough, so an entire track was dedicated to this tedious screeching. Later in the album, if you can stick around, you hear the Byrds that they are known for: folk/rock/hippie music that wasn’t bad, but not supremely memorable.

I DON'T LIKE COUNTRY

Just a bunch of boring white dudes with a banjo

#522. All the other music from the Byrds I've heard has been pseudo-Beatles stuff, so I was expecting more of that. I was a bit suprised and very much not amused to learn this was all ol timey country music though, which I was less inclined to enjoy. 2/5: no

dnf

60s country pop that just didn’t do much

boring

Achselzucken

Too much country and not enough rock music for me. I like other Byrds records way more.

If you’re like me, you prefer your Byrds records to have a little more 12 string electric guitar jangle than Sweetheart of the Rodeo does, but it’s not hard to see why many consider it to be their best record. I’m saving that judgement for The Notorious Byrds Brothers, but that’s just because it’s my favorite.

The 1968 version of "Pop-Country." The music doesn't really do anything for me. I do, however, like the idea that this album was the "Cowboy Carter" of its day.

Love this album. It’s the foundation of so much music that I love

Short songs, and they didn't all sound the same. That's enough for 3 stars.

Jeg bliver aggressive af sådan noget lort! AAAAAARRRRHHHHH!!!!!

Mine ører bløder og min mund smager lidt af opkast

Sweetheart vibes, rodeo livin', Byrds flying high with a sonic boom.

This is the album when the Byrds when into a more country rock direction than folk rock, leaving some that Laurel Canyon sound behind and inspiring other country rock stuff like the Band and Flying Burrito Brothers. I dig it for sure but has to be something I'm in the mood for

Love this album. This album has become something an indicator of an alt-country lifestyle choice, but it really is a beautiful record every time.

This is a fantastic album, pretty unrecognizable from the stuff the band had done before this and often credited as the first country-rock album. "The Christian Life" is a great song, and I can't help but think about how it was received by their fans in 1968. Other highlights are "One Hundred Years From Now," one of just three songs written by new band member Gram Parsons, and Woody Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd." For a bunch of country novices, the playing on this is first-rate.

Maybe it's just the particular historical moment we live in or maybe it's just a culture clash thing or maybe it's just being sick of hoary cliches, but ugh, a tired-sounding country-rock album where they sing about loving the Christian life? No thanks.

This album is pretty I guess but I feel like it also might be responsible for slop like the Old Crow Medicine Show-esque faux-nostalgia tripe? Can't condone that.

Of all the late 60s country rock this list has managed to throw at me in only 10 weeks, this album is my favorite.

I can see why this was influential and important but it is so not my bag.

I suppose this is how we ended up with Wilco. Which I guess is a good outcome. It's fine. I understand it's importance as being that first 'alt country' kinda thing. Do I ever need to listen to it again? No. Bonus star for the great album artwork, though.

too nashville sounding

Ok

A 3 or 4. I don't really like christian music.

I enjoyed this

A collection of approachable, listenable down-home country tunes. I didn’t know the Byrds went in this direction later in their career. Nothing especially pulled me in, but it’d be a good record for a spring evening.

All the cowboys in Texas used to call Len ‘The Sweetheart Of The Rodeo’. They were always very friendly with Len. Was lovely to see! 2.7

There’s just no way. No way that yesterday’s album was the Byrds previous album, which wasn’t my favorite. There’s just no way. The ONLY benefit to these albums being back to back is that I still have the Notorious Byrds stuck in my head, which I would’ve otherwise forgotten in a few days time. So, comparatively, this album is a little better. Going from psychedelic rock into country probably turned some heads and turned away some fans. “I Am A Pilgrim” has gotta be a blatant rip-off of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, no? Like, clear as day. My highlight of the album is probably “Nothing Was Delivered”, which was a memorable tune on an otherwise forgettable back end of the record. A Bon Dylan cover, which I appreciate, as it shows that they weren’t trying to hide their inspiration for this new artistic direction. Soft 3

This has been on my “you should listen to” list for a while now. Bumped my score up a little more than I would have given its influence. Not sure I’ll rush out to listen to it again but was very interesting.. ahead of its time.

Good album if you like this genre. If you dislike “country rock” you’ll hate this because it is more country than rock. It’s interesting to see The Byrds evolution from psychedelic to country. Beyond that, there isn’t much else to say about this album.

Is it the Byrds or is it Gram Parsons? Does it matter? This list should have 2 Byrds records: this one and Mr. Tambourine Man. The rest should be burned to make room for some great artists that were omitted,

Eh

Not for me

Crispy, clean, cool.

Was going to give this a 4 but this is like the godfather a bunch of the jamgrass stuff that I love (yonder mountain, greensky)

Oh great, *another* Byrds album (3 down, 2 to go)... This time they go alt country with Gram Parsons on board, and it’s kinda cool?

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know the byrds were country. Soild 2.8 almost 3

Best Song: I Am a Pilgrim. I like country music insofar as it seems like it could be sung around a campfire. It's music that needs to be humble to be worth it. Worst Song: The Christian Life. I can't tell if this song is a satirical send-up of Christian Americana or an earnest instantiation of it, and honestly I don't know how much that really matters if the end result is the same. Overall: My impression of The Byrds is that they're a band that history seems determined to label as greater than they actually are. Maybe this was once revelatory, but now it just feels like stock-standard honk and tonk.

Massive leap towards country rock in one record. Gram Parsons’ impact is inescapable. For those like me who love “the Byrds”, this is not them. Go backwards to the glory of their first five records.

A horrendous waste of time, can't believe it's anywhere near the top 1000 albums of all time, letalone top 10,000.

Didn't think much of this. I think I was expecting something different from the Byrds not this.

3.75 excellent when it wasn't straight country.

