Country Artists Who Sound Like Rockers

[winston]

I was watching a Brooks and Dunn interview and let me tell these good ole boys know how Rock and party with the best. They often sound like a rock band rather than a country band. They wear the trappings of a country artist and have been accepted by that genre with a passion, but I suspect, no stop right there: I know that their sound has been influenced by the bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Garth Brooks released a CD under the pseudonym of Chris Gaines. I thought the material was strong and the CD was extremely well done but the critics panned that effort. To be honest it was probably a bad idea for Garth overall, but the product itself did quite well in the charts. Negative press coverage took its toll and was in part guilty of killing a fine release before it had run its natural course.

Are there other so called country artists who are borderline rockers and who perhaps could have switched to the dark side? Oops edit: I meant to say Rock and Roll.

[captsandwich]

Maybe I am unclear on what you are asking here, are we talking country artists who have recorded R&R albums? Or rockers who have recorded country albums? Or artists who walk the line ( ) with one foot firmly in each camp?

Elvis Costello has recorded an album of country tunes. Frank Black has wandered into country with the Pixies and has spent his entire solo career criss-crossing the line. Crazy Horse are a country band playing too loud, or a rock band playing the wrong instuments or something. Then you get bands like the Violent Femmes, Jason & the Scorchers, Lone Justice et al. who purposely tried to meld the genres.

There is a long history of artists who have been a little bit of both, imo.

[phlemmy]

Most radio country is just southern rock now.

[wmthor]

For years, my mom has been of the opinion that at least 90% of modern country artists are rockers, who couldn't get a contract with a major rock-n-roll label. She'll hear someone new and if she doesn't care for their music, she'll say, "He [she, they] couldn't get a rock contract either".

I keep telling her that like me, they may have been influenced by both rock-n-roll and country artists.

[captsandwich]

Most radio country is just bad southern rock now.

You left out a word, so I fixed it for you.

[phlemmy]

Nashville is loaded with ex-metalheads playing and writing country.

Ronnie Lee Keel anyone?

[captsandwich]

Nashville is loaded with ex-metalheads playing and writing country.

Ronnie Lee Keel anyone?

Anyone?
Bueller?

[wmthor]

One CD I like is titled Stone Country. The tracks are as follows:
1. Honky Tonk Woman - Travis Tritt
2. Paint It Black - Tracy Lawrence
3. Ruby Tuesday - Deana Carter
4. The Last Time - The Tractors
5. Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rodney Crowell
6. Angie - Sammy Kershaw
7. Wild Horses - Blackhawk
8. Brown Sugar - Collin Raye
9. Beast Of Burden - Little Texas
10. No Expectations - Nanci Griffith
11. Time Is On My Side - George Jones

[winston]

For years, my mom has been of the opinion that at least 90% of modern country artists are rockers, who couldn't get a contract with a major rock-n-roll label.

I have had that same thought a thousand times over the years. Particularly since they integrated some former rock bands into the genre (Like Kenny Rogers and The First Edition) and started a flood of rock refugees on a one way migration journey to Nashville.

It would seem that all you had to do was to stick a hat on your head and boots on your feet and you became a country star. Actually it was not quite that easy so I am told. Nashville rejected the harder edge to country that was developing for many years. They wanted to preserve their "apple pie on the window sill, boots under the bed and old pickup in the driveway" version of country that had become such a rite of passage.

[wmthor]

... It would seem that all you had to do was to stick a hat on your head and boots on your feet and you became a country star. ...

You also needed a fiddle in the band!

[royclough]

Bit of a story here Brian, I like a lot of Brooks and Dunn's stuff and one track on one album Every River had a great 60's feel to it, original version of the song done by Kim Richey(woman) who is a Canadian I believe.

Anyway I digress, I felt song was right for my favourite band The Searchers and John McNally when I sent him it, agreed, it was in their set for a while and on one of their live cd's.

[winston]

That's a great story Roy. Brooks and Dunn do at least one song that is very reminiscent of the the Rolling Stones. I wish I could remember the name of the song. They are a typical example in my mind at least of country artists who are borderline rockers.

Another one is Shania Twain. She could have very easily been a pop rock star.

Another band that did well in the country charts that also could have been a pop rock band and perhaps they are really. Who am I thinking of? Rascal Flatts.

Jerry Lee Lewis was once considered a country artist. He was inducted into the into Rockabilly Hall of Fame and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The latter occured in 1986.

[shamustwin]

Since I was a kid I've had the impression that country picks up rock and roll influences a few years after the fact.

Odd that country guys (and R&B guys) invented R&R.

[jimk]

What I miss are steel guitars and fiddles in the mix. And more Rickenbacker, please. Gram Parsons checked out too early.


JimK

[tennis_nick]

country hasn.t sounded like country in 30 years... it takes more than a banjo and a lap steel to be a country band