Today’s Cool Album of the Day is the 1968 release by The Byrds, Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Quite simply, a masterpiece. Was it the first country rock album? That’s debatable. There has been so much written and discussed about this music that I’m not even going to try and invent an original idea. Just listen to the music. I’d have loved to have heard Roger McGuinn and Gram Parsons stay together longer. But then Gram might not have gone on to to record two other great pieces of music (Gram Parsons and GP). And maybe he wouldn’t have gone on to discover (along with Chris Hillman) EmmyLou Harris. The Byrds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day is Rodney Crowell, “Diamonds & Dirt.” Rodney Crowell is one of America’s great singer/songwriters. He’s written hits for Bob Seger (Shame on the Moon), George Strait/Jimmy Buffett (Stars on the Water), Waylon Jennings/EmmyLou Harris (Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This) and on and on. He also saves some good ones for himself. “Diamonds & Dirt” is a fine example.Highlights include: ‘I Couldn’t Leave You If I Tried, She’s Crazy For Leavin’, After All This Time’ and a Duet with then wife Rosanne Cash ‘It’s Such a Small World’ Rodney was a member of the great 70s EmmyLou Harris ‘Hot Band.’ But he also had a hot band of his own. His guitarist during this...