Progressive country

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Progressive country is a term used variously to describe a movement, radio format or subgenre of country music [1] which developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a reaction against the slick, pop-oriented Nashville sound. [4] [6] Progressive country artists drew from Bakersfield and classic honky-tonk country and rock and roll, [4] as well as folk, bluegrass, blues and Southern rock. [3] Progressive country is sometimes conflated with outlaw country, [1] which some country fans consider to be a harder-edged variant, [7] and alternative country. [8]

Contents

Definitions and characteristics

Progressive country is variously considered a movement, a genre or a radio format. [1] It developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as a reaction against the slick, pop-oriented Nashville sound of country music. [4] [9] This movement was variously marketed under the names "Cosmic Cowboy music", [2] "twang core", [3] "cosmic country", progressive country, "redneck rock", "gonzo country" and, most commonly, outlaw country. [1] The phrase "Cosmic Cowboy music" was taken from a Michael Martin Murphey song. [2] Some country fans consider outlaw country a slightly harder-edged variant of progressive country. [7] KOKE-FM, a radio station in Austin, Texas, was a key proponent of progressive country. [1] By the mid-1970s, progressive country artists entered the mainstream, usually in the form of cover versions by other artists, [9] and "progressive country" had become the standard label for music that mixed country, rock, blues and gospel. [5] In the 1980s and '90s, progressive country evolved into alternative country, [7] and the two terms would sometimes be used interchangeably, as alternative rock clubs would begin booking country acts that were insurgent in a mainstream country scene that had embraced country pop. [8]

Progressive country drew equally from the Bakersfield sound, classic honky-tonk country, the works of contemporary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, and rock and roll, [4] as well as folk, bluegrass, Southern rock and blues. [3] Another important influence on progressive country was Roger Miller, who, in blending country with jazz, blues, and pop, "utilized unusual harmonic and rhythmic devices in his sophisticated songcraft". [10] Tommy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band suggested that progressive country combined country music structures and riffs with jazz improvisation upon which more complex structures could be built from the country music foundation. [11] Marty Stuart, who stated influence from "cosmic country" on his 2023 album Altitude, defined "cosmic country" as "a state of mind. It’s a term that never got fully defined or explored or completed. My idea of cosmic country is the music that the Byrds made in an experimental fashion or the Flying Burrito Brothers." [12] Some progressive country singers were also influenced by the progressive politics of the 1960s counterculture. [6] [9]

History

Progressive country musicians (L-R) Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings at the Dripping Springs Reunion in 1972. Kris Willie Waylon.jpg
Progressive country musicians (L-R) Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings at the Dripping Springs Reunion in 1972.

Gram Parsons and the original incarnation of the Flying Burrito Brothers laid the groundwork for progressive country in the late 1960s. [13] Emmylou Harris was called "the founding mother of progressive country and Americana". [14] The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo is considered a seminal progressive country album. [15] Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were pioneers of the genre, [16] as was Bob Livingston. [17] According to AllMusic , the genre's key performers included Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Tom T. Hall, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. [4] Progressive country was associated with Texas county artists like Nelson, as well as Nashville pioneers like Waylon Jennings and Tompall Glaser. [18] Joe Ely was a prominent figure in the genre's Austin, Texas scene. [19] Jerry Jeff Walker would catalyze the movement with his 1973 album ¡Viva Terlingua! [20] Austin's progressive country scene had a pivotal role in shaping Jimmy Buffett's musical style, as Walker introduced Buffett to both Texas Hill Country and Key West. [21] According to NPR , Shaver and Walker, more than any other performers, "embodied the Austin, Texas-based hippie honky-tonk upheaval of the '70s". [1] In a 1973 piece on Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic, The New York Times wrote, "The term 'progressive country' can now be re‐defined as 'Willie Nelson's friends'," placing as performers of progressive country, Jennings, Charlie Rich, Kristofferson, Hall, Shaver, Sammi Smith, Greezy Wheels and John Prine. [22] In 1977, Billboard identified the Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, Ely, Walker and Jennings as major performers of progressive country. [23] Marty Stuart became a conduit between traditional "hillbilly" country and bluegrass and progressive country as a sideman performing with Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash, before embarking on his solo career. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

Country is a music genre originating in the Southern and Southwestern United States. First produced in the 1920s, country music primarily focuses on working class Americans and blue-collar American life.

