Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out of this other than the newfound knowledge that The Byrds actually made a fairly decent country album. But as country albums go, while I like country music, was just OK. Nothing particularly impressive or noteworthy that stood out.

Nice!

The most middle of the road album yet

Definitely music from it’s time. It’s never been my preferred genre, but I’m grateful country has evolved over time. I can actually listen to it today without cringing. 😬

It started off a little slow and my eyes began to roll 🙄. This album is pretty legendary and well respected, but my first worry was if this was going to be one of those situations where you finally hear an album where its reputation is slmost mythological, but it leaves you flat and wondering what everyone was raving about. And then I got religion when “The Christian Life” hit… on a Sunday no less. It’s the musicianship and the vocals, lead and harmonies both, that sucked me in and I became a believer. Song after song from their kept emphasizing those strengths and I was all onboard. It’s a thumbs up, and one of those “classic album” that thankfully holds up.

Given all the personnel turnover, hard to believe the Byrds could sustain such a high level of excellence, though perhaps the new personnel made it easier to go all-in on genre-hopping. Certainly, the brief additon of GP helped. His two songs are strong contributions. The Dylan covers are also oustanding – they just went all in on this. The music legit swings and sounds fully country-fried – not just countrified and certaintly not tricked out. They seem humble in their hybridization approach. This works from top to bottom, with every cut working on its own terms without trying too hard. But its the combination of warmth ("Nothing Was Delivered," the vocal harmonies on several cuts), wit ("The Christian Life," "Prison Life") and wisdom ("You'll Miss Your Water") are what really sets this apart. It's clearly a labor of love and there's appreciation and respect for the songs here. The record certainly qualifies as one of the best country-rock albums of all time, wherever one stands on the debate about whether it's the first.

enjoyable

A toe tapper at times but never much more than that

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

3.4 Of all the Byrds albums we have one on this list, this sounds the freshest. Solid but nothing stood out. If we are considering this the 1st country rock album I think it was pretty much an all country with one rock and roll song sprinkled in

For some reason I just couldn't get into this album. I tried listening to it a number of times and one track just blends into the next. I will give it credit that it is the intersection of folk and country.

I've heard other country albums, no problem. Some I have even enjoyed. But something about this one is so repulsive to me, I couldn't finish it.

Ho dovuto ricominciarlo diverse volte perché non avevo mai tempo e ogni volta mi sembrava potesse piacermi. Mi sbagliavo

I like Sweetheart of the Rodeo a lot. I like the Byrds. I'm also a Bob Dylan fan, I like the Louvin' Brothers, & Merle Haggard too. And I'm a fan of a lot of bands that this album influenced. It was the first time that most people heard Gram Parsons; and it's one of the first commercial examples of a country-rock album. There's a lot to like here, or at least, a lot to observe. It's fun to imagine putting this album on in 1968, and hearing the first commercially released versions of You Ain't Goin' Nowhere and Nothing Was Delivered, two new Bob Dylan songs that he'd recorded with The Band on the Basement Tapes, but wouldn't be released in that form for several years yet. The country and folk covers are fun (I Am A Pilgrim, The Christian Life, Pretty Boy Floyd, Life in Prison). But the two Gram Parsons songs (Hickory Wind & 100 Years From Now) are the real standouts on the album. This was the only Byrds album that Gram Parsons was on; and then we was off starting the Flying Burrito Brothers. So that makes Sweetheart of the Rodeo a really odd and fascinating crossroads for the Byrds. They never made another album like it. But I'm glad that it exists.

The byrds go country.

Hmmmm not sure if I'll make it through this one. A bit too country for me.Yeah nope. 2 stars. I really wanted to give it 1 star but that would just be mean.

What a jangly boring piece of shit. Sorry ya'll but I honestly couldn't stand this one. I tried but I couldn't grab onto anything here. Fav songs: - I guess You Ain't Goin' Nowhere?

waaaay more country than i was expecting.

Idk didn’t feel country enough for me

First country rock album? Really enjoyed reading about this one. Enjoyed reading about it more than actually listening to it. It was some slow western country songs. Not the pop rock country I currently enjoy. This is why I started this list!

Not the Byrds that I had heard before. The country sound was definitely different for them. It was not bad and have certainly heard worse on this list.

It’s alright

It was okay country. The vocals were totally mid and the instruments were kinda forgettable. This whole album, while it sounded fine, was just very forgettable. I don’t really know why this was on the list. Pretty meh.

overall this is not my style of music. musically it's fine, although the vocals get a tad twangy/nasal for me. just confused as to why it's on the list-The Byrds have much more influential music than this

This is the beginnings of new country. You can tell they laid the groundwork for a lot of bands including the eagles. It’s a good listen

Western type country that I enjoy more over the years.