First complete listen to this album. Enjoyed the music. Not a fan of most of the vocals - some too twangy. Pretty Boy Floyd was quite enjoyable. Overall an OK album but I do not hear the hype for this album.

Solid album, but not my cup of tea. Good instrumentals and vocal work, though it comes off as a bit samey overall.

Straight up country music. Playing in a diner as background music would be appropriate.

I knew this was coming, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't really like it. I love a lot of the Byrds stuff, but I don't like country rock as a rule. Also, there's no David Crosby here, having left. There's also added Gram Parsons, who is great at what he does but it isn't my bag. Strange really as I do enjoy Lee Hazelwood. Their version of I Am A Pilgrim is pretty nice. You Don't Miss Your Water is gorgeous. Those harmonies just can't be beat. There's several other jaunty numbers that it's difficult not to enjoy. I still don't know why with trembling hands he killed his darling wife. But it sure is jaunty. Perhaps it's just a reaction to Drive By Truckers bludgeoning me over the head repeatedly with Southern rock for 90 minutes yesterday, but this zipping along in half an hour was really quite pleasant.

Good

Pure twang. Not The Byrds I grew up with, but fine.

Between this and Flying Burrito Brothers, grateful to this project for introducing me to more Gram Parsons. I was only familiar with him previously due to covers done by Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, etc. It's fun recognizing the influence on other artists - One Hundred Years from Now could almost be a Jayhawks song.

Sounds like something they would play at Cracker Barrel. 2.5 stars.

Like this so much more than I expected. Beautiful harmonies, and some cool blues licks mixed in there.

Just a bunch of boring white dudes with a banjo

This is quite pleasant - country rock. It's a bit of a warning where the first track is 32,000,000 listens and by the last track we're down to 200.000. What does that tell you? I mixed it up by selecting 'random' not that it made any difference.

Not bad but nothing special. Kinda bland to be honest.

Fun memories

Enjoyable. A bit too twangy western for a regular listening session but still good and Fogerty initial work

I know this is a legendary group. I could not finish. From the opening twangy guitar, to the nasal off-key wannabe Dylan singing to the honkey-tonk country rock style…I just couldn’t stand it. The banjo, fiddle, mandolin (?) and piano sound good. I’d give it 1.5 if I could.

Just didn't care about this at all. The songs on here I recognised I know from covers I enjoyed a lot more.

Marked a move from their previous Psychedelic Rock albums to Country Rock, but more Country than Rock. I'm not a fan.

-this leaned a lot harder into the more traditional country sound than Fifth Dimension did. it was interesting seeing the versatility, this band saw a lot of talented names in the rock and country scene at the time so it’s not surprising -not really my thing but it was still quite nice to listen to -Favorites are You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere and You Don’t Miss Your Water

Nope, not a fan of cowboy country. I was anticipating a different 1960s band called the Birds

Pretty good British Americana from the 60s

Ah, Gram Parsons, my old nemesis. He's the anti-Eno for me; everything he touches turns to dogshit.

The first track is one of their all time best, but the rest of the album didn't quite hold up. I prefer their earlier folk/psychedelic sound more, and also prefer the offshoot album/band The Flying Burrito Brothers 3.5

That's fine

What a load of boring country covers

boring

Upee kansi! Eka biisi on lupaava, mutta vähän petyn, kun loppulevy on melkein pelkkää hidasta venyttelyä ja nasaalia - toivoisin kantrilevyltä enemmän tempovaihteluja. Tosin nyt kyseenalaistan itseni, oliko välillä vähän enemmän vauhtia? Biisit ois saaneet erota toisistaan vielä enemmän.

Dylan auttaa (paljon) muttei ole kaikki kaikessa: The Christian Life on selitettävällä tavalla hauska ja Hickory Wind selittämättömällä tavalla vangitseva. Mielenkiintoni bändiä kohtaan palasi.

Big metamorphosis for the Byrds, in which they turn turn turn almost fully country. Was skeptical at first, then started to get into it, before my enthusiasm waned again a bit by the end. Enjoyed the ride though, and the playing is great.

Really good old school country

The Byrds weren't that great to begin with and now I'm supposed to listen to a country version of them? No thanks. There are so many better versions of 60's country out there. This isn't one of them. I do love the album cover though!

This was a surprise. Had no idea they had an album like this. Wasn’t sure at first but I did enjoy.

Definitely didn’t know the birds did a country album so this was certainly interesting.

I actually quite liked the first song but things went downhill after that.

3 estrelas

I hadn't ever heard of The Byrds. They ended up being a little more "religious folky" than I liked, but overall pretty interesting.

What an odd collection of nonsense lyrics combined with an uncomfortably high amount of religion, particularly religious misogyny. I actually got distracted halfway through and entirely forgot I had been listening to it for a good hour. So much nothing.

1/14/25. Despite the album title and cover, I didn't expect a country vibe! Solid songs, essentially the main 60s rock sound with a twang.

Okay but boring

Ok 2/5

Terrible nonsense

Forgot about this album already midway through listening to it! I give it a two for mentioning Jesus Christ with respect. Loved the song The Christian Life.

Do we really need this many Byrds albums? I think not. Completely epitomizes all the worst problems of this list: Too enamored with the past and with records that should have been filtered by the passage of time. There are Byrds albums whose influence can still be heard to this day, this is definitely not one of them.

I have history with this one. I’m a Gram Parsons guy, hook line and sinker. Stayed at the Joshua Tree Inn, followed the albums, devotee through and through. This is the one that busted it all wide open for me. By happenstance, not plan, the Byrds brought musical styles tighter and caught some lightning in a bottle. The psychedelia of ‘68 LA, trust fund hipster culture of Parsons, and an unbelievable lineup of country/bluegrass pickers in Nashville. For all the firsts and mythology of Opry scorn and genre big bangs this one really does give something clean. It’s a listen for the headphones. Musicianship is second to none, lyrics and themes are pure Americans and the vocals are accessible. Young men pining for what is real (or at least what they want real to be for someone, somewhere if not for them). This one does it for me!

