[paully dub]

A Spanish friend asked me about country music the other day. I was shocked - nobody ever expresses an interest in Country to me, and I am hardly the expert. However I did give him a cd of the few classics I had by artist such as:

Hank Williams Sr.
Roger Miller
Patsy Cline
Dolly Parton
Kenny Rogers
Johnny Cash
Willie Nelson
Emmylou Harris
Linda Ronstadt
Kris Kristofferson

Honestly that's all I have. I know there's newer stuff, but I really don't listen to Country.

Who can add to my list?

[Stradlater]

How's that new Loretta Lynn album?

[SeSawaya]

some of my favorites and major influences on my album are

Fred Eaglesmith
Lucinda Williams
Steve Forbert
Steve Earle
Robby Fulks
Rod Picott
Jay Bennett
Dwight Yokum

Of course you can classify these people as singer/songwriters just as easily. Country Music as a word is just a bad thing, Garth Brooks jumps to mind.

Check these folks out for some incredible Americana Alternative Country Music.

I of course have to say "click my link below" to round out my choices

Enjoy!!!

[docbud]

Allan Jackson
Dixie Chicks
Garth Brooks
Hank Williams, Jr.
Kenny Chesney
David Allen Coe
Tracy Lawrence

[OldManMac]

I don't have a lot of country in my collection, and most of what I have is older stuff.

Hank Williams Jr.
Joe Ely
EmmyLou Harris (one of the greats)
Vince Gill
Merle Haggard
Loretta Lynn
Lucinda Williams (not really country, IMHO, but great stuff)
Fred Eaglesmith
Cheryl Wheeler
Jimmie Dale Gilmore (uniqe voice, but catchy)
Alison Krauss and Union Station (more Bluegrass)
George Jones

When I got my divorce, I wrote the song She Got the Goldmine, and I Got the Shaft!

SeSawaya, is that your album you linked to?

[talisker]

Gram Parsons

[daimoni]

.

[starman]

Only one good country song: The Rodeo Song.

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by talisker:
Gram Parsons

Absolutely. I just saw a BBC documentary on him so I've sort of rediscovered him lately. Great recommendation.

Somebody mentioned Alt-Country. You can add these to the list:

Uncle Tupelo
Sun Volt
Old 97's
Jayhawks
Wilco
and the originals...
The Band

[zigzag]

If I were starting someone out on country, I'd get 'em:

- the 5 Columbia Country Classics CDs (only $10 each - a bargain)
- Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. 1 by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

That'd give 'em a broad sampling and they could expand from there.

If I had to pick only two artists, I'd recommend the Merle Haggard box set Down Every Road and the two Jimmy Martin collections that are in print.

Some other greats that haven't been mentioned:

Lefty Frizzell
Webb Pierce
Tammy Wynette
Skeeter Davis
Vern Gosdin
Buck Owens

Of the Americana types, I like Julie Miller and Gillian Welch best. And it wouldn't hurt to pick up John Prine's In Spite of Ourselves.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by paully dub:
Good country music

Oxymoron.

[paully dub]

Originally posted by Ois�n:
Oxymoron.

Anti-American Communist Propaganda...

Thanks for the help folks. I've liked Lucinda Williams for a while without even considering her Country.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by paully dub:
Anti-American Communist Propaganda...

No, just personal opinion, I'm more anti-communist than anti-American

(And the fact that I think the word 'oxymoron' is an extremely funny word for some reason)

[SeSawaya]

SeSawaya, is that your album you linked to? [/B]

Yes, we do 2 Fred Eaglesmith covers on it, 105 and Water In The Fuel. He is a great songwriter. We are also on a tribute album to Fred that can be seen here(we do drive-in movie) http://www.twangoffrecords.com/index.php


vmpaul, great list!

[Baphomet]

Check out Hank III, Mindy Smith, and Kasey Chambers for something different.

[ryju]

Hello?? Shania Twain!

