A Doper country music primer

Cafe Society
1

It has recently come to my attention that I am pretty ignorant of country music. I’ve heard some stuff, mostly crossovers and alt-country, and been very impressed. But what I heard on the radio was dull, repetitive and unimaginative.

Then I realized that if I judged any genre of music by what gets radio airtime, it would all seem dull, repetitive and unimaginative.

I also realized that, while I have a pretty good context in which to understand rock, I have no real idea about the history of country music. It makes it hard to figure out what to start with, and hard to get the references, both musical and lyrical.

I’ve loved some of the artists I’ve heard, especially Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, and Mary Chapin Carpenter, but these were pretty much random encounters while browsing other people’s music collections; I have no idea how to find more like them, or how to expand my horizons into different areas of country. I used to love a John Hartford tape that fell into my posession accidentally, but once again, without context, it’s hard to figure out where to go from there.

I was hoping that some knowledgeable SDMB country music fans could start me off on the right path. What are the indispensable country albums? What different branches of country are out there right now, and what’s the history behind them? Who are the unknown artists, who never get airplay, who really move you?

I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’d really appreciate any recommendations you might have.

And before anyone posts anything about there being no such thing as good country music, please listen to Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball, all the way through, on headphones, before posting.

2

Well done, MrVisible :slight_smile: for realising that country music isn’t only about it’s ‘public face’. There are literally hundreds of essential country records, and you’re probably going to get lots of them in this thread, but I’m going to give some that have moved me especially over time.

As you like Emmylou, you might as well go back to where she started, and also where a lot of good modern country spins off from - Gram Parsons. His three records with Emmylou: ‘Grievous Angel’, ‘GP’ and ‘Live 1973’ are all killer, with very little filler.

Once you’re hip to those, the two records he did with The Flying Burrito Brothers are also fantastic, and can be gotten either on a single, mid priced CD (just like the two studio solo Gram records), or on several different compilations.

Everyone knows about Johnny Cash, and a great starting point for him is his ‘comeback’ album ‘American Recordings’, which is just him and his guitar. Also great are both the ‘Live at Folsom Prison’ and ‘Live at San Quentin’ albums, particularly in their recently unearthed expanded versions. Once you’re hooked on Johnny, there’s very little that’s terrible, although try to listen to the records you’re buying, as some of them from the 1980’s are a bit on the icky side sound wise.

Another singer everyone’s heard of, but lots of people have the wrong idea about is the wonderful Dolly Parton. In my opinion, everything she did up until about 1976 is essential, and then her last few records on the ‘Sugar Hill’ label are also great. For picks, I would say the two-on-one CD which has the records ‘Jolene’ and ‘Tennessee Mountain Home’, as well as records like ‘Coat of Many Colors’. The best of her recent records is ‘The Grass Is Blue’ - a wild bluegrass album.

If you want to have something a bit more obscure to impress your friends with, Lee Hazlewood is another fantastic artist, who isn’t stricly country all the time, but is always worth a listen. His records are short, and not so cheap, but they’re great, particularly ‘Cowboy in Sweden’ and ‘Requiem for an Almost Lady’. If you’re able to get hold of the compilation ‘Lightning’s Girl’ by Nancy Sinatra from Australia (it’s quite a cheap CD here, but I don’t know about overseas), you get to hear Lee Duet with Nancy on about half the songs.

As I said, there are lots more, but one final one I would recommend is Simon Bonney, who is a sort of less famous contemporary of Nick Cave. He has two solo records: ‘Forever’ and ‘Everyman’, both of which I would give close to ten out of ten.

If you’d like more in the way of recommendations, or context (I’m not too much of an expert on country music history, but I’ll do my best), let me know.

3

Jack Logan.

Jack Logan Jack Logan Jack Logan.

Specifically his first album, “Bulk.”

He does all different kinds of music, from blues to punk to Hawaiian, but always with a good Georgia-boy country twang and always with an astonishingly clear-eyed lyrical reference. Here’s a guy who understands how terribly self-destructive it is to be a drunk, and also how much fun it is to be drunk. He can write with total precision about the girl you hope to meet, the girl you just met, the girl you just started dating, the girl you’ve been dating for a while, and the girl you’ve been dating for so long that even though you totally hate her, you still want her to come back. When someone writes lyrics like “No matter how loud you cuss me/You still look fabulous to me,” you’ve stumbled onto a class act.

Anyway, that’s my two cents. Enjoy.

4

I grew up listening the the superstars of the 60’s: Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, etc. You can’t go wrong with that stuff. Conway’s Hello Darlin’ would be a great place to start.

After listening to the early stuff, if you’re not a drinker now, you will be when you finish. :smiley:

5

Check out the Bloodshot and Blind Nello record labels. Almost anything from their catalogs is good current stuff.

Older artists not yet mentioned that should be: Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, Steve Earle, Waylon Jennings (may he rest in peace) and Willie Nelson. Also The Flatlanders (get both albums).

In the short list I just gave are three, maybe four distinct sub-genres. Bob Wills is the king of Western Swing. Waylon and Willie were the leaders of the 70s Outlaw Country. Steve Earle is an early pioneer of the alt.country movement. And The Flatlanders I don’t know how to categorize, but I’d say they’re traditional with the more insightful lyrics of alt.country than usual in that category.

Stay away from Garth, Reba, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson and that paplum issued froth from NashVegas.

Some additional new traditional acts would be Houston Marchman, Kevin Deal, Max Stalling and Owen Temple.