Second time I'm listening to Byrds because of this app. First time was psychedelic rock and it was enjoyable I suppose, but now it's apparently country and idk what to say about it, yesterday it was Dennis Wilson's country and now this, I expect less sad and slow songs or I'll be easily bored. I have no high expectations because it's rated quite badly overall. First song, pure country already. It's kinda sad lyrically, but not overall. The gospel singing is giving Beatles. This is the most listened song so after this it's gonna go worse and worse I presume. Verses were better than the chorus tbh. Not impressive and almost basic vibe. Second song, Bob Dylan style I think this one has. Sonically it's not that good, kinda catchy, though it's not. I think this is what country sadness sounds like, I mean it's not about how it sounds, but how it's sang. The breaks in-between are too long I think, not saying that lyrics are delivered in any good way tho. Oh and it's permanent wave in a bad way. Third song, albums back to back about Christianity is kinda lot for me. Lyrically it's something I'd never want to sing along to, but I am a Christian, it's just my music taste doesn't revolve around this subject, that's not even the point tho, its overall not a good song. 4th song, little jazzy vibes. They have the vocal range same as the Beatles had, plus I think they're singing together here. Such a long song for no reason. It's getting painful to listen to this. Piano is the best part in the song honestly. Wouldn't ever want to listen to this again. 5th song, these are the kind of songs I had to spend childhood listening to, to actually get it yk, otherwise it's just simply boring. This one has a good jazzyness in it I must say. His vocals ruin the whole song sadly, if it was a powerhouse singer or smth, even better if a woman, I'd consider it as a better song. Also every song has the same style and it's getting annoying. 6th song, the start takes me to a local country bar, it's night and people dance together to this county style, that's what I see anyway. It sounded the same throughout the song, didn't expect that it would change in any way tho. 7th song, one of the worst songs on the album I must say. Sonically it's just not it. This massive genre change was not the right choice I think, I mean I don't remember how the previous album sounded exactly, but it was remotely better than what this is. I can't wait to be done with this already come oooon. I'm talking only negative and sorry about that just don't know what good I can say, it's just generally catchy and that's it, it's too basic. 8th song, forgot to make notes because I was reading the lyrics, but this one ain't better than the ones before either. The instrumental break was the best part I suppose. This one was lyrically fun, can't say anything more tho. 9th song, this one has a county lyrical delivery. Thing is this is what country sounds like, I mean this might be the best version of country I'll ever listen to, it's just I don't fancy the genre, and this album is proving that. Not sure how modern country sounds like, however, I think it might be affected by this in some way yk. Do objectively it's not horrible, just not for me. This song was short for a reason I guess. 10th song, idk what to say, it's literally the same sound as in the last 9 songs, that is to me a bad thing, they have to be rememberable in some way. This one had good verses somehow, amazed by that tbh. 11th song, I love how different instruments join in and quickly go away. This song is one of the best example of that, actually sonically this one is really good. Best outro on the album wow, otherwise it was pretty unimpressive. 12th song, I like the lyrical delivery here. The almost progressiveness is well done. Too long of a song, especially when it's literally the same 1 minute repeated thrice in "different" ways. I rarely talk this less, album's fault. 13th song, It's a little rocky, but also too country. I'm falling asleep, and getting tired to even write something. 14th song, had a good start and it got worse and worse each second. It feels like it's gonna progress slowly and speed up, but it just stays the same, edging me mentally basically. They sing differently here too, not that it's better tho. 15th song, rehearsal? Why did they include this. It's kinda fun, but I'd rather see how the music is made then hear the verbal rehearsal. I thought the song would randomly stop and he'd complain about how he doesn't like this take, I'm basically listening to the songs second time, what's the point? 16th song, I dunno if the lyrics are different or smth, but this one doesn't even have anything that says rehearsal. As it's the second listening I can proudly say this is actually one of the worst songs on the album I'm afraid. 17th song, take 43? And it's still this bad, wow Byrds. It's fun to listen to, but for like once in a year. I'm really irritated by the badness of this at this point. Oh wow "that's it" at the end proved that it was a rehearsal and nothing else wtf. 18th song, really don't know what is the meaning of this. I'm basically listening to the songs again and they don't sound any better, I mean that first listen is usually not the best impression, but this is the proof of that I just don't like it. 19th song, instrumental version of the song that is not even on the album, weird. Might be someone else's. 5 minutes of this, hell no I'm fast forwarding this, I need good music to cleanse my ears. It sounded quite the same fully. I accidentally skipped the song, and there was some talking I think, don't really want to replay the thing tho. It's quite obvious that I didn't like this one at aaall. I didn't have expectations, but this level of sameness was too much. I was bored in each song, no catchyness or any rememberable chorus line or instrumental. Dennis Wilson had an amazing start with the album and went downhill with each song after, but it was a much better experience than this was. Basically I was gonna rate this 3 stars, but I don't think that's fair to how I actually see the album, so I'm gonna go with 2 stars, also I want another Byrds album not to remember them this badly.

The Byrds basically set the template for the Eagles here. Not sure if we should thank them for that tho. Very good album

Great Byrds stuff. Super twangy most of the way through, but the musicianship and melody/harmony was excellent and it really shows that these dudes know what they're doing. Nice stories, great feel, great moods set. Four stars.

Felt like pretty standard 60's folk/country. Not a standout.

At some point we have to come to terms with the fact that there are too many Byrds albums on this list. This is the fourth I've gotten, and you really only need Mr. Tambourine Man and Fifth Dimension. Even then, Fifth Dimension only gets a spot for being one of the earliest examples of psych rock, which is heavily represented on the list already. Anyway. This is the Byrds going full country. Obviously the band had flirted with country rock in the past, but I guess something about that Buffalo Springfield debut incentivized them to fully embrace country in spite of David Crosby. Either that, or Gram Parsons was just a good influence. Either way, these songs are dandy. I don't care much for the Christian songs, but the country sound suits the band well. It's time I be frank with you, reader, as there's something you ought to know about me: I have declared this summer a Classic Country Summer. I know it's quite presumptuous of me, I've found a fair bit of comfort in country songs from before the '80s. Something about the warm production style and simple laid-back easiness of it makes me enjoy the summer a bit more.

winning the mid off with another 60s rock except now its country

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

Generic country/folk music from the 60s-70s that blends in with other albums of its era

Never heard this before. It's an album of The Byrds doing country music. I think I'd rather hear the Byrds do jangly folk rock, and rather her country music from actual country music artists. Not horrible, but not something I'll be listening to again.

Not my thing and I don't think that I needed to hear that before I die.

Country music. Boring and irritating at the same time. I tried but could not finish.

Nope, not a fan of the country music. I did enjoy however reading the WIkipedia article on Gram Parsons. When Keith Richards says you're being too reckless with the drugs, that's saying something. It's definitely a tragic story and I'm sad for the guy, but his friends could have done a better job with his burial wishes.

Wow...was not expecting a country album from The Byrds. Enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

I felt really nothing while listening to this.

This makes me want to replay Red Dead Redemption 2. Also sounds like music a serial killer would listen. And I'm not a serial killer, so 2 stars for me.

I did not enjoy the last Byrds' album, so when I figured out this one was a country album it set my expectations to the floor. Man, this album is so boring and twangy, I have no patience for country music. EVERY SONG SOUNDS THE SAME I AM GOING CRAZY! I am not looking forward to their other 3 albums on this list. (did they really need 5 spaces?!?!)

This didn't do much for me at all; very bland country rock, almost unspeakably boring. The Byrds are very over represented on this list. Reading into the context a bit, it seems like this was one of the first country rock albums, so I guess I can see why it was included.

Kind of a campy, country western Byrds album

This album reminds me of Will the Circle Be Unbroken by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, but the Byrds didn't appear to call upon old school talent to create their sound and it came four four years earlier. This feels authentic and created from a love of blue grass/country.

Country Byrds. Interesting story about the album, but I'm not sure this was list-worthy.

Och ne, nicht schon wieder so eine Endsechzigerjahre Countryrockfolkscheibe. Wie wärs zur Abwechslung mal mit etwas Barockmusik? Hannibal Lecter und ich empfehlen da die Goldberg Variationen von J.S. Bach. Gespielt von Glenn Gould. 1981.

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

I'm not flying with these Byrds.

