davidpike Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Hi All, For years, I have avoided country music. Too many mental images of Dolly Parton, Billy Ray Cyrus and Line-dancing to get me interested. However, I bought my wife the latest Lady Antebellum CD for Christmas. We listened to it in the car and it's pretty good. So I started looking around (Spotify is wonderful!!) and I've come to the conclusion that I was wrong - there's a lot of very good music out there, particularly the modern country rock stuff. My problem is that I don't know where to start. Who's good? Who's influential? And from a bass player's point of view, who should be listening to? Please help... Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 The Eagles are superb, I go in for a bit of southern rock at the minute and blackberry smoke are very much that and with a real country vibe too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Try Steve Earle - Jerusalem. Interesting CD in that it's not all about apple pie and Mom, but give Bush a fair old kicking on the way past. I think Steve stuggled for sales for a while based on the content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) Skank knows a great deal about Country music, he may appear here soon. Edited January 26, 2014 by xilddx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I dep for a country band from time to time, a few that I enjoy are working man blues by Merle Haggard ,and this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPjhakaK-yI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Country can be a bit of difficult genre to define nowadays, because a lot of acts that come under the country music banner and who are based in Nashville such as Lady Antebellum, enjoyable as many of them might be, are in fact essentially generic mainstream pop acts in all but presentation and image. It's well worth checking out artists like the excellent Shelby Lynne and Lucinda Williams if you want to hear some modern music that comes from a country tradition. Nancy Griffith is great , too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Check out the Secret Sisters (though if you're liking the modern country rock stuff they might be a bit "old-timey" for you). Nickel Creek might be more to your liking. Also: Emmylou Harris, Nancy Griffiths, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss, The Civil Wars, Robert Ellis to name but a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Devon Sproule is damn cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsjWSHj6YQc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehillscorporation Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) I too avoided country music like the plague for far too long. My current favs, and therefore recommended, by me, would be; Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen The Byrds The Flying Burrito Brothers Hayes Carll Dwight Yoakham Buck Owens JJ Cale The Dillards Joe Maphis Townes Van Zandt Gram Parsons Emmylou Harris Asleep At The Wheel New Riders Of The Purple Sage The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Michael Nesmith Pure Praire League Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys Hank Williams Sr. Hank Williams Jr. Hank Williams III & don't write Dolly off too soon (like I did), give the album Jolene another go, sublime! as far as country bass players go, Norbert Putnam can do no wrong in my eyes John Edited January 26, 2014 by thehillscorporation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I go line dancing (yeehaw etc) - and of the modern country artists I think Zac Brown Band are my current favourite. http://youtu.be/YU_8PrlRR5E http://youtu.be/k8peBbHUJzU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) Emmylou Harris' Luxury Liner album still does it for me, the Hot Band are just amazing. Edited January 26, 2014 by ezbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehillscorporation Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 +1 for Luxury Liner. Also feat.another great country bassist Emory Gordy Jr. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVbass Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) well at last someone else comes over to the dark side here we go - few more worth adding - Travis Tritt Garth Brooks Willie Nelson Jaron and the Long Road to Love Blue Ridge Rangers with John Fogherty Keith Urban Mary Chapin Carpenter Dixie Chicks Gretchen Wilson Reba McIntire Chris LeDoux Jerry Reed John Denver Tim McGraw Waylon Jennings Tim McGraw Blackfoot, Creedence, Early Eagles and Lynryrd if you want some country rock [quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]& don't write Dolly off too soon (like I did), give the album Jolene another go, sublime![/font][/color][/quote] +1 the thought might make you cringe but have a listen to some Dolly - how the hell she plays Jolene with 3" nails I'll never know but she's not the queen of country through lack of talent Edited January 26, 2014 by BobVbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) Many suggestions so far are Country Rock. I totally agree with Dingus about Country being a hard genre to define as there are so many offshoots and Country Rock is just one. I'd start with giving a listen (there is plenty on youtube) to Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family then move on to Western Swing with artists like Bob Wills and Tennessee Ernie Ford then on to Bluegrass by Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs. Honky Tonk shouldn't be overlooked so a bit of Hank Williams and on to 50s and 60s Nashville Sounds and Countrypolitan and then Outlaw Country by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings etc. There are far too many artists to list so it's best just to work your way through the genres in the history of Country music and it will give you a good idea of what it's all about. Happy listening! Edited January 26, 2014 by BetaFunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) Ooh Outlaw Country, that's reminded me of John Stewart, I'd forgotten about him, check him out for something different. Edited January 26, 2014 by ezbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Joe Ely is someone I've always liked [url="http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/52889348/Definitive-Collection/Product.html?searchstring=joe+ely&searchsource=0&searchtype=musicall&urlrefer=search&strefer=musicall&searchfilters=s%7bjoe+ely%7d%2bc%7b34%7d%2b"]http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/52889348/Definitive-Collection/Product.html?searchstring=joe+ely&searchsource=0&searchtype=musicall&urlrefer=search&strefer=musicall&searchfilters=s%7bjoe+ely%7d%2bc%7b34%7d%2b[/url] Cant go wrong with Gram Parsons or The Eagles, Tim McGraw is also pretty good John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingPrawn Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Bonny prince Billy will blow your mind!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) [quote name='KingPrawn' timestamp='1390760632' post='2349168'] Bonny prince Billy will blow your mind!! [/quote] Really? Why? He wouldn't be in the names i'd think of as a Country music artist. Edited January 26, 2014 by BetaFunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Keith Urban and Brad Paisley are on regular rotation here. Darius Rucker's Charleston SC album is worth a listen for the sublime Michael Rhodes alone. I ocassionally swerve into Rascal Flatts territory too, but there's a lot of filler there if you ask me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 George Jones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpKH_xMdHuA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Anything by Vince Gill. Checkout his YouTube's with Delbert McClinton and Keb Mo..... then get into the rest of his catalogue. He's the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 The Louvin Brothers and, more up to date, Old Crow Medicine Show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 CONWAY TWITTY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 This is a bit like saying recommend me some rock acts, the field is vast and the variety huge. So you like a modern country/rock album, so Band Perry, earlier Shania Twain would be jumping off points. Female vocals then Emmylou, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss. Don't like some of it but love some of the songs? Check out who wrote them and follow them down. It's a big new world for you to explore, have a lot of fun Steve PS Don't right off Dolly Parton, she's one of the best songwriters out there and for a totally left field suggestion "Dr Hook and the Medicine Show" Please note this is NOT the same band as Dr Hook, much more interesting, Shel Silverstein was their songwriter (Boy named Sue) and they did the first version of "Queen of the Silver Dollar" (eventually covered by Emmylou, Dolly Etc etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 +1 on Dolly Parton ... and essential is Patsy Cline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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