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The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo was not the first important country-rock album (Gram Parsons managed that feat with the International Submarine Band's debut Safe at Home), and the Byrds were hardly strangers to country music, dipping their toes in the twangy stuff as early as their second album. But no major band had gone so deep into the sound and feeling of classic country (without parody or condescension) as the Byrds did on Sweetheart; at a time when most rock fans viewed country as a musical "L'il Abner" routine, the Byrds dared to declare that C&W could be hip, cool, and heartfelt. Though Gram Parsons had joined the band as a pianist and lead guitarist, his deep love of C&W soon took hold, and Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman followed his lead; significantly, the only two original songs on the album were both written by Parsons (the achingly beautiful "Hickory Wind" and "One Hundred Years from Now"), while on the rest of the set classic tunes by Merle Haggard, the Louvin Brothers, and Woody Guthrie were sandwiched between a pair of twanged-up Bob Dylan compositions. While many cite this as more of a Gram Parsons album than a Byrds set, given the strong country influence of McGuinn's and Hillman's later work, it's obvious Parsons didn't impose a style upon this band so much as he tapped into a sound that was already there, waiting to be released. If the Byrds didn't do country-rock first, they did it brilliantly, and few albums in the style are as beautiful and emotionally affecting as this.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
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The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - B. Dylan, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Traditional, Composer, Lyricist - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - R. McGuinn, Arranger - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Arranger, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Ira Louvin, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Charlie Louvin, Composer, Lyricist - Roy Halee, Engineer - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - William Bell, Composer, Lyricist - Roy Halee, Engineer - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - L. McDaniel, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass - Gary Usher, Producer - Roy Halee, Engineer - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - W. Guthrie, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo - Gram Parsons, Guitar - CLARENCE WHITE, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Mandolin - Roy Huskey Jr., Bass - John Hartford, Fiddle - Gary Usher, Producer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - G. Parsons, Composer, Lyricist - B. Buchanan, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass - Gary Usher, Producer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - G. Parsons, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass - Gary Usher, Producer - Roy Halee, Engineer - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - C. Walker, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass - Gary Usher, Producer - Roy Halee, Engineer - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - M. Haggard, Composer, Lyricist - J. Sanders, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass - Gary Usher, Producer - Roy Halee, Engineer - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Bob Dylan, Composer, Lyricist - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Gram Parsons, Guitar - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass - Gary Usher, Producer - Roy Halee, Engineer - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - J.T. Hardin, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
(P) 1990 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - G. Parsons, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
(P) 1990 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - R. McGuinn, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - C. Hillman, Composer, Lyricist - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
(P) 1990 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The Bryds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - Ira Louvin, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Charlie Louvin, Composer, Lyricist - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
(P) 1997 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The Bryds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - M. Haggard, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - J. Sanders, Composer, Lyricist - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
(P) 1997 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - L. McDaniel, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
(P) 1997 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The Byrds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - G. Parsons, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
Originally Released 1968 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The Bryds, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gary Usher, Producer - Roger McGuinn, Banjo, Guitar - K. Kelley, Composer, Lyricist - Jessica Sowin, Director - Gram Parsons, Guitar - Adam Block, Director - John Hartford, Banjo, Guitar - Roy Halee, Engineer - Clarence J. White, Guitar - Charlie Bragg, Engineer - Chris Hillman, Bass Guitar, Mandolin - Lloyd Green, Steel Guitar - Vic Anesini, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Jaydee Maness, Steel Guitar - Tim Geelan, Re-Mixer - Kevin Kelley, Drums - Jon Corneal, Drums - Earl P. Ball, Piano - Roy M. Huskey, Bass
(P) 1997 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Album review
The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo was not the first important country-rock album (Gram Parsons managed that feat with the International Submarine Band's debut Safe at Home), and the Byrds were hardly strangers to country music, dipping their toes in the twangy stuff as early as their second album. But no major band had gone so deep into the sound and feeling of classic country (without parody or condescension) as the Byrds did on Sweetheart; at a time when most rock fans viewed country as a musical "L'il Abner" routine, the Byrds dared to declare that C&W could be hip, cool, and heartfelt. Though Gram Parsons had joined the band as a pianist and lead guitarist, his deep love of C&W soon took hold, and Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman followed his lead; significantly, the only two original songs on the album were both written by Parsons (the achingly beautiful "Hickory Wind" and "One Hundred Years from Now"), while on the rest of the set classic tunes by Merle Haggard, the Louvin Brothers, and Woody Guthrie were sandwiched between a pair of twanged-up Bob Dylan compositions. While many cite this as more of a Gram Parsons album than a Byrds set, given the strong country influence of McGuinn's and Hillman's later work, it's obvious Parsons didn't impose a style upon this band so much as he tapped into a sound that was already there, waiting to be released. If the Byrds didn't do country-rock first, they did it brilliantly, and few albums in the style are as beautiful and emotionally affecting as this.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 19 track(s)
- Total length: 00:57:43
- Main artists: The Byrds
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Sony Music Media
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
1968, 1990, 1997 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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