It's The Byrds Jim, but not as we know it :-(

Yuck

list of things i would rather do than listen to this album -climb rocks -feed a horse -eat a meal -listen to a different album -play peggle -work list of things i would rather listen to this album than do -listen to a different album that i like less -stare at tree -put a dead bee in my mouth

I've not come in contact with the Byrds album that bridges this and Younger than Yesterday, but it must have some explanation, because this full-on, honky tonkin', rootin', tootin', cow fed country album is not what I really expected this band to go with after listening to albums like Fifth Dimension. It often feels like parody of country music, with lyrics about God, killing wives, and rotting in jail cued up with the same twang that could send thousands of farmers to the jukebox in seconds, and lyrics that bow down and rhyme to no man. It's quite honestly a bit sickening, and as someone who feels they've come around to parts of country, this generic stew of country """rock""" may have been one of the first, but it certainly had to step up from this. What keeps me from outright hating this is those bits of Byrds-like songwriting that made them so good with the pop scene, the psychedelic scene, and I can only assume the country scene. It is easiest to catch in the opener and closer, where it feels as though the band took an already written song and added some sound effects to give it that authentic country charm, but still be a Byrds song at the end of it all, but I'm going to have to agree with the fans from '68 on this one, this album feels like a bit of a betrayal after everything leading up to it, and while perhaps it is influential to a big genre, being influential doesn't always mean good, otherwise I'd like Yeezus, too. Now that I think about it, I promise you I'm the only person comparing Yeezus and Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Can't really tell you what that means, but damn if it doesn't mean enough for me to call it a night.

I usually like The Byrds, but I didn't care for this one at all.

Well this was fairly meh. This almost gave up on this album, but thankfully I didn't as the best tracks were towards the end. I found "You Got A Reputation" and "Lazy Days" decent, but the rest I could have happily skipped.

Read the notes on the album and sounds like a bit of a messy recording. I get it's subsequence influence, but not on my like of country.

Incest music

I really cant stand this kind of country.

Yee-haw

Wantlist

im really just not a country fan but there wasnt anything particularly stand out bad or good so an easy rating i think

More country. Very disappointed that The Byrds weren't even a country band really and made a decision to go in this direction. That said, this apparently did piss off ultra conservative country fans so feel a bit conflicted. By definition it seems you make only make a country album by rehashing the same half a dozen riffs and tropes so nothing here was different or interesting.

Really irritating and not what I expected based on the previous album. Doesn't really get going.

As far as country goes, it was probably more accessible than usual.... Not for me though.

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but there's some real duds in there

A better Byrds

The Byrds go all out Country. Generic and boring. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere Date listened: 27/06/24

Heard a lot of sounds that reminded me of the Grateful Dead, mixed with classic Americana. Got a great chuckle out of The Christian Life

Really not my thing. But also unoffensive. Best song was “nothing was delivered”

Christian country...

wtf, never thought of the Byrds as a country artist

Different than expected and very country sounding, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Classic rock with a definite western/country/bluegrass tilt

Much better than the freewheelin bob dylan album I listened to the day prior - the folk rock vibe holds up a lot better on this one

Easy to spot the Graham Parsons influence on this. It's solid technically and a decent country music album.

Oh my god, Fuck The Byrds already. I will grant you that this album is very different to their previous once, and apparently heralded a new era of annoying country rock. So yeah, maybe this one should be included on the list. Influential maybe, but I still do not like their music.

This sounds like what would happen if the Byrds made a country album 🤔 It was perfectly pleasant all throughout, well-executed. I wouldn’t mind hearing again. It loses just a little bit of love from me because of how little variety there seems to be though. I could see the Byrds growing on me more, I did like several of their albums

Album 442 of 1001 The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo Rating : 3.5 / 5 I really wanted to like this one more than I did. Just too country for me. The musicianship is top notch. All is very top level but overall it just doesn't resonate with me.

prima di ascoltarlo, pregustavo il piacere di scrivere una recensione in cui si scoprissero gli altarini e si rivelasse che la musica country è il mio più grande guilty pleasure. posso riconoscere l'influenza monumentale che evidentemente, leggendo le recensioni globali, questo album ha avuto, ma mi vedo costretta a non dare la valutazione alta che speravo di poter dare ai miei amici cowboy che cantano di sofferenze della vita di tutti i giorni, che secondo me poi è la grande forza della musica country. non c'è bisogno solo di cantare di ingiustizie sociali o scrivere gran testi impegnati per fare buona musica, si può anche cantare di dolori e gioie quotidiane, di quanto ti piace il pollo fritto e una birra fresca o di qualche donna di nome Jolene che ti frega il moroso. l'essere "relatable" è ciò a cui gli artisti country eccellono, e mi dispiace di non essere riuscita a entrare troppo in sintonia con questo album, che da sottofondo però è davvero piacevole, soprattutto se ci si immagina di essere in un dive bar nel mezzo delle praterie americane. alla prossima, musica country, non vedo l'ora di rincontrarti. ho grandi speranze per il futuro.

YEEEEEEHHHAAAAAAW 🤠 (Però no, non è sufficiente a farmi desiderare di essere un Troll del country)

Ho dovuto ricominciarlo diverse volte perché non avevo mai tempo e ogni volta mi sembrava potesse piacermi. Mi sbagliavo

I don’t hear any rock, but god do I hear country… So traditional that it’s hard to see what makes it original, although there’s just enough tolerable cuts to not make me want to turn it off. But even though I don’t hate it, I can’t understand why this receives any amount of praise for what sounds like a cover album played very straight. The best part of this is when it’s actually just a Byrds album; the originals, especially “One Hundred Years From Now,” are what I think people are remembering, and that colors their memory of Sweetheart of the Rodeo overall as some Byrds Go Country But Stay the Byrds record, when really there’s almost none of the later. Actually, even when it does sound like the Byrds, it’s still pretty bad. Or at least boring, if not offensive. I lied, apparently. I’m not a Country girl. RIP to me 😔

What a way to open (the thousand covers to follow should have tipped us off). Strange (strange because we used to be on LSD) pilgrim?--yes, aren't we all. Hard to overstate the somewhat unwieldy trajectory of this lp. Not to suggest my experience was typical (though it largely was), but I don't recognize a specific listening to it until 1995 or so, by which point it seemed essential. The invention of alt-country or progressive country. It was there all along but some of us didn't know the trouble we were in. Thank or curse Gram Parsons and bluegrass, but there it is.

Very unexpected! I only knew the Byrds as folksy and 60s psychedelia. So I found this quite educational that country rock started this early. Eminently listenable although like the first light snows of winter it didn’t really settle but was very pretty and smattered a little magic.

I'll admit, I didn't have any idea what I was wading into with this album. I suppose the issue is I just don't relate to the country/rock genre, so while this sounded fine and was well-executed, I was totally indifferent throughout.

Yeah this is pretty great. It introduced me to a lot of wonderful country tunes and performers. Having said that, I don't find myself reaching for this one as much as other country/rock albums from this era, or even other Byrds albums. I prefer the first Flying Burrito Brothers and The Everly Brothers' Roots album. Still, it's a nice collection of good-to-great covers as well as some stunning originals like Hickory Wind and 100 Years. Thoroughly enjoyable if perhaps not perfect.

The beginning of the album sounded more bluegrass but by the time I got to the end of the album it was solid country. I prefer Byrds w a psychedelic twist.

