2000 Great Songs #1485: Chestnut Mare
On the one hand, gross . The narrator's fixation on the horse he covets is downright disturbing, almost sexual. Still, such a gorgeous track, the Byrds stretching out a bit on an extended epic that bounces between spoken-word narrative and a wondrous, jangly pop song worthy of the Byrds of old. I personally love all the Roger McGuinn contributions on the studio half of 1970's Untitled ("All The Things" in particular is one of the most beautiful tunes he ever wrote), but "Chestnut Mare" is a fun anomaly in the catalog, a song he originally wrote for an unfinished country rock musical which retains its theatrical flair. Could be a tougher hang than his shorter tracks--that slow waltz middle section bogs down (though the edited single version feels incomplete without it), and, again, talking about that damn horse like she's your wife is downright creepy--but you can't keep a great song down. Shortened single version performed on tv: Roger McGuinn ...
