Modern Country Vs. Old Country

[erpowers]

Recently, I listened to Merle haggard's Mama Tried and Johnny Paycheck's I'm The Only Hell Mama Raised. These two songs are examples of old country music. After listening to these songs I wondered if old country could make a comeback. Would new songs that have the a similar sound as Mama Tried be played on country music stations? Would artists that sang songs like that have chart topping hit and albums?

[taterguy]

1. No

[BadGimp]

2. EVERYTHING comes back imo

it's just a question of when

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Look up "neo-country"

and you will hear some good stuff.

I really liked Dave Stuckey's one and only neo-country album:
http://www.amazon.com/Get-Load-This-Dave-Stuckey/dp/B00004S515/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1323128139&sr=1-1

I was raised on AM before it had categories, so heard lots of 1940/1950 and even early 1960 country music, of all types, from Ray Price to Moon Mullican, even some Spade Cooley stuff. All mixed in with Patti Page,
Acker Bilk, and Chubby Checker!

Some good singers are to be found under the category of Neo-traditional country music, too.
Wiki has the lowdown on them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neotraditional_country

[JCMach1]

3. Modern country (The mainstream stuff anyway) we used to call ROCK!

Most of it is about as tedious as a Poison album.

[jme0318]

4. new country is too "pop"

I would rather listen to older country - Willie, Waylon, Merle, Hank Sr., Cash, etc. New country just makes me mad...

[RebelOne]

5. Neither. The only country singer I ever listened to was Johnny Cash. n/t

[Bake]

6. You're all leaving out one of the greatest country singers of all time, George Jones.

He and Johnny Cash DEFINE real country music.

:hi:

Bake

[KamaAina]

7. And Patsy. Don't forget Patsy.

:loveya:

[guitar man]

8. Most of what comes out of Nashville today blows chunks

IMO

There is still a venue for real country but it now resides mostly outside of Nashville in the "XXX", "Alt Country" "Red Dirt" and other similar domains. The artists that still do some real country might not play pure country songs all the time, but when they do a country song they damn sure do it right.

[OriginalGeek]

10. the funny things that just as I opened this thread

my winamp playlist kicked in with the next song up in the list: Steve Martin - Pretty Flowers
from his album "The Crow - New Songs for the 5 string Banjo"
Guest vocals by Dolly Parton and Vince Gill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj6EJ9lOlWw&feature=related

(Yes, THAT Steve Martin. He is a terrific banjo picker.)

From 2009 - it's pretty modern but I don't know if this is an old song or not. Pretty great bluegrass if you ask me though.

But yeah, I love old country and new country that sounds like this. Other modern country acts I like: Those Poor Bastards, .357 String Band, Unknown Hinson (you may know him also as the voice of Early Cuyler on Squidbillies), and I like all three Hanks though Sr and III are much better than goofy Jr.

I loooooooooove old stuff like the previously mentioned George Jones and Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline and Merle Haggard and Willie and Waylon. I also love Bob Wills and the Louvin Brothers and Bill Monroe. Don WIlliams, Don Gibson a Flatt and Scruggs.

I believe there are artists out there holding true to that type of roots music but you probably won't hear them on commercial radio.

There is a thing called gangstagrass which combines hip hop and bluegrass that I dig - the theme from Justified is an example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q__bIJUWZv4


edit becasue I wanted to add that I know it's great fun to bag on modern pop country because, well yeah, it pretty much sucks...but I have to also keep in mind that back in the day, Hank Sr and Johnny and Willie were the modern pop country. The difference is they were there from the start (pretty much) and learned from people who were definitely there at the beginning of country so they have closer to the roots influences. Some of these new guys are in it just for the money and that makes shit music. Same can be said for rap and rock too though.


edit again because Those Poor Bastards deserve a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsogItZ2nfU&feature=related

[handmade34]

11. Good 'ole country died long before that

Hank Snow...

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jkwr8rn5Dk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a-tM0F3YbE&feature=related

[ornotna]

12. There is some good modern Country out there

It's just a little harder to find today.


Elizabeth Cook - Sometimes It takes Balls to Be a Woman

http://youtu.be/Z1L0XEgFb00


Nudie and the Turks - Dear Departed

http://youtu.be/6jjDgJx9yBA