There was a period during the psychedelic 1960s and 70s when every bohemian musician seemed to take up a banjo or pedal-steel guitar and try to escape into the American wilderness. Even my parents fell for it, and I grew up eighteen miles outside of Garberville, California under towering and majestic redwoods. Certain neo-country albums broke into the mainstream around this time, such as Grateful Dead's "American Beauty", The Byrds "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo", Bob Dylan's "John Wesley Harding" and the whole Allman Brothers catalog, but many bands picked and grinned in obscurity, or played one-off singles. I find this playlist is great for long drives and backyard BBQs. Anyway, here's the stuff that pre-dates Skynyrd, Alabama and the whole Southern Rock movement. Some you'll recognize, others I hope you'll be delighted to hear for the first time.
Hippie Country Music 1966-1974
1. Canned Heat - Goin' Up The Country
2. The Byrds - You Ain't Going Nowhere
3. Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devil
4. Moby Grape - Hey Grandma
5. Poco - Grand Junction
6. The Flying Burrito Brothers - Devil In Disguise
7. Pure Prairie League - Amie
8. The Byrds - Hickory Wind
9. The Youngbloods - Grizzly Bear
10. The International Submarine Band - I Must Be Somebody Else
11. New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Panama Red
12. The Fraternity Of Man - Don't Bogart Me
13. Allman Brothers Band - Sweet Melissa
14. Buffalo Springfield - A Child's Claim To Fame
15. Gram Parsons - Return Of The Grievous Angel
16. The Youngbloods - Smug
17. The Dillards - Nobody Knows
18. Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lookin' Out My Back Door
20. The Byrds - Old John Robertson
21. CSNY - Teach Your Children
22. Eagles - Peaceful Easy Feeling
23. The Beau Brummels - Bless You California
24. New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Sweet Lovin' One
25. Stephen Stills - Don't Look At My Shadow
26. The Byrds - Nashville West
27. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - The Cure
28. The Marshall Tucker Band - This Ol' Cowboy
29. Poco - A Good Feelin' To Know
30. Neil Young - The Emperor Of Wyoming
31. Michael Nesmith & The First National Band - Calico Girlfriend
32. The Everly Brothers - Less Of Me
33. Ian Matthews - Desert Inn
34. John Fogerty - Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
35. Pure Prairie League - Sister's Keeper
36. Dillard & Clark - Train Leaves Here This Mornin'
37. The Byrds - Your Gentle Way Of Loving Me
38. Poco - Fool's Gold
39. New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Rainbow
40. Michael Nesmith & The First National Band - Thanx For The Ride
41. Hearts & Flowers - Rock & Roll Gypsies
42. Gram Parsons - A Song For You
43. David Crosby - Laughing
44. Mason Proffit - Till The Sun's Gone
