Bob Dylan and The Band. They invented 'Country Rock'

[Taverner]

Or whatever you might want to call it.

Many cite Buddy Holly, who really put the 'roots' in roots rock, but his style was Rockabilly. Similar, but different. And he not only set the bar, he also kept it. There is so much caged rhythm in, well, any of his songs that when it comes out - it dominates. But I digress.

The Basement Tapes. These were released in 1975, but were recorded in 1967. Many had the bootleg.

But it didn't matter - Bob Dylan released 'John Wesley Harding' and 'Nashville Skyline.'

'The Band' and 'Music from the Big Pink' showed up as well, and portended of what was to come.

Dylan's Basement tapes comes out in 75, but by then we know the style, and many psychedelic and new bands take to this new style.

By then he was courting Evangelical Christianity and the 'Alias' character from Billy the Kid lore.

But this movement that gave us everything from The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Bros, Eric Clapton to The Black Crowes, Iron & Wine, Calexico and what not...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

1. Nah, I tend to go along with the Gram Parsons / Rick Nelson / Mike Nesmith triad.

I'd say that any of the three could be given credit for "country rock." Of course, you also have to look to Buck Owens & The Buckaroos (a big influence on Parsons, especially in the Burrito Brothers.

And Skynyrd?

You want to know who really influenced Ronnie Van Zandt? Listen to Free's "Mr. Big" from the "Fire And Water" album and then listen to Skynyrd's "Saturday Night Special."

Clapton? Yeah, Dylan influenced Clapton, but "Big Pink" was the album that led him away from behemoth jams into shorter, structured songs. That's the legend...he read a review in Rolling Stone that basically dismissed a live Cream show as being all over the place, then he heard "Big Pink." The rest is history.

The Allman Brothers? Sorry, I don;t hear any Dylan or Band influence there.

Black Crowes? Rod Stewart/Faces and Humble Pie, with precious little originality added to the mix.

[Taverner]

2. They were definitely a part of it

They supplied the 'country' while The Band and Dylan supplied the 'rock'

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. Oh, I agree, it's just that...

...I took your subject line literally, and while I agree that they were a part of it and contributed to it, I wouldn't say they invented it.

Basically, any musician alive at the time of Bob Dylan's ascent, and all musicians who followed, were influenced in one way or another, whether they'll admit it or not. For some, it might have been the songwriting, for others, the whole package.

And the Clapton anecdote is the best example I have of the Band's influence...although it's certainly not limited to E.C.

The whole "country rock" thing got out of hand and diluted, just like everything else. The Eagles started out in the same realm as The Byrds & Flying Burrito Brothers, but they wanted to sell truckloads of records, so little by little the "country" and "rock" got squeezed out in favor of "pop."

In the modern era, I'd say the closest thing we have to legitimate "country rockers" would be guys like Dwight Yoakam and Steve Earle, although since his release from prison, Earle has dropped a lot of the "rock" from his act in favor of country, folk, and bluegrass.