Unit 16 Flashcards
When did rock come to country?
The early 1960s
When was Roy Orbison’s only number one hit released?
1964- “Pretty woman”
Roy Orbison
Considered the last rockabilly artist but also the first country rocker. He brought a country sensibility to rock and showed country musicians how to blend rock with country.
What characteristic of Roy Orbison’s “Mean woman blues” would influence 1970s country rock?
The drummer taps out a rock rhythmic layer. The alternation of a strong bass note and comparably strong backbeat gives the song a country tinge. In effect, this approach layers the rock rhythm onto a honky-tonk–style two-beat rhythm.
What differentiated American rock from the music of British bands during the late 1960s?
Country. It is apparent in the music of the Band, the Grateful Dead, and Creedence Clearwater Revival and, more regionally, in the Southern rock of the Allman Brothers.
Gram Parsons
A singer and songwriter from the Southeast, who engineered the Byrds’ transition from folk rock to country. This was the most comprehensive attempt to bring country into rock. He also formed a country oriented rock band called the Flying Burrito Brothers
When were the Eagles formed?
1971
Country rock
Music combining a strong honky-tonk two-beat with a clear, simple rock rhythm.
The Eagles
One of the most successful rock groups of the 70s. Their lyrics were country, but the music blended rock and country- known for the countrification of rock rhythm. They eventually went more mainstream- they were the band that recorded hotel California in 1977.
Bakersfield, California
The home of a country music rebellion. This is due to the influx of families from the south and southwest during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. These families supported a thriving country music scene in the area by the 1960s.
Nashville sound
The dominant sound in country music during the late 1950s and early 1960s- country music was made more like pop so it would sell better. The story unfolds gradually, describing a painful situation in plain language. The emotional impact comes from the singers’ performance rather than the lyrics.
Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold
Country singers that recorded pop influenced country music. They were very successful, but people began to feel like country music was losing its identity
Merle Haggard
Country artist in Bakersfield. Known as the spokesman for the working class and champion of middle-American values. Haggard played a key role in establishing what was soon called “hard country” as a commercially and critically viable alternative to the music coming from Nashville.
“Okie from Muskogee”
Merle Haggard, 1969. Had a country sound (a plainspoken lyric set to a simple melody, with a no-frills, well-played backdrop), but the musical setting was more contemporary. It was a song about social issues
Other than Bakersfield, what was the home for tradition oriented country in the 1970s?
Austin, Texas
Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Started the outlaw movement. They had multiple hits and seemed very attuned to public taste.
Country music’s “outlaw movement”
A movement that defied Nashville’s calculated commercialism
What was the first million-selling country album?
Wanted: The Outlaws (1976) by Nelson and Jennings
“Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,”
Nelson and Jennings, 1978. This was a Grammy winning hit. The song shows the independent spirit of the two men in both words and music. The music is a modern version of the traditional cowboy song of the 1930s and 1940s along with an up to date honky tonk band. They debunk the mythical cowboy seen in the films and television shows of earlier generations
When did George Jones start releasing hits?
1955
George Jones and Tammy Wynette
Jones and Wynette were married, but then divorced. They were a perfect match musically. Both sang with real feeling and empathy- they excelled at expressing in song the anguish of love gone wrong. Their success signaled the continued growth of the audience for country music.
“He Stopped Loving Her Today”
George Jones, 1979. This was the song that turned George Jones’s career around and helped turn his life around, as well. Despite his substance-abuse problems, he delivered a performance of real conviction. His performance makes the lyrics credible
What were the political reasons for country music’s popularity?
Both the conservative backlash from the sixties and the election of Jimmy Carter gave country music a boost. The election of Jimmy Carter boosted southern pride, and country music reflected conservative points of view.
Music row
The Tin Pan Alley of country music, in Nashville
George Straight
A very successful “new traditionalist” in country music.
When were “new traditionalists” popular in country music?
Their careers took off in the 1980s
How was “check yes or no” (George Straight) different from typical country music?
It had a feel good storyline- no alcohol problems, divorce, etc. The instrumental accompaniment, which features steel guitar and fiddle, provides skilled, yet unobtrusive support. There are no surprises, and that is a large part of the song’s appeal.
Alabama
Country band, formed by bassist Teddy Gentry. The sense of the country and the culture that emerged from it was central to their music. Their music’s mix of old and new helps account for Alabama’s extraordinary success and the broadened demographic that they brought to country music. They put the “new” in traditional country.
When was Alabama’s first hit released?
1991
“Born Country” (Alabama)
The lyric seem autobiographical. Traditional country elements dominate the music- vocal style, the honky-tonk–based rhythm in the chorus, and the fiddle solo and guitar licks. Also features more modern, synthesized sounds. The result is a track that is clearly country, but with a more up-to-date sound.
Dolly Parton
Actress and country artist. Blended pop with country. Parton not only brought glitz into country but also blazed a trail for other women with talent, ambition, and a good business sense.
When was Dolly Parton most popular?
Late 1970s-1980s. Her first album was released in 1967.
The Dixie Chicks
Began as a female bluegrass group, then moved toward contemporary country as they became more successful. Maines joined the group in 1995 and gave the group a more mainstream sound.
What was the pivotal point in the Dixie Chick’s career?
1995, when Maines joined as a vocalist. They released albums throughout the 2000s.
How did the Dixie Chicks redefine their career?
Their rock album Taking the Long Way was very successful. It redefined their career and broadened their audience, even as it left some of their country core behind.
Taylor Swift- You Belong with Me
Her music was only cosmetically country- we hear banjo and steel guitar in the verse of the song, but they disappear in the chorus. Stylistically, “You Belong with Me” has more in common with the punk-tinged pop rock of the 1980s. Story, vocal style, and rhythm have no apparent connection to country music.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
American band known for southern rock and country rock
Loretta Lynn
American singer-songwriter known for country and honky-tonk
Garth Brooks
American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of rock and pop elements into the country genre has earned him popularity
