Best Country/Rock - Poll

Also, David Allen Cole was great to see. I strategically bought some pitchers for tables near me just in case.

The old saying is 'I was at a fight and a DAC concert broke out.'

I saw the Ozark Mountain Daredevils at a high school football field in Ozark in the early 90's. Several member's families were there. They hung around and talked after the show, very nice people, great vibe!

They qualify to me.

My second trip to Austin was courtesy of Junior Brown. I went to his show in L.A., and MCA had a lottery from the ticket stub numbers. My ticket had the winning number (and I hadn't even paid for the ticket!), so I got an all-expense paid---air fare, car rental, room at The Driscoll---3-day trip to Austin for two. Thanks MCA (and Jr !). Too bad Brian Ding hadn't yet started Rythmik Audio there yet.  

bdp24, yes, we get spoiled here.  Redd is guitarist in Heybale.  He tears it up no matter who he's playing with.  Until recently we had (lap steel guitarist) Cindy Cashdollar living here and they sometimes appeared together.  Add in Hot Club of Cowtown, Junior Brown, mandolinist Paul Glasse, pianist Floyd Domino and so many others and it makes for quite a feast for the locals to partake of.  Oh, and we've got Bill Kirchen living here again.  He and Redd make an impressive Tele-duo.  This makes me realize I need to get out and hear more live music. 

Austin’s amazing, Tostado. Last time I was there, my pal and I stopped in at a neighborhood bar for a beer, and Redd Volkaert, Merle Haggard’s guitarist, mosied up on stage and starting playing. Only in Austin!

Do the Outlaws, Ozark Mountain Daredevils qualify?

I like Heybale, a local Austin band with some veteran sidemen from the likes of Merle and Johnny Cash bands.  But I'm not sure if the "rock" part applies.  Certainly the guitarist is virtuosic and loud, so maybe so.

I envy you. Buddy never seems to come out West.

bdp24...I'm grateful to have seen Buddy Miller (w/out Julie, unfortunately) live at a small music festival here in N. Fla. a few years ago...what a show he put on - fantastic to say the least.

Hell yeah pehare! Mighty fine album, produced by the great Buddy Miller. A+! Solomon’s early albums were produced by another great, Jerry Wexler, and the band on those records is the fantastic Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the best studio band in the history of recording!

For a little bit of soul thrown in try Solomon Burke, "Nashville"  featuring some great guests produced by Buddy Miller.  It's an all-time fav here.

In the more rock than country category, I like:
Drive-by-Truckers
Slobberbone
Jupiter Coyote
Jolene
Southern Culture on the Skids
Marshall Tucker
Green on Red
Futurebirds

You guys have already mentioned many of the tight harmony, pedal steel acts like the Byrds and New Riders. I would throw in some of the Grateful Dead stuff. My list is more difficult to categorize. My list are more rock acts with country overtones. At any given moment, they might include an electric fiddle, pedal steel, or banjo in the mix with electric guitars. The common denominator of course is that they all sing about loose women, drinkin’ whiskey, and trailer parks.

Absolutely, pehare! I have a few collections of their stuff, plus the Satan Loves Sin (!) album. The Everly Brother sure didn’t invent close 2-part harmony, but they (along with Buddy Holly, with whom they were close friends) did mix it with the new Rock ’n Roll to create the template everyone (including and most especially The Beatles) has been using ever since.

Man, there are some great, great lists here! Lots of good names, but for me it always comes back to The Everly Brothers, imo the first and still best Country Rockers. Gram Parsons is associated with the great Felice & Boudleaux Bryant song "Love Hurts", but it was written for them, and their 1960 version is so, so much better than his. No Everly Brothers, no The Beatles. Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe included a bonus 7" EP in the original pressing of their Rockpile album, containing their versions of four Everly Brothers songs. High praise coming from the likes of them. Dave Edmunds, another fantastic Country Rocker---in fact, the best of his generation imo.

Shurman is good. I agree with Joe Henry. Not sure if Jeff Talmadge is a fit, but I like him. Don Henry is great, too. Turnpike Troubadours, 2 Dollar Pistols, Whitey Morgan, Jason Isbell, Boxmasters, etc.

Los Lobos, when they're in the mood, is a fine country band.  Such tracks as "One Time, One NIght in America" and "Evangeline" qualify.  Also worth checking out is their cover of the Dead's "Bertha."
Several tracks on Judy Collins' "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" give Buddy Emmons room to shine on steel guitar--notably "Poor Immigrant," "Someday Soon" and "Bird on the Wire."  That stuff goes straight to my heart.

A fine Canadian band -- Blue Rodeo. Five Days in July.

Haha, didn't notice the date! Oh well, not the dumbest thing I've done by far...

Wow! 10 years later a post...

American Flyer is one of my favorites, but it's a little hard to find. I'm pretty sure it was made up of some of the Pure Prairie League guys before they became more well known.

