Do Audiophiles Listen to Country?

Don_S · « **Reply #20 on:** 2 Jul 2018, 03:16 pm »

Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here?
Claire: Oh, we got both kinds. We got country *and* western.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS-zEH8YmiM

WGH · « **Reply #21 on:** 2 Jul 2018, 05:23 pm »

Quote from: galyons on 2 Jul 2018, 05:11 am

Alison has blue grass roots, not country. Hence the need to define what one considers country music.

If you expect bluegrass on Alison's "Windy City" you will be disappointed, the album is pure country. Alison interprets Vern Gosdin's "Dream of Me," Glenn Campbell's "Gentle On My Mind," Roger Miller's "River City," "You Don't Know Me" co-written and first recorded by Eddy Arnold and two songs originally sung by Brenda Lee.

glynnw · « **Reply #22 on:** 2 Jul 2018, 08:18 pm »

Agree about most above artists. For a relatively newer artist try Jason Isbell. Way too intelligent for most country listeners. His music is probably not technically country, but that is where he often gets lumped. He was member of Drive By Truckers for 6 years and has won 4 Grammys.

Bendingwave · « **Reply #23 on:** 2 Jul 2018, 08:36 pm »

Quote from: Doublej on 2 Jul 2018, 11:51 am

Audiophiles can listen to whatever they want but they are not allowed to listen to more than 30 seconds of any given song.

Audiophiles who do that aren't listening to any song, they are just showing off there gear.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #24 on:** 2 Jul 2018, 09:16 pm »

Quote from: Doublej on 2 Jul 2018, 11:51 am

Audiophiles can listen to whatever they want but they are not allowed to listen to more than 30 seconds of any given song.

There is good and bad in any genre. I don't listen to much country but there are a few artists I dig- Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Hoyt Axton among others- Whatever I listen to, I want it to be reproduced as well as possible. That's the audiophile side of me.

The quote above reminded me of this trap which I try to avoid, but like all of us, I've fallen into it from time to time:

charmerci · « **Reply #25 on:** 2 Jul 2018, 09:40 pm »

As for the AP quote (which I've seen a few times here), I get the best equipment I can because when I want to listen loud(er), bad/mediocre equipment physically/psychologically hurts. It grates my nerves even if I love the song. I can listen to a crappy tabletop radio as long as the volume is low.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #26 on:** 2 Jul 2018, 10:17 pm »

There is great artists in country, folk and bluegrass as Glenn Ohrlin that worth buy his music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPW3jVeG2Qo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO7vTfkCbqo

OzarkTom · « **Reply #27 on:** 3 Jul 2018, 01:53 am »

Only in my nightmares.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #28 on:** 3 Jul 2018, 02:21 am »

I have enjoyed Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline.
I like their voices..
The rest of Country and Western I would not listen to.
Bluegrass is slightly more interesting. but I don't own any except Bela Fleck.

I enjoy many sorts of music, Classical, Jazz Rock.

2bigears · « **Reply #29 on:** 3 Jul 2018, 04:28 pm »

a cowboy with a cowboy hat, chewing snuff, bottle of Jack,nice cowboy shirt, big belt buckle (first belt buckle reflection panel on it), blue jeans and shit kicker boots. Sitting there critically listening while his horse dies and dog runs away and best girlfriend steals the truck,,,,,, good lord

I do like country rock, that's good shit,,,,,

AJinFLA · « **Reply #30 on:** 3 Jul 2018, 04:52 pm »

I listen to country music. Have 100+ CDs (burned to HD). One of my XM presets is Prime Country. Plenty of "edge" (folk) stuff like Mary Chapin Carpenter too.
Then again I'm a music lover who happens to also like virtual realism, not an audiophile (in reality, Stereophile). Music always comes first.

cheers,

AJ

who?me? · « **Reply #31 on:** 3 Jul 2018, 06:09 pm »

yes I do, but only "old" classic country, rather than 'new' country (jason aldean, etc)

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #32 on:** 3 Jul 2018, 06:37 pm »

I prefered to buy ''best of'' CDs of country, the SQ usually is good and the music is great.

ccklone · « **Reply #33 on:** 3 Jul 2018, 08:53 pm »

Hey Now,

Absolutely. There is a lot of variance in "country music", I prefer what Gram Parson's coined "Cosmic American Music"! That, I will listen to all day. You have to dig deep to find good country music that isn't mainstream pop-country, but it is out there with musicians that are passionate and very capable.

