The Smiley Smile Message Board

Please feel free to critize or make suggestions as I just started to get into country!

(these are my playlists in spotify btw)


Traditional country

Stonewall Jackson - Waterloo

Johnny Horton - Battle of New Orleans

Al Dexter - Honky Tonk Blues

Lefty Fritzel - I want to be with you always

Lefty Fritzel - I love you always

The Osbornes - Y'all come

The Osbornes - Seven year blues

The Louvine brothers - Satan is real

Tennessee Ernie Ford - Ballad of Davy Crockett


Nashville sound country

Skeeter Davis - The end of the world

Don Gibson - Oh Lonesome me

Jim Reeves  - Welcome to my world

Marty Robbins - A white sports coat and a pink carnation


Late 80s & 90s Revival

Randy Travis - A point of light

Alan Jackson - Drive

Garth Brooks - Friends in low places

Kevin Whitley - Don't close your eyes

Trace Adkins - You're gonna miss this

George Strait - Amarillo by morning

John Michael Montgomery - Home to you

I'd check out some Connie Smith and Rose Maddox (w/ her bros.) Also, look into songwriters such as Harlan Howard and Roger Miller, Tom T. Hall.

Hank Williams and Merle Haggard are indispensable, but I don't know if you know that.

I'm absolutely against the "new" country stuff like Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson, but I'm totally country fan of the traditional stuff (and I'm a sucker for tearjerkers).
You have to get some George Jones, Hank Williams (sr.), Faron Young and Ray Price in there. And check out Jerry Lee Lewis' country recordings. Those are the countriest country recordings ever, hands down. Stuff like "Another place, another time" "She even woke me up to say goodbye" "Would you take another chance at me ?". And I agree, check out some singer-songwriter like Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson (you can't go without Willie), Billy Joe Shaver, etc. It even gets funky with Jerry Reed.
There's nothing better than country music (and that's why Stars & Stripes was so disappointing). But it's so many-sided that you can't write it downin one thread. It takes years to really get an overlook.


BTW I just stubled upon this yesterday. Willie Nelson covering Coldplay. Great !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2BCLQA162Nw&gl=DE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2BCLQA162Nw&gl=DE)


Let me post you some more for your listening pleasure.

Jerry lee Lewis - Another Place, Another Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHRcu1b3eBk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHRcu1b3eBk)


Jerry Lee Lewis - Would You Take Another Chance On Me (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8rvL5RpT4&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8rvL5RpT4&feature=related)

George Jones - He stopped loving her today (live on TV)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R2F9f2Cl6Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R2F9f2Cl6Y)

George Jones - The race is on (live on Hee-Haw)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERW8z8Y6MHk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERW8z8Y6MHk)


George Jones - The cold hard truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJRZ50vKfNQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJRZ50vKfNQ)

George Jones - She thinks I still care (live on the Grand ole opry)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owWNCNyEuYI&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owWNCNyEuYI&feature=related)

Jerry Reed - Wabash cannonball & Hallelujah, I love her so (on the Porter Wagoner show)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCE48O6U4Yw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCE48O6U4Yw)

Jerry Reed-Amos Moses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuUbnzTv_p4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuUbnzTv_p4)

Dolly Parton - Jolene (on the Porter Wagoner show)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1plvBR02wDs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1plvBR02wDs)


Dolly Parton - I will always love you (live on the Porter Wagoner show. She wrote it after breaking up with him)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS-F4rfU4ns (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS-F4rfU4ns)


Ray Price - You done me wrong (written with George Jones, his version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjeA7Z8s3aI&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjeA7Z8s3aI&feature=related))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqFZzuEnIzo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqFZzuEnIzo)

Ray Price - Crazy arms (live on the opry I believe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duqO3LYzYgY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duqO3LYzYgY)

Hank Williams - Hey good lookin' (live at the opry)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4kG-c3pYcw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4kG-c3pYcw)

Jimmie Rodgers - Waiting for a train
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbzc77Tz6PA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbzc77Tz6PA)

Willie Nelson - Crazy (his demo. Patsy Cline did a fantastic version that became the hit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01fZukDdM14 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01fZukDdM14)

Willie Nelson - The great divide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpYlemxOOcw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpYlemxOOcw)

Willie Nelson - I never cared for you (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diX4LPC8qlQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diX4LPC8qlQ)

And this is not even a beginning. If you ever want to talk country music, I'll be up to it.
Get some Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and everything you can find.