I just picked up Neko Case ("Blacklised" and "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood"), and Gillian Welch ("Revival"). All excellent , both of them fantastic voices.

Listen to KPIG Radio from Calif.
A fine selection of creative country/rock songs.
No pop or top 40 here.

All right, here's an interesting suggestion for you.

Nashville by Bill Frisell. Got some outstanding pickers on it (3 members of Union Station and others), a mix of traditional country and then of course (if you're familiar with this artist) Bill Frisell takes some of the tunes to places where country music doesn't often go.

A great listen.

Jupiter Coyote. Uncle Tupelo.

Thanks for the tip Drubin. If T-Bone Burnett produced it, it's worth a listen. I can't think of a bad album he produced. His solo stuff is quite good also.

Finally reading through this topic and very pleased to see mentions of Paul
Curreri and Joe Henry. My favorite Joe Henry album (actually the only one I truly
love) is an early one and may be out of print: Shuffletown. Produced by T-Bone
Burnett. Wonderful songs, masterful arrangements.

Paul Curreri is a treasure. I doubt he'll ever have a hit, but he's a unique,
original, and wonderful singer-songwriter. Catch him live if you can. I'm on his
email list and his communications with the fan base are warm, humble, funny,
and read like his songs.

Some really peculiar suggestions in this thread, including the two artists I
discuss above (Joe Henry has one or two albums that I'd call Country
Rock),which goes to show I guess that we agree on what Country-Rock is about
as well as we agree on what "musical" means.

In the "little more country" category - since most country nowdays *is* country-rock - I gotta throw in Sons of the Desert (self-titled release.) Toby Keith's recent recordings are well-mixed and produced, and what guy doesn't like a dude who writes songs like "Good as I Once Was" and "I Wanna Talk About Me"?? :)

Creedence Clearwater Revival- All

Later, John Fogerty solo efforts are not worthy of the CCR connection.
Funny, his early singing sounded more mature, he now sounds like a sissy boy.

" . . . and if you're a Flying Burritos and Gram Parker fan you have absolutely gotta' listen to "Return of the Grevious Angel" which is an incredible compilation put together by Emylou Harris."

ok, I have many some of the artists recommended here, and as a result of the above posts went out and bought many more. Among them is Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers, which I like. Based on Sit's recommendation above, I purchased "Return of the Grevious Angel", and Man, is it great. The recording quality and playing will blow you away.

The quote above is right on . . . it's a must have, and good demo disk too.

Has anybody mentioned The Rolling Stones? Kieth was heavily influenced by his friend Grahm Parsons: Goats Head Soup, Beggars Banquit, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers all have heavy soutnern influence. How about the song "Far Away Eyes" on Some Girls.

For something a little more modern how about Donna and the Buffalo.

The new live Wilco album; Kicking Television is really good. I usually don't like live albums, but this one is recorded really well.

I have to mention Joe Ely. Joe Ely! Check out "Letter To Loredo" for instance.

A third nomination is going to Steve Earl. Both a true Country star & a Rocker. You can also throw in the Gear Daddies, The Blasters, Jason & the Scorchers. Find me more I love that stuff.

The original Marshall Tucker band during the Toy and Bobby Caldwell days. New Riders Of The Purple Sage with David Nelson, Buddy Cage, Dave Torbert and company..

Marshall Tucker Band's "Searching For A Rainbow" and "Where We All Belong" (a great live album), on the Capricorn lable, are perfect examples of cowboy rock, as is NRPS' "Adventures Of Panama Red" and "Powerglide" (Columbia lable)

"American Beauty", "Workingman's Dead", and many cuts on "Europe '72" from the Grateful Dead are good examples of the genre as well.

Great music listed. Also include
Joe Ely (for special instance,"Letter To Laredo"), another vote for Steve Earle (for example, "Transcendatal Blues"), a lot of Jennifer Warnes work, and if you're a Flying Burritos and Gram Parker fan you have absolutely gotta' listen to "Return of the Grevious Angel" which is an incredible compilation put together by Emylou Harris.

Yes,
I have heard that from more than one Samac.
He really is a good singer, and as I said, the side benefit is that the recording is very good.
Thanks for the tip, I am going to take your welcome recommendation!

Larry

Hey Larry,

Don't stop with "Mud On The Tires", all of Brads' music is golden. Go pick up the rest of his cds.

Cheers

Greta story Qdrone. Those were the days.

I'm suprised these were not mentioned:
Grinderswitch
Point Blank
The Dingo's
Arlo Guthrie
and Neil Young/Old Ways and Elvis Costello/Blue.
I will tell you all about Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Back in 1970 they were contracted to play a concert at El Camino Real High school in Woodland Hills my alma mater and were busted for possesion of Marijauna. One of the Phys. Ed coaches walked in on a couple of band members getting high in the Special Ed room.
I will never forget standing in the nutrition area watching the Football players threatning to kick Gram Parsons ass for looking so queer dressed in pink from head to toe including a pair of pink shades and a Pink hankerchief around his throat. I never thought he was going to get out there alive. Boy times in Cali have sure changed.

