Country rock

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the geological term, see Country rock (geology).

Country rock
Stylistic origins

Country rock is a music genre that fuses

Charlie Daniels Band, and Pure Prairie League. Country rock also influenced artists in other genres, including The Band, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, and George Harrison's solo work,[1] as well as playing a part in the development of Southern rock
.

Characteristics

Rock and roll has usually been seen as a combination of rhythm and blues and country music, a fusion particularly evident in 1950s rockabilly.[4] There has also been cross-pollination throughout the history of both genres; however, the term "country-rock" is used generally to refer to the wave of rock musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s who began recording rock songs with country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars.[1] John Einarson states that, "[f]rom a variety of perspectives and motivations, these musicians either played country with a rock & roll attitude, or added a country feel to rock, or folk, or bluegrass. There was no formula".[5]

History

Origins

Gram Parsons in 1972

Country influences can be heard on rock records through the 1960s, including

I've Just Seen A Face", the Byrds' 1965 cover version of Porter Wagoner's "Satisfied Mind", or the Rolling Stones "High and Dry" (1966), as well as Buffalo Springfield's "Go and Say Goodbye" (1966) and "Kind Woman" (1968).[1] According to The Encyclopedia of Country Music, the Beatles' "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", their cover of the Buck Owens country hit "Act Naturally" and their 1965 album Rubber Soul can all be seen "with hindsight" as examples of country rock.[6]

Former TV teen idol and rockabilly recording artist Ricky Nelson pioneered the Country Rock sound as the frontman for his Stone Canyon Band and recorded the 1966 album "Bright Lights & Country Music" and the 1967 album "Country Fever". Bassist Randy Meisner joined briefly in 1970 after leaving Poco and before joining Eagles.

In 1966, as many rock artists moved increasingly towards expansive and experimental

country folk, a route pursued by a number of, largely acoustic, folk musicians.[7]

Dylan's lead was also followed by the Byrds, who were joined by

pedal steel and is seen by some as the first true country-rock album.[1] The result of Parsons' brief tenure in the Byrds was Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968), generally considered one of the finest and most influential recordings in the genre.[1] The Byrds continued in the same vein, but Parsons left before the album was released to join another ex-Byrds member Chris Hillman in forming the Flying Burrito Brothers. The Byrds hired guitarist Clarence White and drummer Gene Parsons, both from the country band Nashville West. The Flying Burrito Brothers recorded the albums The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) and Burrito Deluxe (1970), which helped establish the respectability and parameters of the genre, before Parsons departed to pursue a solo career.[1]

Expansion

Emmylou Harris playing in Rotterdam, Netherlands (2006)

Country rock was a particularly popular style in the California music scene of the late 1960s, and was adopted by bands including Hearts and Flowers,

Byrds member Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon.[14]

Peak

Allman Brothers Band
, brought elements of country rock into the band during the 1970s

The greatest commercial success for country rock came in the 1970s, with

Charlie Daniels Band moved to a more country direction, released a song with strong bluegrass influence, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and the song crossed over and became a hit on the pop chart.[19]

Legacy

Outside its handful of stars, country rock's greatest significance was on artists in other genres, including

Lily and Saori Minami have often dabbled with country rock in their music. Country rock has survived as a cult force in Texas, where acts including the Flatlanders, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and California-based Richard Brooker have collaborated and recorded.[1][20] Other performers have produced occasional recordings in the genre, including Elvis Costello's Almost Blue (1981)[1] and the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss collaboration Raising Sand, which was one of the most commercially successful albums of 2007.[21] Kid Rock, who broke through into mainstream success with a rap rock sound, gradually developed a country rock sound.[22] In 2013, British country rock band Rocky and the Natives released Let's Hear It for the Old Guys with two American members, drummer Andy Newmark and acoustic guitarist Bob Rafkin. Rafkin had written "Lazy Waters" for The Byrds from the 1971 album Farther Along, and Andy Newmark had played on the 1973 Gene Parsons album Kindling. Canadian country rock band Blue Rodeo has found considerable success in Canada, selling multi-platinum albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and continues to receive frequent radio airplay on Canadian radio stations. Later in 2013 Rocky and the Natives' country rock cover of John Lennon's "Tight A$" was included on the Lennon Bermuda
album.

A revival of country music blended with rock features in the 2020s was titled "ronky tonk" in the music press, with acts such as Zach Bryan, Jackson Dean, and Bailey Zimmerman identified by Billboard.[23][24] Jelly Roll is another crossover artist that blends a unique fashion of country and rock,[25] sometimes with hip hop influences.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (Backbeat Books, 3rd ed., 2002), p. 1327.
  2. ^ "Gram Parsons : the father of country rock lives again : July 1999". Countrystandardtime.com. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "Buffalo Springfield | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". Rockhall.com. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  4. ^ B. Horner and T. Swiss, Key terms in popular music and culture (Wiley-Blackwell, 1999), p. 104.
  5. ISBN 0815410654
    , p. 1.
  6. ISBN 978-0-19-539563-1. {{cite book}}: |first3= has generic name (help
    )
  7. ^ a b K. Wolff, O. Duane, Country Music: The Rough Guide (Rough Guides, 2000), p. 392.
  8. ^ Leggett, Steve. "Gram Parsons Archive, Vol. 1: Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969 review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
  9. ^ P. Buckley, The Rough Guide to Rock (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), p. 730.
  10. ^ "The Beatles [White Album] - The Beatles - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  11. ^ "Octopus's Garden - The Beatles - Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  12. ^ J. Dougan, "Blue Ridge Rangers: Biography", AllMusic, retrieved April 9, 2011.
  13. ^ Andrew Sandoval, The Monkees: The Day by Day Story of the '60s Pop Sensation (Thunder Bay Press, 2005), p. 118.
  14. ^ Einarson, Desperados, p. 103
  15. ^ a b N. E. Tawa, Supremely American: popular song in the 20th century: styles and singers and what they said about America (Scarecrow Press, 2005), pp. 227-8.
  16. ^ W. Ruhlmann, "Pure Prairie League: Biography", AllMusic, retrieved April 8, 2011.
  17. ^ R. Foss, "Bustin' Out Pure Prairie League: Review", AllMusic, archived from the original on May 8, 2011.
  18. ^ Rolling Stone #194 August 28, 1975.
  19. ^ "Charlie Daniels - News, New Music, Songs, and Videos - CMT". Cmt.com. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  20. ^ P. Buckley, The Rough Guide to Rock (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), pp. 145-6.
  21. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2007". Rolling Stone. December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
  22. ^ "Kid Rock – Sweet Southern Sugar (Album Review) – Cryptic Rock". Crypticrock.com. November 3, 2017. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  23. ^ Newman, Melinda; Nicholson, Jessica (November 30, 2022). "Ronky Tonk: Country's New Musical Explosion Is 'Not the Typical Dirt Roads and Tailgate'". Billboard.
  24. ^ Roland, Tom (December 23, 2022). "Ronky Tonk, Race & Radio: Country Music Looked to the Future With One Eye on the Past in 2022". Billboard.
  25. ^ "Nashville Native Jelly Roll on Shifting from Hip Hop to Country-Rock: 'I Want to Change the Way Music is Done on Those Streets'". Billboard.
  26. ^ "Jelly Roll Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Country_rock&oldid=1210021475"