Hard Country

Bobby Bare - Hard Time Hungrys / The Winner…And Other Losers (2012) { {Omni Recording OMNI-156 rec 1975-1976}
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© 1975-76, 2012 RCA Victor / The Omni Recording Corporation | OMNI - 156
Country / Country-Folk / Nashville Sound / Progressive Country / Traditional Country

Omni's 2012 Bobby Bare two-fer pairs the 1975 LP Hard Time Hungrys and the 1976 set The Winner and Other Losers, the latter of which has never seen CD release prior to this. Hard Time Hungrys is one of Bare's key '70s albums: an ambitious set of songs written by Shel Silverstein, all concerning the plight of the working class. An admirable record somewhat undone by the interspersing of spoken word interviews between songs, the record picks up the thread from 1973's Lullabys, Legends and Lies – also written by Silverstein – and starts to ratchet up the country influence, feeling a little bit leaner and harder, which is appropriate for the album's subjects.

Various Artists - Hard-Headed Woman: A Celebration Of Wanda Jackson (2004) {Bloodshot Records BS077}
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© 2004 Bloodshot Records | BS 077
Country / Rock / Folk / Alternative Country Rock

Nick Tosches once famously described Wanda Jackson as "the greatest menstruating rock & roll singer whom the world has ever known," and while he doubtless chose those words for comic effect, the nervy crudity is not entirely inappropriate. At her best, Wanda Jackson sounded wild and ravenously sensual in a way that few artists dared in the mid-'50s, especially not female vocalists, and sides like "Let's Have a Party," "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad," and "Fujiama Mama" run neck in neck with Jerry Lee Lewis or Billy Lee Riley for sheer frenzied rockabilly energy.

Maxfield Parrish's sole album, It's a Cinch to Give Legs to Old Hard-Boiled Eggs, is a perfect example of the direction that many West Coast rockers were taking in the late '60s, incorporating country stylings into adventurous rock songs. In this respect, It's a Cinch… falls neatly between the Grateful Dead at their rootsiest and cosmic cowboys like the New Riders of the Purple Sage. The high, lonesome melodies and lead singing and three- to four-part harmonies connect the band's inspirations and mentors, such as Jerry Garcia (who taught some members guitar) and the Beatles, to early-1900s mountain music that was so influential to all of the Californian country-rockers. However, the songs on It's a Cinch… are not nearly as explicitly country as NRPS, often owing as much to the adventurous mid-period music of the Byrds, and even Middle Eastern drones. This latter effect was probably most prominent due to the presence of the several members of Kaleidoscope who played on and produced the record.

When Gretchen Wilson released One of the Boys in 2007, she took a left turn and offered as many ballads as she did straight contemporary country-rockers. The album didn’t sell as well as its two predecessors. Wilson went into the studio and cut I Got Your Country Right Here two years later – producing it with Blake Chancey and two tracks with John Rich. She felt it reflected her live shows better than her previous recordings did and would connect better with her audience.