[paully dub]

Originally posted by ryju:
Hello?? Shania Twain!

The Canadian pseudo-country female artist spot on the list has already been filled by KD Lang. Edit - Besides, she doesn't really hold a candle to other great female country voices in my opinion.

But there's still an Aussie position open....

[boardsurfer]

Mostly mentioned: Willie, Hank, Waylon. I add: John Anderson. Seminole Wind is very good.

[SeSawaya]

a really good "Aussie" is Audrey Auld

of course I'm not talking about Mainstream crap, I never am.

[OB1]

Country music has never popped up on my radar. I like Lambchop though.

[Jaey]

Good country music....



...does not exist.

[paully dub]

Originally posted by Jaey:
Good country music....



...does not exist.

Interesting how smug people can be in their assurance of what is good or not. I'm a city kid, who hated most country music, but even I can aknowledge that there's some good music, and some great talent in there somewhere.

Plus if you expand the genre to country rock, or alternative country or whatever there's loads of stuff that I already liked without worrying if it was country. I'm listening to the Band again these days. Lucinda Williams as well. Good stuff.

Anyway, my Spanish friend was listening to Dolly Parton and Randy Travis, and had to step in and broaden his horizons, so thanks for the input!

[SeSawaya]

Exactly, people who say "I dont know much about music, but I know what I like" are saying they are very ignorant and not willing to look for anything new.

I'm a percussionist, not a songwriter. Even I'm really drawn to good lyrics and substance in that field. At least most "folk/alternative country" has that quality. 99% of POP (any genre of POP) dosent. its bubble gum for the kids. What a waste our culture has become. the only ART people are exposed to is advertising and what the MAN serves you on a silver platter on your radio.

Just look at "making the band" or "american Idol". Mediocrity at its best, & people cant wait to throw their money at it.

Fred Eaglesmith on the other hand (Canadas answer to Bruce Springsteen) tours constantly, 300+ shows a year, Amazing writer/performer & I bet 99.5% of the people here have never heard of him.

Expand your mind, you might even like it.

my 2�

[Kilbey]

"Uh, what kind of music do you usually have here?"

"Oh, we got both kinds, country and western!"

Seriously, I like the older country like Johnny Cash, john Denver, Kenny Rogers, Loretta Lynn.

[gorickey]

Mark Wills...

[Oisín]

Originally posted by SeSawaya:
I'm really drawn to good lyrics and substance in that field. At least most "folk/alternative country" has that quality. 99% of POP (any genre of POP) dosent. its bubble gum for the kids.

That is just as ignorant and closed-in as saying you don't know much about music, but you know what you like.

I agree that there are many current artists within the genre of pop that show very little inventiveness or ingenuity in either lyrics or music. But to say that this is a universal quality for all genres of pop music is a generalization at best.

First of all, the pop genre is probably the least defined one there is - nearly anything can be called 'pop' depending on where you are. Some places, you would be quite likely to see Dolly Parton or Johnny Cash categorised as pop, I'm sure. Other places, you might find Marilyn Manson or Black Sabbath categorised as pop. (Shania Twain most certainly is categorised as pop music most places I know)

I listen to quite a lot of music that I would categorise as pop music (e.g. Bj�rk, Ceredwen, Faye Wong, Eurythmics, G�te, the Cranberries, Tori Amos, Madonna, etc.), and I think each of them have both good lyrics and substance in their music - otherwise I wouldn't be listening to them.

I'm not saying that no country/western music has good lyrics or substance, I'm sure there are many good lyrics and good melodies in country music. There just happens to be some basic element (which I am yet to fix/define) in these kinds of music that make them unenjoyable for me - an element that I haven't yet heard any country/western songs without, unfortunately.

[Dale Sorel]

"We like both kinds of music... country and western."

