Why Folk Rock Is So Popular
April 17th, 2011 by admin
In the mid 1960s folk singer Bob Dylan swapped his acoustic for an electric guitar and folk rock was born. At the time Dylan took a lot of heat from purists who identified folk as much by the instruments played as the stories told. Dylan’s particular genius was to recognize that whether a song is backed by screaming guitars or fiddles and banjos it’s the story that makes it relevant. And that is really where the popularity of the genre lies.
A quick look at the roster of artists who fall under the folk rock label proves the point. John Prine, Lucinda Williams, even Bruce Springteen are storytellers first, musicians second. And while Springsteen’s entire catalogue may not fall totally within the realm of folk rock, his “Nebraska” album certainly does. Small wonder since The Boss lists Dylan as one of his biggest influences.
The love of a good story is buried in our genes. Folk rock fuses the best storytelling traditions of country music with the infectious rhythms of blues music, creating a modern version of both. Its appeal crosses the boundaries of age, race and circumstance. As long as there are stories to tell folk rock will live on.