Ballad of Easy Rider
| The Byrds
Ballad of Easy Rider
Ballad of Easy Rider is the eighth album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released in November 1969 on Columbia Records (see 1969 in music). The album was named after the song "Ballad of Easy Rider", which had been written 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.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
1969- The Byrds, of course — under the aegis of McGuinn the Survivor — are renowned for a rich, thickly-textured instrumental sound and equally distinctive vocal harmony. Every new Byrds album seems a continuation of the last; few surprises occur — instead, it’s just like a visit with old friends.
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Ultimate Classic Rock
2014- The album, released 45 years ago on Nov. 10, 1969, is a blend of rock, R&B, folk, gospel and country-rock. Byrds’ founder Roger McGuinn was joined by guitarist Clarence White, bassist John York and drummer Gene Parsons, all singers and songwriters, to create one of the best of the late-period Byrds albums.
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The Rising Storm
2009- Released in 1969, before the excellent double set Untitled, Ballad of Easy Rider was a quiet, tranquil record with good songs and fine, professional performances.
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All Music
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.
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Pretty Goes with Pretty
2009- Easy Rider is a far superior record, perhaps due to the band’s return to the fundamentals of how the old Byrds functioned: everybody wrote, everybody sang, and Bob Dylan’s name pops up in the songwriting credits a couple times.
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Blog Critics
2009- Ballad Of Easy Rider remains a smooth listen and there is beauty to be found in many of the songs. It may not be as consistent as some of their past releases but it did prove that this 1969 incarnation of the Byrds was not only alive and well but extremely talented.
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Don Ignacio's Music Reviews
This is far removed from being a perfect Byrds album, but it's certainly a good one... If nothing else, you should hear the title track if you haven't already! If you don't like it, then you're probably dead ... or a mental case.
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Excatholic4Christ
2018- Melcher’s production certainly resulted in a crisper sound than “Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde,” but the material is no better and may even have been a step down. Most of the songs are very slow and melancholy.
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FYE
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.
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Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
There is some some creaky melodrama (the Woody Guthrie cover "Deportee"), but this is still a good example of country-rock in its early, more innocent days. (JA)
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Progrography
At some point, I suspect, I’ll need to get off this continuing hayride of The Byrds through country rock & roll, but so far it hasn’t been nearly as bumpy as I expected. The second album from the new quartet is notable for letting the rest of the Byrds stretch their wings.
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George Starostin's Reviews
Surprise surprise - this record is very good, and indeed for some time it seemed that the Byrds were back, even if with just one original member.
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Robert Christgau
I'm sorry to report that this is the poorest Byrds album. It improves with listening, especially at high volume, but Roger McGuinn does seem to be returning to his roots, which unfortunately lie deep in commercial folk music.
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Mark's Record Reviews
Too much straight country music for Ol' Prind, but it's still not as bland as the classic Sweetheart Of The Rodeo LP. Plus, it's interesting to hear the other new band members sing lead - their voices aren't bad at all!
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John McFerrin Music Reviews
Furthermore, while country continues to largely dominate the band's sound, it's no longer a given that virtually every track would be a country piece. There's quite a nice dose of folk once more, both "regular" and even a bit of ye olde English folk, and there's even a bit of well-done gospel to be found!
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Adrian's Album Reviews
Much of the music is perfectly professional and charming, but perhaps just lacking in a little raw excitement and ambition. It is an easy record to listen to however and works as a good album, if not as a good Byrds album necessarily, if that makes any sense at all.
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