Post by Pete70s on Jan 22, 2004 2:49:21 GMT -5
Well, I haven’t done a review in a while, and I go back to classes next week, so I should get one done now. Don’t know when my next one will be.
Today’s album is:
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo-The Byrds, 1968[/b]
1-You Ain’t Going Nowhere
2-I Am A Pilgrim
3-The Christian Life
4-You Don’t Miss Your Water
5-You’re Still On My Mind
6-Pretty Boy Floyd
7-Hickory Wind
8-One Hundred Years From Now
9-Blue Canadian Rockies
10-Life In Prison
11-Nothing Was Delivered
Before this album came out, there was Rock, and there was Country, but the very notion of “Country-rock” was unheard of. It seems a little strange, since early rock ‘n roll was derived from country music, and rockers like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis had successfully crossed over into country. But for a “hippie rock ‘n roll band” to play country music in 1968 was considered blasphemous by country music purists. It was the dreams of a “roots music” enthusiast from the deep south named Gram Parsons that laid the blueprint for much of the country-rock of the 70’s and beyond. He may not be a household name, but he paved the way for everyone from the Eagles to the Dixie Chicks.
1968 had gotten off to a bad start for the Byrds. Three years after topping the charts with “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn, Turn, Turn”, the group was falling apart. David Crosby and Michael Clarke had left the band during sessions for their album “The Notorious Byrd Brothers”, which was released in January. The album contained many great tracks, but it was clear that their glory days were behind them unless they made some major changes.
By this point, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman were the only remaining band members. They filled the drum slot with Hillman’s cousin Kevin Kelley, but they knew that the Crosby slot would be harder to fill. Into their life walked Gram Parsons, a Harvard scholar with a love of Southern music. Originally the Byrds next album was going to be a chronological “history of music” concept album which would begin with “nasal Appalachian stuff” and end with spacey Moog music. These plans faded as Parsons asserted himself in the new line-up.
The band entered the Nashville studio in March of ’68 to record an album of pure country & western music. The finished album sounded like it was straight from the Grand Ole Opry, covering songs by the Louvin Brothers and Merle Haggard while also giving a country spin to William Bell’s 1961 Stax hit “You Don’t Miss Your Water”. Keeping true to their nature, the album begins and closes with songs by Bob Dylan, who was also venturing into country music at the time.
Many problems arose upon completion of the album. Contractual obligations led to Parsons vocals on two tracks being replaced (he was originally slated to sing lead on four tracks, only two made the final album). When the album was released in August, Country purists were outraged. Legendary Country DJ Ralph Emery venomously trashed them on his radio show, and the band was booed when they performed at the Opry. In those days, it was considered “sacred territory”, and a band of longhairs with a Rock & Roll past were not welcome in Nashville.
Added to these problems were the sudden departure of Parsons after the LP’s release, a disastrous tour of South Africa (where they’d received death threats because of anti-apartheid statements Parsons had made), and the decision of longtime Byrd Chris Hillman to leave the band and join Parsons in The Flying Burrito Brothers. McGuinn was the only original member left in the Byrds. He would keep the band going (with a revolving door of musicians), and they would limp along for five more years before riding off into the sunset in 1973.
That same year, Gram Parsons would die of a drug overdose. I believe that if he had lived another 3 or 4 years, he would have fit right in with the “Outlaw” movement of the mid 70’s (Waylon, Willie, Hank Jr...). But it was the groundwork of Parsons that made it possible for those artists to break away from Nashville’s strict “rules”. In that sense, he would change Country music forever, though he would never live to see it.
Tracks:
You Ain’t Going Nowhere- A great opener, written by Bob Dylan and sung by the familiar voice of Roger McGuinn. It would be the only single released from the album and would chart at #74. It remained a favorite of McGuinn, he still performs it to this day.
I Am A Pilgrim- If the opener hadn’t made you believe they’d gone country, this track will! A traditional folk tune dominated by fiddle (played by John Hartford, who had written “Gentle On My Mind”), and sung by Chris Hillman.
The Christian Life-Originally done by the Louvin Brothers, Gram Parsons WAS supposed to sing lead on this, but a contractual dispute with Lee Hazelwood resulted in his lead vocal being replaced by McGuinn’s. The CD remaster includes Parsons version as a bonus track.
You Don’t Miss Your Water- Another Roger McGuinn lead vocal, on a Memphis-meets-Nashville take on a Stax classic.
You’re Still On My Mind- One of two songs featuring a Parsons lead vocal.
Pretty Boy Floyd- This track is as country as it gets, A hoedown version of a Woody Guthrie classic. Banjos, fiddles, washtub bass, the whole deal. This is Bluegrass!
Hickory Wind- Largely regarded as Gram Parsons finest moment. He would perform the song live right up until his death, including a live version on his final album, “Grevous Angel”.
One Hundred Years From Now- Gram wrote it, Roger and Chris sang lead. Again, the CD contains the original take with Parsons lead vocal as a bonus track.
Blue Canadian Rockies- A very soothing song, sung by Chris Hillman.
Life In Prison- A bold cover of the Merle Haggard tune, and a standout cut on the album.
Nothing Was Delivered- The most “Rock” sounding cut on the album, another Dylan tune. Like “You Ain’t Going Nowhere”, this was taken from the then-unreleased “Basement Tapes”.
In closing, I can honestly say this: I grew up hearing a lot of Country music from my dad, and I hated it for many years. It was THIS album that made me realize just how good Country music can be, and it’s what got me interested in investigating the legends. “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” made me a Country music fan, and it obviously made a lot of other people fans as well, even though it was not appreciated in its time.