Let me get this straight: It’s the 60s. These guys are gonna travel to a festival show, do a lot of cocaine and heroin and hang out with a bunch of underage groupies backstage, then come out on stage to sing a song like “This Christian Life,” all about how they lost all their friends because they don’t have fun anymore, and then go right back to the drugs and groupies? And not only are all these songs total nonsense, they all sound screechy and irritating? I didn’t even like these guys when all they were known for was jangly Dylan covers, but this is really too much to be believed. It’s like some terrible marketing plan: go country, still get all the drugs and groupies, no energy needs to be spent on rocking’, and you can write even fewer songs than before! Brilliant.

I did not know the Byrds were so country. I enjoyed the album, but a bit of a surprise having only heard a few of their most popular songs previously.

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

The Byrds had such an awesome sound. Why’d they have to pull this shit?! Not the worst album I’ve ever heard, and I actually really enjoyed “One Hundred Years From Now,” but one star for shitting all over something that used to be amazing.

Nice sound byrds do country

as much as I'm a sucker for a pedal steel guitar, so much of this fell flat for me. I feel like others do country/rock better, even though the byrds seem like they were one of the firsts to do it. tbh I'm glad I listened to the rehearsal takes because I vibed with those way more, they felt much more textured and interesting. kinda funny reading that nashville was so against them because they had long hair when they literally have a whole ass song talking about how great jesus is. what a funny town!

Twangy country rock isn’t normally something I like, but I found the tunes easy to listen to and overall a great album. Felt transported to the country side, especially with the song The Christian Life. And what a great cover. When you pick it up, you know what you’re going to get.

A breezy and lovely country album that also seems to function as a collage of Americana - I was a bit perplexed at first upon realizing that a lot of these songs are covers, but I think it’s a really cool approach that seems to be rooted in a reclamation of the genre, in a lot of ways… “You’re Still on My Mind” is very pretty!

Fun listen! Not a lot really stuck with me but I’ll definitely revisit this in the future

Just an absolute joy to listen to. Really fun and enjoyable - had a wonderful time with this one!

Very good. I love You Ain't Goin’ Nowhere.

I can see why you wouldn’t like this if you aren’t a Gram Parsons fan. The version of the album I listened to had a radio ad in which one listener refused to believe it was The Byrds. As a Parsons fan I really dig this, though I would say by the end I didn’t need to hear the pedal steel for a while.

I like country more than the average person. This was good.

Disgusting country twang. 1.4

I love the Byrds but this is not their best effort

Twangy af, would’ve been a 4 if it weren’t for the s t r o n g C h r i s t i a n o v e r t o n e s

Bleh 🤮🤢

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

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

ugh it’s so fake

4+

“Pack up your money, pull up your tent, McGuinn”. Enjoyed this record. It's not perfect but, tracks sound good.

Not what I was expecting at all. And not that enjoyable at all. Too much twang.

I have to be in the mood to handle country, but the older it is, it's probably more tolerable for me. But hang on, didn't the Byrds do rock? Either way, still a great album.

A very country edition of the Byrds. Interesting! I had the same experience as to other Byrds albums that's the somes can become homogenous. But maybe that's not such a bad thing! I can't pick out any bangers. Struggling to know how to rate this

I really liked this one. Felt quite different to other Byrds stuff but it was cool. Really classic and you could hear all kinds of influences in there, must be great fun to play this kind of music.

Don’t like them on their home turf, and I don’t like them doing this kind of thing either

Solid white-boy gospel/country with a heavy dose of the Beatles and Dylan.

2,5

Folk, normal.

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

Second Byrds record after "Mr Tambourine Man" and I didn't like the country shtick or direction they tried to take with this record . I feel country rock records are kind of a hit or miss and this one completely fell on its head to say the least. The production was poor or basic and compared to their psychedelic type voices , I more than once almost fell asleep and being able to finish the record was a miracle in itself.

They didn’t invent Country-Rock, but the argument could be made that they perfected it. Further arguments could be made that The Byrds already leaned this way (with their history of Folk-Rock) and that this record is far more traditional Country than it is Rock ‘n’ Roll. In any event, it’s a great album and a pleasantly balanced collection of covers and notable originals—“Hickory Wind” and “One Hundred Years from Now” are standouts. Clearly, Gram Parsons was the kind of influence they absolutely needed. It’s a landmark moment where you can hear genres and styles and culture come together in a uniquely satisfying way. It’s among their best records, and that’s saying something.

Love it!

The Byrds again?? I figured it couldn't get much worse but it got much worse

This record is somebody's sweetheart somewhere but it ain't here.

Compleet onbekend album voor mij, en ook een artiest die ik vrij weinig ken. Mister Tambourine Man zou het enige nummer zijn als je aan mij vroeg, wat ken je van The Byrds? De band wordt vaak genoemd als een kruising tussen Bob Dylan en The Beatles. Ben benieuwd. Wat ik er leuk aan vindt is de makkelijke luisterbaarheid. Het is best fijn om op de achtergrond aan te hebben. De bluespianootjes doen het altijd goed bij mij. Bij vlagen doet het me denken aan de country/blues songs van de Stones. Ja, lekker, denk ik dan. Maar het mist de scherp- en ruigheid die de Stones absoluut wel heeft. De gezongen verhalen zijn best leuk om naar te luisteren. Maar het is toch net wat te saai voor mij. Rating: 6,5/10 Highlights: You’re Still On My Mind, Hickory Wind

Met de exit van David Crosby, en Gene Clark al een tijdje terug, ontdoen de overige Byrds zich op ''Sweetheart Of The Rodeo'' van het laatste beetje psychedelia in hun folk rock. Nadat de band naam maakte als cover-act van Bob Dylan, hebben ze door de jaren heen echt gebouwd aan een eigen imago en sound. Aan de hand van drie fantastische songwriters hebben ze een flinke steen bijgedragen aan de totstandkoming van die iconische 60s West Coast sound. Dit album ziet ze een u-turn maken, head first into country territory. Ik mis tijdens de luisterbeurt toch wel telkens de euforische melodieën van Clark en de eigenzinnige sound van Crosby, maar de groep vindt in Gram Parsons wel echt een flinke doek voor het bloeden. De country legende - met later solo werk wat echt de moeite waard is om eens te checken - weet me wel weer te raken. 'One Hundred Years from Now' en met name 'Hickory Wind' zijn prachtstukken, en 'You're Still On My Mind' wordt ijzersterk vertolkt. Maar het album steunt wel echt te veel op zijn kwaliteiten, en is overwegend oubollig en ietwat saai. Die progressieve sound van de jaren ervoor wordt vaak volledig op z'n kop gedraaid, wat een stoffige bedoeling oplevert. Gelukkig zijn er nog wat songs van Bob Dylan die de boel redden, want 'You Ain't Goin' Nowhere' blijft een kwaliteitstune. Toch grappig dat ondanks dat het gros van de songs door hun klassieke insteek niet helemaal in goede aarde vielen hier, de sound op dit album desalniettemin bijzonder veel wegheeft van de 90s country rock-revival. In die zin is het toch erg vooruitstrevend, gezien sommige nummers prima van Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown of The Jayhawks konden komen. 6,5/10 Highlights: Hickory Wind You're Still On My Mind You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

