Jump to content

Top 5 Essential Alt-Country Albums


Recommended Posts

that's a fair list.

 

i'd add the old 97's too far to care, the first bottlerockets disc, one of the first two blue mtn discs, that first v-roys disc, and gillian's time the revelator ( in no particular order) to make a top ten.

Link to post
Share on other sites
that's a fair list.

 

i'd add the old 97's too far to care, the first bottlerockets disc, one of the first two blue mtn discs, that first v-roys disc, and gillian's time the revelator ( in no particular order) to make a top ten.

V-Roys, just add ice. Man that's a great CD!!

 

41KJ3AYWJHL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

can the alt-country thing die already please

 

besides the 5 they listed are there really any other alt-country bands in the world....i agree with Louie

 

 

for the record, being there may be my favorite Wilco album

Link to post
Share on other sites

I still listen to 3 of the 5 on occasion. The Jayhawks and Son Volt ones I haven't listened to in years.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Being There is my favorite, but it's almost like picking your favorite child. You love them all with all of your heart. The Alt-country title has never made much sense to me as far as Wilco is concerned. The "country" songs on Being There sound more like classic country to me. They could fit in with Lefty Frizzell, Hank Snow, Hank Williams or any other true "country" artist. A.M. always sounded more like pop country(but not like the bad pop country radio of today). I grew up on old country and the "country" songs from Being There always sounded more authentic than anything Jeff had done since March 16-20 1992(Anodyne was a beautiful blend of old country and pop). When Summer Teeth and YHF came along and people continued to refer to Wilco as an Alt-country band it just confused me. There was not much "country" left, just kick-ass pop brilliance. I remember reading a review in Rolling Stone about what a great Alt-country album YHF was and thinking WTF?

Link to post
Share on other sites
can the alt-country thing die already please

 

besides the 5 they listed are there really any other alt-country bands in the world....i agree with Louie

 

 

for the record, being there may be my favorite Wilco album

 

 

please, on the way home i was contemplating slobberbone's, marah's, and the dbt's place in such listings. are they alt-country , who knows.

 

i mean there was this brief time in the 90's when it meant something and it coincided with my renewed interest in music after my postgraduate training. if it wasn't for those 5 cd's listed i very well would be quite a different person. maybe if i was 80 years old like louie b and had seen it all before it would be different. ;)

Link to post
Share on other sites
can the alt-country thing die already please

 

besides the 5 they listed are there really any other alt-country bands in the world....i agree with Louie

 

 

for the record, being there may be my favorite Wilco album

 

 

Remember the time they had that one magazine that was only about 5 bands and yet it managed to publish 75 issues and a few books? ...That was cool.

Link to post
Share on other sites
maybe if i was 80 years old like louie b and had seen it all before it would be different. ;)
No offense but actually you got it wrong. If you interpreted my non-interest as non-interest in these bands and these albums, that was not my point. I was reacting to "another stupid list that means nothing because it is obvious and way too short." In point of fact these albums (with the exception of Whiskeytown) also resparked my interest in live music (mix in the Bottle Rockets "The Brooklyn Side" which is one of the greatest albums of any genre ever and that could be my top 5) and I started going to see Wilco, the Waco Brothers, etc. as well. I am not 80 and yes I had seen country rock come and go a time or two (I was playing a late career Poco album yesterday), but I am never indifferent to country rock, country, alt.country, insurgent country, modern honkytonk or any other title connected to this type of music. In fact every year someone reinvents this stuff. This year for me it is Justin Earle, who has bested his old man this music cycle, with a wonderful CD (and a half) on Bloodshot; a label that still produces some of the best of this type of music around.

 

Unfortunately I was misinterpreted, but it won't be the first time or last time here....so it goes.

 

LouieB

Link to post
Share on other sites

sorry to get at ya. i've been around here enough to know you hate lists, or at least the ones i've seen you post about and figured you're closer to my age than most here, that's all i was alluding to. and while i'm well over traditional sounds and flew off on a tangent somewhere around a ghost is born, i follow the alt-country scene some. i just haven't heard enough alt in what i've heard of lately, plenty of good songwriting, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No offense but actually you got it wrong. If you interpreted my non-interest as non-interest in these bands and these albums, that was not my point. I was reacting to "another stupid list that means nothing because it is obvious and way too short." In point of fact these albums (with the exception of Whiskeytown) also resparked my interest in live music (mix in the Bottle Rockets "The Brooklyn Side" which is one of the greatest albums of any genre ever and that could be my top 5) and I started going to see Wilco, the Waco Brothers, etc. as well. I am not 80 and yes I had seen country rock come and go a time or two (I was playing a late career Poco album yesterday), but I am never indifferent to country rock, country, alt.country, insurgent country, modern honkytonk or any other title connected to this type of music. In fact every year someone reinvents this stuff. This year for me it is Justin Earle, who has bested his old man this music cycle, with a wonderful CD (and a half) on Bloodshot; a label that still produces some of the best of this type of music around.

 

Unfortunately I was misinterpreted, but it won't be the first time or last time here....so it goes.

 

LouieB

Link to post
Share on other sites
sorry to get at ya. i've been around here enough to know you hate lists, or at least the ones i've seen you post about and figured you're closer to my age than most here, that's all i was alluding to. and while i'm well over traditional sounds and flew off on a tangent somewhere around a ghost is born, i follow the alt-country scene some. i just haven't heard enough alt in what i've heard of lately, plenty of good songwriting, though.

No offence on either side. I am just tired of top whatevers listing obvious stuff.

 

LouieB

Link to post
Share on other sites
Grievous Angel or G.P. by Gram Parsons, anyone?

 

He invented this alt-country thing.

 

The list is silly.

Actually he "invented" country-rock. The genre of alt.country was still nearly 2 decades off when he died.

 

LouieB

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Moses
No. I'm sure there are other wrong people on here.

 

you must have misread my statement. as i am obviously correct. :D

 

and yeah, i like both a whole lot too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

took me a while to realize it, but i think The Search may be as good as any of 'em

 

& I love Straightaways, Trace & okehmah

 

and if i had to pick one Uncle Tupelo record for such a list, it would be Still Feel Gone & not Anodyne

 

love 'em both, but Still Feel Gone is iconic ... Anodyne is just a great record

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...