Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock

As told by the musicians who made it happen, Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock revisits country rock's rise to the top of the charts. Music scholar John Einarson delves into the years from 1963, when Buck Owens and his Buckaroos brought an electric edge to their Texas honky-tonk tunes, to 1973, when The Eagles released their album "Desperado" on David Geffen's label. Einarson examines how folk, rockabilly, blues, Nashville country, Tejano, bluegrass, and other musical idioms influenced a generation of journeyman musicians. He traces the paths taken by the songsmiths, the bands in which they served their apprenticeships, and the songs they wrote together, as they steadily shaped the country rock sound. The protagonists of this story include talented but troubled Gram Parsons, a virtuoso determined to burn out before he faded away; the versatile and appealing Linda Ronstadt; Mike Nesmith, the Monkee from Texas who returned to his musical roots with a trilogy of country-rock albums; TV heartthrob turned country rocker Rick Nelson; folkie songbird Emmylou Harris before she made it in Nashville; and many others.

Author: John Einarson
Publisher: Cooper Square Press
Published: 01/16/2001
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.02lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.70d
ISBN13: 9780815410652
ISBN10: 0815410654
BISAC Categories:
- Music | Genres & Styles | Rock
- Music | History & Criticism | General

About the Author
John Einarson is a respected rock music historian and the author of several books including For What It's Worth: The Story of the Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young: Don't Be Denied. He lives in Winnipeg, Canada.