Four bars in, I can hear the pedal steel guitar, and I can already tell this stinks.

No country for this old man.

Not bad. Definitely not my favorite Byrds album or my favorite sound from them, but there were a couple good ones on here. You Ain’t Goin Nowhere was my favorite. I discovered from this album generator that I kind of like some old country rock songs. Gram Parson’s Flying Burrito Brothers was another cool find and you can hear his influence on this album a lot. This is the kind of stuff that I’m enjoying discovering on here.

This might be the best Byrds, and and the one that misleads a person into thinking the early Byrds must be alright too. Lots of things about this rock. Lloyd Green's steel parts are rad. "Pack up your money and pick up your tent" rocks. This particular country rock sound rocks. The most Byrds thing about this is that there are two Dylan covers, and the one that it opens with is the best song on the album. Would be 5 stars if they were the ones who wrote You Ain't Goin' Nowhere. music: appreciated. (⌐□_□)

I sort of rolled my eyes when I saw I had to listen to an entire Byrds record, but this was a pleasant surprise. The Gram Parsons effect, I suppose. Rounding down here, might regret it later. A good proto-alt-country album that made me think: “What really IS alt-country?” A possible answer: “When a rock guy sings a country song.”

This album was awful

Absolutely love this album, such a great mix of folk, country, and rock. Best thing the Byrds ever did

pleasant country-rock, Gram Parsons replacing David Crosby

pretty pleasant country tunes. not revolutionary but i liked the music

Yesterday, my group got Black Sabbath's debut album, widely considered "the first metal album." Now, metal is a pretty mythologized genre, so it was pretty easy for me to get caught up in the legend and reverence towards it. I mean, goodness, it inspired me enough to devote 2/5ths of a 1,500 word review to a narrative adaptation of the album's title track, as if most people would find it at all relevant. Then you have this album, meanwhile. It holds a similar-ish place in music history, being where the subgenre of country rock kicked off. In fact, it seems the band was rejected for being innovators; Nashville viewed them as a bunch of hippies trying to invade their space, and I doubt a lot of rock people knew what to do with all of this country music. So you think that'd get something similar from me — well, not a whole-ass narrative, but at least a similar level of reverence. But whereas I'm very aware of the mythology of metal and do kind of buy into it... Don't get me wrong, I'm also aware how important country music has been, and of its place in American music. It's just... I've never heard country music as anything but just country music. Y'know? I don't wanna call country music all "the same" and act like there's no difference from artist to artist, but, like... Honestly, country strikes me as maybe the hardest genre for me to talk about. Like, rap can be difficult for me to talk about 'cuz that's a culture I'll never have a full and/or proper understanding of. Jazz, meanwhile, feels like it requires a golden ear to hear the subtle intricacies in playing and, like, modes. With both of those, though, I can at least appreciate flow, beats and lyricism in the former, and in the latter I can get lost in some good melodies and soundscapes. Country, though? Unless there's some super notable context about it, like Johnny Cash's prison albums, I often don't know how many unique things I can say about one album without repeating myself from others. So, like, this album specifically. I mean, yeah, it's country rock. I do like myself some country music, so I do rather like myself this. The fiddle, the slide guitar, the melodies... It's all there. Unless being melody-first is making me stupid and miss some particularly excellent story-telling — and most of these are covers, anyway, so I'unno how much I could praise **this album** for any of that — I just don't know what else I'm supposed to say about it. What makes this all even wilder to me is the fact that this is the **third** Gram Parsons country album my group has gotten now, and it hasn't even been a month since the last one. I know he's pretty well respected, not just for helping found country rock, but also for something he called "Cosmic American Music"; I've read as much. However, between a posthumous solo album, the first Burrito Brothers album, and now this — and of course I mean no disrespect towards the man, but I just can't figure what all the hype is really about. He makes good country music, sure. What else am I supposed to get from him? (And I hafta consider this album as a Gram Parsons album, by the way. This is also my group's third Byrds album, but besides some Bob Dylan covers, it's so far-removed sonically from what I remember, say, FIFTH DIMENSION sounding like that I can't really consider them together.) This might read like a pretty frustrated review. I mean, I spent less time talking about the album than I did complaining about my struggles writing about country music. But I will reiterate: I **do** like this album. Again, it's country music. I dig that sound, and this album is really good at making it. My biggest issue with it is just that I don't hear much special about it, and that's more a gripe with country albums in general (or at least the ones this Randomizer has been giving me so far). That's not enough for me to push this any lower than a 4. It's just, I'unno. 366 albums into this Randomizer, I wish I had more specifics about this kinda stuff. Well, hey, there's still 635 left on this list, and tomorrow's a new year, so I guess I'll just hafta wait and see if I get some or not.

