The works of Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, and Lefty Frizzell are essential to any country music library.
Statler Brothers
Oak Ridge Boys
Alison Krauss And Union Station
This is to second Patsy Cline. Her Crazy is simply voluptuous. Listen to her and to Hank Williams, Sr. His I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry is one of country’s most beautiful songs.
May I make a suggestion?
Download the Spinner player from Spinner.com and listen to the classic country channel. You’ll discover what you like and don’t like.
This may save you a whole peck o’money, not that you’d go wrong with a lot of the choices mentioned.
BTW, Faron Young is a personal favorite of mine.
**Yep, about five posts and more than an hour and 40 minutes before you.
...
Seven posts and seven and a half hours prior.**
Allright. Sorry.
The report so far:
I’ve been wandering about my “sources”, based on your recommendations. I have to say, though I’d heard some Patsy Cline, I’d never really listened to her before. There will be at least two of her albums in my collection before this weekend. Any recommendations as to which to get? She’s magnificent.
Trust Homebrew to point out that I’m more into country music than I thought. I have a couple of albums from the Bloodshot label already; the Bottle Rockets are damn good, and Trailer Bride is heavily addictive. I got introduced to them when I was doing a late-night community radio DJ gig, and just never really thought of them as country. Just good music.
I’ve also followed up on an old recommendation; a long time ago, someone pointed me toward Jack Ingram’s work, and I finally looked into it last night. I’m really impressed. Is he well-known? Is there more stuff like his out there? Is he part of a subgenre at all, or just doing his own thing?
Here’s my two cents. I can’t believe no one has mentioned the greatest country album of all time, “Red Headed Stranger” by Willie Nelson. I was at a wedding a few weeks ago where they played “Hand’s on the Wheel.” Strange choice for a wedding song, but very cool. I agree with Burundi that Iris DeMent is great, although I prefer “Infamous Angel” to “My Life.” Iris is a great songwriter and I love her voice, although some people don’t like the way she sings. If you have any interest at all in western swing, Mr. Visible, you need to check out the Hot Club of Cowtown. I think they’re absolute virtuosos, and Whit Smith and Elana Fremerman are both fantastic singers. Their album “Dev’lish Mary” would be a good place to start. If you’re into honky tonk stuff like Waylon and Faron Young, you ought to check out Wayne Hancock. I could start a thread of my own on how great his music is. I think his records are hit and miss as far as quality goes, but “A-Town Blues” and “Thunderstorms and Neon Signs” are both excellent. If you’re into rockabilly stuff at all, see if you can find anything by Sid King & His Five Strings (actual, vintage '5os rockabilly) or Paducah, Kentucky’s own Those Legendary Shack Shakers (a current rockabily group). As far as singer/songwriters go, I’ve been hearing good things about Tift Merritt, even though I don’t own any of her stuff. If you’re looking for a good live band, you MUST see BR549. Their last album wasn’t very good, but they put on the most incredible concerts I’ve ever seen. OK, I’m done. Hope I’ve been helpful and haven’t bored everybody to death.
Jack Ingram is quite popular in Texas.
Radio station KHYI of Plano/Dallas plays a great mix of classic, new tradionalist and alt.country artists. I’m streaming it now and they just finished playing Hank III.
XM Radio has samplers of their channels including several styles of country. (I like channel 12)
Jack Ingram is quite popular in Texas.
Radio station KHYI of Plano/Dallas plays a great mix of classic, new tradionalist and alt.country artists. I’m streaming it now and they just finished playing Hank III.
XM Radio has samplers of their channels including several styles of country. (I like channel 12)
Marty Robbins. Buy the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. Then listen to some Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Emmylou Harris, Patsy Cline, Allison Krause and Gillian Welch. Then buy the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou and learn a little about bluegrass and country gospel.
Then go forth and spread your newfound wisdom.
I repeat my recommendation: if you like Jack, get yourself a copy of “Unleashed,” which is him live with Charlie Robison and Bruce Robison - they’re all in the same subgenre, which I can’t think of a name for other than “Stuff I’ve Heard Is Popular In Texas.”
