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If Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde found Roger McGuinn having to recreate 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-handed
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 and Mr. Hyde often seemed tentative. The band sounds tight,
self-assured, and fully in touch with the music's emotional palate, 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. (by Mark Deming, AMG)
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#49 Rookie(2013) 
