The Hillmen – The Hillmen (LP Vinyl)

Before Chris Hillman anchored the Byrds' country pivot or helped birth the Flying Burrito Brothers, he played mandolin in this early-'60s bluegrass outfit alongside future Byrds cohort Vern Gosdin. The Hillmen recorded these sessions in 1963, making them an essential document of the roots DNA that would eventually reshape American rock and country music. Hearing where Hillman started puts everything that followed in sharper focus.