The difference, by ear
Country rock arrives fifteen years later and pulls in the other direction - rock musicians going to country rather than country musicians going to rock.
Both are sung cleanly, but country rock is much slower: 80 to 120 bpm against 150 to 190. Songs run longer in country rock: usually 3 to 5 minutes, against 2 to 2½ minutes in rockabilly. To hear the difference, play Carl Perkins next to The Eagles. They share a root in rock, and rockabilly came first, by fourteen years.
In figures
Rockabilly
Where it sits
Rock › Rock and roll › Rockabilly
In short
Rock and roll filtered through white country music: slapped upright bass, Sun Studio echo and a vocal hiccup. It gets rediscovered every couple of decades.
How it sounds
- Slapped upright bass - the strings snap against the neck and keep time in place of the drums.
- Tape slapback echo on the vocals, the Sun Studio trademark.
- Clean or lightly overdriven guitar with country-style picking and no distortion.
Key acts
- Carl Perkins
- Johnny Cash
- Gene Vincent
- Stray Cats
Start here
The pickCarl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes, the original rather than the Elvis version.
Full page →Country rock
Where it sits
Rock › Folk rock › Country rock
In short
Pedal steel and three-part harmony over a rock rhythm section. The sound of Laurel Canyon.
How it sounds
- Pedal steel and acoustic guitar over a rock rhythm section.
- Vocal harmony in thirds and sixths, sung loosely.
- Moderate tempos and warm, airy production.
Key acts
- The Eagles
- Gram Parsons
- Neil Young
Start here
The pickThe Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin. Cannabis embroidered on the suits, serious music inside.
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