Country rock is a music genre that fuses Rock music and Country music. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars.[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.] Country rock began in the late 60s with artists like Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, International Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger and Poco[ as well as playing a part in the development of Southern rock.
]
Definition and etymology
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.[J. Einarson, Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock (Rowman & Littlefield, 2001), , p. 1.]
The term country rock had rarely been heard until the critic Richard Goldstein used it the June6, 1968 issue of The Village Voice. In his piece, titled "Country Rock: Can Y'All Dig It?", Goldstein counted several artists as moving towards country-friendly material – including Moby Grape, Stone Poneys, Buffy Sainte-Marie, the International Submarine Band and Bob Dylan – but he expected the Byrds' forthcoming album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, to represent the new genre. Before the Byrds' album was released in August1968, Goldstein considered the Band's debut album, Music From Big Pink, as the "first major album" of the country-rock movement when he reviewed it for The New York Times on August4.
History
Origins
Country rock incorporates musical elements and songwriting from 1960s country into modern rock music of the time. Country rock, primarily developed in Los Angeles, grew off the back of many southern Americans moving to Los Angeles, the growth of the commercial Recording studio, and the adoption of main stream production techniques popularized by rock musicians of the era.
Country influences can be heard on rock records through the 1960s, including the Beatles' 1964 recordings "I'll Cry Instead", "Baby's in Black", "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", and their 1965 recording "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).
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 psychedelia, Bob Dylan spearheaded the back-to-basics roots revival when he went to Nashville to record the album Blonde on Blonde, playing with notable local musicians like Charlie McCoy.[ This, and the subsequent more clearly country-influenced albums, John Wesley Harding (1967) and Nashville Skyline (1969), have been seen as creating the genre of country folk, a route pursued by a number of, largely acoustic, folk musicians.][K. Wolff, O. Duane, Country Music: The Rough Guide (Rough Guides, 2000), p. 392.]
Dylan's lead was also followed by the Byrds, who were joined by Gram Parsons in 1968. Parsons had mixed country music with Rock music, blues and Folk music to create what he called "Cosmic American Music".[ 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.][ 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.][
]
Expansion
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, Poco (formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina, formerly of the Buffalo Springfield) and New Riders of the Purple Sage.[ Some folk-rockers followed the Byrds into the genre, among them the Beau Brummels][ and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.][P. Buckley, The Rough Guide to Rock (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), p. 730.] A number of performers also enjoyed a renaissance by adopting country sounds, including: the Beatles, who re-explored elements of country in songs such as "Rocky Raccoon" and "Don't Pass Me By" from their 1968 self-titled double album (often referred to as the "White Album"),[J. Dougan, "Blue Ridge Rangers: Biography", AllMusic, retrieved April 9, 2011.] Mike Nesmith, who had experimented with country sounds while with the Monkees, formed the First National Band;[Andrew Sandoval, The Monkees: The Day by Day Story of the '60s Pop Sensation (Thunder Bay Press, 2005), p. 118.] and Neil Young who moved in and out of the genre throughout his career.[ One of the few acts to successfully move from the country side towards rock were the Bluegrass music band the Dillards.][ Doug Dillard left the band to form the group Dillard & Clark with ex-Byrds member Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon.][Einarson, Desperados, p. 103]
Peak
The greatest commercial success for country rock came in the 1970s, with the Doobie Brothers mixing in elements of R&B, Emmylou Harris (the former singer with Parsons) becoming a star on country radio, and Linda Ronstadt, the "queen of country-rock", creating a highly successful pop-oriented brand of the genre.[ Pure Prairie League, formed in Ohio in 1970 by Craig Fuller, had both critical and commercial success with five straight Top 40 LP releases,][W. Ruhlmann, "Pure Prairie League: Biography", AllMusic, retrieved April 8, 2011.] including Bustin' Out (1972), acclaimed by AllMusic critic Richard Foss as "an album that is unequaled in country-rock",[.] and Two Lane Highway, described by Rolling Stone as "a worthy companion to the likes of the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo and other gems of the genre".[Rolling Stone #194 August 28, 1975.] Former Poco and Buffalo Springfield member Jim Messina joined Kenny Loggins in a very successful duo, while former members of Ronstadt's backing band went on to form the Eagles (two members of which were from the Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco), who emerged as one of the most successful rock acts of all time, producing albums that included Desperado (1973) and Hotel California (1976).[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.] However, the principal country rock influence in the Eagles came from Bernie Leadon, formerly of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Eagles are perceived as shifting towards hard rock after he left the band in late 1975. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils had hit singles "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" (1974) and "Jackie Blue" (1975), the latter of which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. The Bellamy Brothers had the hit "Let Your Love Flow"(1976). In 1979, the Southern rock 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.
Legacy
Outside its handful of stars, country rock's greatest significance was on artists in other genres, including the Band, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Rolling Stones, and George Harrison's solo work.[ It also played a part in the development of Southern rock, which, although largely derived from blues rock, had a distinct southern lilt, and it paved the way for parts of the alternative country movement.][ The genre declined in popularity in the late-1970s, but some established artists, including Neil Young, have continued to record country-tinged rock into the 21st century. Japan even took influence in the 70s with country rock mainly in the kayokyoku genre. Artists such as Takuro Yoshida, 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.][P. Buckley, The Rough Guide to Rock (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), pp. 145-6.] Other performers have produced occasional recordings in the genre, including Elvis Costello's Almost Blue (1981)[ and the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss collaboration Raising Sand, which was one of the most commercially successful albums of 2007.][ "The Top 50 Albums of 2007". Rolling Stone. December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 20, 2007.] Kid Rock, who broke through into mainstream success with a rap rock sound, gradually developed a country rock sound.
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.
Country metal
Country metal is the fusion country music elements with heavy metal.
In 2002, Kid Rock was quoted in Variety describing himself as a "country-metal-rapping hillbilly".
Countrycore is a genre term created by the media to describe the style of Brazilian band Matanza, who fuse country music with heavy metal and hardcore punk.
See also
-
List of country rock albums
-
List of country rock musicians
Sources
External links
