The "twangcore" and "Americana" boom of today owes a large debt to the shaggy twangers and no-hit wonders of yesteryear -- this section looks at the hippiebilly and stoner bands and a few odd, random artists from the 1960s, '70s and early '80s, back before there was anything called "alt-country." This page covers the letter "E."
Eagles - see artist discography
Earth Opera "Earth Opera" (Elektra, 1968)
Mandolinist David Grisman and singer-guitarist Peter Rowan both served serious apprenticeships with real-deal bluegrass bands in the 1960s. With Rowan fresh from Bill Monroe's band, and Grisman an old stalwart with the Greenbriar Boys and Red Allen's band, the two embarked on an audacious acid rock-hick twang fusion. Earth Opera was a band that was very much a product of its time, and the results were a bit murky... I have to confess, I heard these albums many, many years ago and have never gone back to revisit them. I've always had the impression that the band was actually more Rowan's baby than Grisman's, especially since the the muddled feel of these discs seems so similar to the later pop-rock efforts of the Rowan Brothers in the early '70s. Hardcore fans who are able to track these discs down may find them rewarding, but most likely these albums will merely sound like well-intentioned curiousities...
Earth Opera "Great American Eagle Tragedy" (Elektra, 1969)
Jonathan Edwards "Jonathan Edwards" (Atlantic, 1971)
Back in 1971, Jonathan Edwards broke through with the breezy Top-40 hit, "Sunshine," and helped define the early-'70s singer-songwriter roots revival. Early albums combined country and country-rock with wimpy (but pleasant) folkie love songs; gradually Edwards drifted more solidly into the folk circuit and left the other stuff behind. These is his first album -- some of it's dorky hippie folk-rock pop (which I like anyway) and some of it has a pleasant true-country feel and rich, satisfying arrangements, sort of a refinement of the eclectic retro-isms of the early 'Sixties jug band scene. These early albums are definitely worth checking out, though you have to be willing to go back into that goofy Woodstock Nation vibe and soak up a little love and good vibes... But if you do, these are pretty rewarding records.
Jonathan Edwards "Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy" (Atlantic, 1972)
Dude, just look at that album art: Edwards is so stoned in this picture he can barely open his eyes. Made some pretty music, though: I'll admit that a lot of this album is a little too pretty-sounding and twee, but it's got a nice, twangy acoustic sound and plenty of good picking. These aren't his most memorable songs, but it's a nice record, and a fine example of the strengths of the early-'70s experimental folk scene. The title track, "Honky-Tonk Stardust Cowboy," is the strongest song on here (and the most country) but the rest of the record is pretty easy on the ears as well.
Jonathan Edwards "Have A Good Time For Me" (Atco, 1973/Collector's Choice, 2005)
Yay. This one of Edwards' best records -- a stonerbilly gem sporting a solid country feel, with fiddles, twang and pedal steel galore. It's a longtime favorite of mine -- an album that I am very, very happy to see in print on CD. The title track is as savagely bitter and sarcastic a song about a dead love affair as ever was made... from there it drifts into some sappy, spacy, hippie-folkie tunes (which I actually like, but can't really recommend) until Edwards hits the country vibe again with a great cover version of Jimmie Rodgers' "Travellin' Blues." The album's true gem, though, is a Joe Dolce song called "My Home Ain't In The Hall Of Fame," which was a perfect statement of purpose for a guy whose debut album had put him in the Billboard chart's Top Five, but whose subsequent releases were about as anti-commerical as you could get... It went on to become an alt-country anthem, both through Edwards's excellent version, and a fine cover by bluegrasser J. D. Crowe... That song alone is worth the price of admission for this fine old hippie album. Recommended!
Jonathan Edwards "Lucky Day" (Atco, 1974)
Jonathan Edwards "Rockin' Chair" (1976)
Jonathan Edwards "Sailboat" (Reprise, 1977)
Jonathan Edwards "Live!" (1980)
Stoney Edwards - see artist discography
Joe Ely - see artist discography
The Everly Brothers - see artist discography
Don Everly "Brother Jukebox" (ABC/Hickory, 1977)
An endearing, if somewhat rickety, solo album by this much-beloved Everly brother. Going all-out country/countrypolitan on this one, Don hits a home run with the title track -- his definitive rendition of Paul Craft's "Brother Jukebox" has one of the greatest singalong choruses ever committed to wax, and remains one of my favorite lost-nugget country oldies... The rest of the album is much iffier, though, with Everly straining at the edges on more than a few of these songs, especially the more sensitive, emotive ballads. Still, it's worth it for the one song, and intriguing for devoted Everly fans and idle bystanders as well... (Other Everly Brothers albums, and solo works, are reviewed on the Everly discography pages...)
