Roots (The Everly Brothers album)

Roots
Studio album by The Everly Brothers
Released 1968
Genre rock, country rock, close harmony
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Gordon Anderson, Lenny Waronker
The Everly Brothers chronology
The Everly Brothers Sing
(1967)
Roots
(1968)
Everly Brothers Show
(1970)

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.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Rolling Stone (?)[2]

On its release, Roots was not a commercial success for The Everly Brothers,[3] failing to widen their fanbase in spite of their excursion into the new field of country rock.[4] 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,[5] 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".[6] 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".[7] Today, the album is touted as "one of the finest early country-rock albums".[8]

Track listing

  1. "The Introduction: The Everly Family (1952)" – 1:11
  2. "Mama Tried" (Merle Haggard) – 2:18
  3. "Less of Me" (Glen Campbell) – 3:03
  4. "Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)" (Jimmie Rodgers) – 3:31
  5. "I Wonder If I Care as Much" (Everly, Everly) – 2:59
  6. "Ventura Boulevard" (Ron Elliott) – 2:50
  7. "Shady Grove" (Jackie Ertel, Venecia Everly, P.O. Wandz) – 2:31
  8. "Illinois" (Randy Newman) – 2:12
  9. "Living Too Close to the Ground" (Terry Slater) – 2:16
  10. "You Done Me Wrong" (George Jones, Ray Price) – 2:16
  11. "Turn Around" (Elliott) – 2:47
  12. "Sing Me Back Home" (Merle Haggard) – 5:18
  13. "Montage: Everly Family (1952)/Shady Grove/Kentucky" (Carl Davis, P.O. Wandz) – 2:43

Personnel

Performance

Production

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Rolling Stone review
  3. ^ Unterberger, Richie. Liner notes. Richie Unterberger official website. Accessed October 7, 2007.
  4. ^ Escott, Colin. Everly Brothers. Adapted from The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Encyclopedia of Country Music', Oxford University Press. Hosted by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Accessed October 7, 2007.
  5. ^ Brackett, Nathan. (2004) The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, 4th ed, Fireside. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. p 286.
  6. ^ Ward, Edmundo. (May 31, 1969) Roots. 'Rolling Stone. Accessed October 7, 2007.
  7. ^ Christgau, Robert. The Everly Brothers. Accessed October 7, 2007.
  8. ^ Roots (The Everly Brothers album) at Allmusic

External links