The Byrds go country rock. Zonder Crosby maar met country-legende Gram Parsons. Bijzondere switch maar wel eentje die werkt. Ook komt the Byrds uit een ander genre, toch hebben ze een genre-defining album weten te maken. Maar misschien komt dat ook dat de gehele band line-up is vervangen, op de zanger na. Kan je dan eigenlijk nog wel van dezelfde Byrds spreken als voor 1968? The Christian Life is wel een taai nummertje, soort Byrds go jehova-stijl. Anyway, dit is best een lekker plaatje. 7,5/10 Highlights: You Ain't Going' Nowhere I Am a Pilgrim

great lp

The sound started out really good for me but got weird after a while. Especially the whole Christian one… 2.5/5

Come on, ANOTHER record by the Byrds?? Only a couple of weeks ago, "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" flew at me from the ether, and I was happy to give it a 5-star review on the strength of Roger and the boys finally synthesizing folk, rock, country, and psychedelia in a coherent and effective fashion. Well done - and accordingly the list should have left off "Fifth Dimension". So what to say of this album, following in the heels of "Younger than Yesterday" and "Byrd Brothers"? Not impressed. It goes off the deep end to country sounds, following the lead of Gram Parsons (who'd already paved the way for the genre). Absent are the great harmonies we'd associated with Byrds albums of past, and there are only two original compositions. The Band returns to its former days of dredging for Dylan tracks and while "You Ain't Going Nowhere" is a fun choice, neither it nor "Nothing was Delivered" have the punch of former tracks. I do believe this list would benefit from less "artist completeness", allowing room for more breadth. "Sweethearts of the Rodeo" should have been a "you may also enjoy" footnote to "Byrd Brothers", Gram Parsons, or the Flying Burrito Brothers. Fine for its genre, but docked two stars in protest of one band having wayyyyy too many albums on this list.

I can see why it was influential but it just helped reinforce that I do not care for a LOT of country music.

I understand The Byrds underwent a number of lineup changes, but this is not one of my favourite iterations of this British band.

I like the Byrds, but not this foray I to country.

Getting into country music as a genre is one thing, getting into country music as an establishment is a whole other thing. The Byrds were now in need of a fresh coat of paint, buoyed by the departure of David Crosby and the encroaching disillusionment of the counterculture. Enter Gram Parsons and his whirlwind influence and impact, which was to be the exact thing that they needed. While they may fit uneasily into the admittedly rigid and sometimes aggravating sound of the genre, The Byrds do as they always do and make the best out of what they could of the scenario, giving their all with the songs offered as they put new spins on the arrangements. Although not their greatest release and the outcome wasn't what they desired, ultimately Sweetheart of the Rodeo would be their most important record and it provided the clarion call that would be sounded by anyone would liked what they heard. Favorites: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, I Am a Pilgrim, The Christian Life, You Don't Miss Your Water, Hickory Wind, One Hundred Years From Now, Blue Canadian Rockies, Nothing Was Delivered, Lazy Days, All I Have Are Memories.

Folksy spirituals, Christian adulations, dewy mountain laurel fiddle sounds, and CSNY style harmonies.. This album just doesn't work anymore for me. It's not bluegrass enough to be bluegrass, and it isn't anything else but a whisp of smoke to me.

So the story goes that Gram Parsons joined the Byrds and hijacked the direction of this album a bit. It could have been a somewhat interesting journey through the history of American popular music styles. Instead it was rather annoying country rock that alienated their previous fans as well as the country music establishment, yet somehow became a highly influential country rock album. Parsons was ostensibly a Southerner, but didn’t fall for country music until he spent time in New York and Boston and attended Harvard. Roger McGuinn is from Chicago. Which all makes the thick-accented country sound on “Sweetheart” feel quite less than genuine.

Not sure the twang makes The Byrds better, or any more deserving of so many albums on this list. Twang is not my thing but at least it was different.

Get rid of David Crosby. Replace with Gram Parsons. Get rid of soulless folk rock. Replace with twangy country rock. Any better? No. The most interesting part of this album was going down the Gram Parsons rabbit hole. OD’d. Step father wanted to inherit grandfather’s estate by having him buried in Louisiana. Friends stole dead body from LAX and tried to cremate him with 5 gallons of gasoline and a match in Joshua Tree National Monument (now Park). Somehow it wasn’t illegal to steal a dead body back then. Craziness.

I could have known from the title of the album "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" that I wouldn't be able to do anything with it. I listened to the first three tracks and switched on after a few seconds, so perhaps the Byrds have succeeded in playing country music immersively on this album. All the more reason for me not to enjoy it. You probably have to be Texan and have a lot to do with rodeo to listen to music like this. It annoys me, just like Bavarian folklore, German Schlager and German folky music. 1/5

Twangy. I hadn't heard the songs before and yet I could guess the upcoming melody. Whether that is because people copied them or not I don't know, but it came across to me as bland and formulaic.

Pre grateful dead

Very country for a “rock/folk” band, very Christian as well… lol

I didn't realize the Byrds were a country band.

I had no idea they produced something like this. Not too bad!

talented musicians here but it largely passed me by

Interesting

7/10. Was enough nostalgic feels at the beginning and more fun vibes (One Hundred Years from Now and Nothing was Delivered) at the end to boost it to a 7.

Listened to this whole thing and couldn’t whistle you a single tune from it. If you’re writing when the Beatles are putting out Sgt Peppers a year before… you’d just give up wouldn’t you? Boring, but not annoying.

No thanks to country rock

What’s special about covers, especially when they aren’t re-arranged? The Byrds play fine, but there is nothing special about this particular album, and I hope no one things these are their songs.

Okay album. I don't quite understand why Wiki says it's the first album to be recognized as country rock when it sounds like straight up country/folk/bluegrass to me. Though I'm no country music expert. Most songs are covers and the originals I listened to I found more interesting. Appreciate being reminded of William Bell and hearing his version of You Don't Miss Your Water. Also, You're Not Going Nowhere may be stuck in my head for days.

No

3.5* and I might have gone 4 if I'd listened to it more.

The byrds. Why is it always the byrds. Another mid-folk/country album. 2/5.

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

Odd Christian tunes

Pleasant listen. Still sounds like the Beatles at times. Low 4.

This was fine nothing too exciting 6.5/10

Nice fiddle playing. Could have been 30% shorter. Overall pretty enjoyable. 7/10

5/10 - It was just alright country. Some of the songs sounded good but they meshed together. It was kind of crazy how different this album was compared to the other The Byrds album

It was alright. Just felt a bit generic

The Byrds go... country? I guess? Why did they do this? I enjoyed the sound on their last album, but I guess this one's good too. I just don't really get the pivot. 7/10

Nice

Well played. Not quite my sound.

