Country Music thread

[munchausen]

Been listening to a lot of country lately. One artist that I knew about already but hadn't really dug into is Faron Young. He was only a singer, but he was a charming fellow with a good voice and, more importantly, a great selection of material







Also, unrelated, but this song will always be one of my favorites in any genre

 

[foodguy]

interviewed him in the '70s. nice fella. and, of course, "hello walls" was one of willie nelson's big breakthrough gigs as a songwriter.

 

[munchausen]



interviewed him in the '70s. nice fella. and, of course, "hello walls" was one of willie nelson's big breakthrough gigs as a songwriter.

That's cool. You seem to have met a lot of cool, talented people.

I was just thinking about how, with Ray Price and George Jones dying last year, there are very few people left from the classic country era. Willie Nelson might actually be the last of the big names from that era still around. I expect I will cry real tears when he dies. I'm sure there's someone I'm not thinking of, but I really have seen the passing of that generation in my lifetime, and I don't really see anyone replacing them.

 

[foodguy]



That's cool. You seem to have met a lot of cool, talented people.

I was just thinking about how, with Ray Price and George Jones dying last year, there are very few people left from the classic country era. Willie Nelson might actually be the last of the big names from that era still around. I expect I will cry real tears when he dies. I'm sure there's someone I'm not thinking of, but I really have seen the passing of that generation in my lifetime, and I don't really see anyone replacing them.

i was really lucky to cover music that i love at a time when there weren't a whole helluva lot of people interested, and while a lot of the real pioneers were still active.

 

[MrG]

You're forgetting Merle Haggard, Munch.

Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, and Billy Joe Shaver are still alive, too. They're all around the same age as those classic guys, but I don't know if they'd be the type you'd put on a list of "classic" artists.

During a bunch of time wasting on YouTube not too long ago, I found a video from a show that Waylon Jennings did with Nelson, Kristofferson, and some other guys, including Faron Young. He and Willie Nelson talked about Willie writing "Hello Walls." It was pretty cool.

 

[munchausen]



You're forgetting Merle Haggard, Munch.

Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, and Billy Joe Shaver are still alive, too. They're all around the same age as those classic guys, but I don't know if they'd be the type you'd put on a list of "classic" artists.

During a bunch of time wasting on YouTube not too long ago, I found a video from a show that Waylon Jennings did with Nelson, Kristofferson, and some other guys, including Faron Young. He and Willie Nelson talked about Willie writing "Hello Walls." It was pretty cool.

Hag is definitely one I should have thought of. Kristofferson too. Coe and Shaver I would consider to be a later gen although that's arguable.

 

[MrG]



Hag is definitely one I should have thought of. Kristofferson too. Coe and Shaver I would consider to be a later gen although that's arguable.

Agreed. I was kind of on the fence on whether or not Kristofferson should be a definite, but I agree Coe and Shaver probably don't qualify in the same way as the other guys.

 

[foodguy]



You're forgetting Merle Haggard, Munch.

Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, and Billy Joe Shaver are still alive, too. They're all around the same age as those classic guys, but I don't know if they'd be the type you'd put on a list of "classic" artists.

nope. they overlapped, but they were not the same generation. remember, Ray Price was Hank Williams' roommate for god's sake. Ray Price, cash, and Faron Young were who Merle and Buck wanted to be (and willie too before he found ganja). Kristofferson, Coe and Billy Joe were reactions to what Price and Young had been.

the thing about that golden age music ... the great songs were truly wonderful, but there was a helluva lot of studio-generated drek that was put out at the same time. As far as I'm concerned, the real golden age for country was the late 70s and early 80s, when nashville hadn't had time to react to the new guys but a lot of the old guys were pushed to do better material. still love me some gary stewart and johnny rodriguez.

 

[MikeDT]

I often like using country songs for getting my students to sing in English, really because the lyrics are usually quite simple and easy to understand and follow. Things like John Denver, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Billy Ray Cyrus songs.

 

[foodguy]

Just found this for my weekly Taste o' Texas on Facebook (friend me and you'll see it). Had to share. Great song (Billy Joe Shavers), great singer (Waylon Jennings) and a really rocking live performance. Ralph Mooney is one of the two or three great steel players ever. [VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[munchausen]



Just found this for my weekly Taste o' Texas on Facebook (friend me and you'll see it). Had to share. Great song (Billy Joe Shavers), great singer (Waylon Jennings) and a really rocking live performance. Ralph Mooney is one of the two or three great steel players ever. [VIDEO][/VIDEO]

***** Tonk Heroes is one of my all time favorite albums, and this is probably my favorite song on the album. Apparently Waylon's arrangement of the song led to a fist fight between him and Shaver. Although my impression is that almost anything could lead to a fist fight with Shaver.

 

[foodguy]



***** Tonk Heroes is one of my all time favorite albums, and this is probably my favorite song on the album.

Apparently Waylon's arrangement of the song led to a fist fight between him and Shaver. Although my impression is that almost anything could lead to a fist fight with Shaver.

haven't run into shavers in years. apparently he's mellowed quite a bit, according to my austin friends. but he was a flat-out dangerous crazy guy. he once threatened to kick my *ss because I left after he'd stood me up for an interview. and then there's this
money quote (maybe of all money quotes):

After a three-day trial that drew friends Willie Nelson and Robert Duvall to a Waco, Texas courtroom, outlaw country artist Billy Joe Shaver was found not guilty Friday on charges of aggravated assault for shooting a man in the face outside a Texas bar in 2007. "I am very sorry about the incident," Shaver said outside the courtroom. "Hopefully things will work out where we become friends enough so that he gives me back my bullet."

 

[MrG]

When I saw Waylon and Billy Joe Shaver, I totally expected "Black Rose," but a rockin' live version of "***** Tonk Heroes" is certainly not a letdown!

 

[Shoeluv]

I often like using country songs for getting my students to sing in English, really because the lyrics are usually quite simple and easy to understand and follow. Things like John Denver, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Billy Ray Cyrus songs.

Neither one of the crossed out singers are country, Billy Ray Cyrus I don't even consider an artist (his daughter either for that matter). John Denver was a great artist but he is really considered folk/contemporary. Putting Johnny Cash and Hank Williams in the same sentence as Billy Ray Cyrus is causing me Cognitive dissonance

 

[MrG]



haven't run into shavers in years. apparently he's mellowed quite a bit, according to my austin friends. but he was a flat-out dangerous crazy guy. he once threatened to kick my *ss because I left after he'd stood me up for an interview. and then there's this
money quote (maybe of all money quotes):

"I get more woman than a passenger train can haul."



Most excellent reference, Billy!