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Country Rock |
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Listen To Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
The Dixie Chicks
Neil Young
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Country Rock (CR) stems from a fusion of
Country & Western with Rock. Others regard it as a morphed sub genre of Rock coming from the development of Folk Rock, Country and Rockabilly. Its typical instruments include acoustic, electric and steel guitars with piano, drums and bass guitar. CR largely grew out of the Western United States in the late 1960s. As such CR generally refers to those many Rock musicians in the late 1960s and early 1970s who began to record country-flavored records, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds. CR reached its greatest popularity in the 1970s with artists like Emmylou Harris and the Eagles. 
The Band
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RM Radio
Coming Soon 
The Eagles
Crosby, Stills & Nash
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History: As noted in Wikipedia – ‘Rock and Roll has often been seen as a combination of Rhythm and Blues with Country music, a fusion particularly evident in the 1950s Rockabilly, and there has been cross - pollination throughout the history of both genres, however, the term Country-Rock is generally used to refer to the wave of Rock musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s who began to record Rock records using Country themes, vocal styles and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitar.' 
The Byrds
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The Eagles - Lyin Eyes
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Wooden Ships
Creedence Clearwater Revival -
Looking Out My Back Door
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With early RnR stemming from C&W, Rockabilly was one of three basic trends of such early Rock. However by the early 1960s, Rockabilly was almost dead. As a result C&W’s influence over Rock was virtually non existent during the 1960s. But at the end of the decade and early into the 1970s, there came another surge of interest in rekindling a mesh between C&W and Rock. Artists experimenting with this included The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Dylan. Then in the early 1970s, The Grateful Dead turned towards Country Rock with their albums Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty. 
The Grateful Dead
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With such activity in the early 1970s, San Francisco soon became the major focus for Country Rock. A similar band with similar purpose were the Flying Burrito Brothers, among others. In the years that followed the most successful Country Rock artists included the Eagles (Lyin Eyes) – also The Band – Dylan's back-up band – and perhaps their best album was Music from Big Pink. Other bands – Lynard Skinnard, Linda Ronstadt, The Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker Bands, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. |
The Band - Music From Big Pink
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Willie Nelson
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The Doobie Brothers - Listen To The Music
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Waylon Jennings
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A Further Note On Origins of CR
There were many Country influences in Rock during the 1960s, however while Psychedelic
Rock began to burst forth, in 1966 there was also a move by many artists, Dylan included, to
move back and rekindle a back-to-basics roots revival. Dylan spearheaded much of this when
he went to Nashville to record the album Blonde on Blonde, supported by such musician
notables as Charlie McCoy. This move ‘and the subsequent more clearly Country-influenced
albums, such as John Wesley Harding (1967) and Nashville Skyline (1969), have been seen as
creating the genre of Country Folk, a route pursued by many other largely acoustic, Folk
musicians. Dylan was also followed by The Byrds, and then Gram Parsons in 1968. Parsons
had mixed country with Rock, Blues and Folk to create what he called "Cosmic American'
Music. Parsons was later joined by another ex-Byrds member Chris Hillman and formed The
Flying Burrito Brothers .
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Neil Young - Harvest Moon
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Country Rock was a particularly popular style in the California music scene of the late 1960s, and was adopted by other bands including Hearts and Flowers and Poco. |
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Southern Cross
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Some Folk- Rockers also followed the Byrds into the genre, among them the Beau Brummels
and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Other performers also enjoyed a resurgence by adopting
Country sounds. These included The Everly Brothers, with their 'Roots' album (1968), and
former teen idol Ricky Nelson who became the frontman for the Stone Canyon Band. Others as
well included John Fogerty, who left Creedence Clearwater Revival behind for the Country
sounds of The Blue Ridge Rangers, Mike Nesmith formed the First National Band; and Neil
Young.
and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Other performers also enjoyed a resurgence by adopting
Country sounds. These included The Everly Brothers, with their 'Roots' album (1968), and
former teen idol Ricky Nelson who became the frontman for the Stone Canyon Band. Others as
well included John Fogerty, who left Creedence Clearwater Revival behind for the Country
sounds of The Blue Ridge Rangers, Mike Nesmith formed the First National Band; and Neil
Young.
Some CR Female Rockers
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Linda Ronstadt - You're No Good
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Emmylou Harris - Considered The Queen of Country Rock
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Dixie Chicks - Not Ready To Make Nice
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Lynard Skinnard - Sweet Home Alabama
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Poco - Crazy Love
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The greatest commercial success for Country Rock came in the 1970s. The Doobie Brothers mixed in elements of R&B. Emmylou Harris became the "Queen of Country - Rock" while Linda Ronstadt created a highly successful pop-oriented brand of the genre. Also some former members of Ronstadt's backing band went on to form the Eagles (made up of members of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco and Stone Canyon Band). The Eagles subsequently emerged as one of the most successful rock acts of all time, producing albums that included Desperado (1973) and Hotel California (1976). |
The Eagles - Desperado
CR's Legacy
Perhaps Country Rock's greatest significance was as an influence on artists in other genres,
including The Band, The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones
and George Harrison's solo work. It also influenced the development of Southern Rock, which,
while largely derived from Blues-influenced Rock, had a distinct southern lilt. As such it paved
the way for some of the alternative country movement. While CR as a genre declined in the
late 1970s, Neil Young among other established artists, continue to record CR.
Perhaps Country Rock's greatest significance was as an influence on artists in other genres,
including The Band, The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones
and George Harrison's solo work. It also influenced the development of Southern Rock, which,
while largely derived from Blues-influenced Rock, had a distinct southern lilt. As such it paved
the way for some of the alternative country movement. While CR as a genre declined in the
late 1970s, Neil Young among other established artists, continue to record CR.
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