Country Music

[pmancini100]

I've been very into classic country for the past year or so. I've got stuff by Hank, Loretta Lynn, Waylon, Billy Joe Shaver, Doug Sahm, George Jones, Merle Haggard, and the Louvin Bros.(check them all out if you haven't yet). I thought I was really cool until I heard Tom T. Hall and I realized I don't know shit about country music. I feel like there's still so much I haven't heard. Does anyone have any recommendations of old-time country singers I haven't heard yet?

[GtrPlyr]

I'm a pretty big fan, particularly of Honky Tonk, Outlaw and Traditional Country. I dig all the artists you mention.

 

Some other favorites of mine include:

 

 

Ray Price, particularly love Night Life which is sort of a honky tonk concept record.

 

Buck Owens and His Buckaroos - I've Got a Tiger by the Tail is a good one to start with.

 

Gary Stewart - A great 2-fer CD of his is Out of Hand/Your Place or Mine. You can't go wrong with either of those records. Classics!

 

Joe Ely - Honky Tonk Masquerade. Another must have.

 

Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. Great stuff!

 

Porter Wagoner - He's done a lot of interesting records over the years, both solo and with Dolly Parton. I kinda enjoy his "Psychotronic Country" stuff such as "What Ain't to Be, Just Might Happen."

 

Jerry Jeff Walker - You really can't go wrong with any of his late 60s, early 70s records.

 

Mickey Newbury - 'Frisco Mabel Joy is a great one. He has a few others from that era that are just as good.

 

Guy Clark - Great songwriter. Something like the classic Old No. 1 would be a great starting point.

 

 

Guys like Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt, Bobby Bare, Rodney Crowell are definitely ones to check out and dive in deep. Though not strictly country, Lee Hazlewood is a guy I really love for his slightly skewed take on things.

 

 

As for old school country, I'm sort of partial to stuff by: Hank Snow, Jim Reeves, Kitty Wells, Eddy Arnold, Lefty Frizzell, The Carter Family, Ernest Tubb, Wanda Jackson, Tammy Wynette,...

[pmancini100]

Wow, thanks man!

 

Night Life is a great record, otherwise I haven't heard much of anyone you mentioned. I've also been meaning to get some Townes Van Zandt. This is gonna keep me busy for a while, can't wait to hit the record store.

[Lammycat]

Gtrplayer's list is nice. I'd add Chet Atkins to his list, but it's a great list. Don't be shy about digging into the Bluegrass offshoot with Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Doc Watson, Del McCoury, etc.

[CortezTheKiller]

GtrPlyr's recommendations are outstanding. I really got into Buck Owens this summer. Over a couple of months, I downloaded these off eMusic:

 

Vols I & II are simply fantastic.

 

Along the TVZ, Guy Clark front, you MUST watch the documentary Heartworn Highways and then pick up the soundtrack.

 

My list of favorite country albums is heavily influenced by the "outlaw" movement of the 70's.

 

Honky Tonk Heroes/Waylon

Waylon Live (One of the BEST live albums ever. Many of the songs on this blow the studio versions away.)

Dreaming My Dreams/Waylon

Read Headed Stranger/Willie

Phases & Stages/Willie

Shotgun Willie

Spooky Lady's Sideshow/Kristofferson

Silver-Tongued Devil/Kristofferson

Jesus Was a Capricorn/Kristofferson

Border Lord/Kristofferson

Old No. 1/Guy Clark

Texas Cookin'/Guy Clark

Dublin Blues/Guy Clark

Viva Terlingua/Jerry Jeff Walker

Ridin' High/Jerry Jeff Walker

Live @ Gruene Hall/Jerry Jeff Walker

 

I also recently discovered a Cash album from 1970 (or '69) that was out of print for a while. That one is called Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.

 

Another country album I have come to love is Jamey Johnson's latest, The Guitar Song. I think it is a fantastic album and I absolutely did not want to like it, but I gave it a try and wound up loving it.

 

Here are three fairly recent country albums I listen to a ton:

Trouble in Mind/Hayes Carll

Mile Markers/Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash

Too Much Living/Danny Balis

 

 

I know I'm forgetting a ton others, but this should give you a good place to start.

[PopTodd]

Just to chime in:

He may not be a part of that whole old-timers club, but if you like that sound, you will pretty surely like

Dwight Yoakam

A very solid Buck Owens influence there, and just a great songwriter in his own right.

All I know of his stuff really is the greatest hits, but DAMN, are those some great songs!

Worth checking out.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Wow, thanks man!

 

Night Life is a great record, otherwise I haven't heard much of anyone you mentioned. I've also been meaning to get some Townes Van Zandt. This is gonna keep me busy for a while, can't wait to hit the record store.

 

[CortezTheKiller]

That album is a beast.

[CortezTheKiller]

Another excellent country album I forgot.

[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

[Vacant Horizon]

i second the Willie recommendations above (Phases, and Red Headed). Also love Dwight Yoakam. His more recent album Population Me is excellent with a little alt. country california rock thrown in.

[GtrPlyr]

Here's a few from Country's fringes that I've gotten into recently (particularly dig Dee Mullins and his psychedelic touches):

 

...

 

 

Some good newer country artists have been mentioned such as Hayes Carll. I'll add Laura Cantrell to the list (love her retro sound.) Probably not needed to be mentioned, but Lucinda Williams is definitely worth checking out. I also dig some of Kelly Willis' records.

 

 

Though I don't consider her strictly country, I do love some of those 60s-70s Bobbie Gentry records. Nanci Griffith is another one that isn't strictly country that has released some great country-folk records. Steve Young is also worth checking out..