[waxcrash]

Originally posted by vmpaul:
Somebody mentioned Alt-Country. You can add these to the list:

Uncle Tupelo
Sun Volt
Old 97's
Jayhawks
Wilco
and the originals...
The Band

I would add:

Whiskeytown
Ryan Adams

[jimcpherson]

My C&W favorites:

Hank WIlliams
Merle Haggard
Johnny Cash

My Alt-Country Favs:
Whiskeytown
Wilco (Mermaid Avenue)

[SeSawaya]

Originally posted by Ois�n:
That is just as ignorant and closed-in as saying you don't know much about music, but you know what you like.
I agree that there are many current artists within the genre of pop that show very little inventiveness or ingenuity in either lyrics or music. But to say that this is a universal quality for all genres of pop music is a generalization at best..

Of course its a generalization, but saying 99% of "pop" music is a waste of space is being generous. whether its Jazz, country pop, pop-pop, alternative, metal. whatever, it all has more than its fair share or horrible music that people are more than willing to accept as great simply cause its played in there ear 25 times a day. Most of it is trivial trite. No substance no meaning, just lookin for sales. Its not always the artist fault of course, the producer/record company has utmost control over the product. They are the truely the reason most pop music stinks. Sad.

Dont get me wrong, I like a good hook as musch as anyone. Just dont tell me pop is good most of the time, cause its not. In any decade.

[d4nth3m4n]

there are couple of country-ish bands around here that i totally love. these are by no means "classic" country, more a fusion style that is more contemporary than anything else. (both good plaes to start for folks jsut starting out.)

old crow medicine show
the sim redmond band
Plastic nebraska

im not much of a country country fan, but i do really like the del mccoury band and the majority off bluegrass out there.

think bruce cockburn would count as counrty?

[Oisín]

Originally posted by SeSawaya:
Of course its a generalization, but saying 99% of "pop" music is a waste of space is being generous. whether its Jazz, country pop, pop-pop, alternative, metal. whatever, it all has more than its fair share or horrible music that people are more than willing to accept as great simply cause its played in there ear 25 times a day. Most of it is trivial trite. No substance no meaning, just lookin for sales. Its not always the artist fault of course, the producer/record company has utmost control over the product. They are the truely the reason most pop music stinks. Sad.

Dont get me wrong, I like a good hook as musch as anyone. Just dont tell me pop is good most of the time, cause its not. In any decade.

Well, I disagree. If you take all the "pop" in the world, I'm positive the crappy pop will be far outnumbered by the decent pop.

Unless of course you're talking about 99% of all the pop that's played on radios, etc., not 99% of what's made. Then I agree.

[SeSawaya]

Originally posted by d4nth3m4n:
there are couple of country-ish bands around here that i totally love. these are by no means "classic" country, more a fusion style that is more contemporary than anything else. (both good plaes to start for folks jsut starting out.)

old crow medicine show
the sim redmond band
Plastic nebraska

im not much of a country country fan, but i do really like the del mccoury band and the majority off bluegrass out there.

think bruce cockburn would count as counrty?

and thats the problem, classification. Singer/songwriters that are good (real good) sometimes get lumped into folk/alternative country and the like. Not that thats a bad thing, it just happens cause the emphisis is not so much on the music or the riff, but the lyrics. Bruce Cockburn is amazing I just dont know what genre he truly fits into.

Del McCoury band is one of the most talented group on the planet, like them or not. (no percussion so I'm a little bias )

To be honest, I never heard of 1/2 the greats in this genera before I started playing it. I've been educated a lot on the subject lately having met these people and opened for some amazing folks. I'm more of a classical/jazz education with a lot of rock thrown in. I'm learning.

great examples here guys.

[Mr. Blur]

i like some of the "alt-country" stuff like:
"Cowboy" Sally Timms
Neko Case
lots of the other stuff from Bloodshot Records is good too - Kelly Hogan, Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Waco Brothers....

[cacarr1]

Originally posted by SeSawaya:
Exactly, people who say "I dont know much about music, but I know what I like" are saying they are very ignorant and not willing to look for anything new.

