What Happened to Country Music?

[TonyGilroy]

People like John Prine, Tom Russell, Steve Earle, Eliza Gilkyson, Gillian Welch, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore are sort of country and are extraordinarily good songwriters and performers.

Anyone who thinks country music is beneath them should give artists like these a listen. Not mainstream country of course but modern acoustic music with a genuine link to early blues, folk and hillbilly roots.

[mr-ska]

Kris Kristofferson~ Me and Bobby Mcgee

[timmyg]

Well when the music was originally about struggle and heartbreak and a hard-scrabble life during the depression/post-war America but is eventually sung by teenagers from suburbia...well, is it any surprise Taylor Swift or Lady Antebellum is popular "country"?

Jimmie Rodgers- TB Blues
(That has to be the saddest song ever, especially considering the source and context.)

Kitty Wells Making Believe 1955

LONG BLACK VEIL by LEFTY FRIZZELL

Bobby Bare - Detroit City

[RidgeRider]

I'm no music historian, but I think the origins of country music go back to Scottish and Irish folk music that was brought over by immigrants who populated the American south.

I'm not a huge fan of it myself but find myself listening to it more often these days. I prefer the more modern spin, though heard a lot of it as a child ala Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, etc..

[Berserker]

I'm afraid the only country music allowed in our house is Scottish, accompanied by a Gaelic speaking commentary!! Ah Jimmy Shand's my boy. No actually i jest, but it is the case in my Mother in laws house, oh role on Christmas in Edinburgh, not :-(

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ghEFz-d6Co#

Classic...

[NogoodBoyo]

I'm completely flabberwhelmed at the idea of Ska-man Skazie posting videos of Poco and Kris Kristofferson - the latter especially.  Most people worship at the altar of the screeching rock version of that song by a lady too much in love with her drug-addled pipes.  Krostofferson wrote the song (with some other bloke who seems to have disappeared).  He sings it as it's meant to be sung - understated, painful, whimsical, yet as powerful a lost love song as was ever written or sung.
Thanks Ska.
Nogood "everything that is good and surprising about country, itis" Boyo

[NogoodBoyo]

Steve Earle is like Fulham - not big, not flash, not good-looking.  Just original, full of subtle talent, feeling and historic significance.
Steve Earle - Goodbye
Nogood "can't remember if we said goodbye, indeed, itis" Boyo

[The Equalizer]

Billy Ray Cyrus happened to Country Music.

[mr-ska]

I'm completely flabberwhelmed at the idea of Ska-man Skazie posting videos of Poco and Kris Kristofferson - the latter especially.  Most people worship at the altar of the screeching rock version of that song by a lady too much in love with her drug-addled pipes.  Krostofferson wrote the song (with some other bloke who seems to have disappeared).  He sings it as it's meant to be sung - understated, painful, whimsical, yet as powerful a lost love song as was ever written or sung.
Thanks Ska.
Nogood "everything that is good and surprising about country, itis" Boyo

Mr NoGoodboyo...  brought up on Country music...  love alot of it...  Especially like abit of Creedance...  if theyre country...  Love Kris Kristofferson, John Dever  and Dr Hook in the early days...   Loads more in the bank.. 

[BillNRoc]

The same thing happened to country music that happened to rock and roll -- they got turned into industries that churn out products, rather than modes of expression of actual feelings and experiences. Taylor S and Lady A are perfect examples, but so are Mumford & Sons.

It was a delightful surprise during a local festival last June when a little-known singer/songwriter [who mostly sings back-up and plays in better known bands] told the applauding crowd, "This is our first encore, ever." Thanks to NGB for mentioning Steve Earle, his son Justin Townes Earle is the real deal as well, though I doubt he gets any airplay on CM radio.

[DiegoFulham]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MWzeInQaUk4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>  :yay: :yay: yee-haw! :yay: yee-haw! 094.gif :yay: yee-haw! 094.gif

[NogoodBoyo]

Anyone notice the resemblance between John Denver and Brian McBride?
Nogood "a striking resemblance, itis" Boyo

[NogoodBoyo]

Okay, time to put an end to this stuff that country music is all over-produced Nashville syrup.  Here's a Londoner from Blackheath who's an absolute legend in both Los Angeles and Nashville music circles - but not much outside.  He pioneered a method of guitar-playing using plectrum and the lower three fingers on the right hand.  It's called chicken-picking.  Almost classical in style in the way he moves from chords to single notes.
Watch him jam to JJ Cale's Cocaine and then tell me there's no talent in country.
ALBERT LEE - COCAINE
Nogood "I'm a country member, but I need to get the phrasing right for that not to sound wrong, isit" Boyo

[TheDaddy]

Olivia Newton-John - Take me home Country Roads 1972

[TonyGilroy]

I saw Albert Lee with Hogan's Heroes last year.

Really great performer. A veteran of Emmylou Harris Hot Band and the Everly Brothers MD.

[NogoodBoyo]

I saw Albert Lee too two years ago in New York.  I remember him in a band called Heads Hands & Feet in the early seventies with a certain Charlie (Chas of Chas & Dave) Hodges as a very capable singer, bass and fiddle player.
Lee drifted off into session work in Los Angeles before Emmylou Harris grabbed him to replace James Burton.  That was Emmylou's best Hot Band in my view.  He also played with Eric Clapton for a number of years in the late seventies.  The Tokyo live album is one of my favourites of Clapton's works.
He started with Cliff Farlowe & The Thunderbirds  and played a wonderfully original solo on Stormy Monday Blues in 1964 (?) (under the alias Little Joe Cook). 
Little Joe Cook aka Chris Farlowe & Thunderbirds 1965/66 - "Stormy Monday Blues" [T-Bone Walker]
Years ahead of his time.  Just not mainstream enough I suppose, but many people rate this as the finest blues song produced in England.  And that's country blues for you.
Nogood "people even confuse him with the vastly inferior Alvin Lee, they do" Boyo

[Burt]

Sadly despite having a quite extensive library of music, I have yet to discover the joys of Country...

[HatterDon]

John Denver? Olympia Andy Gump? Really?

Hatter "Country? Depends on which country, isit" Don

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

I'm with Skasi and  MOR  
I have ticket for Kris Kristofferson at the Royal Festival Hall on 7th Dec

one of  my Favourite song written by him  and sung by Cash and Kriss

Johnny Cash & Kristoffersen -- Sunday Morning Coming Down


Well I woke up Sunday morning  with no way to hold my head that it didn't hurt