Opinion? The Greatest Country Album of All Time

I agree. I can still remember the first time I got to "Truckstop" and George Jones started singing, and then Emmylou's voice came on.

This album is so good, but I almost never hear anything about it. Sometimes I wonder if I bought the only copy. Glad to see someone else noticed it.

 

In general I'd raise my eyebrow at a thread title like this, but it's actually great for sharing titles I've either never heard of, overlooked or need to give a second chance upon recommendations. That said, if comps are allowed I'd probably vote for one by Tanya Tucker because she covers the entire spectrum of country, from the simple traditional songs to the funked and rocked up 70s jams, to the 80s honky tonk, 90s radio friendly stuff to modern day 2000s country. She has some of the best stuff of every "type" of country.

 

I don't know a damn thing about this group (and not sure that I want to) but I'm highly upset they took the name I always wanted for my band!

 

One of my bartenders recommended this to me a while back. Just another reason to tip big.

 

Disagree. He absolutely could be. Country funk at its finest:

 

He also produced his wife's killer self titled album the year prior. These two were part of keeping good country alive during these FM radio friendly transitional nightmare for the genre.

 

I got into this album solely on the recommendations in this thread & it's fantastic. I've just about played it to death in the car.

 

This album sounds best when it's turned up loud as you can tolerate. One of my favorites!!

 

Id agree about Iris Dement. One of my favorite female back country voices. No one sings like her. Randy Travis, best country album? Come on, man. Most of the best country was done by artists at a time when you couldnt place them in a thread like this. Ill take one single best Hank Williams song over a **** ton of a lot of these albums listed.

 

I'm not too interested in arguing about the validity of someone's choice. It's simply their opinion & that's fine.

 

It seems that clerks at most record store think so. See a lot of music misfiled in the country section. I recently saw a Dickey Betts + Great Southern release in the Country section.

 

This album was a critical success and got a fair amount of press when released. I don't think it sold real well though. I'm kind of surprised to see it's fallen through the cracks. Big fan of Marty Stuart here.

 

If you're a fan of this album you owe it to yourself to track down a copy of this overlooked gem...



Great music and an awesome cover. One of Hank's best albums in my opinion...

 

Especially with all the great guest appearances. It's like an All-Star album. Stuart is great fun.

 

Could you imagine a big budget production show of this album? Too bad many of the guest stars have passed.

 

Since this has evolved into "name a great country album", I will suggest a few more I didn't see.

Dwight Yoakam - Buenos Noches From A Lonely Room (and really every Dwight album from his debut through Acoustic.net. He and Pete Anderson were on fire)

Steve Earle - Train a Comin'

Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs of Life, Tribute To The Delmore Brothers

 

I adore "Amarillo by Morning" - such a great song - have to check out the original some time .....

 

this one too

 

Far too many to pin it down to just one particular album. If it says produced by Owen Bradley or produced by Billy Sherrill you can't go wrong.

 

Top contender for greatest country gospel album: Satan Is Real by the Louvin Brothers.

 

How about somethin from Jerry Jeff Walker? Is he Country or Texas Singer-Songwriter? I always liked Viva Terlingua,Ridin High,It's A Good Night For Singing,The self-titled one with Charlie Dunn,and A Man Must Carry On. I think they were all my favorite Country album at one time or another.

I lost interest in Jimmy Buffett over the years but A1A was a nearly perfect album with a lot of Country on it.

 

Jerry Jeff with Jimmy Buffett performing the song they co-wrote together in 1973.

 

It was also recorded by Lefty Frizzell.

 

My most played Country album of the 70's was Emylou Harris-Luxury Liner. I also like her Elite Hotel,Roses In The Snow,Blue Kentucky Girl.

I don't know that I really have a favorite Country album. Love Waylon's Dreamin My Dreams and George Jones Alone Again along with the previously mentioned Paychecks on Little Darlin. I always leaned more to the Bluegrass,Old-Time,Folk, Texas singer-songwriter branches but straight commercial Country.....hmmm....that will take some more thinkin and rooting through the old collection. The obvious Hank Sr.comps and Tammy Wynetts GH's don't seem to qualify as that's some low hangin' fruit.

I guess The Louvin Brothers were considered commercial Country but that's too easy of a hole to stick them in. They had that old-time feel,even though it was smoothed over by the fine instrumentation and clean Capitol recording. I think it was the voices...you could take the Louvins to Hollywood and Vine to record and put them in fine flash 50's Country attire but old home Alabama popped out as soon as they opened their mouths. If The Louvin's are indeed Country then they are my favorites next to Hank Sr.. Satan Is Real gets the headlines and banter and lists but it's far from their best LP IMHO. Tragic Songs Of Life would be just one example that betters it.