Copperhead Road...Country or Southern Rock?

[derekd]

Depending on how you arrange it, Copperhead Road would do well with either genre.

Well written tunes seem to be able to work in a variety of genres.

 

[Knucklehead71]

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.

I was just about to post that I would call it heavy bluegrass.

Either way, it's a great song and I never get tired of it.

 

[cram]

FWIW - Steve has an appearance in this one episode that touches on the theme here:

Netflix docuseries ‘This Is Pop’ explores the making of music from Abba to Zapp

T-Pain, Chuck D, Shania Twain and more discuss the ins and outs of music-making.

www.dailynews.com

 

[DCAddy]

This thread is a great excuse to listen to Steve Earle

 

[DGA]

What makes it "not country?"

Because of the rock beat and rock vocal delivery. The general feel of the song is not country. Take out the banjo and I could hear Bruce Springsteen singing it.

 

[Drew816]

Southern Country Rock I believe.

 

[John C]

I was just about to post that I would call it heavy bluegrass.

Either way, it's a great song and I never get tired of it.

I like that description - heavy bluegrass.

Because of the rock beat and rock vocal delivery. The general feel of the song is not country. Take out the banjo and I could hear Bruce Springsteen singing it.

I agree - it's more of a rock song than much of the early Eagles material, which while they call it "California Country Rock" is typically considered "rock" over "country" (think Peaceful Easy Feeling or Lyin' Eyes).

 

[Beater]

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.

That's too bad really. Since going straight he has always put on a good show. About 10 years ago I took my brother, (2nd row center), who only knew Copperhead Road and he came away loving Steve and picking up a couple of his cd's. The whole crowd was into it and he received a few standing O's

 

[Little Larry]

I never considered what genre it belongs to but I've always been pretty sure that it's poor.

 

[LHanson]

Line dance. Rather like Joe Walsh's "All Nite Long" from Urban Cowboy.

 

[aiq]

What makes it "not country?"

It is about a cannabis grow and the narrator is threatening to take care of the DEA agents using tricks he learned in Vietnam from Charley.

Maybe it is country!

 

[DGA]

It is about a cannabis grow and the narrator is threatening to take care of the DEA agents using tricks he learned in Vietnam from Charley.

Maybe it is country!

We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee.

 

[smiert spionam]

We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee.

Well, that disqualifies Merle himself, plus Willie of course, and Johnny Cash, and....

 

[PatrickE_FenderADV]

What makes it "not country?"

Bro-Country?!?

 

[fjblair]

I would label it Americana. I don't consider it southern rock or country, but I guess it leans more country.

 

[84superchamp]

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

I had to watch a bit of that, thinking they were doing “copperhead road”.

 

[84superchamp]

All I can say is, I was so impressed with the way he sang “big black dodge” that I bought 2 of em.

 

[bobcs71]

This first part is country to me

When the full band is in I call it 70s rock

The tiebreaker? The line dance says it has to be Country.

 

[Jorge E aka ricv64]

LOVE this album



could post it in the raga thread

 

[Bankston]

Neither. Both.
It's Texas music.

This is the correct answer.

Steve is part of the Texas Singer-Songwriter tradition and a disciple of Townes Van Zandt. Forget the record production and arrangement. At it's core, Copperhead Road is a Texas Country song.