Alternative country is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream country music, mainstream country rock, and country pop. Alternative country artists are often influenced by alternative rock. Most frequently, the term has been used to describe certain country music and country rock bands and artists that are also defined as or have incorporated influences from alternative rock, indie rock, punk rock, heartland rock, Southern rock, progressive country, outlaw country, neotraditional country, Texas country, Red Dirt, honky-tonk, bluegrass, rockabilly, psychobilly, roots rock, hard rock, folk revival, indie folk, folk rock, folk punk, cowpunk, blues punk, blues rock, grunge, emocore, post-hardcore, and rhythm 'n' blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honky-tonk</span> Type of bar that provides musical entertainment and a style of music played there

A honky-tonk is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano used to play such music. Bars of this kind are common in the South and Southwest United States. Many eminent country music artists, such as Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Johnny Horton, and Merle Haggard to name a few, began their careers as amateur musicians in honky-tonks.

Outlaw country is a subgenre of American country music created by a small group of iconoclastic artists active in the 1970s and early 1980s, known collectively as the outlaw movement, who fought for and won their creative freedom outside of the Nashville establishment that dictated the sound of most country music of the era. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and David Allan Coe were among the movement's most commercially successful members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Martin Murphey</span> American singer-songwriter

Michael Martin Murphey is an American singer-songwriter. He was one of the founding artists of progressive country. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including Cowboy Songs, the first album of cowboy music to achieve gold status since Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins in 1959. He has recorded the hit singles "Wildfire", "Carolina in the Pines", "What's Forever For", "A Long Line of Love", "What She Wants", "Don't Count the Rainy Days", and "Maybe This Time". Murphey is also the author of New Mexico's state ballad, "The Land of Enchantment". Murphey has become a prominent musical voice for the Western horseman, rancher, and cowboy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Jeff Walker</span> American country singer (1942–2020)

Jerry Jeff Walker was an American country and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He was best known for having written the 1968 song "Mr. Bojangles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Joe Shaver</span> American country singer (1939–2020)

Billy Joe Shaver was an American country singer and songwriter. He was a prominent figure in progressive and outlaw country.

<i>Honky Tonk Heroes</i> 1973 studio album by Waylon Jennings

Honky Tonk Heroes is a country music album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1973 on RCA Victor. With the exception of the final track on the album, "We Had It All", all of the songs on the album were written or co-written by Billy Joe Shaver. The album is considered an important piece in the development of the outlaw sub-genre in country music as it revived the honky tonk music of Nashville and added elements of rock and roll to it.

<i>Dreaming My Dreams</i> (Waylon Jennings album) 1975 studio album by Waylon Jennings

Dreaming My Dreams is the twenty-second studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. The album was co-produced with Jack Clement and recorded at Glaser Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, between February and July 1974.

<i>Wanted! The Outlaws</i> 1976 compilation album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser

Wanted! The Outlaws is a compilation album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released by RCA Records in 1976. The album consists of previously released material with four new songs. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by becoming the first country album to be platinum-certified, reaching sales of one million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Livingston (musician)</span> American singer-songwriter

Bob Livingston is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass player, and a founding member of The Lost Gonzo Band. Livingston was a key figure in the Cosmic Cowboy, progressive country and outlaw country movements that distinguished the Austin, Texas music scene in the 1970s. Over the years, Bob Livingston has gained a reputation as a band leader, solo artist, session musician and sideman in folk, Americana and country music. He has toured without stop for 47 years, and is one of the most experienced and world traveled musicians in all of Texas music. Livingston's CD, Gypsy Alibi, released by New Wilderness Records in 2011, won the "Album of the Year" at the Texas Music Awards. In January 2016, Livingston was inducted into the Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the West Texas Music Walk of Fame in 2018. Howlin' Dog Records released Livingston's latest CD, Up The Flatland Stairs, January 10, 2018.

The Bakersfield sound is a sub-genre of country music developed in the mid-to-late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. Bakersfield is defined by its influences of rock and roll and honky-tonk style country, and its heavy use of electric instrumentation and backbeats. It was also a reaction against the slickly produced, orchestra-laden Nashville sound, which was becoming popular in the late 1950s. The Bakersfield sound became one of the most popular and influential country genres of the 1960s, initiating a revival of honky-tonk music and influencing later country rock and outlaw country musicians, as well as progressive country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inner Sanctum Records</span>

Inner Sanctum Records was a record shop in Austin, Texas. The retailer was variously cited as the first indie record shop in Texas and, at the time of its closure, the oldest in Central Texas.