This will be reiterating some of the above but you got to get some George Jones, Hank Snow, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Stanley Brothers, Ray Price, Jimmie Rodgers, Sons of the Pioneers, and Loretta Lynn.

I forgot this:

Hank jr. - I don't have anymore love songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICLIKyc90kA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICLIKyc90kA)

Waylon Jennings also did a nice version of this.

BTW check out some bluegrass. Bill Monroe for example. George Jones and Melba Montgomery made a great bluegrass album. Fantastic music

Oh my.  Where to begin.  Think about everything great you like about music up until now, think about all the great rock/r&B songs you've loved over your life.... and then realize there's likely that many or more country songs that are great in their own way.  It's such a wealth of quality music, it amazes me that more people aren't into it.

The modern stuff is pretty bland, they still make some good songs in spite of themselves, but country is, and has always been controlled by CASH.  You have to realize how the industry works, they basically have a factory in Nashville that churns this stuff out.  It's always kind of been that way but over time, many times, Country music has kind of 'fought for it's soul', right now you've got a kind of "Taylor Swift" whiplash; Taylor is talented, but she makes every no-talent hack think they can pull off what she pulled off.  You've got an entire industry now of people with little talent making every song you hear on the radio. 

Anwyays I digress.  I'll just give you a few links like the guy above did, I'll keep it short and sweet because literally I could point you to a thousand great songs imho.

Here's three at random:

Waylon Jennings - The Door Is Always Open

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=500KtCmJPV4

David Allan Coe - Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFt2RC0_quE

Merle Haggard - Thats The Way Love Goes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhaju2pwrJg


I could go on all night.

Those x rated David Allan Coe albums...  :o

Rocker: I will return to your links many times. So far I'm totally in love with the George Jones stuff you linked to

Ron: Is Allan Coe the Barry White of country?  :) Love that Haggard song you posted!

hypehat, rocknroll: Merle Haggard rubs me the wrong way. Many seem to claim that he is the definition of "real country" yet when I read about him it seems like he's just as much of a throwback as someone like Randy Travis or Garth Brooks.

SBonilla: I listened to Roger Miller. Loved his Robin Hood songs, Dang me and Engine #9 but I couldn't get into his other stuff.

i've really been getting into country and roots rock lately. but being the way i am, i started in the 50's and 60's. so i can't really say i know too many of those off hand.

Not the worst way to go into the 50s and 60s.


@cablegeddon :

Merle Haggard took me a while as well. His songs are foten not in a classical country style, if you want it to call that (but then mostly lyrically). But there's also a lot of "traditional" style songs by him. Remember, he was the one who wrote "Today I started loving you again". His "Same train, a different time" - Jimmie Rodgers tribute is a must if you want tounderstand the origins of country. And one of his more recent albums (oh well, it's also around ten years old) "If I could only fly" is just a little masterpiece. I'm sure at one point you will get into his music. As I said, it took me a while as well and I don't like everything he did neither. At some point it's just personal taste.

I don't know what you mean by the Barry White comment... if you mean is he the "sweaty love songs" guy... absolutely not, lol.  He's a very talented songwriter who's done a lot of STUPID things in his career, to the point he can't generally get a gig opening a car lot much less recording on a major label.  For instance:

When Tanya Tucker was 13 years old, she was kind of the latest, greatest thing in country music.  So they hire David Allan Coe to write a song for her... he shows up and meets her (and her parents) then writes "Would You Lay With Me" which at first take is a pretty suggestive song, and he just wrote it for a 13 year old.

So when asked about it (by her parents... in the other room!) he explained that she seemed like a nice girl and he wrote the song as if she were writing her wedding vows; in that context, the song is pretty great.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfgUGgyVyN4

He's made a lot of x-rated music that was sold in the back of 'easy rider' magazine; and even did a couple 'racist' songs as a joke (?).  He also wrote "Take this Job (and Shove It!)" for Johnny Paycheck.  Generally he's great at what he does but  makes a lot of STUPID decisions.


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Merle Haggard and Randy Travis are the real deal.  Garth Brooks is an imposter.  

