John Fogerty helped make country cool for rockers

By CHRIS HANSEN ORF
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In the late 1960s, country music was mostly relegated to the rough-and-tumble honky-tonks in what are now known as “red states,” and hippies — those bead-wearing denizens of love-ins — scoffed at the notion that country singers like Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard could influence one of their own.

But out of California sprung the country-rock movement, a precursor of the alt-country music boom of the late '90s and the new millennium and illustrates what happens when rockers start playing country music.

The original movement was founded by Gram Parsons — a member of The Byrds for six crucial months as they made their best album, “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” — and continued by the likes of John Fogerty (who plays Cricket Pavilion on Friday) and his group Creedence Clearwater Revival, Poco, The Eagles and the Grateful Dead among others.

When those groups faded away or went in different directions, punk rock spurred another roots revival in the '80s and '90s, with bands such as Rank and File, X and Uncle Tupelo throwing their cowboy hats into the ring, creating cowpunk, “No Depression” and alt-country.

In honor of Fogerty's appearance at Cricket Pavilion, here's a look at the essential alt-country albums.      

“Sweetheart of the Rodeo” (1968) —
The Byrds
Byrds head honcho Roger McGuinn wanted to do something different, something more “American” sounding. In stepped Gram Parsons, who had been the leader of the International Submarine Band — arguably the first country-rock band — to help out, and The Byrds made their best record. Parsons numbers like  “100 Years” and “Hickory Wind” have become classics.

“Bayou Country” (1969) — Creedence Clearwater Revival
John Fogerty grafted blues and soul into his “swamp” music on their debut record, but on the band's second album, “Bayou Country,” the singer/songwriter gave the world the country-rocker “Proud Mary,” which would become his signature tune. The band later had hits with the country-ish “Lookin' Out My Back Door,” “Lodi” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.”

“Guilded Palace of Sin” (1969) — Flying Burrito Brothers
Parsons split from The Byrds and took bassist Chris Hillman with him to form the Flying Burrito Brothers. On classics such as “Christine's Tune (Devil in Disguise)” and “Sin City,” these longhaired country boys added weepy, psychedelic pedal steel to the mix to create the true blueprint for hippie country.

“Nashville Skyline” (1969) — Bob Dylan
Folk-rock superstar Dylan threw his fans a change-up (again) with this collection of country songs, adding a distinct twang to his nasal vocals. “Girl From the North Country” bridged the gap between traditional country and the counterculture with Johnny Cash duetting with Dylan on vocals, and “Lay Lady Lay” became a surprise Top 10 hit.

“Workingman's Dead” (1970) — Grateful Dead
The ultimate hippie jam band, The Dead hit the studio in 1970 and came up with their two best albums, “Workingman's Dead” and “American Beauty,” records that focused on the band's terrific country and bluegrass chops. “Workingman's Dead” gets the nod for tunes like the pretty “Uncle John's Band” and the loping “Casey Jones.”

“Harvest” (1972) — Neil Young
Young had been a folkie and a rocker in the 1960s with Buffalo Springfield, but this solo record showed him veering into hard-core country. The pedal steel-laced “Heart of Gold” became Young's only No. 1 single, and the banjo inflected “Old Man” remains one of his best compositions.  

“The Eagles” (1972) — The Eagles
The band that practically introduced the word “mellow” into the rock 'n' roll lexicon, The Eagles first album contains the hits “Take it Easy” — written by pal Jackson Browne —  and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” The group went on to many more hits, and their greatest hits compilation has sold more units than any album in history.

“Sundown” (1982) — Rank and File
Brothers Chip and Tony Kinman were former members of L.A. hard-core punk band The Dils before setting off on their own and coming up with the surprising Rank & File, a band that blended Byrds-y harmonies with country-punk. By their third record, the band was back to their hard-rock roots, and Rank & File drifted off the radar.

“Poor Little Critter on the Road” (1985) — The Knitters
Members of Los Angeles punk group X and neo-rockabilly heroes The Blasters got together to record a straight-ahead country record that confused X's rabid punk following with its honky--tonk material. The Knitters re-formed this year to release “The Modern Sounds of The Knitters,” which continues the down-home trend.

“No Depression” (1990) — Uncle Tupelo
With its title taken from the Carter Family tune, this album spawned the alt-country, movement of the early 1990s. There was cowpunk before this record came out, but Uncle Tupelo's music was a mix of country and hard-core/thrash punk that led to a whole new name for the country-punk genre and the No Depression magazine. The bands two terrific songwriters, Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar, sang tunes like “Graveyard Shift” and the title cut with an edge not heard before in any country-based music.

“Trace” (1995) — Son Volt
While Jeff Tweedy went on to form indie-rock darlings Wilco after Uncle Tupelo's 1993 split, Jay Farrar's new project dropped the hard-core punk elements of his former band and concentrated on the country leanings, delivering an alt-country masterpiece with “Trace.” This album is the benchmark for mid-'90s alt-country, with nearly every song finding Farrar at the peak of his powers. The band's latest record, “Okemah and the Melody of Riot,” was released to great reviews this year.

“Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” (1998) — Lucinda Williams
One of the best songwriters alive, Williams had some commercial success when she  penned the country hit “Passionate Kisses” for Mary Chapin Carpenter, but her masterpiece is this record, a brilliant album that combines Williams' trademark poetic lyrics and wobbly vocals with distinct, hummable melodies and slicker-than-usual (for her