Steve Hoffman loves Country Music of all kinds, from Hank to Tanya and beyond.

I like bluegrass also.

 

I'm a big fan of 50's and 60's Country Music: Merle, the Possum, Tammy, Buck, the Silver Fox, etc.

 

It seems to me that Country Music players all have great chops...they know their instruments and are with it rhythm wise. It's always a treat to hear a Country band a-hummin'.

 

...me too!, but I'm not crazy about todays country though I still can't say a negative about it...huge fan of the older stuff! IMO, HANK WILLIAMS is the most amazing country artist ever!

 

Oh yes! Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Clarence White! The list goes on and on...

 

What would Mr. Olsen say?

 

Steve, CD Universe accidentally sent me a disc by a country group called The Dillards. They told me to keep it instead of shipping it back. I never opened it. If you want it, it's yours. It's called The Best Of The Dillards and is on Vanguard.

 

I was just thinking that the Louvin Brothers could use a remaster by you. You could trim some of that Capitol echo.

I tend to restrict my country listening to acts that end in Brothers, family, or Jones. As time goes on, I listen to more, though.

 

Alison Krauss

 

Nice thread Steve.

I like country music too, and since the recent redneck, white trash proclaimin', beer drinkin', tattoo wearin', shotgun shootin', tobacco spittin' trend is now dead I can once again find things about new country music that I actually like.

If you haven't heard any country music you've liked try some of the lesser known songs Hank Williams, Sr. wrote. They're involving, sometimes very dark and usually absolutely brilliant. Way beyond "Your Cheatin' Heart" he had a depth that makes him a true music legend.

 

One of the great things about older country music is how distinctive the voices were. Artists such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, etc. each had their own distinctive voice. Heck, that's even true of the slick 70s country artists.

Although many people consider it a low point in country, I really enjoy country music from the late 70s/early 80s (Eddie Rabbitt, Anne Murray, Ronnie Milsap, John Conlee, etc.). Some artists from that era, such as Johnny Rodriguez, Charly McClain, Janie Fricke, Dave & Sugar, Sylvia, etc., are poorly represented on CD, despite the fact that they had huge sales & airplay.

 

I'll go with the initial premise - so long as we are not talking about the latest vocalist. My criteria include the writing of original material and/or playing an instrument. If you fail to do either, then you suffer the suffocating weight of my scorn. (I understand that some artists are not worried about this fate.) I love country artists that write their own material and sing from that perspective. Mindy Smith and Allison Moorer jump immediately to mind.

David

 

But Steve has done a Louvin Brothers comp.



It's one of my favorite Steve discs.

 

I love all kinds of country music, including Bluegrass.

 

I always liked the music from HeeHaw.

I never liked country when I was in elementary school up until I graduated college. Then, bang, it hit me and I love it too. What really turned me on to country was artists like The Byrds, Ray Charles, The Beatles, and yes, even the Beach Boys doing country or country influenced music. Kind of a crossover thing for me that got me to start liking country. Now I love the real stuff by the real artists. I like the classics too.

 

And some of it really rocks too!

I find myself reaching for Country stuff more and more as those years go by. I think it's the universal themes covered in the lyrics I don't hear so much elsewhere anymore.

And from about 1964 to 1975 or so the recordings really jump out of the speakers at you. Just like the rock and the pop of that same era. So when I ran outta Pop and Rock records to listen to, I came crawlin' back to those Country records I heard on Jukeboxes in pool rooms, bar rooms, and truck stops where I grew up hearing them originally.

 

Here's the cover of that Dillards record.

 

On behalf of myself and the boys in the band, we thank you!

 

If my memory serves me well, the Dillards were quite good. You'd probably enjoy the CD yourself!

I did I think at least two A to D album transfers and was quite surprised and pleased with their music.

Allmusic.com says...
Similar Artists
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
The Greenbriar Boys
Laurel Canyon Ramblers
John Hartford
The Byrds
The Hollies
Grateful Dead
The Band
Twin Engine
Gosdin Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers

Not bad.

 

News to me! The hunt is on! Thanks for the info. I must admit, I prefer the cover art for the Devil is Real. That may be one of the all time great record covers of any genre.

 

That's on the back of the booklet.

 

I'm a big fan of certain country artists (Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr, Merle Travis) and also rock bands/artists with authentic country leanings (Grateful Dead, The Band, Dylan, Mike Nesmith, Elvis, Carl Perkins, etc..)

I'm also partial to a lot of popular country from the 40's, 50's and 60's (Jerry Reed, Buck Owens, etc..)

Just keep that modern "country-pop" away from me. Especially the Australian stuff.

 

So many musicians outside of the country music genre are fans of country music. People you would never expect if you only looked at things on it's surface.

Tom Verlaine of the seminal art/punk band Television played an incredible show here last summer. The next day we were standing side by side at my favorite record store digging through the 45s in the country section!

 

For me, it doesn't get any finer than Conway Twitty, especially with Loretta Lynn. An SH mastered Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn best of would be incredible.