Members deanmass Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 This thread is huge! Alt Country to me, is a connection to the older classic country, bypassing the " Big Country" era of Garth Brooks, etc. For me this is Lucinda Williams, Jayhawks, Son Volt, Guster ( though they definately lean pop now), etc. In the past two weeks, I have been back listening to old Johnny Cash ( Folsum) ..He was the real deal. I know the level of musicianship is off he charts in the new mainstream country, but there is a lot of grit missing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Originally Posted by deanmass This thread is huge! Alt Country to me, is a connection to the older classic country, bypassing the " Big Country" era of Garth Brooks, etc. For me this is Lucinda Williams, Jayhawks, Son Volt, Guster ( though they definately lean pop now), etc. In the past two weeks, I have been back listening to old Johnny Cash ( Folsum) ..He was the real deal. I know the level of musicianship is off he charts in the new mainstream country, but there is a lot of grit missing... Alt country draws on stuff that's pre-Alabama, Ronnie Millsap, Oak Ridge Boys, etc. The aforementioned crud that made Garth Brooks possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mdrake34 Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Originally Posted by deanmass This thread is huge! Alt Country to me, is a connection to the older classic country, bypassing the " Big Country" era of Garth Brooks, etc. For me this is Lucinda Williams, Jayhawks, Son Volt, Guster ( though they definately lean pop now), etc. In the past two weeks, I have been back listening to old Johnny Cash ( Folsum) ..He was the real deal. I know the level of musicianship is off he charts in the new mainstream country, but there is a lot of grit missing... Originally Posted by Kap'n Alt country draws on stuff that's pre-Alabama, Ronnie Millsap, Oak Ridge Boys, etc. The aforementioned crud that made Garth Brooks possible. Nothing wrong with Alabama, George Jones, Georgie Strait, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, etc . . . Those guys' sound was a natural progression of modern country at the time. They all wrote alot of really great songs, and are infinitely more "country" than anyone in Nashville today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richey888 Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 LOVE this thread!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members erksin Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Originally Posted by mdrake34 Nothing wrong with Alabama, George Jones, Georgie Strait, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, etc . . . Those guys' sound was a natural progression of modern country at the time. They all wrote alot of really great songs, and are infinitely more "country" than anyone in Nashville today. George Jones doesn't deserve to be lobbed in with the rest of those acts. Country (of the Nashville type anyway) from the mid '70s forward has been pretty fricking horrible. It took people like Willie and Guy Clark and Dwight Yoakum and Steve Earle to keep it from going completely into the ditch during the '80s. Like most music, if you stay out of the mainstream you'll find really great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Originally Posted by erksin Country (of the Nashville type anyway) from the mid '70s forward has been pretty fricking horrible. The difference between Opry and Opryland. The one nice thing you can say about Opryland is that there's a Gibson store within walking distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mdrake34 Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Originally Posted by deanmass This thread is huge! Alt Country to me, is a connection to the older classic country, bypassing the " Big Country" era of Garth Brooks, etc. For me this is Lucinda Williams, Jayhawks, Son Volt, Guster ( though they definately lean pop now), etc. In the past two weeks, I have been back listening to old Johnny Cash ( Folsum) ..He was the real deal. I know the level of musicianship is off he charts in the new mainstream country, but there is a lot of grit missing... Originally Posted by Kap'n Alt country draws on stuff that's pre-Alabama, Ronnie Millsap, Oak Ridge Boys, etc. The aforementioned crud that made Garth Brooks possible. Originally Posted by erksin George Jones doesn't deserve to be lobbed in with the rest of those acts. Country (of the Nashville type anyway) from the mid '70s forward has been pretty fricking horrible. It took people like Willie and Guy Clark and Dwight Yoakum and Steve Earle to keep it from going completely into the ditch during the '80s. Like most music, if you stay out of the mainstream you'll find really great stuff. Probably no point in getting into this argument, but Willie and Dwight eventually broke it big and became "mainstream" in terms of success. In a further pointless argument, Elvis, the Beatles and Nirvana weren't "mainstream" at one point early in their careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members erksin Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 Originally Posted by mdrake34 Probably no point in getting into this argument, but Willie and Dwight eventually broke it big and became "mainstream" in terms of success. In a further pointless argument, Elvis, the Beatles and Nirvana weren't "mainstream" at one point early in their careers. The difference being that they really didn't change their approaches to making their music even though they became more famous - the public came around to their individual styles, not the other way round. Willie was gonna sound like Willie no matter who showed up to the gigs or which