What makes a country song a COUNTRY song?

[j0el]

Originally Posted by davie

Gracie.. Isn't Keith Urban (a country singer), an Aussie as well?

he is a tag along .. hes a joke

if you want country listen to 'dueling banjos' hehe

who knows...

[Mark Blackburn]

With your comment about Keith Urban (a prophet without honor in his own hometown?) I watched him perform last night at the annual CMA Christmas Special. As a guitarist, I have to say he is superb. Not just good. Great. And a baritone voice, with a timbre somewhere between two other great guitarist/singers I always loved -- Jerry Reed and Glen Campbell. Speaking of which . . .

The last time I heard anyone sing The Wayfaring Stranger was in the Oscar-winning movie "Cold Mountain," where a character played by singer-songwriter Jack White sings a simple rendition of a tune (author unknown) that dates back to the early 18-hundreds.

THE WAYFARING STRANGER first became popular in 1941 when Burl Ives (later an Oscar-winning actor) re-introduced it as an

[blue2blue]

Originally Posted by grace_slick

And I'm trying to differentiate between kd Lang's early country stuff and her later pop stuff...obviously it's different...Big Boned Gal From Southern Alberta and Constant Craving bare no resemblance to each other apart from the voice, but...I don't know how to EXPLAIN the difference really, you know?

I saw her live at a country music festival in LA back when she had just come out... er... as an artist. (I think she was already out as a woman who likes women but I could be wrong. ) She gave one of the best roots country performances I saw back then -- and I saw a lot, a lot of folks were discovering/rediscovering roots country (as opposed to the cowboy hat pop-rock that was then the dominant Nashville output).

If you want to know what country really is, I think it's best to go back to its roots in the black blues of the 20s. And then listen to the very early work by folks like Gene Autry or the country blues of Jimmie Rodgers (The Singing Brakeman, who died in '33, not to be confused with Jimmie Rodgers, the 50's-60's era country pop singer/TV host/pork product frontman, nor Jimmy Rogers, the black bluesman who passed away in 1997).

You will almost certainly clearly hear a heavy influence of those black blues on early country in the 30s. (Autry, in particular, is notable for the bad-boy personna he effected in his early tunes, which were sometimes covers of black blues tunes of the day. But by the late 30s, his public personna had been heavily laundered and the goody-two-shoes sanctimony familiar to those of us more familiar with his 50s and 60s media giant role -- he owned a TV and radio stations and owned the Angels baseball team when they became the then-newest addition to major league baseball -- was solidly in place.)

Of course, in addition to Rodgers and Autry, you'd want to listen to the spellbinding harmonies of the Sons of the Pioneers (who gave us "Cool Water" -- and Roy Rogers the cowboy singer/western movie star [not to be confused with Roy Rogers, the bluesman ]), and then, of course, Hank Williams. ("Senior," if you will, although neither Hank, Hank Jr, nor Hank III were christened with their father's names. And, yes, it is entirely permissible to love Hank "Sr" and hate Hank "Jr"... in fact, it may be almost necessary.

And then, of course, one would want to sample the greats of the 'golden age' of Nashville in the 50s-60s. Way too many to list.

[Pine Apple Slim]

Hank William's "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry" is the perfect country song.

[blue2blue]

[uPDATE: Somehow I didn't see all the old posts in this thread and ended up retreading some ground here that was previously covered by others above -- my bad!]

Close enough for me.



In the late 60s and early 70s, a number of hippie rockers discovered or rediscovered the charms of country -- but they tended to mix it with their own acid-edged sensibilities, leading to the 'Outlaw' country movement (not to be confused with the tepid pop rockers, the Outlaws) that embraced Waylon Jennings, Davie Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, and reached 'back' to include Johnny Cash, who had shown a willingness in the 60s to stray outside the safe dictates of Nashiville norms.

