Copperhead Road...Country or Southern Rock?

[phillybri]

My bandmates seem to think it's country, but I wholeheartedly disagree.

Thoughts?

 

[ripgtr]

Neither. Both.
It's Texas music.

 

[DCAddy]

It was certainly a departure from Guitar Town.
Completely Outlaw country/ Rock in the late 80s, but now?
Flip a coin.

 

[JJFlash]

I have always considered it to be Alt-Country.

 

[PatrickE_FenderADV]

Americana??

 

[aiq]

I sat in with my friend’s band a couple of times and they played it both times.

Up on the stage it was pretty damn rocking.

 

[cram]

That's Steve Earl's M.O.
Not a box big enough for him.

 

[marmalade cream]

Outlaw country.

 

[Slo Lerner]

I would probably say it's both. I would hear it on some of the less poppy country stations at the time and on some of the same 'classic rock' stations that would play more Southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd.

 

[guitarjazz]

I played it with Steve in 1990 in front of many thousand people.
The song? It's kinda like this really:

 

[TubeStack]

We cover it and it's a lot of fun and goes over well.

I don't worry about what to call it.

 

[petty1818]

Not sure what I would classify it as, but country has never come to mind.

 

[Twisted_Kites]

from the man himself….

Earle himself calls it the world's first blend of heavy metal and bluegrass, and the January 26, 1989 review of the album by Rolling Stonesuggested that the style be called "power twang".

Remember that at the time Steve was partying with Guns ‘n Roses and living hard.

 

[Bob Maximus]

It's great to cover with a Les Paul cranked through a Marshall (or similar setup). My band killed with it (prior to covid).

 

[DGA]

Not country.

 

[soundmuppet]

Not sure it's either....as mentioned....it's sort of Steve Earle doing his thing.

Saw him play in London way back. It was interesting, the crowd came for Copperhead Road, they were pretty lackluster for most of the show. He then bemoaned having to play Copperhead road and begrudgingly did it, at which point, everyone cheered and then left. Seriously, the place emptied out halfway through his gig. Weird. Although I saw the same happen to Billy Ray Cyrus and Achy Breaky Heart in the same venue! At least he waited till the first encore.

 

[Kyle B]

Country. It has fiddle, it has mandolin, it has moonshine running, it has a nasally singer. All it is missing is a pickup truck.

 

[Riffi]

It’s a little bit country and a little bit rock n roll!

 

[Traintrack]

Just a barnyard dance with a little bit of distortion on that one there guitar.

Ever hear the recordings with the worlds greatest Rock & Roll band The Supersuckers?

 

[A-Bone]

Not country.

What makes it "not country?"