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

Genuine and Professional This record isn't the go-TO for the Byrd bros, but a great listen. True to life country remakes, utilizing Nashville finest sessions musicians

Is that 4 albums by The Byrds now? I don't have any real issue with them, but I think 4 might be a bit excessive. That being said, this is my favorite Byrds album to date. The country-rock-psychedelia intersection is pretty clearly defined here. Favorite track: Nothing was Delivered

And I thought the other one was dull, the one with Hey Mr Tambourine Man. The country thing just ain't it for me

The whole album, every single track, is a bit tame and twangy for me. Didn't find any tracks I liked. I'm afraid it has to be a 1 star

Pile of s**t, honestly

If The Beatles went country, they'd be The Byrds. A decent country album with Standouts in Hickory Wind, One Hundred Years From Now, Nothing Was Delivered, You Got A Reputation, Lazy Days and Pretty Polly.

The Byrds are underrated and they display their talent here with the southern style. Nicely put together

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

I didn't know the Byrds did country? At least this is my first exposure to them. It's ok, nothing groundbreaking. Endless country crap.

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

Best goed, wel beetje eenheidsworst

Mo

No thanks

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

Country Rock doing country rock things, things that I don't really like. That southern twang that sounds like yodeling that I just can't really stand, it puts me to sleep but then jerks me awake when they begin to yell (??) again. Please make it stop. Best: Pretty Boy Floyd Worst: The Christian Life Note: Spotify had an extended album version, I only listened to the original 11 tracks.

Rating: 6/10

Country is gewoon kut. Sloom en jankend gezang. Enige leuke is het gitaarpingel

Enjoyed it!

Super surprising and enjoyable! Hadn’t heard of this Byrds project before.

I like country music, but this album missed the mark.

Awful!

A fun little country break from all the rock (and noise) lately. Would absolutely listen again, happily.

I don’t get The Byrds. They’re essentially a famous cover band. It’s fine, but I don’t need it.

WHAT IS THIS COUNTRY SHIT MY GOD FUCK THIS DUDE. This has been the worst reminder of why I hate country so much, thanks for ruining music for me Favorite: none of them Least favorite: all of them 2.9/5

Nice sounding, however just because it is an early and unexpected forray into country sound, that does not make it extremly compelling. There are many other straight up country or cross over rock based country albums I would listen to rather than this... points for innovation I guess.

A pretty solid '60s country rock and folk release. Easily the highlight here is the instrumentation and the gorgeous vocal layering on many of these songs. Immediately, "Hickory Wind" sticks out in this way, with gorgeous harmonized vocals and guitar layering that I enjoy quite a bit. "One Hundred Years from Now" leans in a more pop direction but I also really enjoy this song. I love the closer "Nothing Was Delivered", it sticks out by being the punchiest thing here. I think I just really enjoy how soft everything is here, all the music is so pillowy and soothing, and even the so-called "punchier" tracks are relatively mild and reserved. Lyrically speaking, themes of love and religion are at the forefront here. I'm generally fine with this, but it doesn't go over so well on a song like "The Christian Life" that's far too blunt for my liking. Not to say the song itself is terrible; I do find it quite catchy. My biggest gripe here is that most of the tracks do tend to blend in with one another, which isn't particularly bad because, again, I do enjoy the harmonization in the vocals and guitars generally. The obvious standout here is the song "Life in Prison", only because this song's subject matter is far more unsettling and eerie when compared to everything else. Not much to say about this, it's short and sweet, albeit sort of uninteresting and boilerplate at the same time.

Pretty boring

Never pondered the Byrds as a country group....

Surprisingly decent, but “The Christian Life” is a low point

pretty good for the era

I did not know the Byrds did a country album. This was very interesting. Probably not something I would have on my playlist, but I'm glad I was exposed to it.

This is my second Byrds album to review, after their debut, Mr. Tambourine Man. I'm not incredibly familiar with a lot of their music, but I always think of the Byrds' music as being folk rock or psychedelic rock, and this album definitely went against my preconceived notions of their music. Overall, I thought the album was pretty good, and it was interesting to listen to it, knowing that it was one of the first country rock albums. I enjoyed the fact that most of the songs weren't written by The Byrds, and it's just now dawning on me that most of the songs that they covered for this album are folk songs, which suits The Byrds perfectly. While I enjoyed this album, I certainly wasn't blown away by it. I liked the country sound and the lyrics of the songs that they chose to cover (inject "some'll rob you with a six-gun and some with a fountain pen" directly into my veins), but not a lot stood out to me on this album. It was nice enough to listen to, and it's definitely an influential album, but I don't think it's something I'll go back to anytime soon.

The generator continues in its apparent crusade to convince me that The Byrds were a band of Beatles-grade quality and/or importance, but this pivot to full-on country isn’t going to convince me. I actually quite enjoyed these ditties for what they are, but given that they were written by others, what did The Byrds really contribute beyond a few trademark harmonies? I’ve read up on the origin story of this album (Gram Parsons’ brazen attempt at total domination et al) and will at least concede that perhaps it deserves its place on the list as an interesting historical document. 2.5

not too bad of a country album. 3/5

Honky-tonky and definitely a product of the 60s 3/5

Very very nice. Grab Parsons.

Country shite. Awful.

While listening to this, I keep finding myself pigeon holing this album as just being folksy run of the mill old country but then certain lyrics will pique my interest and I'll realize there's much more here. For example, the song One Hundred Years From Now is cute enough to make it as a single on the radio but also are deeper philosophical statements and even a plea to the listener to learn lessons from history.

I like country-rock. Gram Parsons is an interesting individual too

It’s the fifth Byrds or Byrds-adjacent album I’ve had on this list in the past month and while, yes, it belongs here and probably started the whole country-fried rock’n’roll thing, can I please be done with The Byrds now? Pretty please? Footnote: minus 1 star to Gram Parsons for writing a song about killing his lover named Pretty Polly and then naming his daughter Polly. Ick.

This album was great. If you ignore some of the Bible-thumping lyrics, this music is the definition of "easy listening." It's that laid back folk music that adds a little Country & Western guitar to liven things up. Anybody who loves Johnny Cash for more than his iconic voice, should enjoy this album. Then, near the end of the record, they throw in the songs "Reputation" and "Lazy Days", which sound exactly like early Rolling Stones stuff. Brilliant twist. In fact, the only song I didn't like was the closing track, "Pretty Polly". That sucked, but whatever. Overall, a good collection of songs from a great era of music. 👍👍

Porqué este album está acá? Me excede. Ojo, es lindo y se re deja escuchar, pero no sobresale en nada...

Nice American folk music

i honestly have no idea how to rate this, partially because I'm still reeling from the discovery that the byrds are also a country rock band????? none of the individual songs really jumped out at me, but this album was pretty nice to listen to overall (which i did twice). I've also been thinking about the Fallout series a lot recently, and these songs honestly sound like they could have a home on any of the FO game soundtracks. fuck it, four stars. favorites: you ain't goin' nowhere, i am a pilgrim, the christian life, hickory wind

Country music. No

It is ok. I like it in general but I am not sure anything stands out.

