Back to a Hard Country Sound
While some believed that rock & roll killed hillbilly music, others seized the moment to liven up their country sounds with inventive rhythm and harmony. Ray Price added a "shuffle" beat to his honky tonk sound, while in Bakersfield, Buck Owens fashioned a sound that borrowed from Elvis and other rockers. By the early 1960s, hard country was established as a counterpoint to the Nashville Sound.
In the late 1960s, Gram Parsons along with The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and Emmylou Harris put out songs with traditional country themes with a rock beat. Later on, bands like The Eagles would top the pop charts with their country rock songs.
Country Rock Music Suggestions:
Ray Price:
Buck Owens:
- The Very Best of Buck Owens, Vol. 1
- The Buck Owens Collection (1959 - 1990) (Box)
- I Don't Care
- I've Got a Tiger By The Tail
Gram Parsons
- The Complete Reprise Sessions (Box)
- Sacred Hearts, Fallen Angels
- Another Side of This Life: Lost Recordings 1965-66
- GP/Grievous Angel
Emmylou Harris:
- Portraits (Box)
- Heartaches and Highways: The Very Best of Emmylou Harris
- Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town
- Spyboy
The Eagles: