Country and Western songs that you love - even if you'd rather not admit it.

[Woollyredhat]

Don't like much country, but liked Take me home, country roads.

 

[killer b]

Although if you want to hear the worst record ever, find Kenny Roger and Wyclef Jean doing The Gambler ("this is Kenny Rogers hanging on the country side.. "

i kind of liked that, in a 'shit but you love it' way...

the worst record ever is alan jackson's where were you (the day the earth stopped turning).

charley pride is generally quite rubbish, but he does a cracking version of i'll fly away on an album of his i've got. the only thing worth listening to on the album, mind...

 

[El Jefe]

I've always thought I ought to give C&W a bit more of a chance. A lot of my favourite singers had a country influence at some stage of their career (Neil Young, Bob Dylan etc). And I love pedal steel guitar.

But I've yet to find one artist that really makes an impression. All I hear is that 'My Granny Is A Cripple In Nashville' stuff. I even had a long chat with a bloke that wrote for Dolly Parton once and even he didn't manage to convince me.

Am I alone in this?

There's SO much more to it than that. Try Townes Van Zandt or Gram Parsons as a way in. Nothing 'crippled granny' about either of those..

 

[Voley]

Yeah, Gram Parsons always sounded my kind of thing. I liked the company he kept at any rate.

Any particular album? Or is there a decent 'Best of'?

 

[CRI]

"Cool Water" - Sons of the Pioneers

Anything by Jimmy Buffet is good.

 

[El Jefe]

Yeah, Gram Parsons always sounded my kind of thing. I liked the company he kept at any rate.

Any particular album? Or is there a decent 'Best of'?

There's several good ones. Some Gram Parsons comps (especially Pale Mornings and Bottled Blues) cover his solo stuff but also Flying Burrito Brothers etc.

Or get the two-albums on one CD disc, it's his two solo albums for dead cheap..

He's far from the best, but he's a good way in

 

[Voley]

Cheers - I'll give one of the compilations a go.

 

[CRI]

Yeah, Gram Parsons always sounded my kind of thing. I liked the company he kept at any rate.

Any particular album? Or is there a decent 'Best of'?

I'd recommend GP or Grievous Angel - mainly cause they're my faves.

 

[danny la rouge]

1. Big Big Love - k.d. lang
2. Weary Blues From Waitin' - Hank Williams
3. Do Right Woman - The Flying Burrito Brothers
4. Kiss Of Death - Split Lip Rayfield
5. Ramblin' Man - Isobel Campbell,/Mark Lanegan
6. Tecumseh Valley - Townes Van Zandt
7. Sheldon Church Yard - Larry Jon Wilson
8. How Much I've Lied - Gram Parsons
9. All the Same to You - Laura Cantrell
10. A Song For You - Hazeldine
11. Snake Oil - Steve Earle
12. Standing On A Snake - Noah John
13. I Am A Lonesome Fugitive - Roy Buchanan
14. Hot Burrito #1 - The Flying Burrito Brothers
15. Alone And Forsaken - Hank Williams
16. Hickory Wind - Emmylou Harris
17. Selfishness In Man - Freakwater
18. Beneath The Rose - Micah P Hinson
19. Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynn
20. That's The Way Love Goes - Willie Nelson
21. Sister's Coming Home - Emmylou Harris
22. A Picture Of Me (Without You) - George Jones
23. The True One - Gene Clark
24. Worried Man Blues - The Original Carter Family

And bonus tracks:

Billie Jo Spears ~ 57 Chevrolet

Billie Jo Spears ~ Blanket On The Ground


Dolly Parton ~ I Will Always Love You

Patsy Cline ~ I Fall To Pieces

 

[El Jefe]

I'd recommend GP or Grievous Angel - mainly cause they're my faves.

Yeh, they're available on one disc. For dead cheap.

Can't go wrong.

 

[El Jefe]

17. Selfishness In Man - Freakwater

Totally under-rated. Seen them about 4, 5 times and they're astonishing

 

[danny la rouge]

Totally under-rated. Seen them about 4, 5 times and they're astonishing

Yup. Wonderful stuff.

 

[Chairman Meow]

'Alone In My Wheelchair'

Can't remember who it's by. Quite possibly the worst song ever.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll commit suicide.

Nah. Best / worst country song ever is Teddy Bear by Red Sovine.

