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Regarding that "country music" genre that I've heard of one or twice?

First, let me just say: There is a certain country artist who is almost universally beloved by rock fans, even those who say that they hate country music. He is well known for playing prisons, a line about "shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die" and his American Recordings of the '90s and '00s, among other things. Please don't mention him here, just because his name has become a cliche. Yes, he's a cool guy, but I've found that discussions about him often deteriorate into fan-boy-ism and Stannery. Anyway, I'd like to share The Carter Family with those of you who are unfamiliar. Cannon Ball Blues - http://www.last.fm/music/The+Carter+Family/Can+the+Circle+Be+Unbroken/Cannon+Ball+Blues Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHio-0Z7yKg On the Rock Where Moses Stood - http://www.last.fm/music/The+Carter+Family/Can+the+Circle+Be+Unbroken/On+the+Rock+Where+Moses+Stood I got this compilation a while back, but I've been re-listening to it lately, and I can't believe how great it is. Maybelle Carter's "scratch" guitar (the coupling of melody on the bass strings with chords strummed higher up) creates was a really wonderful innovation for pop and folk music. I also love the vocals, which are beautifully distant, sort of comparable to "I Will" by The Beatles, some Joy Division, and a very coked-up David Bowie (the non-soul tracks on Station to Station, like the title track and "Wild Is the Wind"). So, what do you think, and who are your favorite country artists? (Barring, well, you know.) BQ: Favorite family bands? Thanks, Jukebox. You've certainly given me quite a lot to look into.