Roger Miller is a favorite of mine, he's an aquired taste.  I don't think "Genius" is a stretch when you talk about his songwriting ability.   He wrote "Invitation to the Blues" for Ray Price; Ray had hired him as a back up guitarist.  Roger was such a crazy, fun guy though that if you watch this video of them doing it live: You can't miss the smile on both of their faces, likely because Roger had just told a dirty joke or something just before the cameras came back from comercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIhywFlD2xY

If you analyze the way the song's structured and think about it a bit... it's pretty brilliant.  Roger went on to write over 800 songs before he died in the late 80's, incredible, one of a kind talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC9aDlJfHT0

That's his more 'pop' orientated stuff.  He made other songs that had completely undiscernable meanings or purposes.  Other songwriters used to follow him around Nashville just to write down weird things he said... then write songs using his phrasings as hooks.  

In the late 80's a couple folks persuaded him to perform, and score the soundtrack to a play based on Tom Sawyer that ran on Broadway.  He reluctantly did it and even acted in the play for a while... He earned a tony for his work, and stands as the only country musician to win both a Grammy (an incredible 11 grammy awards) and a Tony.    Sadly it was the last new material he released before dying of lung cancer.  

He had a huge personality, a huge talent, and left a huge hole when he passed away.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nZNwR2maas

Here's my favorite "Hag" song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN5d4TY-wHM

I always thought he was a pretty creative guitarist, and had a knack for putting the kind of life he wanted to portray, to words.  He was like the songwriting version of Johnny Cash.  Cash wrote some songs, but most of them were covers.  His sad songs can make me cry anytime. "If We Make It Through December" is so great I can't even listen to it anymore.  Sad, Sad, Sad song.   He pretty much 'mastered' that sound, nobody does that better than him.  Good Beer Drinking music.

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Since you mentioned Randy Travis in a kind of passing way, here's a great one he did in the 90's that most people haven't heard.  He's simply one of the best country singers ever, imho.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT-7Yck0_DA

Should we have a country music thread ? I'd be all for it....

Love a lot of what has been mentioned -- Jerry Lee, Merle, the Possum, the corny old 60s/70s stuff.  Add Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, EmmyLou and Gram, and most importantly the guy none of you know, the lost Titan of Country Music -- the amazing Gary Stewart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F-k0lLsLmw&feature=related

Best known for "She's Acting Single, I'm Drinking Doubles", this guy was beyond the real deal.  Hit a level of emotion I've only experienced with the music of Brian Wilson, believe it or not.  Seek him out.

I know his music well.

My comment was rhetorical -- shall we say not many know.  What do you think of his music?

It took me some time but now I definitely see what you mean. If there's a Brian Wilson of country music it's Roger Miller. Key changes, unusual chord patters, ambitious productions, hit songs....

These are the R Miller songs I have in my playslist now:
Dang me
Husbands & wifes
Tomorrow night in Baltimore
Kansas city star
Engine #3
Oo-de-Lally

Good stuff!  One of my favorites is Engine #9, it's such a sad song but he makes it sound so happy.  You can almost see him walking around the train station, looking at suitcases. 

England Swings is pretty good, too... and have you heard "Pardon this Coffin" ? 

No one has mentioned the majestic Tammy Wynette yet, so I will.

Yeah, she's pretty immense.  Here's a couple great 'uns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=912DKxD0H1U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XiGShQLdEE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHycUpawWh0&feature=related

That last one is also called "How to sing", and subtitled "How to write" if you've never heard it.

We lost such a wonderful singer when she died on that plane.  She was also a great songwriter, and even with "stand by your man" (which I believe was tongue in cheek) a powerful advocate and a symbol for the strength of American women. 

Now, after watching all these, I just want to say for the collective:

DAMN YOU GEORGE JONES, DAMN YOU TO HELL

Tammy didn't die on a plane, Patsy Cline did. But great picks there, nevertheless, and a nice post. 'Til I Can Make It On My Own is also a big favorite of mine.

I always thought that was strange that her and Patsy both died the same way.... I guess the reason I thought it was strange, was because it didn't happen, lol!  Oh well, you learn something new every day!  The crazy thing is I was just talking about this with my brother about two weeks ago, and we both decided we thought she died in a plane crash. 

I blame Reba McEntire.  I think I saw an interview with her once where she was talking about this, and how she heard about it when she had just got off a plane or something, so I must have confused the story.