I'm a percussionist, not a songwriter. Even I'm really drawn to good lyrics and substance in that field. At least most "folk/alternative country" has that quality. 99% of POP (any genre of POP) dosent. its bubble gum for the kids. What a waste our culture has become. the only ART people are exposed to is advertising and what the MAN serves you on a silver platter on your radio.

Just look at "making the band" or "american Idol". Mediocrity at its best, & people cant wait to throw their money at it.

Fred Eaglesmith on the other hand (Canadas answer to Bruce Springsteen) tours constantly, 300+ shows a year, Amazing writer/performer & I bet 99.5% of the people here have never heard of him.

Expand your mind, you might even like it.

my 2�

Well said...

[davechen]

Robert Earl Keen. I'm not a big country music fan, but he's a terrific songwriter.

Also Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett.

[SeSawaya]

Originally posted by davechen:
Robert Earl Keen. I'm not a big country music fan, but he's a terrific songwriter.

Also Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett.

Robert Earl Keen is great, we cover "the road goes on forever". Love that song!

[SomeToast]

Originally posted by vmpaul:
Old 97's
Wilco

Haven't seen Kim Richey on the lists yet.

Also,

Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel
Hank Dogs
The Carpetbaggers
Wanda Jackson

[zigzag]

Well, with the suggestion of the Hank Dogs (whom I love), we've truly veered from Country Music with a capital C, but that's OK, whatever works. I'd add that Neil Young has made some of the best country music ever - he did a brilliant cover of Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me," and I think the Old Ways album is very underrated. Then there's Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Nashville Skyline, Workingman's Dead, and the like - country music for a rock audience. And no such list is complete without Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen, whose first two albums are classics.

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by SeSawaya:

Of course its a generalization, but saying 99% of "pop" music is a waste of space is being generous. whether its Jazz, country pop, pop-pop, alternative, metal. whatever, it all has more than its fair share or horrible music that people are more than willing to accept as great simply cause its played in there ear 25 times a day. Most of it is trivial trite. No substance no meaning, just lookin for sales. Its not always the artist fault of course, the producer/record company has utmost control over the product. They are the truely the reason most pop music stinks. Sad.

Dont get me wrong, I like a good hook as musch as anyone. Just dont tell me pop is good most of the time, cause its not. In any decade.

The best description I've heard about 'pop' music is that it's disposable. Play it enough times and then toss it. Tasty but not very nutritious and full of empty calories.

The other thing about pop is that the other elements are sometimes equal or more important than the music itself. It's style over substance. Some of those things include - Are their voices distinctive, or do they have an unusual style? Are they on every magazine and TV show? Is it currently hip, or are the performers nice to look at? I mean would Shania Twain and Faith Hill be as successful if they looked like Mama Cass? I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, I think they're beautiful and I'll watch their videos (with the sound off) when it pops on TV just like the next guy. But if I'm in an introspective mood or looking for music with meaning I wouldn't even try 'pop' music. To me, the music is most important, not the style.

[jonasmac]

I admit....sometimes I like Diamond Rio, Tim McGraw and *gasp* Garth Brooks! And I'm from an island in the South Pacific!

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by SomeToast:


Haven't seen Kim Richey on the lists yet.

Also,

Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel
Hank Dogs
The Carpetbaggers
Wanda Jackson

Now that's a list. I've heard of, but never heard, the Hank Dogs. Same with the Carpetbaggers. Somebody mentioned Whiskeytown as well. They were pretty good.

Originally posted by SeSawaya:
Del McCoury band is one of the most talented group on the planet, like them or not. (no percussion so I'm a little bias)

Yep. One of my regrets is missing Steve Earle & Del McCoury when they were touring together a couple years back. Del McCoury, by himself, is a little too hardcore bluegrass for me but with Earle it would have been a bit more palatable. I prefer a little more folk mixed in with my bluegrass/country. Someone like Tim O'Brien (whom I'm seeing Sat, BTW) or Iris Dement, etc..