In 1968, Byrds' frontman Roger McGuinn had an idea for a concept album tracing the history of 20th Century American pop music. But after the band added Gram Parsons prior to recording the album, the concept was changed and they ended up recording a country-rock album.
The critics generally approved, but the sound was such a departure from the psychedelic folk rock of the previous albums that fans weren't as overjoyed. And the conservative country music culture didn't like these LA hippies trying to take over their music. As a result, it was the Byrds' worst-selling album to that point. In retrospect, though, it is a pioneering precursor to the country rock movement that became so popular a couple years later.
I love the Byrds, and there's plenty to like here, but it makes me miss the more typical Byrds record. Still, this is an enjoyable listen, and it's easy to see how influential it became, and why.
The album is almost a rebellious act, with the group turning their backs on the psychedelic-rock movement they had helped create, a movement that had gotten away from popular music and had become a forum for weird sonic experiments. Whether it was a conscious rebellion or not doesn't really matter.
I'd love to have seen the country western studio musicians in Nashville the day they showed up at the studio to help record a version of Merle Haggard's "Life in Prison" or Woody Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd" and saw the studio filled with hippies from L.A.
Although the style is a bit of a departure, the album is loaded with the Byrds' signature harmonies, and enough rock and roll drum behind the straight-up country to not totally offend rock ears or the rock and community. Rolling Stone reviewed it positively, as did many other reviewers.
Parsons and McGuinn clashed when McGuinn recorded over some of Parson's lead vocals, and Parsons left the band after just this one effort. But the record put his name in the mainstream and helped him get the country-rock revolution rolling. And the Byrds moved on, with Roger McGuinn as the only original band member left. They continued to record and have hit records, but they never regained the success of the original pre-Sweethearts lineup.
Brad's Take:
When I think of The Byrds, I think of their hit "Turn, Turn, Turn." I've always liked that song a lot so I was interested to listen to this album. Unfortunately though, when I got to the third or fourth song of this album, I was really disappointed so I turned it off and didn't want to go back to it or review it (hence the very long gap between reviews... sorry, pops!) Being bored at work and wanting to listen to music made me think of going back to this album and giving it a fair shot so we can get this blog rolling again. So here we go...
As soon as the first song started, I got an image in my head of boating down the bayou at night with a family of toothless people playing their respective instruments and singing to the frogs and fireflies. If I was actually in that situation, I wouldn't be able to take it seriously. I think that's why I've been hesitant to reviewing this album. Simply because it's hard for me to take it seriously.
The whole album feels like it's one song or two songs on repeat. The songs sound so similar to each other that it's difficult to tell them apart. At least I felt that way until it got to the song "One Hundred Years From Now." This song stood out to me. It's more upbeat and rockin' than anything else before it on the album. There's no banjo, pedal steel guitar, or anything that bothered me. It's just a good 60s rock and roll song, which I appreciated. I was hoping that the songs that followed that one would be more in that style, but unfortunately it went back to the twangy country style.
I haven't heard much by The Byrds, but I hope Sweetheart of the Rodeo is a lot more twangy country-ish than at least most of their catalog. This style of music is definitely outside of my comfort zone. I really enjoyed "One Hundred Years From Now" though so I will go back to that song.
Overall, this album is far outside of my comfort zone, but at least I got through it all this time.
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