Yep

taas alkoi hyvin, mutta laimentui äkkiä perus folk rokkiin. selvästi yrittää kuitenkin, vaikka peloissaan. sätisee, tärisee niin vitusti pelkää.. onko rohkeampaa kohdata pelkonsa vai olla pelkäämättä?? valkoihoinen pelkää mustaihoista: rohkea? en tiedä... mutta linnut lentäköön. vaikea kuolla, kun linnut laulaa... you aint going nowhere

Some influence from country/western/rock make it enjoyable but not especially memorable. The song contents (the Christian life) are not as palatable

I was in two minds about this while I was listening but I enjoyed it quite a bit. The country twang isn’t something I’d usually gravitate toward, and some of the songs didn’t quite land, but overall it was a solid listen.

Not exactly what I expected. Much more C&W. Also, a lot of overt xtian lyrics for a bunch of guys who were knee deep in the sex/drugs part of Rock &/or Roll. Hypocrisy aside, if you want some extremely interesting reading, check out Gram Parsons' wiki and read about his death. Fascinating!

Solid album...really enjoy the move to country rock. 3.5/5

The Byrds go full country, Gram Parsons in tow for this one, great album title and album cover. There’s a lot of pleasant honky-think arrangements but this feels wholly inessential to me. “One Hundred Years from Now” is great. Proof positive for the formula of combining a jangly psychedelic pop sound with a country twang. However everything else here is just a little too down the line and again feels entirely inessential.

I guess I prefer folk Byrds over country Byrds. Not as many harmonizations, which is their biggest strength. Most songs sound too similar.

Whenever I hear people comparing this with Songs From Big Pink I do get their point. But this is miles above that poorly sung effort. It is also so much better than a lot of country music of that time. Why? Those harmonies.

The music of the The Byrds gets a big boost from the addition of Gram Parsons to the band. Great country rock!

I own all the Byrds albums from *Mr. Tambourine Man* to this one (in a CD format). But as fate dictated, there was no room left for *Sweetheart Of The Rodeo* on my shelves. Given that this record is secretly a "Gram Parsons And The Byrds" record, I took this as a sign from the gods of music and placed the CD on my smaller "country / country-rock" shelf. Admittedly not as meticulous AND charming as Gram Parsons' next adventure with The Flying Burrito Brothers, this record is still an endearing historical document as one of the very first examples of "country-rock". What's interesting is that if you focus your attention away from all those pedal steel guitars parts (so ubiquitous in this album that they verge on being annoying at times), you soon realize that the songs are far more diverse than they sound on first listens. Moments where you can recognize the previous version of The Byrds are nice, for instance--thanks to their flower-power vocal parts, partly hidden by all the C&W twangs and wizz. Apart from the two Bob Dylan covers bookending this record, and the two Gram Parsons compositions on side B, everything else is covers of mostly country stuff I don't know much about. The Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons tunes are the clear highlights of *Sweetheart Of The Rodeo* tough. Dylan's original versions of " You Ain't Going Nowhere" and "Nothing Was Delivered" would only be revealed with the eventual release of *The Basement Tapes* in 1975. But "A Hundred Years From Now" was a song specifically written for this album, even if Parson's vocals were "erased" from it--officially for contractual reasons. And it's a country tune for the ages. 4/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential" albums. Which translates to a 9/10 grade, partly for "historical" reasons (5 + 4). Number of albums left to review: 285 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 317 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 175 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 231

Interesting lyrics and enjoyed a different genre.

Some boring country music. The first songs I liked were the first bonus tracks from the 1997 reissue...

I don’t mind country for like 5 songs, after that it starts to bore me

I once again discovered I am not into country

Terribly mediocre

No

3.5 It's nice.

2.5

I love this album. It was almost my first 5 rating. Parsons is great. My favs are You're still on my Mind, Life in Prison, and Hickory Wind. This album influenced many rock and country legends. I know a lot of people who do not like country rated this low and I get it. I think the Beatles doing this album would have been awesome.

Oh I dislike country rock. This album was torture for me to listen to, it just sets my teeth on edge. 1/5

No, just, no. I would rather stick a fork in a light socket than listen to the again.

This was an unexpectedly pleasent slice of pure American Country.

Een beetje country vind ik best fijn op z'n tijd, maar dit gaat me wel heel ver. Ik hoopte op iets als The Eagles, of Crosby Stills Nash and Young, maar ik kreeg iets dat een stuk minder met rock te maken lijkt te hebben. Niet voor mij dit.

You Ain't Going Nowhere is a great song, the rest is too country for me. But not bad country, so that's something.

Painful

Some songs are pretty, some try to hard to be country music

Não consigo ter empatia por esse ritmo musical, o que limitou o minha sensação com esse albúm.

Five easy stars.

Not for me, sounds the same.

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

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

Oh, that was disappointing nonsense :(

Folk, normal.

nice sound but a little too old for me

Iv been look warm to a couple of byrds albums on the list, I believe they have far too many albums. This is the worst one yet. Probably due to my dislike of country music. I guess country fans would like this and it is different to their other albums on the list, therefore just makes 2 stars.

I usually like The Byrds, but I wasn’t really into this. Apparently it was revolutionary in country rock? I guess. This wasn’t terrible, but it was mediocre and forgettable. The best songs were “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and “Nothing Was Delivered,” which I think I liked in particular because there were parts that were reminiscent of The Byrds songs that I liked. “Nothing Was Delivered” really is a fantastic song and gets it an extra star from me for that alone.

I wasn’t expecting to like this. I thought why not just have a country album by a country band? Why do I need to hear the byrds attempt at country? But they did a solid job. Not every song was great, but they really made a solid country album.

Better than the last album I had on here which was also a country album.

Saw Byrds and thought 60's rock, not this. I reckon of you're a fan of the 60's twangy country, you may have enjoyed this album. I did not. 1 hour was almost too much to bear. Near the end there were a couple tunes I thought were decent, You Got a Reputation and Lazy Days, but it was tough getting to that point. Highlight for me was seeing Pretty Boyd Floyd. But the reason was I though of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and the song The Message. You know, "Now you're unemployed, all non-void Walkin' round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd Turned stick-up kid, but look what you done did Got sent up for a eight-year bid." Yep, that was my highlight of this album. 2

So of course I expected to hate this one. Everything about it almost seems like it's directly trying to be something I dislike, from the name to the album cover. Surprisingly however I really quite liked this. I think it has to do with its abundance of slide guitar and lack of fiddle. Even though it has all of the pieces of the worst kind of country music, it didn't have much of the obligatory twang I've come to expect. Maybe it's because The Byrds are largely a rock group. Idk. Not bad. 3.5

