A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Western

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After years and years of preaching my disdain of country music despite its close relation to “classic acoustic/electric folk and folk/rock” (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, CSN&Y, Peter Paul & Mary, The Byrds, etc.) and “conteporary folk/rock” (Dar Williams, etc.), I finally came across a country song I like.

Understand, I still haven’t found any “contemporary country/pop” (Garth Brooks, etc.) that’s worth my time, but while making a compilation CD including some Norah Jones I came across the original Hank Williams, Sr. version of Cold, Cold Heart. It’s really a fabulous recording. But sorry Shania, I still haven’t found my Enlightenment within contemporary country/pop.

By the way, I hate music classifications…

5 thoughts on “A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Western”

  2. I’m hardly a country expert, since it’s a genre I’ve largely ignored for most of my life, but yes, I’ve found that the older stuff often is the best — check out some oldish Johnny Cash. Or you might like Willie Nelson’s album “Across the Borderline,” which has him covering some Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Lyle Lovett, and John Hiatt songs, along with a few originals.

    I have to admit I’m quickly becoming a convert to the new Dixie Chicks album “Home,” which was promoted as being a “real” country album rather than a Nashville pop production. I’m not at all a country fan, but I’ve got to admit that there’s some excellent songwriting on there. Of course, some of it is courtesy of Fleetwood Mac (they cover “Landslide”).

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  3. I find that much of that music that I like, which the “country” people claim as “country”, often bridges the borders of different kinds of music, like folk, blues, old rock, new rock, and even pop music.

    My favorite music stations in fact play a mix of these kinds of music. I hate the fact that most stations feel the need to focus on just one kind of music, forcing me to flip from channel to channel or just listen to cds or mp3s. *sigh* I have to agree with the whole dislike of classifications thing.

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  4. I have all three Dixie Chicks albums and I find that the new one, Home, is my least favorite of them all. I think their best work so far is on Fly. Of course, some of my *friends* feel that the music I listen to is crap so you probably shouldn’t put much weight on my opinion.

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