I got criticised from somebody claiming that I wasn't open-minded in the artistic sense because I think Country and Western is shit.

However, she got me thinking, is there more to Country and Western than the yee-hahs, line dancing, checkered shirts and chaps?

Despite the fact that this girl also thought the entire genre was poopety-pooh, I've begun to take her seriously. Surely the majority of the music-buying US population can't be wrong?

For you cowboys and cowgirls out there, there are two glimmers of hope for me...

1. I ACTUALLY OWN a CnW song - Tennessee Stud by Johnny Cash himself. This track is cool because to me it sounds almost parody, or at least it doesn't sound too serious.
(Yeah, Ok. I have the Jackie Brown soundtrack).


2. I've been to Bandera, Texas, and stayed on a 'dude ranch' for two weeks, surrounded by real life cowboys and really fit cowgirls. The experience was great fun, and yeah the cowgirls were really fit. Oh, I said that.


Can you guys recommend some yippety yee-hah stuff that won't make me kill lots of people? Along the lines of Tennessee Stud would be cool. I can't have no anti-funk please. In order to become the ultimate musical renaissance man I gotta have some ideas.

Maybe I'm right and actually the entire genre is turdy-wurdy, so whatever insight you have into this style, either for or against, let a funky man know.

Oh, and no banjos please.

[some really anal grammar and spelling edits to show you I really am interested]
[This message was edited Fri Oct 3 7:39:08 PDT 2003 by MaggotBrain]

I used to have the same attitude, and it was the aforementioned Mr. Cash himself that opened my mind to the genre, if only just a bit.

If you only get into one C&W musician, Johnny Cash is the way to go. Two good compilations are the recent "Essential Johnny Cash" (which features his work with Dylan and U2, and a lot of his recent work w/ Rick Rubin) and the three-disc "God/Love/Murder", which is some pretty sublime mood music with great liner notes to boot.

His wife's music isn't too shabby either - I just picked up June Carter Cash's "Wildwood Flower", and it's an adorable album, just very sincerely sweet stuff.

I'm also a fan of Tammy Wynette's classic albums, mainly because the songs are so overwrought and melodramatic, ya just can't help but enjoy yourself.

I think about 99% of modern country music is shit. Don't worry about the line dancing and redneck BS, you don't need to have anything to do with it to enjoy the finer examples of this genre - which is really just good songwriting and musicianship, just like any other form of music.

I down with the Queens:

Dolly Parton
Patsy Cline
Emmylou Harris

I even like Wynonna

i won't mention who i don't like, thats just petty

Fuck that homogenized Nashville pop and that old timey shit and simply check out Lucinda Williams' last 3 CDs:

Car wheels on a gravel road
Essence
World without tears

You can thank me later.

Not much for today's pop-country
(sucks like today's pop R&B), but
Hank Williams
Charley Pride
Johnny Cash
Willie Nelson
Merle Haggard are all cool,
plus a lot of juke and downhome blues
are just as "country".
Just depends
on which side of the road you're growing up on.

Johnny Cash, definitely.


David Alan Coe is good too. As is Willie Nelson


Dolly Parton (when she's "back to her roots" and she has been for a few years now) and Emmylou Harris are wonderful as well.

Ooops, and we haven't mentioned Loretta Lynn. Can't forget the Butter Flavored Crisco.

Another genre of Country music is Country Rock.The king of Country Rock of course was Gram Parsons.I recommend the twofer:

Gram Parsons-G.P./Grevious Angel

Johnny Cash became the open-minded-grunger's posterboy. If Rick Rubin hadn't worked on his last 4 albums, he would have remained in country music and mainstream would have ignored him just like they do with Willie, Waylon (r.i.p.), etc.

I LOVE Travis Tritt. That's more like Redneck Rawk, but DAMN the song "T.R.O.U.B.L.E." is honky tonk country at it's finest. Honest man. Go check out that song. I keep wanting to do a heavy funk remake, but it just pales to the original.

thanks for the suggestions guys! i'm glad i didn't offend you all with my ignorance !

jackflash: I've heard good things about Lucinda Williams from other folks I wanna check her out
p.s. (is she a fit cowgirl? just kiddin')

jthad112: maybe, maybe...

Anxiety: thanks dude, I think I'll be getting that cash best of...it seems if my head explodes with that one I guess I got no hope!

PFunkjazz: i know you's funky so I take your recommendations as a warranty!


YEEE HAAAH!

Cheers Otan, Travis Tritt is on the list now for sure!

[Beau Selector nod edit!]
[This message was edited Fri Oct 3 12:17:49 PDT 2003 by MaggotBrain]
[This message was edited Fri Oct 3 12:28:33 PDT 2003 by MaggotBrain]

i gotta agree c/w is shit , i like every kind of music and i mean every kind ,soul,funk,rap,punk rock, the blues, jazz ,classical,metal,rock just about everything except c/w

having had my rant - j cash's cover of U2's one is a bit special

for a little bit of an "alternative country" vibe, check out Shelby Lynne's grammy award winning disc "This Is Shelby Lynn". best tracks are #1 (sounds very retro 50's rockabilly), #2 (INCREDIBLY soulful, almost like a 1970's Aretha Franklin joint with FANTASTIC old school backing vocals), #4 (still in the older soul vibe, a la late 70's early 80's like a Womack & Womack style), #7&10 (very pure and organic with some jazz elements, a precursor to the style of the younger miss Norah Jones) & #8 ( just because it's my personal fave cause it reminds me of that 60's song "Hello Stranger"). the rest of the cd will be more in a straight-ahead country style, but this recording is wonderful way to sort of "slide" people into listening to country because she draws you in with the other influences. you end up feeling pretty good with the songs which are bit of a departure from tradtional country music, and thus kind of open to hearing what she can do on the more standard country fare left on the album...


other than that, i would also say check out any "live" cd by reba macentire. that lady can really SING.

Thanks Reese, sounds interesting, I'll check that out!