A Guide to the Wild Expanse of Cosmic American Music

Recently, I have been listening to Zephaniah OHora with The 18 Wheelers on the album "This Highway" and Margo Price's "Midwest Farmer's Daughter". Good stuff.

--
Finest kind,
Chris

Doublej · « **Reply #34 on:** 4 Jul 2018, 12:57 am »

In 2002/3 Shaver's Tramp on Your Street album was on Stereophile's list of Records to Die For. Well deserved IMHO.

Johnny2Bad · « **Reply #35 on:** 4 Jul 2018, 01:02 am »

Absolutely, but we do make a distinction between "good music" and "New Country" (which is just Pop music).

charmerci · « **Reply #36 on:** 4 Jul 2018, 01:22 am »

I love Hank Williams Sr. (Junior and the III? Ugh.) though the sound quality is low. Others I love are Patsy Cline and Chet Atkins. There are a few others that I like such as some early Glen Campbell, pop/country of Crystal Gayle and Willie Nelson. There are a few others that I don't recall off-hand cause I don't listen to it that often.

Johnny2Bad · « **Reply #37 on:** 4 Jul 2018, 01:34 am »

Quote from: charmerci on 4 Jul 2018, 01:22 am

I love Hank Williams Sr. (Junior and the III? Ugh.) though the sound quality is low. Others I love are Patsy Cline and Chet Atkins. There are a few others that I like such as some early Glen Campbell, pop/country of Crystal Gayle and Willie Nelson. There are a few others that I don't recall off-hand cause I don't listen to it that often.

That's about where I was maybe 20 years ago. But it's like a lot of things, you're just scratching the surface and by that I mean without leaving your comfort zone based on those artists. Kind of like the Blues fan who only knows of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith. Don't stop seeking out more artists, they're out there.

I'll throw out someone that is really radio-worthy Country, but never got the support he needed from his Label (the example I've cited is 20 years old; dead giveaway is the boob-tube video format). Well known in Nashville, not so much elsewhere, and the Top 40 cover his songs all the time. As far as Audiophile metrics go, there really is a Nashville recording/producing/mastering circle that can do the job any day of the week. If you want to be a session player, don't go there; it's crowded at the unemployment line.

It's almost as bad in Toronto, which for some ungodly reason is the Country Music capitol of Canada, where Steve Earle hid out for 30 years.

This artist's stuff has all the stereotypes that everyone outside of Country complains about. But listen to it ...

YouTube (of course)

https://youtu.be/2wvMNu15Uwo

And if you've never heard of this artist, then you don't know something that Robert Plant, Tom Petty, Levon Helm, Elizabeth Cook (who you should also check out), Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle ... those are just the people who have appeared onstage with him ... plus everyone in Nashville, already do ... it's time

https://youtu.be/2wvMNu15Uwo

charmerci · « **Reply #38 on:** 4 Jul 2018, 01:38 am »

I hear enough country - yeah, mostly new stuff at work where they play it - to get tired of it. Son Volt is OK sometimes. Bottle Rockets, terrible.

Etc., etc.....

Johnny2Bad · « **Reply #39 on:** 4 Jul 2018, 02:17 am »

Quote from: charmerci on 4 Jul 2018, 01:38 am

I hear enough country - yeah, mostly new stuff at work where they play it - to get tired of it. Son Volt is OK sometimes. Bottle Rockets, terrible.

Etc., etc.....

What they play on the radio is mostly garbage, and I don't use that term loosely. Not that it's unique to Country, the other genres are just as guilty, but even back in the 70's we never listened to the radio. In our early 70's teenage vernacular, it wasn't "heavy enough" and was "bubblegum" pap. Nothing has changed, and you shouldn't paint Country with that brush based on airplay anymore than you should shun Led Zepplin who, with the exception of their arguably worst song, didn't get played on the radio either. Which is a good thing ... popular airplay destroys the value if the music actually does have merit.