It's some decent country rock, but it ain't exactly the most special record. 3.5 bumped down to 3.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4, but it’s a pretty recommended 4. I’ve really liked Gram Parsons. I’ve been sort of ambivalent towards The Byrds. This is a collaboration album, and my expectations were decent, but not super strong. I do think this album exceeded them, but not to the point of a 5. This is good country music, but there are two things that sort of pull this album down to a 4 for me. The first is that this album (and I cannot believe I’m saying this as a bit of a knock) is that the soundscapes on these tracks lean too much towards country, and don’t find a great balance between the rock sensibilities of The Byrds, and Gram Parsons’ general style. I know it’s weird to say “the country album has too much country”, but Gram Parsons himself clearly learned from this experience, and really refined the blend I think he was searching for on both the Flying Burrito Brothers album we got (1969), and his last album, Grievous Angel (1974). In theory, this combination should work remarkably well (and it does, for the most part) but the blending of genres isn’t as effective here as it could be, and that’s slowly noticeable throughout the album. However, when it works, it works – the best execution of it is on “One Hundred Years from Now” with that steel guitar solo, & “Nothing Was Delivered”, with a more rock-heavy percussion style. Past that though, this is mostly just country, which left me a little disappointed. My other knock is simply in the vocals, and I’m realizing, with this album, how much a distinctive vocal twang can really make or break the general feel of a country soundscape. When Gram Parsons takes lead vocals here, everything simply feels right – his vocals anchor everything perfectly, and he’s got the best tracks on the album. Whenever McGuinn or Hillman take lead, the tracks are still good, but there’s just something that feels a little off (save for You Don’t Miss Your Water & Blue Canadian Rockies) – I can’t really place what it is, and maybe it’s just a bit of bias involved, but they don’t fully anchor themselves as in sync as they could be with the instrumentation. The vocals across this album are still good, but they’re not as consistently strong as they could be, and they lean more towards the rock side of the instrumentation that simply isn’t quite there. Hence, the 4, but make no mistake – it’s a pretty good 4. Those other albums I mentioned would not be as good or as strong without this one leading the way, and what’s here is still a really enjoyable listen, and a pretty breezy 32 minutes. It’s just not as good as it could be, and it falls a little short for even my country-biased ears, just because it doesn’t fully commit to a true blend of the genres. I still liked it, though, and I do recommend it. It could even go up to a 5 if a few tracks just hit better at a later point.

Mäh, schon irre langweilig und typisch amerikanisch. Wenig innovativ

I found this one hard to rate. I did enjoy it, but, I don't think I will revisit. It was fine country but not anything where I was blown away

I love David Crosby, but the Byrds first (I think) album without him is probably my favorite that I’ve listened to. Gram Parsons has one of his too few great moments here. It’s an important album for much of the music I love in the alt-country and psych-country genres.

Gram Parsons joined the band at this point in their history, and they completely embraced the country rock sound with this album. Definately a change from their prior albums, which were heavier to psychadelic rock. I mean, they always had a few country rock songs on each of their older albums, but this album is fully committed to the country sound. It is fantastic! Favourite songs: Pretty Boy Floyd, Lazy Days, I Am a Pilgrim, Pretty Polly, Life in Prison, You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, Blue Canadian Rockies Least favourite songs: The Christian Life 4/5

Nice easy listening. Can see myself listening again! Probably a 3.5 rounded down.

Really surprising how much I liked that one. Just a solid album from front to back. I'm surprised that this is one of the first examples of this sound, so I can excuse the lack of original songs since they are doing something different with them anyways. Rating: 4.7

Rich, warm, 100%-authentic, and just about note perfect. Nearly flawless in terms of what it’s trying to accomplish, but narrower than earlier Byrds records. Parsons focused the sound, sure, but might have also curbed some of the ambition. More bands should blend cuts by Haggard and Dylan. Best cuts are the Dylan covers, "The Christian Life," "Prison Life," "You'll Miss Your Water" and "Hickory Wind" though it's safe to say that we've more less reached peak-GP to the point he's trending toward the overrated. Still he really soared during his three-month tenure as a Byrd. And it shows just how good were McGuinn and Hillman – the heart and soul of the band for sure.

If the whole album sounded like “One Hundred Years From Now” I’d be all in. Alas, it does not. Other favorite songs for me include the final three, which were not on the original release.

Итс окэй (забавно то, что я написал ровно то же самое без всяких комментариев про предыдущий альбом этой группы месяц назад). Лучшая песня - One Hundred Years From Now.

I'm incredibly surprised how country this album is. I actually like it a lot for the Byrds, but I can see how jarring it would be to their usual fans, and how offended Nashville could be. I don't think this is a particularly amazing album, but it is a trend setter and a good quality album. There's nothing that particularly stands out, either good or bad for me. Just a solid country rock album. The guitar work is some of the best parts throughout, which is a little abnormal, since I generally love the harmonies of The Byrds. Favorite Song(s): You're Still on My Mind

I'm not really a fan of country music but I certainly recognize a good song when I hear one and this album has a lot of good songs. Do the Byrds add something to the origanal version, well I can't answer that because I don't know the original versions but I do know that they take the material here and render it with class and beauty. The harmonies are beautiful, the arrangements are well conceived and the recording and playing are first class. Can't give it a full endorsement because, you know, it's country music and for whatever reason I just dont like the sound of a lap steel guitar which dominates the songs but I still managed to enjoy the hell out of it. 4 stars.

Niin perus kantria kuin kantri voi ollakkaan. Ei erikoista mutta silti hyvää. Oli muutama menevämpikin biisi. Parhaat: Nothing Was Delivered, Lazy Days

Bruh, this definitely ain't it

I've noticed something, I have a love hate relationship with country music, either I hate it or like it, no in-between... This one, I like

I know this is super influential for a lot of current bands that I like, but this was largely sleepy for me. Liked a few songs (You aint going nowhere, nothing was delivered) but other than that pretty meh. 2.5

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, Pretty Boy Floyd, One Hundred Years from Now Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Nooo don't pivot to country your so psychedelic aha

Thought the album was called Sweetheart of the Radio at first. Made me lol. Very of the time, I can’t complain. Not my everyday music but certainly has its place on my speakers. Namely when I’m not in the room. 2/5 but would listen again.

I feel like I’m in a covered wagon but in 1968 and I like it. 4/5.

Best: You're Still On My Mind Worst: The Christian Life Liked songs: 6/11, 55% High 2, 45/100 I really don't have a ton to say about this album, other than it's passable country. There's really not any bright spot in the album, but there aren't a whole lot of dark spots either. I can appreciate that it is actually good country, but it's just really not my type of music. Some decent songs, but a record I'll probably never think about again.

