Is the Byrds "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" part of your collection?

I need a vote between yes, love it and historical importance. I own the Columbia/Legacy 2003 2 disc set. I play it cause I like it. Except as usual I dislike outtakes, demos and rehearsal versions so I rarely play anything after the International Submarine Band on disc 2.

 

It took me a while to embrace this album -- had to clear my head and wash away any preconceived notions of just what the Byrds should be -- and now I enjoy it so much.

I find "One Hundred Years from Now" to be such a glorious track -- it's right up there with the best from the Byrds' previous LPs.

 

Was, Somewhere along the road it was the victim of the need for more space.

 

Yes, because of its historical importance, but I hardly ever listen to it.

I respect the album for its place in historical context, but, just one of those groups I can't get into.

Their style of playing Country isn't convincing enough for me. The sound is sometimes amateurish to my ears. This is subjective of course, and everyone's opinion is different.

 

Why hasn't one of the audiophile labels put this album out in Hi-rez?

 

I prefer the rehearsal and outtakes versions to the ones that were on the original LP. I wonder if you switched them, especially the Gram vocals that had to be removed and replaced by McGuinn because of the LHI contract, would people play it more? The McGuinn vocal versions are almost identical but there's that slight loss of soul feeling. It's not quite like The Pretty Things' Emotions LP where the un-overdubbed versions of the songs are a lot better in most every case, but I think a 'restored' or re-Gram-ified Sweethearts is around a 15% improvement. There's a Duncan Browne LP that also was superior in early non-overdubbed takes. Nowadays we can have both on one CD as with all the Mono/Stereo combos that were issued for '60s albums. So it's a great time still!

 

My favourite Byrds album

I can never get enough of it

 

I've tried, tried and tried to love this; I only like it. Don't get me wrong. I lOVE Gram solo GP and GRevious Angel as well as ISB. I find all far superior.

 

Answering the original poster's question...of course it is.