This song by the late Steve Goodman ("City of New Orleans"), is often jokingly referred to as 'the perfect country song' -- but it's a send-up of county cliches, albeit a loving one. The song goes on like a normal 70s rockin' country song until what would 'normally' be the start of the outro -- where Coe begins a pretty humorous little spoken coda and final verse with the 'perfect' country and western verse...

[blue2blue]

PS... with regard to classic tunes by some of these old school artists -- be aware of the rather sad phenomenon of "remakes" -- particularly the almost always disappointing rerecordings for stereo that many surviving artists were pushed to make. I just heard (once again) a just awful stereo recording of "Cool Water" -- it makes me mad every time I accidentally get it mixed into one of my playlists because the original is SO FREAKIN' GREAT and this is just... lame. I don't blame the Sons, though, as this was something some label pushed them to do two or three decades after the original. Freakin', jive, tin-eared label suits. That never changes.


Probably one of the most important reasons for Hank Williams' nearly universally acknowledged musical sainthood is the fact that he died before the labels could embarrass him and his memory with that kind of crap.

[seahorse]

When it comes to country music, it's all about the singer ...not the song. That's why Taylor Swift making pop records and Jason Aldean singing with metal-sounding power chords will always be considered country.
It's also why the Rolling Stones , Wilco , and Sheryll Crow will always be considered Rock despite the country- sounding songs they sometimes put out.

[Mark Blackburn]

I can't tell you how much I enjoy the reflections (above) of our erudite moderator; most especially blue2blue's invitation to examine the earliest roots of classic country:

If you want to know what country really is, I think it's best to go back to its roots in the black blues of the 20s. And then listen to the very early work by folks like Gene Autry or the country blues of Jimmie Rodgers . . .

At that same moment in musical history (late 1920s, early 30s) George Gershwin was mining those very roots to create the first ever "jazz opera," Porgy & Bess -- whose most enduring tune is SUMMERTIME (just to bring this full circle -- "When is a Country song a COUNTRY song?").

In this 'live' late-in-life performance, Jerry Reed -- as he always did -- makes this one his own; thanks in part to the haunting little 'hook' he plays throughout, and in harmony with his hero Chet Atkins.

Tell me this isn't Country! I defy you not to tap your foot at least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAUoc-dQOjY

[Monkey Uncle]

And don't forget Bakersfield. Had Merle Haggard not mixed classic country songwriting with a hot telecaster, country music as we know it today might not exist.

[Lee Knight]

Originally Posted by Monkey Uncle

And don't forget Bakersfield. Had Merle Haggard not mixed classic country songwriting with a hot telecaster, country music as we know it today might not exist.

^^^ And...

[Mark Blackburn]

Ringo sings! (Who knew?) Only Buck Owens fans knew the tune. Mr. Harrison playing country licks on his dream guitar -- a Gretsch

[blue2blue]

Originally Posted by seahorse

When it comes to country music, it's all about the singer ...not the song. That's why Taylor Swift making pop records and Jason Aldean singing with metal-sounding power chords will always be considered country.
It's also why the Rolling Stones , Wilco , and Sheryll Crow will always be considered Rock despite the country- sounding songs they sometimes put out.

Taylor Swift will never be considered country in this household. Even if she learns to sing without robotic help.

[blue2blue]

Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn

I can't tell you how much I enjoy the reflections (above) of our erudite moderator; most especially blue2blue's invitation to examine the earliest roots of classic country:

If you want to know what country really is, I think it's best to go back to its roots in the black blues of the 20s. And then listen to the very early work by folks like Gene Autry or the country blues of Jimmie Rodgers . . .

At that same moment in musical history (late 1920s, early 30s) George Gershwin was mining those very roots to create the first ever "jazz opera," Porgy & Bess -- whose most enduring tune is SUMMERTIME (just to bring this full circle -- "When is a Country song a COUNTRY song?").

In this 'live' late-in-life performance, Jerry Reed -- as he always did -- makes this one his own; thanks in part to the haunting little 'hook' he plays throughout, and in harmony with his hero Chet Atkins.

