Note: The following article, in it's original form of 4,000 words was published some years ago. I would like to have put the original on here, but can't find it!! I think the comments still have some relevance to todays music so decided to put it on this site in it's heavily edited form. An even heavier edited version is in this years Seaside Hospital Radio magazine.
Defining Country Rock!(or, A Hiding to Nothing!!)
In the end all definitions are a question of opinions & mine, on this subject, are still, after all these years, nowhere near written in stone! Although I was around at the time I don't know who first came up with the term country rock; certainly not Gram Parsons who many believe was responsible for inventing the genre. This initially because of his work with the 'Byrds' & before this with the 'International Submarine Band' then latterly the 'Flying Burrito Brothers', followed by a short two album solo career, but with Emmylou Harris harmonizing. He was quite derisory when 'country rock' was mentioned to him, preferring, 'Cosmic American Music', probably because his musical vision took in R & B & Soul, as well as classic country. He often referred to 'traditional country', but even this term illustrates the misuse of these generic terms
So what is traditional country? Surely it has to be the music that is in the same vein as the early recordings, otherwise the word traditional is meaningless? The earliest recorded country music was at the beginning of the 1920's & was performed by string bands & fiddle players such as Fiddlin' John Carson, who sang whilst playing his fiddle, longbow style. The songs he used were ones that he was familiar with, such as old folk songs, some of which historically were from the British Isles, added to current political songs which he either wrote or copied. He at various times had the support of a string band & also formed a duo with his daughter 'Moonshine Kate' who sang & played guitar. Maybe she was the first bit of glamour to grace country music! In the late 1920's we had the 'Bristol sessions' where the legendary Carter Family & Jimmie Rogers were first recorded by Ralph Peer, & so it goes on. They were not dressed immaculately in sequined gowns or ten gallon hats & polished cowboy boots, in the style of modern 'Nashville sound' artists & were certainly not accompanied by string orchestras. Obviously much of their situation was down to the poverty of the time in which they all, in varying degrees, shared. Many of these points are arguable, but I use them to illustrate the point that what is called 'Traditional Country Music' in the modern age, actually has very little in common with the early recorded music that set the tradition. To really define any musical genre it would probably be necessary to add many more titles & definitions than is practical.
A stronger case for the invention of country rock if it had to be in the late 1960's could be made for the late & far greater Gene Clark. If anyone blended rock sensibilities with country songs it surely was he. He was a troubled man but a true musical genius. You will find that most musicians hate their music being labelled as one particular genre, because it is so limiting, a feeling to which I'm happy to subscribe, at least morally! The trouble is that when you make your living from music, be it performing or writing, there has to be a certain amount of marketing. Who will publish an article about 'music' if it has no relevance to the publication or promote an album if they don't know who their target purchasers are. Sadly, labels have huge importance & relevance.
So what is country rock & when did it start? The accurate answer to this is 'I haven't a clue' & anyone who claims to know is deluded. Is country rock, country music played by rock bands or rock music played by country bands. This is not as daft as it sounds. There are plenty of country bands that adopted a rock persona in the late 1960's & early 1970's. Take the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band as just one example; they were steeped in the tradition of 'old time' music (another but more polite phrase for 'hillbilly') but evolved into 'country rock' along with many of their peers. The obvious movement before this is the genre known as 'Rockabilly'. Without going too deeply into it, this is probably the one definable genre that could actually change it's name to'country rock'. After all, the title itself includes 'rock' & the 'billy' part refers to 'hillbilly' & 'hillbilly' is early 'country' (phew!!). Yet when country rock is discussed rockabilly is rarely given a mention. Obviously predating this term was the rock 'n' roll of Elvis Presley, which helped to evolve rockabilly. I defy anyone to listen to one of his early recordings such as 'Blue moon of Kentucky' & not recognise it as country rock. It was most definitely a country song, (alright, a Bluegrasssong, which is an offshoot of country) & boy did he rock! Predating even he was the late & greatest, Hank Williams. He was arguably the first 'rock star', simply because the media had by his time started building stars & money was pouring into promoting them, plus he had the decency to 'live fast & die young'! He certainly, as much as was possible, had a rock star persona. He liked a few drinks, was addicted to prescription drugs & at times could be highly erratic in his behaviour. Obviously it cannot just be 'rock star' attitude that created country rock, otherwise many of the bland Nashville acts of modern days could be lumped into the genre that I have come to love over a very long period of time. Listen to Hank's music. I've recently been listening to his huge box set of ten c.d's that are more than anyone should need. It is difficult to say how many of the songs, had they been recorded in the 1960's or 1970's, would have been termed 'country rock', but the percentage would certainly be high. Before country music fans start complaining, I am not actually saying he was a country rocker, but there could certainly be an interesting discussion in waiting!