What are we doing here

Very influential, I'm told. Very country. Surprisingly so. Also sounds like a group full of assholes. In any case, it was fine. I'll never revisit it. And I think it has too many covers for a higher score.

Peak Gram Parsons and a second peak for the Byrds

Garbage. I could barely make it through three songs

my favorite country record i've ever heard. it immediately made me think of my favorite band pinegrove & i can hear they drink so much of their influences from this... just a joy to listen to. will be returning to it no doubt!

## In-Depth Review of *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* by The Byrds *Sweetheart of the Rodeo*, released in August 1968, marks a significant turning point in American music, particularly as one of the first albums to be widely recognized as a country-rock record. This sixth studio album by The Byrds, featuring the influential Gram Parsons, showcases a blend of traditional country music with elements of rock and folk, creating a sound that would resonate through subsequent decades. ### **Lyrics** The lyrical content of *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* reflects themes of heartache, longing, and the complexities of American life. The album includes a mix of original songs and covers, with notable tracks such as: - **"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"**: A song originally written by Bob Dylan, it captures a sense of existential wandering and resignation. - **"Hickory Wind"**: An original by Parsons, this track is rich with nostalgia and yearning for home, emphasizing emotional depth through its storytelling. - **"I Am a Pilgrim"**: A traditional song that speaks to the journey of life and faith, showcasing the album's roots in Americana. The lyrics often evoke imagery associated with rural America and personal struggles, resonating deeply with listeners who appreciate storytelling in music. The combination of Parsons' and McGuinn's vocals adds a haunting quality to these narratives, enhancing their emotional impact. ### **Music** Musically, *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* is characterized by its use of traditional country instruments such as pedal steel guitar, banjo, and fiddle. The production incorporates these elements seamlessly into The Byrds' established sound, which had previously leaned towards folk-rock and psychedelic influences. Key musical features include: - **Instrumentation**: The album features prominent pedal steel guitar played by Jay Dee Maness and Lloyd Green, which adds authenticity to the country sound. Fiddle and banjo are also utilized effectively to enhance the traditional feel. - **Vocal Harmonies**: The Byrds are known for their distinctive vocal harmonies, which are on full display throughout the album. Tracks like "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" showcase their ability to blend voices in a way that feels both fresh and timeless. - **Production Quality**: Produced by Gary Usher, the album maintains a polished yet organic sound. Usher's approach allows the instrumentation to shine while keeping the vocals front and center. ### **Themes** The themes explored in *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* are emblematic of a broader cultural shift occurring in America during the late 1960s. Some key themes include: - **Cultural Identity**: The album represents an intersection between rock and country music, challenging genre boundaries and reflecting a changing musical landscape. - **Nostalgia and Longing**: Many songs express a yearning for simpler times or lost connections, resonating with listeners who feel similarly displaced in a rapidly changing world. - **Rebellion Against Norms**: By embracing country music—a genre often viewed as conservative—the Byrds were pushing back against the expectations placed upon them as rock musicians. This act of rebellion laid groundwork for future artists exploring similar themes. ### **Influence** Upon its release, *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* received mixed reviews and was not commercially successful; however, its influence has grown significantly over time. It is now regarded as a seminal work that paved the way for several music movements: - **Country-Rock Movement**: The album is credited with establishing the genre known as country-rock. Its blend of styles influenced bands like The Flying Burrito Brothers and later artists within the alt-country movement. - **Legacy for Future Generations**: Artists such as Ryan Adams, Wilco, and even mainstream acts like The Eagles have cited *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* as an inspiration for their own work. Its impact can be seen in how country music has evolved to incorporate rock elements. - **Cultural Significance**: The Byrds’ willingness to experiment with their sound has encouraged a more inclusive understanding of what constitutes American music. It has opened doors for artists across genres to explore hybrid musical forms. ### **Pros and Cons** #### **Pros** - **Innovative Sound**: The album successfully merges rock with traditional country elements, creating a unique sound that was groundbreaking at its time. - **Emotional Depth**: Lyrically rich with themes that resonate universally—such as love, loss, and identity—making it relatable across generations. - **Musical Cohesion**: Each track contributes to an overall narrative that feels cohesive despite its varied influences. #### **Cons** - **Commercial Reception**: Initially failed to achieve commercial success or widespread acclaim upon release; many fans were resistant to its departure from psychedelic rock. - **Limited Original Material**: While it includes some standout originals by Parsons, much of the album consists of covers or traditional songs that may not appeal to all listeners seeking innovation. - **Polarizing Genre Shift**: Some critics argue that The Byrds’ embrace of country music alienated their original fan base who preferred their earlier folk-rock style. ### Conclusion In retrospect, *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* stands as a landmark achievement in music history. Its fusion of rock and country not only defined a new genre but also paved the way for future explorations within American music. While it faced initial criticism and commercial challenges, its enduring legacy continues to influence artists today. Through its heartfelt lyrics, innovative instrumentation, and thematic depth, *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* remains an essential listen for anyone interested in understanding the evolution of modern music.

Esperava mais rock do que country. Sendo que não foi tão problemático.

As someone who only knew of the psychedelic era of the Byrds, this was a surprise. I enjoy the occasional pedal steel guitar, so it was pretty ok.

Country parece-me quase sempre a música pimba portuguesa mas adaptada aos EUA. Não é tão má, mas...

2.5/5. These folk cunts went country and it ended up being kinda shite, plus no David Crosby.

2nd Byrds album in three days. Definitely in the minority here. Loved this. Solid country gold. Much better than 5th Dimension.

Kanskje jeg har blitt gærn, men dette var jo veldig kos

Was excited to get this and I loved revisiting it.

I don't understand all the hate for this - was pretty okay for a country/rockabilly album. 3/5

Not a country fan, but this was kind of good.

