CARLTON FLETCHER: From Hank to Henrix … in 10 easy steps

From Hank to Hendrix, I walked these streets with you. Here I am with this old guitar, Doin’ what I do.

— Neil Young

I heard a song I hadn’t heard in a while the other day … Neil Young’s “From Hank to Hendrix,” which is included on his classic 1992 album “Harvest Moon.”

And while the song is about the sad end of a long-time love affair, it sent my mind in another direction. For people who are not stuck on genre, who allow themselves to enjoy music that appeals to their personal tastes, not some focus group or set of peers that follows trends, the song is about an eclectic interest in music.

I can relate to it because my music collection includes works by Hank Williams (and, by Hank Williams, I mean THE Hank Williams; no offense to Junior) and by guitar great Jimi Hendrix. I love “Hey, Good Looking” in the same way that I enjoy “All Along the Watchtower.”

I won’t lecture here on how people who limit themselves to one style of music — be it pop, heavy metal, bro country, emo, reggae, hip-hop, R&B, folk — are lesser people for their close-mindedness.

I’ll assume that’s obvious and just move on.

As an exercise — one that will certainly be open to debate … a key aspect of loving and caring about music — I decided to see how I personally got “from Hank to Hendrix” in 10 easy steps. Come along.

Move It on Over — Hank Williams: This is one of the country legend’s all-time classics. It brought modern country, circa 1947, out of an era dominated by Western Swing and into a an era of more heartfelt, heartlands kind of blues-infused tales that helped usher in the Nashville brand of country that has dominated the genre in the decades since.

I Walk the Line — Johnny Cash (1956): Arguably the Man in Black’s greatest hit, Cash helped introduce a rockabilly sound into the country music mix. His rebel attitude inspired other country innovators like Willie Nelson to step outside the box Nashville had created and bring fresh elements into the genre.

Miller’s Cave — Bobby Bare (1964): Bare expanded the “Swingin’ doors a juke box and a bar stool” tale of good lovin’ gone bad beyond the cliche of drinking it all away to taking definitive action against an unfaithful partner.

He Stopped Loving Her Today — George Jones (1968): Country music’s greatest song … ever. Ole Possum had what became an early country crossover hit, opening the door for musicians to expand their fan base outside the genre they’d settled in out of convenience or music-business necessity.

Luxury Liner — Gram Parsons (1968): The ultimate crossover artist, one who never gained his deserved measure of fame among fickle fans, Parsons influenced everyone from the Byrds to Dylan to the Rolling Stones. His music has always been — and continues to be — played by rock and country artists whose calling defies genre. He — along, later, with the Eagles — is perhaps the direct link between country and rock.

Truckin’ — The Grateful Dead (1970): The dead are recognized as the ultimate “hippie” band, primarily because of their devoted followers, but their brand of rock drew as much from country as it did rock and roll. No song better typifies this symbiosis than this one.

Nature’s Way — Spirit (1970): Randy California and the boys veered toward more experimental rock and roll, expanding the genre that the Dead represented into more of a rock realm.

Statesboro Blues — The Allman Brothers Band (1971): The Brothers took the rock of the South, mixed in touches of their country and Blues roots, and created a guitar-fueled genre that was all their own.

Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys — Traffic (1971): Featuring the vocals of Steve Winwood, Traffic brought the jazzy improvisation espoused by the Allman Brothers, minimized the influences of the South, and gave this fusion brand of rock a more British bent.

When the Levee Breaks — Led Zeppelin (1971): Forget the jazzbo intricacies, this is straight-ahead, Blues-infused hard rock and roll. With Jimmy Page’s dynamic guitar work a primary element, the six-string became the focal point of heavier music.

The Wind Cries Mary — Jimi Hendrix: Which brings us to Hendrix, recognized by most music followers as the greatest guitarist of all-time. An innovator who expanded what such guitarists as Page, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and others were doing at the time, Hendrix became the instrument’s true virtuoso.

But even in his virtuosity, it’s not such a stretch to see how we came — in 10 easy steps — from Hank to Hendrix.

Email Carlton Fletcher at [email protected]. Follow @ABH_Fletcher on Twitter.

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