How to Listen to Rockabilly

Rockabilly, the root music of rock and roll, traces its roots to bluegrass, Western swing, jump blues and hillbilly boogie music. Rockabilly's heyday was in the mid- to late-1950s, and its high priest was Sam Phillips of Sun Records. It enjoyed a resurgence in the 1980s under artists such as Brian Setzer, and rockabilly continues to delight a dedicated division of fans today.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Note the lack of instrumentation. Early rockabilly relied on an electric guitar and stand-up bass played in a style called "slap-back," where the strings were plucked and snapped against the body of the instrument loud enough to eliminate the need for drums. Drums would be added by later artists, and others added their own touches, such as Jerry Lee Lewis' frenetic piano playing.

2. Listen for a thumping, jumping beat that implies sexuality, echoed vocals and plenty of reverberation. Rockabilly combines a raw, manic energy with a warm crispness, particularly in works on the Sun label.

3. Collect the music of rockabilly artists of the 1950s. First and foremost are the 1954-56 recordings of Elvis Presley, but artists who performed rockabilly during that era include Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins (whose original recording of "Blue Suede Shoes" sold more copies than Elvis' later version), Bill Haley and the Comets, Gene Vincent, Roy Orbison, Wanda Jackson, and Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly, both of whom died young.

4. Find the works of rockabilly revivalists, such as the Stray Cats (led by Brian Setzer), Tiger Army and the Cramps, who mixed in a campiness that created the sub-genre known as psychobilly.

5. Attend a rockabilly festival. One major U.S. festival is in Jackson, Tennessee, hometown of disc jockey/game show host Wink Martindale.

Resources

• Attend the International Rockabilly Festival in Tennessee
• Subscribe to Rockabilly Magazine
• Download rockabilly music MP3s