Country

I used to despise Country music, but as I get older, the more I am finding myself liking it. Though I do have to be in a certain mood for it.

I've discovered that I like Outlaw Country best. I don't particularly like Contemporary Country, but Alternative Country, Gothic Country, Traditional Country and Outlaw Country ... are all pretty good subgenres of Country IMO.

Today I'm cranking my favorite Country artist, Waylon Jennings. Any other fans? Speak up. Let's talk about this genre.  

I like only Outlaw Country

1st thing Modern Country is NOT even country honestly


So back to Outlaw
I like Johnny Cash.
He is everything, blues,country,rock,worship, pop.

He is the greatest musician of all time

I also enjoy Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and The Highwaymen

Hardcore Christian wrote:I like only Outlaw Country

1st thing Modern Country is NOT even country honestly


So back to Outlaw
I like Johnny Cash.
He is everything, blues,country,rock,worship, pop.

He is the greatest musician of all time

I also enjoy Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and The Highwaymen

I knew I could count on you for this thread Hardcore! Thanks for posting!  


I'm kinda new to Country and have only so far gotten into Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Laura Cantrell. I've heard of The Highwaymen and plan on picking up something from them sometime in the future.


I agree with you about most of the modern Contemporary Country. It's basically watered down Traditional Country ... watered down with Pop. I don't like most of that stuff.



It's funny cause when you mention to someone that you like Country, the first thing folks think is that you're a fan of the modern stuff. Not even. True Country is far from the stuff heard on Country radio stations.

Now I do have to admit that I like John Denver and he is more Country Pop. My mom used to play John Denver nonstop when I was a kid. She was a big fan. So I think my love for John Denver stems from childhood memories with my mom doing stuff ... nostalgia.

RavenWolf wrote:It's funny cause when you mention to someone that you like Country, the first thing folks think is that you're a fan of the modern stuff. Not even. True Country is far from the stuff heard on Country radio stations.

Thats why I dont normally say Im a fan of country, I just say I am a fan of Cash

Johnny Cash definitely, John Denver  while more folksie has a country element to it

For Modern Country/Pop I like

Shania Twain
Taylor Swift

Get me drunk enough and I may admit I like a few Toby Keith songs but as a general rule I mostly despise country.

P.S. I too like Cash and don't consider him country.

I dated a girl in college who always listened to "country" radio (i.e. pop-country like Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, etc.) and I came to HATE it.  They'd just play the same songs over and over and over again...

So generally, I really don't care for it.  BUT I discovered Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower (the latter of whom is much more country) and those are two of my favorite bands.

Kerrick wrote:I dated a girl in college who always listened to "country" radio (i.e. pop-country like Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, etc.) and I came to HATE it.  They'd just play the same songs over and over and over again...

So generally, I really don't care for it.  BUT I discovered Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower (the latter of whom is much more country) and those are two of my favorite bands.

I'll raise you. Take having to live through the country music revival of the late 80's early 90's. Cursed Billy Ray Cyrus.

Generally, there's a certain sound or twang about it that just turns me off very quickly. I do like a select few artists and kind of enjoy the old stuff from the 50s.

Deepfriar wrote:general rule I mostly despise country.

Me too

Deepfriar wrote:P.S. I too like Cash and don't consider him country.

Yep

I was forced to listen to Conway Twitty's greatest hits for hours a day at a job I worked at many years ago because it played on repeat (was part of the "atmosphere" the owners were trying to create)...

oddly enough the songs grew on me. That man had a lot of heartbreak in his life or something lol.

Why people would want to sit and ponder heartbreak at the dinner table is beyond me, but I digress.

So Deepfriar, do you own any Conway Twitty albums now?

Lol no I never did buy any. Perhaps Conway should stay in my past.

I was force fed classic country music (aka Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Statler Bros., early Alabama, etc.) as a child by my daddy.  He loved the stuff and tried hard to get me to like it.  I didn't like it then and haven't given it a try since.  Once I bought my first AC/DC tape when I was 13, it was all over.