[pmancini100]

This thread rocks, thanks guys. Hayes Carll and Jamey Johnson are pretty cool for new guys. I have a little Cash, and I definitely need more Willie. I'm gonna make the vinyl section my bitch next week.

[CortezTheKiller]

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.

Absolutely. And in these parts (New England), there isn't a great demand/love/appreciation for such records. I've scored some great stuff over the past few years.

[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

[Magnetized]

Totally agree. This is my favorite Townes by far--it's so intimate and real, and he was apparently in a pretty good place when he recorded this. Lots of funny banter.

 

There's also a 2-disc greatest hits called Legend that's a good value, and I really like Roadsongs as well. If you find yourself getting into Townes (who could not?) I highly recommend a tribute album Called Poet--A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt. Some wonderful interpretations of his songs, by a real who's who of artists he influenced. I love almost every recording on this one, but I'm particularly partial to John Prine covering "Loretta." Just awesome!

[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.

 

For someone from before that period, don't forget Bob Wills.

 

LouieB

[GtrPlyr]

I mentioned Joe Ely earlier but forget to mention this great record:

 

 

Speaking of the Flatlanders, Jimmie Dale Gilmore has some records worth getting (After Awhile being one of them.) I've never delved into Butch Hancock's solo stuff, not sure what that's like.

 

 

I am actually surprised no one (including me) has mentioned the greatest country singer of the modern era (post WWII) which is Hank Williams.

pmancini100 mentioned him in his initial post which is why I steered clear of him. But yeah, he's the man, every country fan needs to check him out.

[dark]

Mentioned earlier .. but Jerry Jeff Walker is great outlaw country

[LouieB]

I mentioned Joe Ely earlier but forget to mention this great record:

 

 

Speaking of the Flatlanders, Jimmie Dale Gilmore has some records worth getting (After Awhile being one of them.) I've never delved into Butch Hancock's solo stuff, not sure what that's like.

Just saw the Flatlanders the other night. They are still great. Nearly all of Jimmie Dale's records are more than worth listening to, as are Joe Ely's (as you mentioned. Butch Hancock's Eats Away the Night is like the greatest Dylan album that Dylan didn't do. I don't know all his solo material, some is better than others, but his duet album with Jimmie Dale called Two Roads: Live in Australia is really fun. Both Jimme and Joe have covered Butch extensively on their albums. He tends to be a bit more literary than the other two, more folkie.

 

Good call though. The more recent Flatlander albums don't hold up as well as the earlier one and the individual records in my opinion.

 

Sorry I missed the previous Hank mention, but really you can't talk enough about him as far as I am concerned. Even the most contemporary country artists (if they aren't apeing Foreigner) are taking their cues from Hamk.

 

LouieB

[GtrPlyr]

Butch Hancock's Eats Away the Night is like the greatest Dylan album that Dylan didn't do.

Sounds very promising. I'm going to have to check this one out.

 

Sorry I missed the previous Hank mention, but really you can't talk enough about him as far as I am concerned. Even the most contemporary country artists (if they aren't apeing Foreigner) are taking their cues from Hamk.

Agreed. Hank is such a giant, his influence goes way beyond country music artists. I don't think there's many important songwriters of the past 50 years that don't have an affinity for ol' Hank.

[LouieB]

Sounds very promising. I'm going to have to check this one out.

 

 

Agreed. Hank is such a giant, his influence goes way beyond country music artists. I don't think there's many important songwriters of the past 50 years that don't have an affinity for ol' Hank.

Hey Grtplyr...how ya doin??

 

Getting into these threads is dangerous. I chimed into the gospel one the other day and ended up ordering a bunch of records off the internet to catch up.

 

There are probably copies of the complete Hank Williams on CD still floating around out there.

 

West Texas Waltzes & Dust-Blown Tractor Tunes by Butch Hancock has some of his more famous songs on it, but is uneven.

 

Earlyish Nancy Griffith, as mentioned, is really great. Particularly her very earliest recordings. Did someone mention EmmyLou Harris? If not (or if they did) you can't mention her enough either.

 

LouieB

[CortezTheKiller]

For someone from before that period, don't forget Bob Wills.

 

LouieB

He's still the king.

 

Sounds very promising. I'm going to have to check this one out.

 

 

Agreed. Hank is such a giant, his influence goes way beyond country music artists. I don't think there's many important songwriters of the past 50 years that don't have an affinity for ol' Hank.

If you don't like Hank Williams honey, you can kiss my ass.

 

Also, while we're on the subject of Hanks...

[GtrPlyr]

Getting into these threads is dangerous. I chimed into the gospel one the other day and ended up ordering a bunch of records off the internet to catch up.

Dangerous indeed, but also a great way to discover some new stuff to lighten the wallet.

 

I made some suggestions in that gospel thread, sorry if I cost you any money Louie .

[LouieB]

Dangerous indeed, but also a great way to discover some new stuff to lighten the wallet.

 

I made some suggestions in that gospel thread, sorry if I cost you any money Louie .

Well at least one of those albums I was going to get (the reissue from Light in the Attic which I ordered on LP with the extra 7 inch) and then I came across that JSP box set and figured....less then 20 bucks for 4 CDs....what the hell. A couple other things besides.

 

As far as crossover topic songs....Waylon Jennings wrote two of the best....Don't think Hank Done it this Away (or what ever it is really called) and Bob Wills is still the King (or whatever IT is really called). The Waylon live reissue CDs are something everyone should check out too. Made before Waylon became a huge star (and started making less then stellar records) it is a great piece of work. Merle Haggard's Bob Wills tribute album is pretty darn good, as is his tribute to Jimmy Rogers.

 

LouieB