Gram Parsons var kannski óttalegur snillingur, en fyrir mér er þetta bara fínt köntrí sem ég þarf ekkert frekar að heyra aftur.

Easy listening at its finest right here. Didn’t give the whole extended version of the album a try, but the original is worth the listen

I feel like I have already had this album generated earlier; not that it has any effect on my rating. As far as The Byrd's go, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo is not my favorite album of theirs. The country-twang style is sort of blah; each track was similar to one another.

Man, I do not understand the lack of love for this album on here. Right at the heart, and near the start, of the alt country.

i was confused bc this is not the sound that i thought The Byrds had, but wikipedia explained it for me. interesting to think that the “long-haired hippies attempting to subvert country music” might have launched the genre of alt-country/americana

This is a big departure from other Byrds releases and it was a bit jarring to hear at first, but overall, it's a very good country and western album. 3/5

Surprise hit. Yeehaw

Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Middle of the road country, sweet and soothing in the right mood, boring and meandering in the wrong one, not special or remarkable, 2, hopefully this is the last time we have The Byrds but at least this was better than the last one we had from them.

Doesn't do an awful lot for me, this. Pretty generic by the numbers country stuff - wasn't a massive fan of their earlier stuff really, but at least it was interesting in places, this really isn't. It's perfectly listenable, but leaves no imprint on the memory. 2/5.

country music is good i just dont want to listen to it

Totally forgot this existed. Whether that’s good or bad, I don’t know.

Never listened to a Byrds album, let alone their controversial foray into country. I think there's better country out there, but this wasn't bad.

Good working music but otherwise fairly unisteresting

Christian music. I’m a fan of the simple ethics and the yearning for a wholesome life. A comforting sound that easy to listen to

I wasn't sure what to expect with this album--I was familiar with "8 Miles High" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." I found this album of western-swing influenced country folk pleasantly surprising. I'm not sure if I'd revisit it or put it in heavy rotation (and I was also confused by some songs--are they Christian? Making fun of Christianity? Doesn't really matter, in the end), but it was a pleasant album to listen to.

Really not my genre of music and this album was no exception

Byrds und Country? Wusste ich nicht. Beachtlich die Bedeutung des Albums aber wirkt heute auf mich etwas verstaubt.

Not bad, but just kinda forgettable. A classic country western-style album with some surprising credits on it.

Welp, back to the late 1960's with music that may or may not deserve to be in this book. This is a definite change of direction for the Byrds due to Gram Parsons essentially taking over the band. I can't decide if this one deserves to be in the book or not. It's a change of direction for the Byrds but is it a change that deserves placement as one of the albums we must hear? If you like the Byrds, then yes, you have to hear this album. This list isn't intended (I would not think) to include albums a person has to hear if he/she likes a certain band. I think what the Byrds do here is much more notable on Gram Parsons' solo records. I lean toward leaving this one out and covering early country-rock with Grievous Angel. There are too many Byrds albums in this book anyway. On to the music...it's pretty damn good. Hickory Wind, You Ain't Going Nowhere, The Christian Life, You Don't Miss Your Water and Nothing was Delivered are all great songs. One Hundred Years From Now is an old school Byrds song with just enough jangle to remind you this is the band that wrote the book on jangle pop as well. While I don't think this album should be in the book and isn't a must-listen, as there are more important representations of country-rock in this book, this is still a pretty good album.

Started out medicore, got worse with the ‘Christian’ track, got better towards the end

Alright. Kinda countryesque not my go to. Was pretty dull

Meh. It's decent country done well enough. The lyrics are occasionally poignant and outkick the expectations I had.

Not bad for a country album, but im not going to listen to this again

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo is an okay album but is not one i would say does anything all that interesting. From what i have read about this one, it was originally supposed to be a history of 20th century American popular music which would have had country, jazz, and R&B but was just made to be country which is unfortunate because i would have liked the album more if it went with it's original vision. As it stands though, the songs here are pleasant enough and don't seem to do anything egregiously terrible and it moves at a fairly brisk pace which is nice. I think that this album is worthy of a 2.5. Best Song: Nothing Was Delivered Worst Song: Blue Canadian Rockies

Too Christian for me

i like this one. amazing vibes. 8/10

I do have a penchant for country, but this album didn't work as much for me as I hoped

Man this was so brief, I hardly had time to really take it in. What a fun country rock romp this was. I mean, when you had Gram Parsons into any country mix, you're going to have a good time. But this was just a good, simple, not overdoing it at all kind of album that was pleasant to listen to. This is what I wish more country was like today. Meaningful lyrics not focused on trucks, beer, and horses and more about the life, highs, lows and intrigue of being a person living in the country. Totally my thing? No, and for that reason it'll get three stars. But great for what it is? Absolutely yes. Standout Tracks: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, You Don't Miss Your Water, Pretty Boy Floyd, One Hundred Years from Now, Life in Prison

Country? Christian? No thanks.

Rating: 3.5/10 I thought this was a parody at first, just sounds like generic country.

Not my kind of country music. They should have stuck with the sound of their previous albums instead.

You have to be an American die hard Hill-Billy country fan to love this album… well, I am not. Here is the point where the Byrds moves away from the earlier, blend of Beach Boys vocal harmonies and jangling psychedelic guitars. This I find sad..

Probably could have been a 2 but the election results made me especially intolerant of music like this today. Very boring.

Worse than expected

Good

Całkiem niezłe. Takie ocuntry rock w sumie, ale to nie do końca mój klimat. Ale 3/5

Did not like it one little bit. Felt like an a poor apeing of country. The band is quite talented but I'm just not sure what was supposed to appeal here.

Wish Gram Parsons lasted longer with the Byrds. This album kicked off “Country Rock”, so thank y’all.

