Sweetheart Of The Rodeo [Extra tracks]

The Byrds move into country music must have bemused or either stunned the fans of "Happening" music like their previous recordings, "Notorious Byrd Brothers" and "Younger than Yesterday". However, in retrospect the clues were there. The main protagonists behind "Sweetheart" were bassist Chris Hillman, whom after the exits of Gene Clark and David Crosby, was now exerting a stronger influence on the group, and new boy Gram Parsons. Chief Byrd, Roger McGuinn had originally planned to record a history of 20th century music, and Parsons had been recruited as an improbable "Jazz" keyboardist. Once on board, Parsons alligned with Hillman to make a young persons C & W album. "Sweetheart", although not the first country-rock statement, is arguably the most significant. Part of its impact on the listener is due to the groups refreshing non-ironic approach. The Byrds being the Byrds begin and finish the original album with 2 Dylan songs. "You Ain't Going Nowhere" allows McGuinn to supply his trademark Dylan/Lennon vocal(his trademark Rickenbacker is largely absent from "Sweetheart"). The sing-along nature of the song has ensured that it has remained in McGuinn's repetoire to the present day. "Nothing was Delivered" sees rock and country come together with Kevin Kelley's drum rolls working to great effect with the steel guitar. The familiar country concerns of God, booze and prison - not always in that order - are all present and correct on the album. McGuinn also adds a bluegrass flavoured tribute to the "People's Outlaw" in his version of Woody Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd". Parsons is the only Byrd to add original songs to the project. He gives a suitably poignant mood to his "Hickory Wind" and writes "100 Years from Now". Supposedly due to legal reasons, his vocals were removed from a lot of the songs. The enhanced re-release adds these as bonus tracks. Interestingly it is McGuinn's and Hillman's harmonies on "100 Years from Now" that provide the template for future Country Rock giants, The Eagles. Soon after its recording Parsons and Hillman formed The Flying Burrito Brothers to take their vision of country-rock-soul further. McGuinn assembled another Byrds line-up but stuck also with the country sound (future recruit, Clarence White's guitar is prominent on "Sweetheart") For any serious fan of rock music, "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" is an essential purchase. It's sound still gives comfort in these hi-tech times.

This album was considered revolutionary when it was originally recorded - a rock band recording a country album with a rock edge - but it was so influential that nobody hearing it now will think there is anything revolutionary about it.

Bob Dylan wrote two of the songs - You ain't going nowhere and Nothing was delivered - while there are also covers of songs by soul singer William Bell (You don't miss your water) and Woody Guthrie (Pretty boy Floyd).

Gram Parsons contributed two songs - One hundred years from now and Hickory wind. He also wrote Lazy days, which was recorded for the original album but not included on it. This is added as one of several bonus tracks, some of which feature Gram as lead singer instead of Roger McGuinn.

The remaining tracks are covers of country songs that had previously been recorded by (among others) George Jones and Merle Haggard.

Not long after this album was recorded, Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons left and formed the Flying Burrito brothers. The music here set the pattern for that band and other country-rock bands such as Poco and the early Eagles music. But in the new millennium, mainstream pop, rock and country music all seem far removed from this album. Modern singers and bands doing music of this type are classified as alt-country. Although the term alt-country covers many different styles, the influence of this album is obvious in many alt-country singers and bands.

The music here is excellent on its own merit. It was not very successful at the time but has grown in status with the passage of time.

I purchased this album when first released and it remains one of my favourites.Undoubtedly now elevated to a 'super status' category( partly because of its immense influence on modern alternate country and bands such as The Eagles), the Sweetheart is a timeless classic which loses none of its charm and potency. The musicianship is superb and history will place this as one of the all time classics of the country-rock genre.As an exteded CD, we have the advantage of extra material which is a compliment to the original; with alternate takes and newly released songs, which sit alongside the others seamlessly.I personally have a fine CD to replace a well scratched piece of vinyl!
Previous reviewers have already eloquently written much of this album's history. 'nuff said. Buy a piece of history for yourself and enjoy. It won't be difficult.