1.5 Look, this list has done a successful job of opening my mind towards country music, but Jesus this was terrible. I don’t claim to know a ton about The Byrds, but supposedly their sound changed almost entirely with this album due to Gram Parsons’ involvement, so all I can say is F that guy for it. The story surrounding his death and cremation is awesome, but between this and that Flying Burrito Brothers album, that’s all he has going for him. The first song, You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere is decent and gave me Bob Dylan vibes despite the twang, but by the second track, I was ready for this thing to end. And as it just so happens, the opening track is, in fact, a Bob Dylan cover, so once again, F these guys for dragging Dylan’s name into this. Everything else on this album sucks and/or is incredibly boring, with The Christian Life in particular being a song that made me want to bash my head against a wall. Supposedly these guys were booed out of Nashville for being a bunch of hippies posing as country stars, and for perhaps the first time in my life, I gotta say I’m with the conservatives on this one - leave the country music to country artists. I know I’m in the minority here because this is a highly regarded album, but the closest comparison I can draw to this is when Weezer brought in Lil Wayne to help spice up Ratitude - and we all know how that ended up. If you’re a big fan of classical country music, there’s probably some enjoyment to be had in this album for you, but as someone who wouldn’t consider the genre a personal favorite of theirs, I’d much rather listen to quite literally any other country album we’ve had on this list so far. Gonna need Patron, gonna need a beat, gonna need a lot of pretty girls around me in order to forget this one. (I can’t stop, partying, partying)

I recommend this album if you have trouble sleeping. The monotonous music and singing make you fall asleep after 5 minutes.

Yeehaw music, reminds me of Little House on the Prairie. I like it

I only know of the Byrds for their psychadelic rock. Maybe this Americana style was present in the undercurrents of their earlier/other music (‘Nothing was Delivered’ sounded the most like the Byrds I was familiar with). I can’t tell if this album was made as satire or the group was truly interested in Country/Western music. Either way, I can appreciate the songs’ quality of production and musicianship even if I don’t enjoy the genre too much. Favorite song is probably ‘Hickory Wind’ or ‘Lazy Days’

It was aright but not something I’ll return for again. This bird’s can be set free. 2/5

This had an older country feel to it and since I am not really a fan of country, this really wasn't my thing. It wasn't necessarily bad though and there were a few decent songs, I just couldn't get into it. 2/5

Interesting country rock album.

Too much religion

Much more country than rock. Not my favorite.

Liked this more than I thought, don't think my music taste has opened further but not something I would turn off now. Best song - you ain't going nowhere

21/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 I like neither The Byrds, nor country, so this was not very enjoyable at all.

An important album, but not quite my style. I enjoyed it enough.

Folksy and rich, dripping with the innocence of a simpler time. Even this far in the rearview mirror, it's hard to hear it as apolitical, with country music now serving as the marching songs of red states. Was caught between 2 and 3 stars, but the darker thoughts did not prevail.

Even more Byrds??

iskreno preslatkoo

God bless country.

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

Pretty sure I did not hear all of this album until well into the 70’s. And before I did, I already owned the 2 solo albums Parsons did for Reprise (1973 & ‘74). So, I knew Hickory Wind from the version he did with Emmylou Harris on the Grievous Angel L.P. before I heard the version on this album. This album was recorded at a time when it was almost compulsory to include a cover of a Dylan tune (here they open & close the record with one) & preferably an obscure song from what would become known as The Basement Tapes (eventually released in 1975). You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere & Nothing Was Delivered qualified on both counts. Both were the first released recordings of the songs in question & both work well. As if to top that off, the band also includes a cover of a Woody Guthrie (Dylan’s “mentor”) song - Pretty Boy Floyd. I never thought Parsons had the greatest voice, but there was always something compelling about it (you could almost say the same about McGuinn’s voice, except it wasn’t really compelling, & when Gene Clark & David Crosby left the band, McGuinn needed another vocalist - which is where Parsons came in). My faves here are Hickory Wind & You’re Still On My Mind (both lead vocals by Gram Parsons) & the covers of William Bell’s You Don’t Miss Your Water & the Louvin Brothers’ The Christian Life ( both lead vocals by Mc Guinn). Love it.

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

They give Bob Dylan, just without good songs. They managed to suck all the soul from You Don't Miss Your Water, which was maddening, and I wish they'd never covered it

Plunka plunk music. It must be ...Tuesday. I gave up after three songs. 1 star. Might have gotten more on a different day, but it was not to be.

Meh

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

Goes into the forbidden realm of country music where it just sounds corny.

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

Mediocre country music, not a pleasure to listen to.

Outdated and absolutly not my taste

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

A consistent collection of pop folk steeped in country twang - every time I hear a country song that isn't about tequila or intimidating minorities I rejoice. The cover of "The Christian Life" had me hooting - the original by The Louvin Brothers has the most bonkers album art!

Country Rockabilly. Solid but not spectacular.

Not bad, but I kinda forgot I listened to it already. 2.5/5

The he Birds and country. Like the sound and it’s different form my expectations.

2.7 - I found this album really boring. I wasn’t much of a fan

too country for me, very much fine but nothing standout 3/5

At it's core this is country cosplay. Talented musicians that previously made 60s rock add a new member and go all in. Musicianship is there but felt it lacked any kind of soul.

Not my type of music.

Feel like there have been a lot of The Byrds on this list. This album was the most country. Meh

Don't necessarily hate it, but it is a little too country for me. The song "The Christian Life" totally sucks and I don't think I want to listen to the rest of this album. Pile of steamy shit,

FFS the 60s psychedelica seems to appear every second day. Now it’s worth, it’s gone Country

Tepid urban cowboy music.

not great, not terrible

Americana. Again. Bleh. No good members left either. Bland crap.

8/10 A lovely sounding album. It’s nearly perfectly laid back, nary a rushed beat to be heard. It, is of course, wholly unoriginal in content if not content. A pedal steel sings bittersweetly over a bed of gently strummed guitars—making a convincing argument that that instrument is the best result from ever having plugged in any guitar in the first place. This album is perfect for something… a lazy day by the river, perhaps. This one came as a surprise as I thought the Byrds were purely a twelve string psychedelic act. This one is pure, near-edgeless country, recorded with pristine care

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

C'est vraiment un drôle de feeling cet album. L'exécution est vraiment bonne, autant instrumentale que la production, mais ça fait tellement stéréotypé et les chants sur un ton constament preachy viennent tellement redondant. J'ai l'impression ça devait être un album très important pour l'établissement de la scène country, mais ça rassemble trop de sonorités qui me déplaisent de ce style. 5/10

I wouldn't have thought full on country was the natural progression from psychedelic but hey. Very country. Which normally I like but I just had a country album so no novelty

A little too country for my taste, but enjoyable

How this album can be categorized as rock music is beyond me. This is straight up, old school, twangy as hell, whiny ass country music. It's awful. We need a zero stars.

This album is about half good and half not so good. The songs are either slow and boring or upbeat and well put together.