The Byrds ~ Ballad Of Easy Rider (1969) {Original US}
The Byrds ~ Ballad Of Easy Rider
Vinyl transfer in 24/96 & 16/44.1 | 1 LP | Artwork
Columbia ~ CS9942
Ballad of Easy Rider is the eighth album by the American rock band The Byrds.
The album was named after the song Ballad of Easy Rider, which had been penned by The Byrds' guitarist and singer, Roger McGuinn (with help from Bob Dylan), as the theme song for the 1969 film, Easy Rider.The title was also chosen in an attempt to capitalize on the commercial success of the film, although the majority of the music on the album had no connection with it. Nonetheless, the association with Easy Rider heightened The Byrds' public profile and resulted in Ballad of Easy Rider becoming the band's highest charting album for two years in the U.S. Upon release, Ballad of Easy Rider was met with mixed reviews but is today regarded as one of the band's stronger albums from the latter half of their career.
REVIEW
If Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde found Roger McGuinn having to re-create the Byrds after massive personnel turnovers (and not having an easy time of it), Ballad of Easy Rider was the album where the new lineup really hit its stride. Gracefully moving back and forth between serene folk-rock (the title cut, still one of McGuinn's most beautiful melodies), sure-footed rock & roll Jesus Is Just All Right, heartfelt country-rock Oil In My Lamp and Tulsa County, and even a dash of R&B, the unexpectedly funky Fido, which even features a percussion solo, Ballad of Easy Rider sounds confident and committed where Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde often seemed tentative. The band sounds tight, self-assured, and fully in touch with the music's emotional palette, and Clarence White's guitar work is truly a pleasure to hear (if Roger McGuinn's fabled 12-string work seems to take a back seat to White's superb string bends, it is doubtful that any but the most fanatical fans would think to object). While not generally regarded as one of the group's major works, in retrospect this release stands alongside Untitled as the finest work of the Byrds' final period. ~ Allmusic
Side 1
01.Ballad of Easy Rider (Roger McGuinn, Bob Dylan)
02.Fido (John York)
03.Oil in My Lamp (traditional, arranged Gene Parsons, Clarence White)
04.Tulsa County Blue [aka Tulsa County] (Pamela Polland)
05.Jack Tarr the Sailor (traditional, arranged Roger McGuinn)
Side 2
01.Jesus Is Just Alright (Arthur Reynolds)
02.It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan)
03.There Must Be Someone (I Can Turn To) (Vern Gosdin, Cathy Gosdin, Rex Gosdin)
04.Gunga Din (Gene Parsons)
05.Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) (Woody Guthrie, Martin Hoffman)
06.Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins (Zeke Manners, Scott Seely)
PERSONNEL
The Byrds
Roger McGuinn - guitar, vocals
Clarence White - lead guitar, vocals
John York - electric bass, vocals
Gene Parsons - drums, guitar, banjo, vocals
Additional Personnel
Byron Berline - fiddle on Tulsa County Blue
Glen D. Hardin - organ on Gunga Din
Terry Melcher - backing vocal on It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
string section on Ballad Of Easy Rider and Jesus Is Just Alright