A great album, "Mud on the Tires", Brad Paisley.
At first, listening to my daughters talk, he was just a guy with beautiful eyes. But no, after buying the album, I have to say that the recording is good, studio, but good studio, and the music, if you're so inclined, excellent. Me, I'm ecclectic so if it's good I like it.
The song, "Whiskey Lullaby" which won song of the year, maybe a year ago, has an interesting story--for those non country folk who might read this the refrain of the song, which features Allison Kraus, goes like this, "He put a bottle to his head and pulled the trigger." Grim yes, but great music, plus a funny story.
One night I am surfing the TV channels in the wee hours, as all good insomniacs do and come across the country video station, and lo and behold theres the video, but with the writer of the song doing a voice over, (probably right after the award was given).
The VJay asks him about the unusual lyric, and he says.
"Well about a year ago, during a one month period, I lost my girl, my recording contract, then my writing contract, then of course my manager. So, uh, I started drinking and laying around the house. So about a month or so goes by and my manager comes over to check on me I guess, and says 'what on earth is going on', (apparently in response to how he looked, and maybe a bunch of whiskey bottles lying around). The manager then spoke the magic words, "Man, you just put a bottle to your head an pulled the trigger." The song writer, as he explained got a twinkle in his eye.
"The rest is history, I wrote the song, and now it's song of the year."
Funny, true? Who knows, but fun.
Great album, and by the way Brad Paisley is a REALLY good singer of this genre and some of the better engineers in the world converged on the 'money' of music for many years, Country, making this a good listen.
Buy it, you'll like it. Another great song is "You Said You Want Somebody To Know you", (I think).
Get some beer so you can cry in it!

Good listening.
Larry

A poser, alas. Just a big fan of the band.

PS I agree with you about "Cuba"...great album!

Walter Salas!
OK, I'll bite. Are you the Walter Salas as in one of the founding members of The Silos? If so, I'm not too proud to grovel a bit and say THANK YOU for the album, "Cuba". That is truly one of the great albums IMO and definitely a top 10 "desert island" discs. Thanks again!
If you're NOT him, well ........ POSER! Ha!

Never too proud when it comes to God's gift of music, TGYETI.

Steve Earle, Revolution Starts Now & Jeruselem
Pure Prarie League, Amy
Firefall, Liven Aint Liven
Mark Knopfler, Golden Heart
Whiskeytown, Strangers Almanac

The Mark Knopfler & Whiskeytown CD's are both excellent recordings.

JOE HENRY

Listening to Steve Earl's "The Revolution Starts Now." Definitely qualifies for this thread.

DC,

I'll see if I can track down the Cowboy album you mentioned. Sounds interesting. Do you know if it's in print?

I agree with you about the way your view seems to widen the more you get into this stuff. Admittedly, the definiton of country-rock is as subjective as the albums on any given list. For example, Neil Young's "Comes A Time" and "Harvest" strike me as country rock, but "Tonight's the Night" and "Rust Never Sleeps" don't. Dylan's "John Wesley Harding" (mentioned earlier) doesn't sound like country-rock to me, but "Nashville Skyline" (which I obviously should have listed) does. I love the Band and Creedence Clearwater Revivial, but they don't really strike me much as country-rock either. Who really knows?

My grandpa used to play clawhammer banjo and guitar in a bluegrass outfit, and not long before he died somebody played him a couple of tracks off a Randy Travis album to get his reaction to "new" country music. He paused for a moment after listening and said, "Well, if that's country music then I'm a Baptist preacher." He wasn't.

In general, if it's got a fiddle, a banjo, a dobro, a pedal-steel guitar, or a harmonica in it, there's a good chance I'll like it. If somebody got cheated on, or somebody died, or somebody got too drunk, the chance doubles.

Waltersalas-

That's a good start list! I must be a pretty big fan of this type, since I've got all of those. I think the more you listen to it, the "wider" your view becomes of what fits . . . which, of course, leads down more squirrel holes. That's the fun, I guess.

another from way back: cowboy, later performing as boyer and talton. around 72 or 73 I guess.

dc

I agree with jond, Gram Parsons. Also him with that, The Flying Burrito Brothers. Also The Byrd’s should be mentioned. For more current groups, I would say Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and Son Volt.

Gosh, tough to figure out what does or doesn't fit in the definition. But a couple I feel the need to include:

Chris Whitley -- "Living With the Law" and "Dirt Floor" are my favorites. Chris passed recently, and will be sorely missed.

Also, two local-type blues/country/folkey singer-songwriters I have to (and frequently do) recommend who are, for my money, among my all-time favorites, anytime, anywhere, any genre. Really. Danny Schmidt and Paul Curreri. No, you might not have heard of them and you won't find their stuff just anywhere. But all the details you need are on the sites and, I promise, well worth your time. (And there should be samples to listen to on both.)