My wife loves country music. Literally, our car rides are half black metal, half country.
I got an A in music appreciation in college so, I can dig it.

Hardcore Christian wrote:

Deepfriar wrote:P.S. I too like Cash and don't consider him country.

Yep

I think exactly the opposite.
Cash, Twitty, Lynn, Cline were COUNTRY...

...the stuff playing now is rock with twangy themes and vocals.

RavenWolf wrote:Gothic Country

Wut?

ThomasEversole wrote:My wife loves country music.  Literally, our car rides are half black metal, half country.
I got an A in music appreciation in college so, I can dig it.

Hardcore Christian wrote:

Deepfriar wrote:P.S. I too like Cash and don't consider him country.

Yep

I think exactly the opposite.
Cash, Twitty, Lynn, Cline were COUNTRY...

...the stuff playing now is rock with twangy themes and vocals.

RavenWolf wrote:Gothic Country

Wut?

That's cool that your wife likes Country! I also agree that Johnny Cash is for sure Country!



About Gothic Country, it's a fairly new genre. It's also from Colorado. Here's how RYM describes it:


Gothic Country:

Also known as:  Southern Gothic, Death Country, Dark Country
Gothic Country is a subgenre of Alt-Country heavily influenced by the Southern Gothic literary genre. Many artists also draw influence from American Folk Music, Country Gospel, Bluegrass, and various subgenres of Punk Rock. The genre was pioneered in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Denver, Colorado through the music of 16 Horsepower, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, and a number of affiliated artists including Jay Munly, DeVotchKa, The Denver Gentlemen, and Wovenhand.

^Also called "gothic americana." As I mentioned above, I love me some 16 HP and Wovenhand.

Kerrick wrote:^Also called "gothic americana."  As I mentioned above, I love me some 16 HP and Wovenhand.

I just noticed that! Cool! I'm not into any of those bands just yet, but I have them on my list to buy! Looking forward to checking them out!

Right on! David Eugene Edwards (main guy behind 16 HP and WH) is a very outspoken Christian and it is very clear in his lyrics. However, the first two 16 HP albums have a few four letter words in them (more so the first one than the second). It doesn't bother me any but I know it bothers others. Regardless, the music is absolutely stellar. I cannot recommend both bands enough. Wovenhand's last couple of albums have departed from the gothic americana sound and are more rock now. They're fantastic, just not in the same stylistic vein as the earlier stuff.

I enjoy Hank Williams Jnr, Hank Williams 3, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, but my favourite of all time has to be Gram Parsons.

Ive heard of Alt-Country Fred Eaglesmith is great stuff love the song Indian Motorcycles  my buddy Sombrant covered this song (i think his version is better)

Kerrick wrote:Right on!  David Eugene Edwards (main guy behind 16 HP and WH) is a very outspoken Christian and it is very clear in his lyrics.  However, the first two 16 HP albums have a few four letter words in them (more so the first one than the second).  It doesn't bother me any but I know it bothers others.  Regardless, the music is absolutely stellar.  I cannot recommend both bands enough.  Wovenhand's last couple of albums have departed from the gothic americana sound and are more rock now.  They're fantastic, just not in the same stylistic vein as the earlier stuff.

Nice to know! Thanks for the info! Yeah, cussing never bothers me, but thanks for letting me know about it. I'm really looking forward to checking out both 16 HP and Wovenhand! Have you ever heard of The Handsome Family? They are Gothic Country too, but are not from Colorado but Albuqueque, NM. Same neck of the woods though. Must be something in the water heheh. I love The Handsome Family. I had forgotten to mention them earlier, with my other fave Country artists.

Aaron C wrote:Ive heard of Alt-Country Fred Eaglesmith is great stuff love the song Indian Motorcycles  my buddy Sombrant covered this song (i think his version is better)

just took note of Fred Eaglesmith.



It's cool to see that there are a few fans of Country on this board. Diversity is the spice of life! Even for Metalheads!