Country music recommendations?

[Fenderbaum]

Modern country is a genre i thread carefully at.
But sometimes, someone comes along with a guitar and a voice..

 

[Fireball519]

Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, Merle Hagard and the Strangers for the "Bakersfield" sound.



George Jones,Patsy Cline, Lefty Frizzell for the "Nashville" sound.




Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings for "Outlaw" country.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvyBXHCRZVZwuiQj90z26ghhcpWMTfpm0

Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys for "Western Swing."
https://youtu.be/E56PnQGMCnU

Check out Gram Parsons. He is the guy Keith Richards had over the French Riviera to help him with his "country" playing during the recording of "Beggar's Banquet". He was a solo artist, as well as a member of the Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers.
https://youtu.be/1PytxPaU6k4
https://youtu.be/LZHJajD6T-M

+1000000000 on Lefty! Waylon said one time "all those guys who imitate Merle Haggard don't realize they're really imitating Lefty." IMHO, the greatest

 

[Fireball519]

I don’t know much country music, but I really like Ernest Tubb. His music is what I think about when I hear the Son Volt line: “Searching for a truer sound . . . It sounds like 1963, but for now it sounds like heaven.”

"Ahhhhhhhhh come in there Billy Byrd!"

 

[dom ray mustang]

 

[elihu]

 

[middy]

Hi Gretev,
In Europe most people don't grow up with American country music. It is often regarded as kind of corny.
I'd start with:
Hank Williams
Johnny Cash
Merle Haggard
Waylon Jennings
Buck Owens
...
And then Dwight Yoakam, the Highwaymen and everything Bill Kirchen

Imagine the people that produce Eurovision thinking country music is corny.

 

[elihu]

 

[Telecaster88]

For country with rock swagger, I'd look to the 70s outlaws...Waylon and David Allan Coe, for starters. Also, Gram Parsons work with the Byrds, Burritos, and solo.

Quoting my own post to add: Rick Nelson's later records are pretty great country rock.

 

[2HBStrat]

Quoting my own post to add: Rick Nelson's later records are pretty great country rock.

I liked "Garden Party."

 

[thunderbyrd]

i grew up in kentucky soaked in country music, whether i wanted to hear it or not. IMO, if you were only going to listen to one person to try to "get" country music, i would recommend Loretta Lynn. she knew how to write very direct songs.

 

[Derrytwins]

This has been very helpful so far. Thank you all.