 

[El Jefe]

Nah. Best / worst country song ever is Teddy Bear by Red Sovine.

The otherwise awful new Midfield General album has a version of it with vocal by Danny Brown (the Camberwell Carrot guy from Withnail..)

"You can be sure I took my turn riding Teddy Bear"

 

[Voley]

The otherwise awful new Midfield General album has a version of it with vocal by Danny Brown (the Camberwell Carrot guy from Withnail..)

"You can be sure I took my turn riding Teddy Bear"

Hank Hill made the same joke when he covered it. Except it was 'You can bet us truckers all took our turn riding that little cripple boy ... erm ... no that's not what I meant to say.'

'Teddy Bear' is, according to Hank, 'the greatest song of all time'.

 

[twistedAM]

Any to add or exclude from my suggestions, twisted?

From your list (all of which are good) here are my faves

kris Kristofferson - Sunday Morning Coming Down
Charlie Rich - Behind Closed Doors
Iris Dement & John Prine - IN Spite Of Ourselves
George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today

i'd add
Willie Nelson - Angel Flying too Close to the Ground
Lefty Frizzell - She's Gone Gone Gone
Johnny Paycheck - Don't take Her (She's all I Got)
Steve Earle - Someday
Randy Travis - Forever and Ever Amen
Chris Knight - It Ain't Easy Being Me
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLvDjT6ZJNo

There's just so many, i could spend hours on this but in all those songs the lyrics are pretty amazing.

 

[killer b]

johnny paycheck was ace - i'm the only hell momma ever raised is my favourite if his...

 

[twistedAM]

Yeah, Gram Parsons always sounded my kind of thing. I liked the company he kept at any rate.

Any particular album? Or is there a decent 'Best of'?

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Gilded Palace of Sin

Essential album but ignore their later efforts.

think there was a CD release that had both GP and Greivous Angel on it at mid/budget rpice. worth getting but some filler on it.

 

[twistedAM]

johnny paycheck was ace - i'm the only hell momma ever raised is my favourite if his...

or most famously Take This Job and Shove It but my fave was the one about, an unusual maudlin love song that was really well covered by Tracy Byrd in the 90s.

 

[El Jefe]

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Gilded Palace of Sin

Essential album but ignore their later efforts.

think there was a CD release that had both GP and Greivous Angel on it at mid/budget rpice. worth getting but some filler on it.

But worth getting for Love Hurts and She

 

[twistedAM]

But worth getting for Love Hurts and She

and especially $100 Wedding

Double album (well in those days albums were only 30 minutes or less) is still available

www.amazon.co.uk/GP-Grevious-Angel-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1214178392&sr=1-1

 

[twistedAM]

George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today

I cant believe it but he;s playing my hometown in Northern ireland in August!1 headlining a two day festival with Ricky Skaggs and Nanci Griffith on the bill too plus a bout three dozen local munchkins but I'm going!!

 

[El Jefe]

I cant believe it but he;s playing my hometown in Northern ireland in August!1 headlining a two day festival with Ricky Skaggs and Nanci Griffith on the bill too plus a bout three dozen local munchkins but I'm going!!

Has he dropped the Daffy Duck voice now?

 

[El Jefe]

Recent great stuff that's kinda country

handsome Family
early Lambchop (not the later toss)
Hazeldene
Freakwater
Gillian Welch
Robbie Fulks
Th' Legendary Shack Shakers (kinda)
Pine Hill Haints
later Holly Golightly


fuck it, too tired

 

[twistedAM]

Has he dropped the Daffy Duck voice now?

...they all sound like that where i come from. Pretty amazing he's playing there but then he's probably used to towns where cousins love cousins

 

[twistedAM]

Gillian Welch

Time The Revelator is an alltime great.

Yeah, i;m tired of watching obscure Tracy Byrd videos

 

[El Jefe]

Time The Revelator is an alltime great.

Definitely her best. Elvis Presley Blues is untouchable

 

[The Groke]

At the moment I am listening to Gillian Welch - Revival.

Annabel is really making my heart sing.


I am glad I have finally been able to separate out my general issues with religion from those songs with religious overtones/lyrics/roots as It has opened up a seemingly rich seam of new and beatiful music for me.

 

[sojourner]

Time The Revelator is an alltime great.

Much prefer Hell Among the Yearlings

I love country. That is all.

 

[Belushi]

Kenny Rogers 'Coward of the County'.