Roots (Everly Brothers album)
Encyclopedia
Roots is a 1968 album by close harmony
rock and roll
duo The Everly Brothers
. Originally on the Warner Bros.
label, the album was re-released on CD in 1995 by Warner Bros. and in 2005 by Collectors' Choice Music
. The album is a classic example of early country rock
.
. At the time of its release, Rolling Stone
, which awarded the album 4 stars in its coverage of the band in The Rolling Stone Album Guide
, described the album as "a showcase for the superb talent of the Everlys as they are today", asserting that anyone "interested in the so-called country revival now sweeping rock should pick up this album". In his reviews of the bands subsequent albums, critic Robert Christgau
often utilized Roots as a touchstone, referring to it as "sweet", "thoughtful, even-tempered, and unique" and insisting that it was the last album the duo made as a "vital team" before they "lost it". Today, the album is touted as "one of the finest early country-rock albums".
Close harmony
Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note , while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array expanding the harmonic range past the octave...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
duo The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
. Originally on the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
label, the album was re-released on CD in 1995 by Warner Bros. and in 2005 by Collectors' Choice Music
Collectors' Choice Music
Collectors' Choice Music is a company primarily in two businesses. They are best known for re-issuing albums originally recorded in LP record form as compact discs...
. The album is a classic example of early country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
.
Critical reception
On its release, Roots was not a commercial success for The Everly Brothers, failing to widen their fanbase in spite of their excursion into the new field of country rockCountry rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
. At the time of its release, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, which awarded the album 4 stars in its coverage of the band in The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Rolling Stone Album Guide, previously known as The Rolling Stone Record Guide, is a book that, along with its sister publication Rolling Stone magazine, contains professional reviews of popular music...
, described the album as "a showcase for the superb talent of the Everlys as they are today", asserting that anyone "interested in the so-called country revival now sweeping rock should pick up this album". In his reviews of the bands subsequent albums, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
often utilized Roots as a touchstone, referring to it as "sweet", "thoughtful, even-tempered, and unique" and insisting that it was the last album the duo made as a "vital team" before they "lost it". Today, the album is touted as "one of the finest early country-rock albums".
Track listing
- "The Introduction: The Everly Family (1952)" – 1:11
- "Mama TriedMama Tried (song)"Mama Tried" is an American country music song written and recorded by Merle Haggard. Released in July 1968, the song became one of the cornerstone songs of his career...
" (Merle HaggardMerle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
) – 2:18 - "Less of Me" (Glen CampbellGlen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
) – 3:03 - "Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)" (Jimmie RodgersJimmie Rodgers (country singer)James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
) – 3:31 - "I Wonder If I Care as Much" (Everly, Everly) – 2:59
- "Ventura Boulevard" (Ron ElliottRon Elliott (musician)Ron Elliott on October 21, 1943) is an American musician, composer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels. Elliott wrote or co-wrote the band's 1965 U.S...
) – 2:50 - "Shady GroveShady Grove (song)"Shady Grove" is an 18th-century folk song popular in the United States. It is a standard in the repertoires of folk, Celtic and bluegrass musicians. In most traditional versions, the melody is in a minor key...
" (Jackie Ertel, Venecia Everly, P.O. Wandz) – 2:31 - "Illinois" (Randy NewmanRandy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
) – 2:12 - "Living Too Close to the Ground" (Terry Slater) – 2:16
- "You Done Me Wrong" (George JonesGeorge JonesGeorge Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, Ray PriceRay Price (musician)Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
) – 2:16 - "Turn Around" (Elliott) – 2:47
- "Sing Me Back Home" (Merle Haggard) – 5:18
- "Montage: Everly Family (1952)/Shady Grove/Kentucky" (Carl DavisCarl DavisCarl Davis CBE is an American born conductor and composer who has made his home in the UK since 1961. In 1970 he married the English actress Jean Boht....
, P.O. Wandz) – 2:43
Performance
- Don Everly – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Phil Everly – guitar, vocals
Production
- Gordon AndersonGordon AndersonGordon Anderson may refer to:* Dr Gordon Anderson , author and Secretary-General of the Professors World Peace Academy* Gordon Anderson , former Member of the Australian House of Representatives...
– executive producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Frank Bez – photography, cover photo
- Perry Botkin, Jr. – arrangerArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
- Nick DeCaro – string arrangements
- Ron Elliott – arranger
- Lee Herschberg – engineer, mastering
- Bill Inglot – mastering
- John Neil – engineer
- Andrew Sandoval – mastering
- Dave Schultz – mastering
- Mike Shields – engineer
- Ed Thrasher – art direction
- Richie UnterbergerRichie UnterbergerRichie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
– liner notes - Lenny WaronkerLenny WaronkerLenny Waronker is a record producer for Warner Bros. Records.-Career:He produced recording sessions for Nancy Sinatra, The Everly Brothers, Van Dyke Parks, The Beau Brummels, Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie, Maria Muldaur, Gordon Lightfoot, Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, ...
– producer, concept - Andrew Wickham – liner notes, concept