#nosmileys
Today’s album is:
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo-The Byrds, 1968[/b]
1-You Ain’t Going Nowhere
2-I Am A Pilgrim
3-The Christian Life
4-You Don’t Miss Your Water
5-You’re Still On My Mind
6-Pretty Boy Floyd
7-Hickory Wind
8-One Hundred Years From Now
9-Blue Canadian Rockies
10-Life In Prison
11-Nothing Was Delivered
Before this album came out, there was Rock, and there was Country, but the very notion of “Country-rock” was unheard of. It seems a little strange, since early rock ‘n roll was derived from country music, and rockers like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis had successfully crossed over into country. But for a “hippie rock ‘n roll band” to play country music in 1968 was considered blasphemous by country music purists. It was the dreams of a “roots music” enthusiast from the deep south named Gram Parsons that laid the blueprint for much of the country-rock of the 70’s and beyond. He may not be a household name, but he paved the way for everyone from the Eagles to the Dixie Chicks.
1968 had gotten off to a bad start for the Byrds. Three years after topping the charts with “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn, Turn, Turn”, the group was falling apart. David Crosby and Michael Clarke had left the band during sessions for their album “The Notorious Byrd Brothers”, which was released in January. The album contained many great tracks, but it was clear that their glory days were behind them unless they made some major changes.
By this point, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman were the only remaining band members. They filled the drum slot with Hillman’s cousin Kevin Kelley, but they knew that the Crosby slot would be harder to fill. Into their life walked Gram Parsons, a Harvard scholar with a love of Southern music. Originally the Byrds next album was going to be a chronological “history of music” concept album which would begin with “nasal Appalachian stuff” and end with spacey Moog music. These plans faded as Parsons asserted himself in the new line-up.
The band entered the Nashville studio in March of ’68 to record an album of pure country & western music. The finished album sounded like it was straight from the Grand Ole Opry, covering songs by the Louvin Brothers and Merle Haggard while also giving a country spin to William Bell’s 1961 Stax hit “You Don’t Miss Your Water”. Keeping true to their nature, the album begins and closes with songs by Bob Dylan, who was also venturing into country music at the time.
Many problems arose upon completion of the album. Contractual obligations led to Parsons vocals on two tracks being replaced (he was originally slated to sing lead on four tracks, only two made the final album). When the album was released in August, Country purists were outraged. Legendary Country DJ Ralph Emery venomously trashed them on his radio show, and the band was booed when they performed at the Opry. In those days, it was considered “sacred territory”, and a band of longhairs with a Rock & Roll past were not welcome in Nashville.
Added to these problems were the sudden departure of Parsons after the LP’s release, a disastrous tour of South Africa (where they’d received death threats because of anti-apartheid statements Parsons had made), and the decision of longtime Byrd Chris Hillman to leave the band and join Parsons in The Flying Burrito Brothers. McGuinn was the only original member left in the Byrds. He would keep the band going (with a revolving door of musicians), and they would limp along for five more years before riding off into the sunset in 1973.
That same year, Gram Parsons would die of a drug overdose. I believe that if he had lived another 3 or 4 years, he would have fit right in with the “Outlaw” movement of the mid 70’s (Waylon, Willie, Hank Jr...). But it was the groundwork of Parsons that made it possible for those artists to break away from Nashville’s strict “rules”. In that sense, he would change Country music forever, though he would never live to see it.
Tracks:
You Ain’t Going Nowhere- A great opener, written by Bob Dylan and sung by the familiar voice of Roger McGuinn. It would be the only single released from the album and would chart at #74. It remained a favorite of McGuinn, he still performs it to this day.
I Am A Pilgrim- If the opener hadn’t made you believe they’d gone country, this track will! A traditional folk tune dominated by fiddle (played by John Hartford, who had written “Gentle On My Mind”), and sung by Chris Hillman.
The Christian Life-Originally done by the Louvin Brothers, Gram Parsons WAS supposed to sing lead on this, but a contractual dispute with Lee Hazelwood resulted in his lead vocal being replaced by McGuinn’s. The CD remaster includes Parsons version as a bonus track.
You Don’t Miss Your Water- Another Roger McGuinn lead vocal, on a Memphis-meets-Nashville take on a Stax classic.
You’re Still On My Mind- One of two songs featuring a Parsons lead vocal.
Pretty Boy Floyd- This track is as country as it gets, A hoedown version of a Woody Guthrie classic. Banjos, fiddles, washtub bass, the whole deal. This is Bluegrass!
Hickory Wind- Largely regarded as Gram Parsons finest moment. He would perform the song live right up until his death, including a live version on his final album, “Grevous Angel”.
One Hundred Years From Now- Gram wrote it, Roger and Chris sang lead. Again, the CD contains the original take with Parsons lead vocal as a bonus track.
Blue Canadian Rockies- A very soothing song, sung by Chris Hillman.
Life In Prison- A bold cover of the Merle Haggard tune, and a standout cut on the album.
Nothing Was Delivered- The most “Rock” sounding cut on the album, another Dylan tune. Like “You Ain’t Going Nowhere”, this was taken from the then-unreleased “Basement Tapes”.
In closing, I can honestly say this: I grew up hearing a lot of Country music from my dad, and I hated it for many years. It was THIS album that made me realize just how good Country music can be, and it’s what got me interested in investigating the legends. “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” made me a Country music fan, and it obviously made a lot of other people fans as well, even though it was not appreciated in its time.
#nosmileys
well done 