Tell me this isn't Country! I defy you not to tap your foot at least.

That's cool. Chet on fretless guitar... that's wild.

Always one of my favorite songs, seemingly no matter the style. (I might draw the line at a death metal or Dickies fratboy-punk version though).

[LCK]

Originally Posted by blue2blue

That's cool. Chet on fretless guitar... that's wild.

That's jazz. This is country, with a jazz flair.

[blue2blue]

I've been loving that laid back "Summertime" from Doc since I discovered it a year or two ago. I must say, though, that the video montage accompanying it is pretty much nothing like what I see when I close my eyes and listen.


_______________________



You know, much like this thread in Craig A's SSS forum, a large part of which quickly devolved to a discussion of what constitutes 'punk' (and even some discussion on what constitutes 'metal'), these genre lines are not just permeable but largely in the minds of the beholder (when they aren't being 'enforced' by A&R, marketing, and broadcast concerns). In that thread, I was pretty shocked by what some folks considered 'punk,' I can tell you. No, Josie and the Pussiecats were not punk.

[LCK]

A brief history of country music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti4G1AX0v-g

 

 

 

 

[LCK]

And then came ...

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxQbvSjQy9A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_a4BU09GrU

I'm sure I've left something -- or someone -- out...

[blue2blue]

I think it was Dolly singing "Coat of Many Colors" that finally opened my eyes up to what good country writing could do. I was knocked out by that song and still am. Up 'til then, I'd exalted straight folk and blues but largely dismissed country -- although I had already thought the "shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" line from Johnny Cash's "Fulsome Prison Blues" was a pretty terrific summing up of that song's protagonist's character. (But, you know, Fulsom Prison blues just had one thing on its mind. I thought better songs on the theme in many ways were "Mama Tried" or Steve Earl's "Devil's Right Hand" -- which Johnny and pals sang on The Highwaymen project. Steve's version is much better. But the Highwaymen version is notable for its all-star emsemble taking turns on the singing.)

[oldgitplayer]

Does Albert make it as an honorary Brit member of Country Music?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jew0nRpL-nI

[oldgitplayer]

And Dan Tyminski? Hell man, he be Country?

[Mark Blackburn]

Just had to say thanks to all of you for these wonderful contributions! -- and to LCK in particular. I couldn't have selected a better 'short list' of greatest country songs. Thanks Mr. Kelley for taking the time and trouble to assemble them thoughtfully, in one place. One more reason this is my all-time favorite website!

[oldgitplayer]

I'm also making my way through the 20 tracks that LCK posted.
I've never been much of a 'Country' listener, but I sure knows a good song when I hears one.
I can find a comfort zone in the Bakersfield Sound and its close cousins.

In an interview, Dwight Yoakam defined the term "Bakersfield sound":

'Bakersfield' really is not exclusively limited to the town itself but encompasses the larger California country sound of the Forties, Fifties and on into the Sixties, and even the Seventies, with the music of Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, the Burrito Brothers and the Eagles -- they are all an extension of the 'Bakersfield Sound' and a byproduct of it. I've got a poster of Buck Owens performing at the Fillmore West in 1968 in Haight Asbury! What went on there led to there being a musical incarnation called country rock. I don't know if there would have been a John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival had there not been the California country music that's come to be known as the 'Bakersfield Sound'.

[LCK]

Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn

Just had to say thanks to all of you for these wonderful contributions! -- and to LCK in particular. I couldn't have selected a better 'short list' of greatest country songs. Thanks Mr. Kelley for taking the time and trouble to assemble them thoughtfully, in one place. One more reason this is my all-time favorite website!

Thanks, Mark! There's plenty I left out though...

Like...

[LCK]

To me this is a perfect country song. The production (late 1960s style) kind of blows, but the song is great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9DySNxGNs8

[LCK]

Willie's version:

And I somehow omitted the originator of the Bakersfield sound:

And Emmylou's ultra-fabulous version of the same song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z6QsJoqCZ0