Pretty boring

Didn't mind this at all. Whole lotta country

That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg. 1/5

Ok

I like The Byrds and I like Graham Parsons but this combo is kinda boring to me. I think this album sorta invented the Country Rock genre and in that respect it's "Important" historically but that doesn't mean we have to listen to it. p.s. I think The Byrds covered Dylan more than anyone but Dylan himself. Kinda weird.

Hm. This is the first of 5 Byrds albums in this collection, which sets a pretty high bar for each album. And I don't think this really cuts it, despite their wholehearted embrace of country in this semi-concept album. I didn't particularly enjoy most of the album, sadly, mainly because this isn't outstanding country music (even if it's far out of their wheelhouse, except for Gram Parsons, of course), but there's nothing wrong technically with their playing, and the highlights are probably "You ain't goin' nowhere" (Dylan cover, curiously), "You don't miss your water" and "You're still on my mind", with "One hundred years from now" and "Nothing is delivered" the only country-rock-sounding songs on the album (too bad, as a whole album of that might have been a lot more interesting). I can only hope that the next 4 Byrds albums are more interesting, and I feel for poor Gram Parsons, trying so hard to crusade for country rock, and burning out of the Byrds in the process. And the Wikipedia entry makes for a fascinating soap opera of anxiety and competing egos, and an eviscerating time in Nashville.

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’ve tried to get into this album before, I guess I’m not into country enough, although Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter got me into a little country kick when it was released, this album just doesn’t do it for me. I get the appeal of this album though so I’ll give it a 2.5.

This is an interesting album pull, because I'm going to my first rodeo tomorrow. Pleasant opening tune. I like the country guitar. Nice harmonies. Just a very old school country vibe on this album, which is really the only type of country worth listening to. I don't know much about The Byrds, but I didn't think they were a country group. We'll, and it seems they ran out of country songs, because it tails off at the end, then comes back. I don't know... I enjoyed this album, overall, so I'll give this a 4.

When I saw "the Byrds" I really didn't expect anything like this, although the title tried to tell me. I'm not super into most country, but this was pretty good for what it is, I guess. 3.5

Not really my type of music, but they indeed do this type of music really well. I think it's preferable to a lot of today's country music.

Was looking forward to this until I read the Wikipedia entry and discovered it was going to be The Byrds sounding like Gram Parsons, whose album Grievous Angel I rated 3 the other day but should have rated 2. Now I have to rate this 3 because it was a little better than that (less twangy).

# Album Name: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo # Artist: The Byrds # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Very average album if im honest. When i think of the Byrds, this is not it. I dont mind the country sound for a few songs but a whole album was too much. There wasnt any stand out songs for me. There's some good work on the album musically but thats it. # Top Tunes: None. # Would I listen to it again? No, they have better works elsewhere.

It was enjoyable but it's something I don't feel I want to go back to (and it's my second time listening)

This sounds like a joke. I expect since I'm not a country connoisseur, I don't realize I'm living in a post Sweetheart of the Rodeo World, but this sounds like a satirical pastiche of the country music gestalt. It definitely doesn't resonate with me.

This album just felt super generic, and uninspiring.

It's adequately done, but all the songs sound the same and I'm not a fan of the style.

Couldn’t even make it through the whole thing, just no. Awful.

What a strange album. Most of it is horrendously boring. It sounds like the country records from the 1950s that this list is so fond of. Unlike in the 50s, they knew how to make proper music by the time this came out so there's no excuse. Then towards the end of the album they realize "wait it's 1968 not 1950" and there were a few songs which sounded completely different from the previous ones. There were actually a couple of good songs at the end but too little too late.

01) You Ain't Goin' Nowhere - 7,0 02) I Am a Pilgrim - 6,0 03) The Christian Life - 6,0 04) You Don't Miss Your Water - 5,5 05) You're Still on My Mind - 5,5 06) Pretty Boy Floyd - 5,0 07) Hickory Wind - 5,0 08) One Hundred Years from Now - 6,0 09) Blue Canadian Rockies - 5,0 10) Life in Prison - 5,0 11) Nothing Was Delivered - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,59 (56/100) Current ranking: 291/338 Are these even their songs or a bunch of covers? Country and I (as an Eastern/Central/Southern European, put me wherever you want) have almost nothing in common, so this music is pure crap to me. We listen to different music at our village parties in the barns... That music is a different kind of crap, but that's why I don't listen to it either...

Oh how I wish I knew of this album in my days of travelling through West Texas. This isn't something I'd keep on repeat, but I enjoyed it and will probably return to it some day when the mood is right.

I’m fine with this, but I didn’t really get anything out of it.

Reverent without being derivative. Pretty neat.

I understand why a country fan would enjoy this album, but personally, I think it pales in comparison to the psych rock the band was working with on just their previous record, as well as much of the contemporary country of its time. Of course I can’t understate its importance in developing country rock, but I can’t really seem to get into many of the songs on the tracklist. The melodies are largely uninteresting, and while the harmonies sound nice (ofc they do they’re The Byrds), they’re ultimately far less creative than what the band had done before.