label he was on. The minute he left Nashville for Austin and followed his own voice is when he got noticed for being something special. I love good country music - it's just not played on the radio very much if at all. You have to go look for it. I'm not a purist about it, but I do care about the quality of the stuff I listen to - the musicality, lyrical content, honesty. I know that's a highly subjective thing and what I deem of quality is likely very different than what you'd offer up. I'm cool with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 I like it all from Merle Haggard to Taylor Swift its all the same thing. Achey Brakey heart could have easily been written by Buck Owens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mdrake34 Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 Originally Posted by erksin The difference being that they really didn't change their approaches to making their music even though they became more famous - the public came around to their individual styles, not the other way round. Willie was gonna sound like Willie no matter who showed up to the gigs or which label he was on. The minute he left Nashville for Austin and followed his own voice is when he got noticed for being something special. I love good country music - it's just not played on the radio very much if at all. You have to go look for it. I'm not a purist about it, but I do care about the quality of the stuff I listen to - the musicality, lyrical content, honesty. I know that's a highly subjective thing and what I deem of quality is likely very different than what you'd offer up. I'm cool with that. I absolutely agree that good country music is not played on the radio, unless you have Sirius. The Outlaw channel and some of the others play the good old stuff. It sounds like we have, at least in country, some of the same tastes. I just happen to like the token Garth Brooks and Alabama songs, along with most everything Alan Jackson did in addition to Merle, Waylon, Johnny, etc . . . I consider myself an old soul musically. I was raised on the oldies. I'll be 26 on the 18th, but by far my favorite music is from the 60's and 70's. They just don't make music like they used to, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members erksin Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 Originally Posted by Angry Tele I like it all from Merle Haggard to Taylor Swift its all the same thing. Achey Brakey heart could have easily been written by Buck Owens. Oh dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TravvyBear Posted February 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 I like me some T Swift too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChrisFFTA Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 I blame the Eagles for the slide into commercial country schlock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 Originally Posted by ChrisFFTA I blame the Eagles for the slide into commercial country schlock They proved that you could become fabulously wealthy playing music that's 10% Gram Parsons and 90% America. So I guess you could blame them. Most of big name country these days sounds like a 50% Eagles/50% Def Leppard mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tremster Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 This thread is very relevant to my interests.Completely agree with Erksin's posts above.I think it was Lambchop's Kurt Wagner that said he doesn't know what "alternative" country means, because you don't need an alternative to something that's good.Also: does anyone know the band Sackville? William Elliott Whitmore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpectralJulian Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dYisOfyOBI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChrisFFTA Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 Originally Posted by Kap'n They proved that you could become fabulously wealthy playing music that's 10% Gram Parsons and 90% total and utter {censored}. So I guess you could blame them. Most of big name country these days sounds like a 50% Eagles/50% Def Leppard mix. Fix'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members erksin Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 If I'm gonna listen to '70s Laurel Canyon country rock, I'm listening to Jackson Browne or Ry Cooder. The Eagles can suck it.I lubs me some Joe Walsh though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 Originally Posted by ChrisFFTA Fix'd What's the difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 Originally Posted by erksin I lubs me some Joe Walsh though! I think Joe sold his soul to be in the Eagles. OTOH, it's been a decent paycheck. It pays better than being the guy from Cactus, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members erksin Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TravvyBear Posted February 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members timrocker Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 I have to recommend a couple of songs by The Baseboard Heaters, a terrific group out of Portland OR. If you can find a copy of "Away", "Goodbye Rain", and "Roll The Dice", well worth the listen. They had it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mdrake34 Posted February 17, 2012 Members Share Posted February 17, 2012 I love Hickory Wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members erksin Posted February 17, 2012 Members Share Posted February 17, 2012 When I grow up, I wanna be Mark Spencer. Check that beauty Creston BR-9 Tele with Harmonic Design Z-90s! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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