Five Reasons That Country Music Isn't Entirely Bad
Submitted by xfanatic50 on Tue, 12/02/2003 - 11:29
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- Ryan Adams- I know his most recent albums aren't really that country, but his work with Whiskeytown and his early solo work are brilliant. (Listen to "To Be Young (Is to be Sad, Is to Be High)" from his album "Heartbreaker" if you don't believe me.)
- Shelby Lynne- She's also shying away from country music now, but her album "I Am Shelby Lynne" is one of the most elegant, raw and beautiful albums I've ever heard.
- The Dixie Chicks-They also now claim to be moving away from country music. (Are you sensing a pattern here?) They did, however, maintain a fairly traditional country sound on their last two albums, which yielded the very pretty anti-war ballad "Travelin' Soldier", and the feminist rocker "Goodbye Earl".
- Wilco-Their last album, "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel" was unbelievably good. The band sounded like the missing link between Radiohead and the Grateful Dead. And the song "Reservations" makes me cry no matter how many times I hear it.
- The White Stripes- Country music seems to have heavily influenced the White Stripes' sound. Jack White has played with Loretta Lynn and admits to her being a huge influence on him, and the band does a wonderful cover of Dolly Parton's song "Jolene".
Author Comments:
I wrote this list because a lot of people I talk to cannot stand Shania Twain, or Faith Hill. There's more to country music than that.
May I suggest the late, the great,the man in black Johnny Cash.
Yes, Johnny Cash indeed. He shot a man in Vegas just to watch him die!
I could give you 5 reasons why Country music is great.
1. Hank Williams (senior)
2. George Jones
3. Bill Monroe
4. Willie and Waylon
5. Dwight Yoakam
Country music is the most under appreciated influence ever to Rock and Roll and popular music.
We Have no Elvis, We have no Jerry lee Lewis, We have no Chuck Berry without Country music.
Old Time country was the blues for white folks and Rock and Roll was the merging of R and B with Country. Yet most people only credit the traditional blues and R and B as the grandaddy of Rock. I never could figure it out...
I like your list. I think the problem with country music is that the powers that be, especially in Nashville, prefer to play it safe with the likes of Faith Hill and Shania and Toby Keith, as opposed to someone like Shelby Lynne, whose music always reflects a deep appreciation and understanding for the roots of country.
It's at least refreshing to see more and more rock musicians embracing country music, which is something "country" musicians don't seem to do much.
isn't this the problem with all "mainstream" radio - the really good stuff is not played? And hey, Toby used to be good. until all that war stuff happened.
4 additions)
Willie Nelson: He tried to scam the IRS. Talk about starting your social dissention at the top. Also recorded the song "Shotgun Willie". :)
Richard Buckner's Devotion + Doubt: Depressing, conceptual, prog-country. Who'da thunk it possible. Twangy too.
Al Green covering "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry": previously a Hank Will Sr. song.
Lucinda Williams: In 100 years she'll be known as goddess and her music will be played 24 hours a day. It could happen. :)