I wouldn’t say I haven’t been kind to The Byrds. I’ve been totally reasonable in fact. I acknowledged the impact they’ve had. And since they appeared for me very early on, I rated them relatively high. I have a feeling I’d be more harsh on them now. My tastes have definitely changed in the year since, and I try to be more critical towards records. Now, as impactful as they were, I wouldn’t consider myself a huge fan. Because the two albums I heard fall perfectly in line with that incredibly overdone and repetitive psych rock sound of the 60s. The genre which I dread trying to write a decent review about. They showed up early enough where that repetitiveness hadn’t hit me yet. Thankfully, this record differs slightly. It leans way more into the realm of country rock. Which isn’t exactly unknown territory for the band. Their sound always had that vibe to it. Plus David Crosby and Gram Parsons were in this group. Which means some of country and folk rock’s most formative artists played a role in the creation of this. So in my mind, that mostly justifies the listening experience. And I wouldn’t go as far as to say any song on this album is objectively bad. No doubt, the band members have great synergy and harmonize very well with one another. But I’ll be completely honest. It’s just boring. This is rock and country in its purest form. It is the precursor to everything we know those genres to be now. And thank god we have had enough creative people come along and change things up to make it interesting. Because if it all still sounded like this, it would be a pretty miserable world. All of that good, new stuff, makes this sound flat and uninteresting in comparison. So it still checks the box for being essential, but doesn’t check the box for being anything above average. Rating: 5/10

Risible stuff really, from a band who should know better. Is this what happened? The psychedelics artists of 67 suddenly grew up, got a six shooter and met up with Gram Parsons to release a load of country dirges? It's just so basic and simple, with very little of any interest of all. I never thought I'd say this about The Byrds, but I wouldn't mind a little Bob cover instead to be honest.

Yeehaw

Great

Var klar til at give den 1 i starten pga fjollet country og handlede om Gud, men så kom der alle mulige ret fede groovy sange. Og der er bare noget sjovt om at høre om hvordan en mand ønsker han vil dø i fængslet over den mest up-beat dur country-melodi

Gave it a listen, and the Byrds foray into country music didn't really move me. It was a very typical country album. Very formulaic and not groundbreaking. Wasn't for me. 2/5.

I didn't realize the Byrds were country? I think of them as being more folk rock but the first half of this album was full on twangy. The latter half had more rock elements, and I did feel like the album got better later on, and I enjoyed their version of "Pretty Polly". Overall I'm not sure that this needed to be included on this list. It's fine but not particularly interesting.

Holy crap. I generally like country music and this was bad

christian country gross

This was fine but not really my thing. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood when I played it

Country is really not my thing, but the music here is quite alright - something I could listen to as an instrumental. The singing style on the other hand is text book why I don’t like country - every verse in every song sounds exactly the same. Also the lyrics are very predictable and non interesting.

There's too dang many Byrds albums on this dang list. Sorry, but it's true. So this is considered the first country-rock album? Huh. To me it sounded like straight country but what do I know?

It was a good album to listen to when I went on a walk but not really my style of music or something I'd listen to again.

Early hippy folk rock

Highlights: You Don't Miss Your Water This is the first one I haven't been really interested in listening to. It's not bad exactly, just not really what I'm looking for right now, and kind of boring. I can imagine enjoying some of these songs as background for playing Fallout or something

When putting this on, surprised to hear country and bluegrass, so had to read the backstory. I can see where fans were put off by it given the change from previous Byrds albums, as well as country folks thinking that a hippie band was trying to hijack country. This album probably made no one happy, both fans and non-fans. However, I found this was a great listen, maybe since I’m not into country, so the crossover works for me. Do miss the McGuinn 12-string Ricky jangle, though.

Borderline annoying - on the knife’s edge of 2 and 3. Ultimately, it was fine, just not my thing.

Kovbojok, bicsiz!

uristen de gyönyörű ez

Too much country!

I actually quite enjoyed this - a good old style country album, catchy little songs and good tunes. Not bad, not bad at all.

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.

😴 getting tired of these slow boring folk and country albums with songs that all sound the same

Christianity and country are not my kind of thing

Decent country, nothing special though.

It's Country and it's a bit boring.

Nice cover

I usually hate country music, but this is alright. The songs are more creative than most country music. Well played, well recorded. Favorite song: one hundred years from now.

No thank you.

BEST ALBUM EVER. Eeek! >.<

It was the most country of country. Not bad.

Not bad, though I was surprised that I didn't love it as much as I expected to. I enjoy Old Country/Americana but would I keep the album on hand? Probably not.

Fine. Very much of a time. I was pleasantly surprised

Pretty standard, but there's just something comforting about old country

So let me see if I have this right - The byrds made a country-rock album with gram parsons and the editors of this list thought that it deserved to be called an album that everyone should hear before they die? Is that correct? This isnt an awful album, its got good composition and production, but its nothing special. Cant do any better than 3 stars. 3/5

Some of this didn't hit quite as good as some of the other old country. Still not bad, but started to sound really similar as the album went on.

I really liked the classic rock blended with old country vibes of this. Great road trip music!

It's a country album done by very talented musicians. Sometimes stoned conversations don't need to become concepts of plans. I hope when Gram Parsons died, he realized this wasn't a good idea. Unexpected bangers: The last half of Track 19, which is an old radio commercial trying to convince people to buy this "departure" from what people knew as the Byrds.

Great stuff; groundbreaking too

Not my favourite

The Byrds trying to be a British electric blues band…brutal

The archetype LA sunshine psychedelic jangle pop band get hijacked by Gram Parsons and end up deep in Appalachian folk, Southern gospel, Nashville schmaltz and Bakersfield outlaw sensibility to create their best work. It's glorious pastiche that becomes fully it's own thing, the hillhippy sound. The album is full of swelling strings, heavenly lap steel guitar, close harmonies, ripping banjos, propulsive mandolin parts, and full twang lead guitars. Gentle ballads, sardonic love songs, bittersweet laments, and the rare touch of peak 60s Rickenbacker jangle and Beatlesy melody. None of the songs are real standouts but it's rock solid throughout.

"You ain't going nowhere" sounds disturbingly country. Skip to the next - and that sounds even more country. A few more skips and I'm asking - when did The Byrds become country? Oh. It turns out with this album. Yes, this is guff. No, it isn't guff. It's actively painful. That steel guitar "bwap bwap bwooow" noise causes actual pangs of revulsion. This is a hard, hard no from me.

Eh, it's not bad. Perfectly inoffensive old country music. Favorite track: "Lazy Days."

Meh

twang...

Saccharine and uninteresting country. Almost so much so that it sounds like a parody of country music.