Confession time: I like country music.... well, some country music. If there was a genre called "classic country" that's what I would say I like. I like Johnny Cash, of course, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams Sr, some Willie Nelson, and my new favorite, Loretta Lynn.
For years, I hated all country music on general principle. My dad used to listen to all the outlaw stuff back in the 80's, which I hated then, but now think is very cool in comparison to most of the slick stuff on the radio. Anyways, somewhere around the mid 90's, I started to realize that I didn't mind a little bit of twang. The gateway drug was alt country and the album was Son Volt's debut, Trace, which is on my chart. There was such an obvious country connection, but it was palatable. Later, I started to explore Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and a phenomenal album by Willie Nelson called Red Headed Stranger. It's official. I like country, well sort of.
So I'm curious, who else likes country, or is willing to come out of the country closet? Who thought they completely hated it like me, and came to change their mind over time? For those of you that like it, what or who else would you recommend me based on my list of favorites?... I'm kind of on a Loretta Lynn kick right now, but I only have a best of. Are there some great individual albums of hers I should get?
I'm not a specialist, but I like Gram Parsons a lot, particulary his second LP, Grievous Angel. From Loretta Lynn, I only know her comeback album produced by Jack White, Van Lear Rose: not bad. In the alt. country area, I love Lambchop, a band from Nashville that has a lot of different influences besides regular country music, it's very good (try the LP How I Quit Smoking). Steve Earle is great, well his 90s stuff that I know at least.
I started listening to country in 1967. I enjoyed Conway Twitty and every Sunday we would watch a TV show which featured local (Maine) bands. At first it was a joke, then it became real. Finally started collecting country in 1978.
Try these great albums by traditional country artists:
Acuff, Roy-The Essential Roy Acuff: 1936-1949
Autry, Gene-The Essential Gene Autry: 1933-1946
Carter Family, The-Country Music Hall Of Fame Series
Carter Family, The Original-Can The Circle Be Unbroken
Foley, Red-Country Music Hall Of Fame Series
Frizzell, Lefty-Look What Thoughts Will Do
Haggard, Merle-Down Every Road 1962-1994
Haggard, Merle-The Best Of The Best Of Merle Haggard
Haggard, Merle-The Lonesome Fugitive: The Merle Haggard Anthology (1963-1977)
Jones, George-The Essential George Jones: The Spirit Of Country
Lynn, Loretta-All Time Greatest Hits
Lynn, Loretta-Country Music Hall Of Fame Series
Lynn, Loretta-Greatest Hits Volume 2
Lynn, Loretta-Van Lear Rose
Price, Ray-The Essential Ray Price (1951-1962)
Sons Of The Pioneers, The-Country Music Hall Of Fame Series
Tubb, Ernest-Country Music Hall Of Fame
Williams, Hank-24 Of Hank Williams’ Greatest Hits
Williams, Hank-40 Greatest Hits
Wills, Bob-The Essential Bob Wills (1935–1947)
I'm mostly into the outlaw and rebel country, of which Red Headed Stranger is a highlight. Other stuff in that same vein well worth checking out is:
Kris Kristofferson - Kristofferson (1970), The Silver Tongued Devil and I (1971), and Border Lord (1972)
Guy Clark - Old No. 1 (1975), and Texas Cookin' (1976)
Willie Nelson - Shotgun Willie (1973), Phases and Stages (1974)
Robert Earl Keen - No Kinda Dancer (1984)
Waylon Jennings - Lonesome, On'ry and Mean (1973), Ladies Love Outlaws (1972), and Honky Tonk Heroes (1973)
Billy Joe Shaver - Old Five and Dimers Like Me (1973)
Other stuff that might work include Steve Earles's 90's stuff, anything by Jamey Johnson, as well as David Allan Coe and Jerry Jeff Walker. If you like Elvis his Elvis Country from 1971 is well worth checking out.
Been listening to country actively the last fifteen years or so and have some 600 country albums sitting on the shelf. I often find the traditional country a bit too sappy but there is plenty good stuff in the genre.
Don't know too much about Loretta Lynn but there is a fun song about her Lincoln by Josh Turner:
Some of my favs are Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, Calexico and Uncle Tupelo, though it's a genre I admit I really need to hear more from. _________________ I love all music. It makes you feel like living. Silence is death.
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