Artist: New Grass Revival
Genre(s):
Country
Discography:
New Grass Anthology
Year: 1990
Tracks: 10
Live
Year: 1984
Tracks: 7
New Grass Revival, formed in 1972 by four-spot late members of the Bluegrass Alliance, flourished in a decade when numerous groups took traditional bluegrass and changed it to varying degrees. The group was successful sufficiency to have the group's identify become a generic mark: "newgrass." The band's image, with long hair and on occasion electrified instruments, as good as its melodious material contrasted greatly with standard (traditional) bluegrass Region like that played by Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, the Lilly Brothers, and Lester Flatt's isthmus. In damage of longevity, popularity, and exposure, the Revival, with its hip reputation, was perchance the nigh successful in rival against II Generation, Seldom Scene, the Country Gentlemen, and others.
The origins of New Grass Revival lay in the Bluegrass Alliance, which Sam Bush (vocals, tinker, guitar, mandolin) and Courtney Johnson (banjo, vocals) linked in 1970. At the fourth dimension, the Alliance as well featured bassist Ebo Walker and violinist Lonnie Peerce. Within a class after Bush's and Johnson's arrival, Curtis Burch (dobro, guitar, vocals) linked the circle. In 1972, Peerce left the band, and the left over members decided to continue under a new bring up -- New Grass Revival. The isthmus released their eponymous debut, Arriver of the New Grass Revival, afterwards that class on Starday Records.
After the release of their debut, Walker parted slipway with the circle, and the mathematical group replaced him with Butch Robbins, world Health Organization was but with the circle for a forgetful prison term. He was replaced by John Cowan, an Evansville, IN, native. This lineup was stable end-to-end the '70s, recording a phone number of albums for Flying Fish Records. As their name suggested, New Grass Revival never played traditional bluegrass -- all of the members brought elements of stone & roll, jazz, and megrims to the group's well-grounded. Consequently, certain portions of the bluegrass community detested them, but they besides gained a devoted following of listeners wHO believed they were moving the genre in a new, unused counselling.
In 1981, Johnson and Burch left the band, claiming they were tired of touring. Bush and Cowan continued the group, replacing them with banjoist Béla Fleck and mandolinist/guitarist Pat Flynn. New Grass Revival moved to Sugar Hill Records in 1984 and released their first base album featuring the new card, On the Boulevard. Two geezerhood later, the circle signed with EMI Records and released an eponymous album, which proven to be their breakthrough into the mainstream. Two of the singles from the album -- "What You Do to Me" and "Ain't That Peculiar" -- were minor hits on the land charts, and Fleck's case "Seven-spot by Seven" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental. Hold to a Dream, released in 1987, was just as successful as its predecessor, featuring the hits "Unconditional Love" and "Can't Stop Now," which both nearly made the Top 40.
In 1989, New Grass Revival released their third major-label album, Fri Night in America, which was yet another commercial success. "Callin' Baton Rouge" became their first base Top 40 exclusive, followed by the number 58 hit "You Plant Your Fields." Even though the band was more popular than of all time, Bush distinct to pull the male plug on the group afterward the release of Fri Night in America. Bush became a session musician, and Fleck went onto a very successful and well-thought-of solo career.
