Country Artists Who Sound Like Rockers

[wmthor]

What does Chet Atkins, Bill Monore, Jimmie Rodgers, and Hank Willams have in common?

They are among the dozen or so that have been inducted into both, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

[rob_mac]

I like a good bit of Bluegrass and some of that sounds quite rocky to me. In particular Sam Bush and his great band, examples can be seen and heard here. The track 'new country' is a fantastic performance.

http://www.cmt.com/music/unplugged/perf ... ance.jhtml

from Rob

[jimk]

Oh yeah, I always thought Sam Bush was a frustrated rocker.


JimK

[winston]

Sam Bush is great. His band is incredible too.

[tamborineman]

I like some country, usually the older traditional country from the 50's or 60's. Ironicly,many of those Nashville dudes from that era were the most narrow minded bigots ever to pick a note. Jokes about long hair and smelly hippies were a staple on country music radio and TV of the 1960's. Emmy Lou Harris was to 'rock and roll' to play the Opre'. Charley Pride was an oddity, Ian and Sylvia, Canadian folk artists, were assaulted in the elevator of a Nashville hotel because somebody didn't like they're appearance. Willie Nelson decided to move to Austin. Those of us rockers, that were around back then, all lived the story Bob Seager told in his song, Turn The Page. With the notable exception of Johnny Cash and a few others there was no tollerance of rock music or the people who played it. The persuit of money was the thing that started to change Nashville in the early 70's. Younger country artists started sighting rock musicians as thier influences, The Byrds, Eagles, CSN&Y, James Taylor, etc. The country music industry could no longer ignore the rest of the nation. Today, the country artists are the ones that look like hippies. It's a crazy world.

[winston]

Interesting observations Hank. Perhaps the gradual acceptance of outlaws and long hairs by the Nashville alumni is why a lot of country music sounds a lot more like rock these days.

[tamborineman]

That is correct Brian. It was so ironic that the very rock groups they dispised so much back then could play country music so well. I.E. The Stones, The Byrds, N.G.Dirt Band, CSN, The Kinks, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, Mobey Grape, The Beatles.... the list goes on and on.
Of course many of those songs were done tounge in cheek to counter **** like Oke From Muskokee
I will name a couple of modern country artists I really like Alan Jackson and Dwight Yocam.
I will also admit I have a serious Telecaster addiction.

[winston]

I will also admit I have a serious Telecaster addiction.

Does this help?

[tamborineman]

AAAAHHH....

[winston]

That guitar sounds as great as it looks btw.

So how about Big and Rich? Besides their rock and roll sound, they even look like fugitive rockers who wear cowpoke duds.

[tamborineman]

Brian, how about the video they did with Hank Williams Jr. I have no memory of the song but the visuals were stunning....

[winston]

I am looking for that one Hank.

In the meantime here is Bon Jovi with Big and Rich.

[winston]

This one is great,

[manta]

I think The Bottle Rockets are a country band with a rock flair or vice-versa. Their '90s song "Thousand Dollar Car" is a hoot!

Manta

[wmthor]

Hank Williams III is a rocker.