The Coumterculture Cowboys
Are you ready for the country? So asked The Byrds in August 1968, with their album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. On that, their sixth album, partly recorded in Nashville, they tackled songs made famous by Merle Haggard, the Louvin Brothers and others, alongside two country-centric originals from the band’s newest member, Gram Parsons.
The answer to The Byrds’ question, most emphatically, was: “No.” Sweetheart Of The Rodeo bombed, having alienated both country followers and The Byrds’ core fan base. The album sold just 50,000 copies.
The creative licence of the late 60s had allowed all kinds of musical hybrids to flourish:
