Posted: 15 Nov 2011 8:30 pm
There. Fixed Yer PostHerb Steiner wrote:My candidate for the iconic popular conception of banjo music is "Dueling Banjos," by Reno and Smith, visually represented by that unfortunate creature with the family tree that doesn't fork in "Deliverance."Lane Gray wrote:I'd say they both crossed beyond their genres to become the broader culture's caricature of banjo music and 70s pretensions rock.
The big breakthrough for FMB was as the chase music in "Bonnie and Clyde," though it was the inferior 1960's version. Earl's 1950 cut on Mercury was the best, and the first. And sold the least.
Of course, who amongst us could forget that Lester and Earl's other significant contribution to our culture was "The Ballad of Jed Clampett." The Beverly Hillbillies, basically a Snuffy Smith cartoon played by live actors, was the redneck Gilligan's Island. Or did "Green Acres" fill that niche? Hmmm... I don't recall banjo on "GA," so I'll go with the Hillbillies.
So, until the Osbornes hit with "Rocky Top," when the regular civilian heard a banjo, he thought 1) the Keystone Kops were chasing somebody; 2) Granny and Jethro were out by the cement pond, or worst of all 3) somebody's being told they've got a "pretty mouth," and y'all know the rest.
As to pretentious rock, I'm not conversant enough with the genre to have an opinion, although I'd have to say that ACDC's "Shook Me All Night Long," has to be up there, based on having to play it every night in the 1980's in a country cover/dance band.
While working in a music store during that period of time, the songs most wanked upon by every pre-pubescent-through-late-teen kid who had to play every freakin' guitar in the store were "Smoke On The Water," "My Sharonna," and "STH."
