Where do I start with country music?

I love dixie chicks – aint ready to make nice but thats about it

Keith Urban is a hell of a guitar player but don’t like his music much

Modern Country pop – Shania

I suspect a lot of the prejudices against Country are against the “& Western” part.. if we’re talking more about Americana / folk / roots /there is a lot of great stuff.

Some of my current faves:

Hank Williams
Lucinda Williams
Gram Parsons
Handsome Family
Josh Ritter
Whiskeytown / Ryan Adams
Johnny Cash
Be Good Tanyas
Mary Gauthier

Something to whet your appetite:

There’s some good country music about but Johnny bloody Cash isn’t it.

Musical garbage. Like a 1980s casio keyboard demo track but with some old geezer crooning over it.

Oooh did you bring your tinfoil hat? You’re so going to get flamed for that. 😀

Toby Kieth is how I imagine most STW posters but with an Orange 5 rather than a Mustang.

“shoes don’t stretch and men don’t change”.

Edit: so the techy people have changed how to integrate vids yet again. 🙁

There’s some good country music about but Johnny bloody Cash isn’t it.

Musical garbage. Like a 1980s casio keyboard demo track but with some old geezer crooning over it.

I lot of cash material is unremitting shite, however the At Folsom Prison album is bloody brilliant. All of Townes Van Zandt songs are genius but some of the recordings are awful, the Live at the Old Quarter album is as close to musical perfection as I’ve heard. If you want to find out about his quite depressing life the docu called Be Here to Love Me is excellent, actually the sound track to that might be a good start too.
Steve Earles song about Townes is bloody brilliant too

Surprised no one has mentioned Jerry Jeff Walker

a cheerful tune

This has been an interesting day.

After I started this thread last night, I embarked on a drinking session that culminated in me drumming, in my pants, to Walk The Line.

Just like every Wednesday then.

Cash released this in 1994

which came from this

which was written by him

which all sounds very familiar:

which was recorded by her

Saw Steve Earle a few months ago. Fantastic. I like Jeff Bridges as well. Radio 2 Country Show is good for a grounding.
Hello Rustyspanner if you remember me from the velodrome.

Check out the Fervor EP and Lost And Found album by Jason And The Scorchers from the ’80s, still sound great. Sort of country/rock/punk

Also The Long Ryders Native Sons Album

Lot’s of Townes and Earle name drops so how’s about…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-auhLXtUe0

I stumbled across this sad song by accident on iTunes a few months ago. I love the lyrics and the gently falling melody in minor keys:

Here’s a short and boisterous instrumental. I think I found this on the Ride the Divide video about riding the great continental divide:

Start by standing in front of a mirror and having a word with yourself. Perhaps a dressing down, and maybe even a slap.

Then carry on with your life.

I started with Steve Earle. Check out Bob Harris on Thurs eve at 7pm. Just sensational. Country music is a very wide genre. Personally I think that Shania Twain and Grath Brooks is NOT true country music. Enjoy

cooie, got shivers. ‘Fervor’ is one of my all time fav’s. Love The Long Ryders too.

It’s a broad church.

Got those from an excellent compilation album called Country Funk 1969-1975.

cooie, got shivers. ‘Fervor’ is one of my all time fav’s. Love The Long Ryders too.

It is rather good, isn’t it 🙂
Hadn’t heard it for years, and it gave me shivers too!
Had a thing about all those American bands at the time- Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, Rain Parade, Giant Sand etc.

Ben kweller is great if you want more modern stuff. Has to qualify as country music too as I always think of canoeing down a river whilst listening.