To slightly hijack the thread -
what exactly is “alt.country” (or what amorphously is “alt.country,” if exactness isn’t a possibilty) and are there any examples of that anyone would recommend?
Homebrew, is it really necessary to denigrate a fellow poster for his/her choice of songs that they love deeply? I don’t think so. Lighten up a bit, why don’t you?
As for me, country music has as broad a range of any musical genre that I know of. It encompasses many forms. Rather than try to label each, I will simply list a number of people that I love and think most others will also:
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The Stanley Brothers - Traditional music at its heartfelt best. To hear Carter Stanley sing “The Cry From the Cross” is to be transported to a place where even an atheist like me believes in all those Biblical stories, if only for three minutes or so.
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George Jones - I have his “The Spirit of Country Music” cd compliation. His is a voice that will make you weep. I can’t think of a better box set that I have bought in the last five years.
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I second the mention of Lucinda Williams. “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” is as an amazing of a cd that I can imagine. Plus, she has a guitar player named Gurf Morlix. How can you go wrong with a musician with that great name?
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Split Lip Rayfield, recording for the aforementioned (by another poster) Bloodshot label. Shades of bluegrass, incredible harmonies and banjo and mandolin playing, plus the bassist plays an instrument formed from a Ford gas tank and a single Weed-Whacker string.
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Loretta Lynn - “Dont Come Home A-drinking’, with Lovin’ on Your Mind”. A terrific album if you can find it, or settle for a compilation cd. Not that you should give my advice any merit, but if you only hear this album shortly before you die, you will remember that I suggested you buy it now, and curse yourself.
I’ll second most of the recommendations above (Patsy!), and I’m taking notes on a few more.
For a great bluegrass sampler, try Will the Circle be Unbroken by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. They got together for a session with Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and more. My favourite track is fiddler Vassar Clements doing Orange Blossom Special - amazing!
Another you might like (or might not) is Stompin’ Tom Connors, who does a mix of country, folk, Maritime stuff with a Canadian flavour.
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kd lang lost a bit of her popularity in Alberta when she came out as a lesbian. Then she really upset the ranchers when she came out as a vegetarian! 
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It certainly wouldn’t be necessary to flame a poster for their music choices. If you read my post again, you’ll see I didn’t. I did, however, question the seriousness of the response. I remain skeptical of the idea that Kenny Rogers could be considered “good” country. I don’t want to hijack this thread any longer, but if you wish, we can go elsewhere to discuss either Kenny Rogers or my response.
Homebrew, please note that xash is posting from India. Might be harder to find some of the artists we’re talking about over ther.
Ah, Hank Williams. He is indeed the essential starting point.
You might also want to try some of his grandson’s stuff. Hank Williams, III is in the alt.country vein.
Also, I’ll agree that BR5-49 puts on a great live show, and that their albums can be disappointing.
My favorites
George Jones - “He Stopped Loving Her Today”
Johnny Cash - “I Walk the Line”
Merle Haggard - “Big City”
Ernest Tubb - “Walking the Floor Over You”
Willie Nelson - “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain”
Faron Young - “Hello, Walls”
Patsy Cline - “Walking After Midnight”
Hank Snow - “I’ve Been Everywhere”
Hank Williams - “Lovesick Blues”
I have several of Lucinda Williams’ CDs and saw her a few weeks ago. I also saw Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the The Flatlanders (Gilmore, Joe Eley, and Butch Hancock (IIRC)). Both are worth your time.
I’m not much on the “hat acts” (Alan Jackson, etc.), but you may enjoy them.
I can’t believe I’ve neglected to mention the whole Gonzo movement led by Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P. Nunn and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
I would call what you wrote a non-overt, but definitely, an implied criticism. I saw no sign of unsincerity in the post in question and wonder why you question the seriousness of it. Maybe I’m over-sensitive to such comments. I’m still trying come up with a reasonable explanation for my brother as to why I bought a Human League album
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I apologize if I caused offense, none was intended. And neither did I intend to offend wikkidpis.
Say no more.