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 letters "X," Y" and "Z."
The Youngbloods "Elephant Mountain" (RCA, 1969)
The Youngbloods "Rock Festival" (Warner/Raccoon, 1970)
Like their East Coast counterparts, John Sebastian and the Lovin' Spoonful, Jesse Colin Young and the Youngbloods were a psychedelicized hippie jug band that successfully wed their folk music roots with a profound pop savvy. Their peace and love anthem, "Get Together," was a chartbuster in the Fall of '69 (and remains a staple of classic rock radio to this day), and having scored a Top Ten hit, these San Fran-based Boston expatriates became a hot item at the dawn of the new decade. They signed with the counterculture-identified Warner Records, with a deal that gave them creative control over the albums on their newly-formed Raccoon imprint, and this cleverly-titled, spacy live album was their first release. Yeah, maybe it wasn't the commercial success the Warner suits hoped for, but it sure shows the band in fine form. Their country-roots side is largely subsumed to a mellow space-jazz/jam band style, all full of love and peace vibes. Anchored by Lowell "Banana" Levinger's dreamy keyboards, the group grooves through several of their best-known songs, as well as other, loosely-formed new tunes -- perhaps as professional and competent as hippie rockers got, back in the day. Those who, on principle, hate hippie-stoner bands will find plenty to roll their eyes about here, but anyone with an open mind, and an ear for starry-eyed, rambling melodies, will find this quite pleasant.
The Youngbloods "Ride The Wind" (Warner/Raccoon, 1971)
The Youngbloods "Good And Dusty" (Warner/Raccoon, 1971)
The Youngbloods "High On A Ridge Top" (Warner/Raccoon, 1972)
The Youngbloods "Beautiful: Live In San Francisco" (Sundazed, 2005)
A live set from 1971 that tilts towards the rock end of the spectrum... Recorded for the legendary freeform FM station, KSAN, which stood at the heart of the SF Bay Area hippie counterculture.
The Youngbloods "Get Together: The Essential Youngbloods" (RCA, 2002)
A collection of their early stuff, posing the eternal question: where do these guys fit in? Should I really include them in a survey of hippie-era alt-country artists? Oh, why not... After all, their first chart hit was the twangy, goofball "Grizzly Bear," which is still as catchy now as it was back then... There's plenty of electrified rock on here, too, but twangfans might wanna check it out anyway.
Jesse Colin Young "The Very Best Of Jesse Colin Young" (Artemis, 2002)
I have to confess two things: I'm a little snobbishly suspicious of Jesse's solo work because I know -- for a fact -- that he delved pretty deep into the waters of gooey, post-psychedelic scene folkie navel-gazing... But on the other hand, I also have to confess that I actually kinda like some of that very same gooey, spaced-out, self-indulgent material. Go figure. Anyway, this 2-CD set includes a few early Youngbloods tracks as well as dozens of solo recordings, including catchy tunes like "Ridgetop." More on the folkie-confessional side, but still worth mentioning in relation to the outlaw scene.
Neil Young "After The Gold Rush" (Reprise, 1970)
A landmark hippie rock record, this album has a distinctive, acoustic-based folk and country feel... Heck, he even covers Don Gibson's "Oh, Lonesome Me," brilliantly transforming the bouncy country classic into a mopey, opiated dirge. There's a little bit of the grating electric rock that he's also known for, but for the most part this is a mellow masterpiece, one of those wonderful records that always seem too short, though perfect for playing over and over again. One of my all-time faves, in any genre.
Neil Young "Harvest" (Reprise, 1971)
Led by the smash pop hit, "Heart Of Gold," this acoustic-based classic cemented Neil Young's place in the '70s pop firmament and helped define the country-rock genre. A sweet, mellow album -- includes the evocative "Out On The Weekend," the retro-sexist "A Man Needs A Maid," the politically-charged "Alabama" (appreciated at the time; a bit of a drag now...) and one of my favorite of his songs, the irresistible "Old Man," in which the hippies confront their own mortality and (worse still!) middle-age. Great record.
Neil Young "Sugar Mountain: Live At Canterbury House 1968" (Reprise, 2008)
Legions of Neil Young fans will rejoice at the legit, major-label release of these live, folk-club recordings from 1968, when Young was just escaping the orbit of the Buffalo Springfield band, but clearly headed for greater things. It's an intimate set, with great sound quality. There are several classics, performed in crisp acoustic versions -- "Mr. Soul," "Broken Arrow," "The Loner," "Birds" -- and lots of discursive, offhand stage banter (listed in the parlance of the times as "raps" on the album, and thoughtfully sorted out in the mix as separate tracks, so you can just hear the music, if that's your preference...) Highlights include "Sugar Mountain" and "Birds," but it's the whole snapshot-of-the-artist angle that's the real attraction here, with Young laughing at his own jokes, forging an intimacy with his rapt, receptive audience, sharing his then-current bag of tricks. It's pretty groovy, and a nice look at his early career...
Steve Young -- see artist profile
