Does anyone like country

For such a long time I listened to the only two musical genres known to mankind, Country AND Western. They are far more separated today. In fact Country has many divisions within itself. Country swing, sW Country, Tex Mex, Rock-a-Billy, Traditional, Pop Country (my absolute least fav genre... as it resembles just plain old bad rock & roll or pop music... Not Country), Cowboy, etc.

Bluegrass used to be THE country sound. It is now it's own quite specific genre/sound, and has remained more unchanged than Country or Western music. IMO.

I believe the thing that keeps Bluegrass music so pure is it’s acoustic signature. IMO there is something to be said for NOT plugging in the instruments every time!

Singers used to be the song writers. New top talent used to be those whose songs were those which told the truth sincerely. A different sound or style that contained the aforementioned aspects were those chosen and promoted by the recording industry. They were the Cash's, H Howards, H Williams, L Frizzells, B Owens, L Lynn’s, D Partons, Carter's Will’s, & Monroes.

Now it's more the next pretty face with some talent, yet no particularly individualistic sound song writting ability, or style.

New & Fresh, account presently for the industries primary contenders and more highly promoted, uh, artists these days than ever before. There's a new one just about each week. I've quit keeping up with them all.

Travis Tritt said it best in one of his songs... "Country ain't country any more" Bluegrass, however, still is as honest as it has ever been.

The new Cash's, Haggard's, & Jones' are the Paisleys', Nichols', Straits', Atkins' & Jackson's. Some of which, like their predecessors emmulate past greats with either their sound or styles... ie., Williams (Strait), Frizzell (Haggard, Nichols), Wills (Asleep At the Wheel) Buck owens (Dwight y), etc.
I’ll continue to tune in and out searching for talent with unique style and sound, and let the latest sensation prove or disprove themselves by their efforts, not their CD sales.

The Eagles began as a country band.

BB King does W Nelson's Nightlife' and made a hit of it for himself.

Ray Charles made a hit out of Harlon Howards "busted".

And everybody made Dolly's retirement fund by recording, I'll always love you... a big Xover hit.

Hoyt Axton who clearly made his fame singing and writting Country songs also Xovered into POp/Rock with the tunes he wrote for 3 Dog Night... and his mom? mae Axton made Elvis' day when he recorded Heartbreak Hotel.

When there's more truth in the song than rhyme, and sizzle or sparkle, you usually find a good song writter behind it... American music or Country music now, used to get a lot of these sorts and the music world at large benefitted from them by rearranging their songs to suit another genre..

For some texture which builds upon country super stars fame, check out The Flatlanders and the 3 guys who spun off from that group. Joe Ely in particular. The Derailers buck Owens Rockabilly sounds.

Previous to those, The Texas Tornadoes TexMex traditional & alternatives to the Nashville sound.

New age artists that carry on a more traditional country flavor are Jolie Holiday on her A real Good Day album; Monty & the Pythons with their The Real Thing CD; heather Myles with her CD, Sweet Talk & Good Lies; Melonie Cannon's self titled inaugural disc is super, her follow up album "The Wheels Turn" has some critical social statement soungs namely, Cactus In a Coffee Can, which is just outstanding.

If you look past the bigger and brighter spotlit stars of todays country music artists, you will find real substance still but it's mixed into the flotsom and jetsom that country pop is currently so vested into. Singer songwirters like Singletary, Worley, Adkins, Wariner, and Chris LeDoux come to mind momentarily.

country is still country, it's just getting a bit harder to find it.