<i>Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir</i> 1973 studio album by Michael Martin Murphey

Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir is the second album by American singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey. According to AllMusic, this album established Murphey as a progressive country musician. Murphey's impact on the genre was as such that one of the many names for the genre, "Cosmic Cowboy music", was taken from Murphy's "Cosmic Cowboy, Pt. 1", a song that appears on this album. The album peaked at number 196 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys</i> 1979 live album by Michael Martin Murphey

Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys is the eighth album by American singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey and his first live album. The first five tracks were recorded at the legendary Palomino Club in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, an important West Coast country music venue. The remaining five tracks are studio recordings. The live tracks showcase Murphey's early work with some interesting twists. His "Cosmic Cowboy" turns into a breakdown, while "Another Cheap Western" is coupled with The Olympics' 1958 hit, "Western Movies". The album produced the singles "Backslider's Wine" and "Chain Gang" that peaked at numbers 92 and 93 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart respectively.

The Folk Music Club was an organization founded in 1963 at the University of North Texas that attracted student musicians, several of whom went on with other performing artist to define a Texas music and cultural movement in Austin that grew to national prominence and left a legacy that endures today. Its student members included Spencer Perskin, Steven Fromholz, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Michael Martin Murphey, and Eddie Wilson.

Earl Poole Ball Jr. is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, music producer and actor. His musical work spans the Ameripolitan, Country, Americana and Rockabilly genres. He has performed with many well known American musicians, including Buck Owens & The Buckaroos, Gram Parsons, Carl Perkins, Merle Haggard, Freddie Hart, Marty Stuart, Phil Ochs, Michael Nesmith, Marty Robbins, Wynn Stewart, The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds. He is best known for his 20 years spent touring and recording with Johnny Cash. (1977-1997)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Aaron, Charles (November 8, 2020). "The Ballad Of Billy Joe Shaver And Jerry Jeff Walker, Country Outlaws". NPR . Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  2. 1 2 3 Patterson, Rob (September 1, 2013). "Q&A: MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY". Lone Star Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-24. And beyond all of Murphey's above achievements, there is also the role he played in launching the Austin progressive country scene in the 1970s. So pivotal a role, in fact, that the Capital City's first local musical movement to have substantial national impact even took its nickname, "Cosmic Cowboy music," from a Murphey song.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gesell, Carla E. (May 21, 1998). Godfrey, Donald G.; Leigh, Frederic A. (eds.). Historical Dictionary of American Radio. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 315–16. ISBN   9780313296369.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Progressive country". AllMusic . Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  5. 1 2 3 Reid, Jan (December 1976). "Who Killed Redneck Rock?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  6. 1 2 Cosmic Cowboys and New Hicks: The Countercultural Sounds of Austin's Progressive Country Music Scene, Stimeling, Travis David.
  7. 1 2 3 Miller, Michael (July 2008). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History. DK Publishing. p. 352. ISBN   9781440636370.
  8. 1 2 Phalen, Tom (February 20, 1997). "Grange Grunge? -- Alt Is Country's New Guerrilla Movement, And It Seems To Be Burgeoning In Ballard". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  9. 1 2 3 American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MP3, Starr, Larry and Waterman, Christopher.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Roger Miller". AllMusic . Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  11. ↑ Staff (January 24, 2022). "Marshall Tucker Band: Where We All Belong - Album Of The Week Club review". Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  12. ↑ Edwards, Clayton (March 30, 2023). "Marty Stuart Discusses Cosmic Country Ahead of the Release of 'Altitude'". Outsider. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  13. ↑ Triplett, Gene (February 26, 1982). "Poco, Burrito Brothers Now Exist in Name Only". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  14. ↑ Ellis, Widner (July 10, 2011). "Emmylou Harris broadens what it means to be country". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  15. ↑ Tunis, Walter (October 22, 2018). "Marty Stuart thankful opening for Chris Stapleton, 'the man carrying the flag for country music'". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  16. ↑ "We've Got a Live One Here". Cash Box. Internet Archive. July 17, 1976. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  17. ↑ Hamilton, Bretney (January 8, 2018). "The Road Gives Bob Livingston Life on New Record". Cowboys & Indians. Retrieved 2023-07-22. In the beginning, Bob Livingston helped create progressive country music.
  18. ↑ Rockwell, John (April 8, 1976). "The Pop Life". The New York Times . Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  19. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Joe Ely Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  20. ↑ Freeman, Doug (October 30, 2020). "Jerry Jeff Walker Brought the Magic". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  21. ↑ Freeman, Doug (June 12, 2022). "Jimmy Buffett Revisits Life Before the Beach in Return to Austin". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  22. ↑ Carr, Patrick (July 22, 1973). "It's So 'Progressive' in Texas". The New York Times . Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  23. ↑ Cech, Tom (October 15, 1977). "Traditional Country + Modern Sound". Billboard . Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  24. ↑ Nash, Alanna (July 24, 1992). "This One's Gonna Hurt You". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2023-07-23. Past stints with Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash had made him a conduit between old-time hillbilly and bluegrass and progressive country music.
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