The Byrds Sweetheart of The Rodeo

Friday Music proudly presents for the first time on 180 Gram Translucent Blue & Green Swirl Audiophile Vinyl, the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Byrds’ "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo." Impeccably mastered by Joe Reagoso at Friday Music Studios & Capitol Mastering.

'Sweethearts' is a tribute to the 1968's classic 'Sweetheart of The Rodeo' album. Christian Parker & Earl Poole Ball, one of the original sessions, co-produced and contributed piano to this modern interpretation. Jaydee Maness, one of the original pedal steel players making a special appearance, joined the sessions. In 1968 the album managed to disappoint and, in many cases, alienate almost everyone who heard it. It would be much later before it was recognized as the iconic piece of work that it is. 'Sweetheart of The Rodeo' is widely regarded as the album defining country rock, but the rock part is almost silent. The whole thing is almost out and out of the country, with huge dollops of pedal steel, banjo, fiddle, and almost everything other kinds of instrument you would expect to hear in the mainstream twangy country that existed at that time."

Without question, the Byrds were one of the great bands of the '60s and one of the few American bands of their time to continually turn out inventive, compelling albums. As they were recording a series of fine records, they turned out a number of classic singles that unquestionably defined their era. The Byrds' Greatest Hits does an excellent job of chronicling the peak years of their popularity before they went country-rock on 1968's Sweetheart of the Rodeo…

The Byrds were one of the most progressive and exciting band in '60s rock, with no peers outside the Stones-Beatles-Beach Boys triumvirate. This box set, which collects their original Columbia albums, represents over 90-percent of their career, basically everything they released, all 12 albums (aside from their 1973 reunion album recorded for Asylum). This material was frequently astonishing at the time, and still is, ranging from their debut single "Mr. Tambourine Man" through the bracing folk-rock of their first two LPs, growing psychedelia and experimentation during 1966 and 1967, then a sudden detour into country-rock and mellow pop for the rest of the '60s…