LouieB

I am actually surprised no one (including me) has mentioned the greatest country singer of the modern era (post WWII) which is Hank Williams. You can listen to Hank thousands of times and not get tired of him. And there is a wide range of stuff to listen to from him from his singles, radio shows, stripped down demos, gospel, etc. Just about everyone after the Second World War followed Hank's lead. He was the model for nearly all the classic country singers, then the outlaws and then the country folk singers. Hank is to country, as Charlie Parker is to jazz or Muddy Waters is to the blues.

I took my daughter to a Jeff solo show at the Vic. She wasn't five years old at the time, but he did sing Millionaire, which was pretty funny. LouieB

the M's did open for Wilco at the Vic one time. LouieB

If you are going after Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash (and particularly Waylon Jennings who is also great) you should be able to find a whole ton of old LPs for really little money. I sell LPs with a friend and we have a whole box of Cash that never sells. I have found every Waylon and Willie album I own in resale shops for no more than a buck a piece. The same goes for lots of the classic era artists like Buck Owens and even Merle Haggard. None of these artists is currently hip and they sold millions of records. LouieB

The wonderful thing about old country albums, particularly the classic period (50s-mid 70s..) is that there are tons of LPs available from your local record or resale stores, which are cheap. You don't need to pay inflated prices for this material in general. Going back to the pre-Hank Williams period, there is a ton of material reissued out there. For a good overview, the Smithsonian set, which is probably out of print, but knocking around, is a good overview of everything from the earliest days to the Flying Burritto Brothers. LouieB

Richard Marx needs to get saved....(within the last year I saw Richard Marx at a benefit for a sex abuse agency in IL. He didn't draw a very large crowd and he acted like a dick.) LouieB

With all begrudging due to the Christian rock groups....if you put on a Christian rock station by accident, you can actually rock along with it for awhile. Just like the country artists, Christian rockers have picked up the carefully crafted, tuneful songs (even if some are pretty insipid on deeper examination..) that the current pop/rock stations don't play. Its all in the marketing I guess. LouieB

It is pretty ridiculous. The mark-up on both new and used vinyl is beyond belief. They are now selling reissued albums for $25 which you can sometimes find for $5 or less if you look for the originals. This too shall pass. The day will come when vinyl records become the beanie babies of the next decade. Meanwhile it is keeping the last of the indie record stores, which we all love, in business. LouieB

totally crazy. Millions of LPs were sold and millions are still out there (unless parents threw them away when kids left home.) LPs are being sold at a premium because of demand, but that doesn't mean old stereo or even mono versions of early records are worth that kind of dough. Then again, try and sell them on ebay and I am sure you can get some decent money. LouieB

I assume this is the song made more famous by the Byrds and the Doobies? (I'm at work so I can't fire this up.) Also someone mentioned the Johnny Cash religious material one album, he also did an album of relgious music on Cash Unearthed (Rick Rubin era) and also other material on Columbia. This thread cost me money since I bought three albums based on the convo here. If you get really interested in gospel, there is a great movie called "Say Amen Someone" which was done in 1982 and chronicles some of the originators of gospel music before they passed away. edit- As long as we are

Go Bears... LouieB

I hate to plug something I have not yet heard, but I never tire of promoting material on Archeophone Records and I think this one should be amazing. "There Breathes a Hope: The Legacy of John Work II and His Fisk Jubilee Quartet, 1909-1916" has just come out and if it is as good as some of the sides I have heard in the past are any indication it should be amazing. I guess we should talk about it when my copy arrives in a couple days, but flying blind I think it will be good. Remember this is early recordings, pre-electric, so the quality will be less than ideal, but Archeophone always m

How did I forget Gary Davis and Blind Willie Willile Johnson. I am particulary fond of Blind Willie Johnson. Also check out the one album done by Blind Arvella Gray. I have been meaning to check out TL Barnett (thanks like in the attic...). Some of the other suggestions too. Other good gospel groups.....Five Blind Boys Boys of Alabama and Dixie Hummingbirds. Nearly all of the country blues artists had some religious songs that they could pull out from time to time, although most of them played devil's music. Almost forgot. There are several "sacred steel" albums out there, some on

I have been touting Fire in My Bones on the Thompkins Square label since it came out last year. I don't know if I would call it all good, but is all very entertaining and rocks like crazy. Some of the musicianship and recording is a bit off, but that all adds to the tension and interest of these sides. Both of the Numero Group Gospel funk albums are good also. I just picked up a couple early Staple Singers CDs, pre-Stax era, one on Prestige/Milestone and one on Vee Jay. Looking forward to listening to them, but since I haven't listened yet, I can't yet recommend them. They are probabl

Amazing huh? I think you may be familiar with "War Memorial Drive"?? This is the war memorial it refers to I think. It may not be, but it is at the foot of War Memorial and Grandview (?? not sure if that is the name) drives. It sits in s small park at the foot of the bluff. It is one of the most moving places ever; to come upon this very neglected memorial. It brings mind all the great war ballads about the futility and damage war creates. Where have all the flowers gone.. when Johnny comes marching home, Johnny I hardly knew ya....etc. LouieB

What do you mean by good? St. Mathews Passion? Gospel music? Rock music with religious themes? LouieB

Here is a great moment in rock and roll history.....Liz Phair reviewing the Keith Richards autobiography.... LouieB Stray Cat Blues By LIZ PHAIR He’s been a global avatar of wish fulfillment for over four decades and managed to eke more waking hours out of a 24-hour day than perhaps any other creature alive (thanks, Merck cocaine and amphetamines!). As Keith puts it: “For many years I slept, on average, twice a week. This means that I have been conscious for at least three lifetimes.” You better believe it. This cat put the joie in joie de vivre. As the legendary guitarist for the

It is terribly sad how this happens. Actually the WWI monument in Bronzewille is in good shape, but the one in Peoria could fall over someday and no one would do a thing. There are literally hundreds of these type of monuments. Every community has one. Perhaps the most ironic thing about WWI is it was called the "war to end all wars". Of course it wasn't. Nearly a hundred years later we still think wars can accomplish something. Sometimes they are necessary, but now we are at war with an advisary we don't know with a cause we can't understand; I don't believe even they know why. We ju

They did both sing, just not together. LouieB

That's sort of why I brought it up. We now take it for granted that wars are fought in far away places by other people and we don't have to pay for it and we barely know what is at stake. Both WWI and WWII were pretty clear. Lots of people served and lots and lots of people died. And the wars more or less ended. Not only that, the country erected monuments to the those who served and those who didn't come back. There are many now neglected World War I monuments all over the country. I have two favorites. One is the one on King Drive in Bronzeville which is a monument to the African Ame

Happy Armistace Day!!! LouieB

I am sure Warren didn't mind....(it is a ballad after all..._) LouieB

on LP. LouieB

Really great song. LouieB

Personal or health issues? LouieB