Of course, we can go back even further. Back in the late 1920's & early 30's there was Charlie Poole & the North Carolina Ramblers plus any number of others. O.K. Charlie & his band didn't play rock & roll or anything we would recognise as such today, but usually there were only three of them & they were a string band. This was a band that included only guitar, banjo, fiddle & Charlie's driving vocals allied to his rock & roll lifestyle! By this I mean he was an alcoholic who got into any number of scrapes & fights, then had the decency, as any right minded legend should, to die young, thus giving the lie to the idea that dying young was something rock stars of the 1960's invented! The band played hillbilly music, so couldn't possibly be country rock, but they did push the boundaries! This should show those taking a cursory listen to the genre of country rock that maybe it is not so easy to define, but really can't be traced back any further than when the term rock & roll was first used. Maybe the media & the industry at that time had no need for country rock, after all this was the late 1940's & early 50's & the genres were all pretty well defined. It was only towards the end of the latter decade that popular music started to split & diversify & the various genres came into being. The L.P. record was becoming a feature, so because of the extra costs, marketing & thus 'music genres' were gradually increasing.
A few years later young rockers were discovering the beauty of old time music, folk & 'traditional country' & were starting to split the genres even more, thus making more marketing tools, such as titles, necessary. My feeling has always been that a germ of an idea came from Harry Smiths 'Anthology of American Folk Music'. This was a box set of L.P. records released in 1952 (& as a 6 c.d set in the late 1990's) & containing what Harry, a renowned musicologist amongst many other things, considered to be the defining recordings of mainly 1920's American popular music. It was made up of ballads, gospel & blues. This was picked up by many young folkies who ten or so years later would have either themselves become, or have influenced a new generation of young musicians dedicated to rock music, but also with an interest in 'roots' music.
A few years later young rockers were discovering the beauty of old time music, folk & 'traditional country' & were starting to split the genres even more, thus making more marketing tools, such as titles, necessary. My feeling has always been that a germ of an idea came from Harry Smiths 'Anthology of American Folk Music'. This was a box set of L.P. records released in 1952 (& as a 6 c.d set in the late 1990's) & containing what Harry, a renowned musicologist amongst many other things, considered to be the defining recordings of mainly 1920's American popular music. It was made up of ballads, gospel & blues. This was picked up by many young folkies who ten or so years later would have either themselves become, or have influenced a new generation of young musicians dedicated to rock music, but also with an interest in 'roots' music.
In the early 1970's bands such as the huge selling Eagles were attached to the country rock label although in reality, apart from parts of their first two albums, there was very little that was 'country' about them. It was simply a marriage of convenience. There were many other bands that followed in their melodic & harmonic shoes, all singing tales of lost love, murder & sorrow & therefore becoming part of the country rock runaway train. When the Eagles started to veer away from most of their countryish tendencies many of the other performers in that rather sketchy genre carried on with their countryish feel & country rock became a cult genre. Many on these coat tails, as with any other cult, ceased to exist, others diversified & a few carried on in the same vein. Some of those that diversified were still attached, by the media & the public, to the country rock banner & the definition gradually came to mean that anything in rock/pop that had an element of country was 'country rock'. I've made huge generalisations in the preceeding statements, but there have been books written on the genre that cannot possibly cover the subject & satisfactorily define this or virtually any other genre, so what chance has a few paragraphs got!? The idea of this essay was to maybe explain a little about the genre & hopefully a few readers will pick up on the music.
So, how do I define country rock. As I said earlier, I can't but we can always hope that if enough is written about a subject, gradually an understanding of it can develop. It will probably be easier to define most current music genres many years into the future, but for now just sit back with a drink & enjoy the music. You decide which genre it comes from.
A few countryish rockish albums from the 60's & 70's & in no particular order!!
Flyin Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin
Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo
International Submarine Band – Safe at home
Grateful Dead – American Beauty
OzarkMountain daredevils – It'll shine when it shines
New Riders of the Purple sage- New Riders of the Purple sage
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Uncle Charlie & his dog Teddy
Eagles – Desperado
Poco – Rose of Cimmaron
Gene Clark – Flying high
Beau Brummels – Flying high
Michael Nesmith – Loose Salute
So, how do I define country rock. As I said earlier, I can't but we can always hope that if enough is written about a subject, gradually an understanding of it can develop. It will probably be easier to define most current music genres many years into the future, but for now just sit back with a drink & enjoy the music. You decide which genre it comes from.
A few countryish rockish albums from the 60's & 70's & in no particular order!!
Flyin Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin
Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo
International Submarine Band – Safe at home
Grateful Dead – American Beauty
OzarkMountain daredevils – It'll shine when it shines
New Riders of the Purple sage- New Riders of the Purple sage
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Uncle Charlie & his dog Teddy
Eagles – Desperado
Poco – Rose of Cimmaron
Gene Clark – Flying high
Beau Brummels – Flying high
Michael Nesmith – Loose Salute
