start at the beginning - you can't beat Hank Williams - some great new unreleased recordings have been unearthed of radio shows he did on 2 3 disc sets. worth every penny
Its a carry over from my parents who brought me up on the more traditional country and Western so yes Hank Williams etc got me started but I think the development away from Country & Western to simple Country has helped to widen the appeal.
Alan jacksons "Where were you" the best tribute song
I'm a closet cowgirl too. My dad listened to a lot of country (although mum called it the-electric-fire-fell-into-the-bath-and-killed-my-granny music).
Oh yes it helped put back in the mind of the "general public" many acts they had "forgotten" but it mostly took their music and went off and made more money with it than they did.
Same old same old.
That and the fact it gave middle age suburban men an excuse to inflict their terrible dancing on an unsuspecting public.
Which of course brings us to line dancing...i think i am going to be sick
Slowfoot: nothing to be ashamed about, quite the opposite. Say it loud & proud!
Big fan of 70s Outlaw Country. Try Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson in their prime. Willie's mid 70s albums Red Headed Stranger, Shotgun Willie and Phases & Stages are all country classics.
Also really into Ray Price (still touring in his mid 80s) and his Nightlife album is
another all time great. Emmy Lou Harris too (Luxury Liner & Elite Hotel are well worth a listen also).
Nashville, Tennessee is Nirvana for me!
Sorry, got a bit carried away here but had to unburden myself! Most people who deride Country music usually struggle to fill up the back of postage stamp when you ask them what they know about the genre.
Ps: Bob Harris' Country Hour Thursday evening on Radio 2 always has a good blend of country classics and new stuff.
Don't know The Civil Wars but'll check them out. Must admit I'm more into the old time stuff and would add Merle Haggard and Buck Owens to my list of favourites above.
Very good point about Nelson & Krisofferson. Wasn't the latter at Oxford, jacked in a job as a helicopter pilot and started working as a janitor in Nashville while trying to get a recording contract?
For me, "I'm so lonesome I could cry" answers your question about Hank!
I like Alan Jackson too, a bit of a honky tonk throwback at times. A Lot About Livin album gets quite a lot of play on my iPod. Like his cover version of Pop A Top too. Walked off stage at the CMA's awards night one year in support of George Jones refusing to play when they insisted on cutting his act.
Agree about Hank Williams and Johnny Cash - 2 of the greatest singers in any genre.
Going even further back, Jimmie Rodgers still sounds astonishingly ahead of his time. Writing/recording in the late '20's/early '30's you can still hear his influence on the development of what became "rock'n'roll" and artists like Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan.
Another one brought up listening to Country and with a liking for it myself.
Me too. I saw Johnny Cash on his 25th Anniversary tour when I was 14!
I'm not too thrilled with the vast majority of the archetypal 'Rhinestones' country, but do like artists like Steve Earle (seem him twice one with the Dukes for the 'Exit 0' tour, & on the 'Townes Van Zandt' tour)
Dwight Yoakham
Alison Krauss
Dixie Chicks (saw them at Manchester a few years ago)
Del McCoury Band (superb CD with Steve Earle; 'The Mountain'
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
Dolly Parton (but the '90s/00's bluegrass, like 'Little Sparrow')
And of course the clasics;
Cash (& the Carter Family) Hank Williams
Ernest Tubbs
Jerry Reed (wrote 'Guitar Man' - sang by Elvis, & was 'Snowman' in the Smokey & The Bandit films) Willie Nelson (wrote 'Crazy' - Patsy Cline) KD Lang Kris Kristofersson (was 'Rubber Duck' in the ilm Convoy)
The Highwaymen
Just to mention a few - lots more aren't springing to mind at the moment
Comments
start at the beginning - you can't beat Hank Williams - some great new unreleased recordings have been unearthed of radio shows he did on 2 3 disc sets. worth every penny
Lady Antebellum and I have a bit of a love affair going on at the moment SF...
"Listen to the stories, man. These cats really know how to tell a story."
Charlie Parker
Ornithology is one of the few bebop tunes I can actually whistle, and Wichita Lineman is probably the most perfect song every written
This is my current favourite version. The album is vinyl only and not cheap!
and there is this
Can I have that bass?
I got money. Honest!
Please never listen to REM's version!
I could arrange a song better than that!
Really dont your ears will bleed.
PS
Its a carry over from my parents who brought me up on the more traditional country and Western so yes Hank Williams etc got me started but I think the development away from Country & Western to simple Country has helped to widen the appeal.