Here’s a decent primer on the history, although they are a little more positive about Garth and his ilk than I am.

6

I know she’s considered alt-country, but look into Lucinda Williams. I saw her in late June, and was given two of her albums (Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Essence) and really enjoy them.

Don’t forget Patsy Cline–one of the most haunting voices, in any genera of music.

It’s more bluegrass, but there’s the Grammy-winning soundtrack to O Brother. I know that Emmylou Harris is featured on a track or two.

7

I presume you know that Hank WIlliams, Sr. is as essential as it gets?

8

I like Charlie Robison. His brother Bruce is a better songwriter than singer, IMHO, but you might want to check him out just because of that songwriting (although a lot of his best stuff is also available as recorded by other artists). Jack Ingram is good too. For a quick overview of these three guys, pick up “Unleashed,” which is them live - I think at Gruene Hall…

I’m a big fan of that particular music scene that I think of as “Texas alt.country” because I don’t read the publications or anything to know if it has a real name. Those three are the biggest names I know from it…
… i actually like some of the mainstream country stuff … like Diamond Rio, and the early Garth stuff before he became Mega Million Country Singer Big Man.

9

Try Jimmy Dale Gilmore.

And Gillian Welch.

And Robert Earl Keene.

And The Derailers.

10

I mean Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

11

What F. U. Shakespeare said!

Although, as Steve Earle has said, if Hank Williams were alive today, he wouldn’t get any airtime on country radio! So you should also check out Steve Earle.

12

I’m actually partial to the Garth, Strait, McGraw type music, but I love Alabama and think you would as well. “For the Record” (their greatest hits album) is just about the only CD I’d ever need.

13

Holy cannoli, has no one mentioned Hank Williams?

Ol Hank was a great songwriter and put together what we think of as country music. His recording career spanned only 6 years but he wrote & recorded dozens of songs that would become country standards. He had a few personal problems which we won’t dwell on here and died in the back of a car on New years day, '53, of probably unnatural causes related to the aformentioned personal problems. It is all part of the Hank mystique. There are a few good compilations out there but you can not go wrong with “40 Greatest hits”, a 2 CD comp. Should be in every home.

And daggunnit, did I not read anything above about Waylon Friggin Jennings?

Ol Waylon started out as a DJ in Texas and played bass for Buddy Holly on Buddy’s last tour. He gave his airplane seat to the Big Bopper- well, you know how that story ends. Waylon then spent a dozen not unsuccessful years as a country artist but really hit his stride when he singlehandedly invented and dominated the whole “outlaw” genre in the early to late 70’s. “Honky Tonk Heroes” is a good place to start and “Dreaming My Dreams”, “Ramblin Man” and “Live” are good places to go next.

I could go on, but I don’t feel like it right now. But I reckon you got you some CD buyin to git to now, hoss.

14

Give Randy Travis a whirl. He has one of the most beautiful voices (country or not) ever.

[aside]I don’t know if you watch Hey, Arnold on Nick or not, but he provided the singing voice for one of the characters. The song, I think, is called The Simple Things. It’s a wonderful song and I suggest you obtain (cough[sub]download[/sub]cough) it. I’m sure you’ll love it.[/aside]

15

Yep, about five posts and more than an hour and 40 minutes before you.

Seven posts and seven and a half hours prior.

16

Oooh! Gotta second Robert Earl Keen. He can honky-tonk with the best of them and also write beautiful, brilliant lyrics. “Christabel” in his No Kind of Dancer CD is his take on the medieval legend of Lydia and Christabel. Not the kind of stuff you’re gonna get from Garth.

I also dig Lyle Lovett (he and Keen were college roommates), though he’s not exactly traditional country, more a mix of country/jazz/weird. But still, very interesting and worth checking out.

kd lang’s earlier stuff is great. Absolute Torch and Twang and Shadowland are must-haves.

Iris DeMent is a songwriter of the Emmylou Harris/Nancy Griffith school with a lovely, twangy voice. My Life is a good CD of hers.

If you like Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits, try Willie Nelson’s Theatro CD. Very dark and very cool.

And you must, you absolutely must, get some Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline.

17

my country music collection begins with Kenny Rogers.

The lyrics in his songs are so deep, you’ll be touched.

particularly these songs:

The Gambler
Coward of the County
Stranger

Don Williams is another excellent country singer.

18

Please tell me you are being facetious about Kenny Rogers being “deep”, especially with the songs you’ve listed.

19

WAMU is the PBS radio station in Wash. DC.

They have a live web presence. Their weekend schedule of programs dealing with bluegrass, traditional country, folk, etc. is really amazing.

Try this link http://www.wamu.org/eddie/index.html which is the Eddie Stubbs show. It airs live Sat 3-6pm. If you’ve never listened over the internet live to a radio station, they have free downloads of players.

Stubbs plays a mix of old time country, from Jimmy Rodgers into the 1950’s. This is what I cut my teeth on. I’m rather partial to it. The commercialization of country started in the 1960’s and only got worse in the 1980’s.

At least this venture is free. You don’t have to buy any albums/CDs. If you have a problem, come back and post. I may be able to talk you thru it.

PS. Many people born after 1960 have a hard time appreciating what is offered on a show such as Stubbs’. But it will give you what the state of country was prior to 1960.

20

If you’re really serious about history, The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music covers the period from 1920 through 1975. I have it on 33&1/3 rpm vinyl, sixteen sides of great music! It was put together by the Smithsonian Institute, and sold by them. It may be available on CD by now.
You have already received some excellent recommendations. Enjoy!