Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman take 'Rodeo' on tour 50 years after its debut
How could a self-respecting rock musician truly rebel in 1968? This, after all, was after the Summer of Love, a time when musical and cultural conventions were regularly being upended.
For two founding members of L.A.'s pioneering folk-rock band the Byrds, the answer was simple: Head south and make a country record. So that's what they did, with the help of their brash new collaborator, "cosmic cowboy" and country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.
The album that resulted, "Sweetheart of the Rodeo," is considered a pivotal moment in the emergence of country-rock.
In its 2012 ranking of the greatest albums ever, Rolling Stone placed "Sweetheart" at No. 120, writing, "The Byrds nailed a bold Nashville classicism, dressing Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard songs in steel guitar and rock 'n' roll drive."
At the time, however, it simply confused rock and country fans.
"When it came out, there was a lot of disappointment along the