Alan jacksons "Where were you" the best tribute song
I'm a closet cowgirl too. My dad listened to a lot of country (although mum called it the-electric-fire-fell-into-the-bath-and-killed-my-granny music).
Johnny Cash's version of Hurt is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSZfUnCK5qk
Ah yes Muttley "The Blues Brothers"
I hate that bloody movie.
Oh yes it helped put back in the mind of the "general public" many acts they had "forgotten" but it mostly took their music and went off and made more money with it than they did.
Same old same old.
That and the fact it gave middle age suburban men an excuse to inflict their terrible dancing on an unsuspecting public.
Which of course brings us to line dancing...i think i am going to be sick
Slowfoot: nothing to be ashamed about, quite the opposite. Say it loud & proud!
Big fan of 70s Outlaw Country. Try Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson in their prime. Willie's mid 70s albums Red Headed Stranger, Shotgun Willie and Phases & Stages are all country classics.
Also really into Ray Price (still touring in his mid 80s) and his Nightlife album is
another all time great. Emmy Lou Harris too (Luxury Liner & Elite Hotel are well worth a listen also).
Nashville, Tennessee is Nirvana for me!
Sorry, got a bit carried away here but had to unburden myself! Most people who deride Country music usually struggle to fill up the back of postage stamp when you ask them what they know about the genre.
Ps: Bob Harris' Country Hour Thursday evening on Radio 2 always has a good blend of country classics and new stuff.
Nelson & Kristofferson, all time great songwriters as well as performers.
Hank - can music be any more emotional?
Of the newer acts, how about The Civil Wars?
Very good point about Nelson & Krisofferson. Wasn't the latter at Oxford, jacked in a job as a helicopter pilot and started working as a janitor in Nashville while trying to get a recording contract?
For me, "I'm so lonesome I could cry" answers your question about Hank!
I'm quite broad minded. I like both kinds of music, Country AND Western.
Blue Brothers? Best music film ever.
Have heard the Civil Wars Good stuff, would also recommend Luke Bryan, Diereks Bently, Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert to pass a few hours.
Sadly CMT is no longer available via the UK satalite systems so there is a real lack of knowledge about the newer stuff
got a bit of Alan Jackson too Slowfoot!-, but don't know loads of the newer acts
Alison Krauss is in Manchester on the 13th July then in Hyde Park on the 14th.
forgot about Alison Krauss in Hyde Park - I shall be there to see Bruce
Agree about Hank Williams and Johnny Cash - 2 of the greatest singers in any genre.
Going even further back, Jimmie Rodgers still sounds astonishingly ahead of his time. Writing/recording in the late '20's/early '30's you can still hear his influence on the development of what became "rock'n'roll" and artists like Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan.
Me too. I saw Johnny Cash on his 25th Anniversary tour when I was 14!
I'm not too thrilled with the vast majority of the archetypal 'Rhinestones' country, but do like artists like Steve Earle (seem him twice one with the Dukes for the 'Exit 0' tour, & on the 'Townes Van Zandt' tour)
Dwight Yoakham
Alison Krauss
Dixie Chicks (saw them at Manchester a few years ago)
Del McCoury Band (superb CD with Steve Earle; 'The Mountain'
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
Dolly Parton (but the '90s/00's bluegrass, like 'Little Sparrow')
And of course the clasics;
Cash (& the Carter Family)
Hank Williams
Ernest Tubbs
Jerry Reed (wrote 'Guitar Man' - sang by Elvis, & was 'Snowman' in the Smokey & The Bandit films)
Willie Nelson (wrote 'Crazy' - Patsy Cline)
KD Lang
Kris Kristofersson (was 'Rubber Duck' in the ilm Convoy)
The Highwaymen
Just to mention a few - lots more aren't springing to mind at the moment
I'm not mad for the traditional stuff but you can't beat a bit of melancholic Americana late at night when you've had a few too many JDs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWDgvrTjacs
On a similar vibe, this is my favourite version of Wichita Lineman...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoCvJXgT-a8
Steve Earle is great live, for an intro try the album Transcendental Blues, he masters everything from ballads to the harder end of country rock.
Nobody came back to me on The Grande,which either means you didn't have a look or you thought they were sh!te! Thought I'd make it easy for you......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipxvEezCJMg
Got to agree, he's bounced back from addictions & is still a brilliant songwriter.
Try this live listing;
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/steve-earle-and-the-dukes/concerts/bottom-line-june-18-1986.html