Public Comments

1. Interesting! My favorite Country artist is George Jones. Country music always reminds me of my Grandfather who was a huge fan of the genera guys like Jimmy Rogers, Lefty Frizell, Porter Wagoner...etc...etc BA: Favorite Family Band The Statler Brothers but I think only 2 of them are related.
2. I recently got into country music, but so far my exposure has been pretty much limited to modern country artists. So my favorites probably won't get much respect by the hardcore country fans or whatever they're called, but I love 'em just the same: (no real order) Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, Alison Krauss, The Judds. Don't believe I've heard of the Carter Family, and I have no sound, so I'll have to get back to you on that. BQ: Eh...I can think of a few, but none I'd love to shout out as my favorite. edit-- americanguitarist, I have heard of George Strait, I was about to list him, but I really don't know THAT much by him, and nothing I'm in love with enough to call him one of my favorites. But I like him enough to look into him some more, which I'll surely do, as well as those other two you mentioned! On the subject of Rascal Flatts and Faith Hill, I can definitely understand why they're played on the soft rock/adult contemporary radio stations, whereas other country artists are not, but to label them as simply "pop" would be inaccurate also, as there's definitely something that separates them from the Backstreet Boys and Celine Dion. Perhaps "country pop" will do?
3. My uncle influenced me in Rock n Roll. My Mom however, influenced me with Country. One of my earliest memories is being in the back window of a huge LTD Landau circa 1975 with Waylon Jennings blaring out of the speaker that I was perched over. Great memories. I don't care for what Country has become but, I must admit that I have a smaller collection of some of the old school Country guys like; Willie Nelson, Waylon, and You know who.
4. On the subject of the artist you mentioned early on, I like his work quite a bit, but I'm willing to admit that he is overrated. Anyway, I actually love country music. You know--REAL country music...not Taylor Swift and others like her who should be labeled as pop. Here are some of my favorite country artists, in no particular order: Brad Paisley, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Jamey Johnson, Ashton Shepherd, Gretchen Wilson, Katrina Elam (Elam is one of the few that are more on the pop side that I actually respect as an artist--she's a phenomenal vocalist and a great songwriter), Darius Rucker (I'm not a fan of Hootie & the Blowfish, but I think Rucker's country album was outstanding and, compared to about 99% of modern country, he's practically 100% country!), Roy Clark, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Chris Young, Ray Scott, Rockie Lynne, Keith Urban (Urban's newer stuff is awful, but I liked before he went 100% pop and wasn't afraid to play actual country guitar), Josh Turner, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and many more that I've left out. Those are just a few of my favorites though. Also, I don't mind a few of the modern country artists who sound like southern rock, but there are basically none that I like who sound like pop (such as Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill) other than Katrina Elam, as I said before. If some of them were labeled as pop, as many should be, they wouldn't be all that bad, but their record labels are so dumb to label them as country! BQ: You know, I'm not really sure on this one...Los Lonely Boys, I guess. And, trust me--their guitarist can play! Waltzing Matilda: As long as artists like Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley are on your list, you surely have my respect! Some artists that you didn't mention that you might like are Jamey Johnson, George Strait and Ashton Shepherd. If you've heard of any of those three, it's most likely going to be Strait, who holds the record for most #1 hits.
5. fantastic..another well researched question today Mr Shotgun.. I had an opportunity in my work with people with seniors, including those with Alzheimer's, do write and present a program on Country music. I researched it all the way back and actually found the tracks which were considered the very first "country" songs.. Fiddlin' John Carson Little Log Cabin in the Lane Vernon Dalhart - Wreck of the Old 97 - 1924 I certainly touched on the Carter family in my workshop, using their song, Keep On The Sunny Side from the 1930s.. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers also figured, as did Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Dc16-jvOQ Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys placed 3 number one hits in 1940. 1. Ida Red, 2, San Antonio Rose, 3. Yearning. I wish you tube had their version of Roly Poly, it's terrific In 1948 Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith achieved Top 10 US country chart success with his MGM Records recordings of "Guitar Boogie" and "Banjo Boogie", with the former crossing over to the US pop charts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-rS7vySix8 Arthur Smith - Guitar Boogie this brings me to my answer for your question my favorite country artist was Hank Williams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKOVPXhlnE Jambalaya on the Bayou http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hDPMJ5HJ3M I'm so lonesome I could cry BQ: The Cowsills
6. Garth, Cash, Alan Jackson, Tim Mcgraw, etc, etc--too many to name, I DO like country!!! BQ-Allman Brothers, Black Crowes, Judds
7. I don't have speakers so I can't hear it, sorry. First off you should know I am not a big fan of "new" country,although i wouldn't say its all crap. I LOVE bluegrass although I wouldn't claim to know a ton of it. David Grisman (with and w/o jerry garcia) and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones would be my favorites of that country genre. My favorite country artists are first and for most Tammy Wynette (my first live concert ever) and the other 2 angels of country Lorretta and Dolly. I am a huge fan of Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt (seeing her in 2 weeks. Woohoo!), Steve Earle, Patsy Cline, Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings, etc. Nearly most of the rock i like is rooted in country and blues music.ex: Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, etc. Family bands? Kings of leon, Everly Brothers part family band? Allman Brothers
8. I must admit that I detest the current mainstream of country music. that said, other than the man that we're not allowed to mention, I'll always gladly listen to, as far as country or country-related artists (bluegrass/old-timey/old-timey revival) go, Emmylou Harris, John Hartford, Roscoe Holcomb, Ralph Stanley, and Gillian Welch, to name but five good folks. if you so wish, see below for some audiovisual evidence of the above artists... BQ: hm ... I'm going to go with John Coltrane's final quartet. considering his wife Alice Coltrane was on piano, it's probably safe to call it a family band...
9. Tossing around in my head at the moment. Thank you Shotgun for the links. We are blessed to have these music listening web sites. 6o's TV could never do justice to this art. And The Beatles were the quad turbo that left the gold nuggets on the ground, for paper and plastic, and now electronic treasures. Also, you can hear that man, you mention in black, pulling out roots of the Carter Tree. Merle Haggard,,,,, Gene Watson,,,,, I don't want to miss anybody. Like the group hear, and many other clusters of answeres do say, Todays country radio station is un un un unsometin. Conway Twitty,,,,,, Marty Robins,,,,, Roger Miller,,,,, Patsy Cline. Those are just the "Classic" I made my own genre (up for argument), Acid Cowboy .... NRPS G.Dead, always loved. Folk/Country/Pop, Blenders, Kris Kris., J. Prine, Steve Earle, Tift Merritt, Alejandro Escoveto (who has musical celebs, *nominee to family question*), Them and plenty more. Bluegrass and all it new shoot offs. Plenty Good Too. I love the Crossover stuff, but country rock is just Twangy rock songs. The Rock songs I been tired of four decades. The more simple and primitive the better for me. ba. Gene and Meryl Watson.
10. I really love Willie Nelson. I saw him in concert a few months ago. (The concert itself was sort of disappointing. He was playing with a sort of annoying, swing-y band that I didn't like at all. And I was the youngest, soberest member of the audience. I did, however, enjoy the drunken dancing of a few Willie look-alikes, haha) My favorite Willie Nelson album is called It Always Will Be. It isn't really his greatest hits or anything, but it's amazing. Oddly, it doesn't seem to be on iTunes. I also love Dolly Parton and Lucinda Williams.