THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND’s John McEuen asks JON ‘MOJO’ MILLS, “What is country- rock?” There isn’t a hint of sarcasm. McEuen is interested in hearing an answer. He isn’t sure if he knows himself. When starting to embrace these influences in 1968 there was no such
thing as country-rock. “With the Dirt Band we were just playing a combination of folk music with more aggressive rhythms.”
Over the next 19 pages Shindig! looks at the fallen American angel GENE CLARK who, after withdrawing from the public eye in the mid-60s, continued to expand the horizons of country music, bluegrass pioneers THE DILLARDS, unsung country-rock heroes GOOSE CREEK SYMPHONY, folk-country experiment THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD as well as a number of innovators who shunned psychedelia and hard rock at the tail end of the ’60s.
We could have covered many more integral players, but chances are you’ve read about them elsewhere. The artists we focus on all helped lay down the foundations for major changes in American music. Their marriage of American history, youthful abandon and natural belief led to the development of what we now call country-rock.
COUNTRY ROCK HEROES ✪SWAMPWATER
One of the most overlooked pioneering country-rock bands was Swampwater. Formed by Linda Ronstadt as her backing band in 1968 after she decided to go solo, they consisted of former Nashville West vocalist/fiddler Gib Guilbeau, John Beland, Stan Pratt and Eric White, brother of Clarence. Eric left, to be replaced by Thad Maxwell just before their self-titled debut was recorded in two days in Nashville.
Released on the King label in ’70, this wonderful album mixed country-rock with swamp and Cajun influences. Standout tracks included ‘Take A City Bride’ and ‘Big Bayou’. A performance on The Johnny Cash Show got them signed by RCA and they recorded their second album –also called Swampwater –in ’71. They made further recordings for RCA that were never released.
Linda then replaced the band with the embryonic Eagles. However they reformed in ’79 for a reunion album called, erm, Reunion, which wasn’t released until ’87.
Pat Curran
COUNTRY ROCK HEROES ✪MUDCRUTCH
It’s not often that a band that never made an album reforms to record their debut, but when one of the members later becomes famous and calls on his old mates to rejoin him, the resultant good vibes concentrate the occasion. Mudcrutch were formed in 1970 by Tom Petty and Tom Leadon and over five years changed line-up, served as the house band at DubsLounge in their hometown of Gainesville, Floridaand split up after releasing a single ’75. 35 years later
for Shelter Records in original band
members TomPetty, Randall Marsh and TomLeadon teamed up withHeartbreakers Benmont Tench to reform
result issued in
pedestrian boogie, is early ’70s acid-tinged
2008 despite the odd a beautiful update of
country-rock. Highlights
include the garage influenced‘Scare Easy’, the psychedelic ‘Crystal River’ and strong covers of both ‘Shady Grove’ and The Byrds’ ‘Lover Of The Bayou’. The musicianship is immaculate throughout with rippling acid guitar work, rolling piano, dreamy slide guitar and swirling keyboards underpinning the rural harmonies.
Richard Allen COUNTRY ROCK HEROES✪THE GOSDIN BROTHERS
Most fans of Vern “The Voice” Gosdin probably don’t know that he made an album with his brother Rex in 1968. They’re likely not aware that, a decade before Vern became a Country & Western hit-making machine, The Gosdin Brothers were hanging out and playing music with “hippies” like The Byrds, acting as backup band for Gene Clark on his ’67 solo album, recording covers of Donovan songs and more. If more C&W “straights” had been as cool as The Gosdins, Gram Parsons and Roger McGuinn might never have felt compelled to write ‘Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man.’
The Gosdin Brothers’ lone album, Sounds Of Goodbye, is more Louvin Brothers and Merle Haggard than it is Younger Than Yesterday, but there’s just enough jangly guitar and echo-laden vocals to let you know that they were hearing, and liking, what the longhairs were doing. It’s a perfect album, an unheralded classic of country rock, and
The superb 2003 Ace/Big Beat reissue of Sounds Of Goodbye contains the classic country rock album, a generous selection of extra tracks, and lengthy, informative sleeve notes by Alec Palao.
Brian Greene
and Mike Campbell Mudcrutch. The
something every fan of Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, The Burritos, Michael Nesmith and the countrified Byrds should get hip to.
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