The Official Country Music Thread Genre • Page 40

holy shit I did not know this. haha. that's wild.

 

Yeeaaahhhh, I don't understand how you can sing like that when you're barely old enough to drink. Haha

 

New Justin Townes Earle streaming. From what I've heard so far this is his best material since Harlem River Blues.

First Listen: Justin Townes Earle, 'Kids In The Street'

 

Real excited about this one!

 

Holy shit. This guy kills it.

 

Speaking of, I wrote about the Colter Wall record for Modern Vinyl the other day.

MV Recommends: Colter Wall — “Colter Wall”

 

Codeine Dream is so good. Damn.

 

That one and "Kate McCannon" are my favorites.

 

This Jade Jackson album is pretty solid stuff

 

Liking this a good amount

 

bit of a throwback but I am so so so impressed with Garth Brooks' discography. His first 7 albums are really really fantastic. What a great work ethic.

 

I know a ton of his songs without having listened to many albums, but holy shit is In Pieces an era-defining masterpiece.

 

oh yeah. "The Night I Called The Old Man Out" gets me emotional and I'm not really sure why. A lot of songs on that album do. No Fences is also another one I'd consider an absolute genre/era definer if only because it has "The Thunder Rolls" as its opener.

 

If you told me "Callin' Baton Rouge" was the best pop country song of all time, I wouldn't argue one bit.

 

oh god yeah. I also wouldnt argue about "The Cowboy Song" being one of the best songs, if not the best song, from that era of country. Garth Brooks voice is just so made for pop/country and he sells every single thing he sings.

 

Yeah he just had "it". I think I hold Vince Gill's peak and Hal Ketchum's two masterpiece records a little closer to my heart as male country stars of that moment go (and nobody can touch "That Ain't No Way to Go" by Brooks and Dunn for country ballads), but Garth just had that star power that had to put him a notch above everyone else in terms of success.

I remember religiously watching the tapes I had my dad make of Garth's TV specials. With him up on wires over the audience and singing in a literal ring of fire for "Standing Outside the Fire". I was in awe.

 

Chris, I'm going to tell you something thats going to make our friendship stronger: "That Aint No Way To Go" was the first song I ever put on my first iPod. I absolutely 100% agree, its a masterpiece of a country ballad.

I guess for me I've always grown up with Garth Brooks, as well as Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw, B&D, George Strait, and Shania Twain so I hold a lot of their records very close to my heart but pound for pound I'd say Garth Brooks is my favorite.

 

HELL yeah. Not many songs by anyone in any genre I think are as perfectly realized as that one.

I truly think the 90s were a peak for mainstream country. The fact that Mary Chapin Carpenter was going platinum and having huge hits speaks volumes.

 

ive always loved their songwriting, "Neon Moon" is another absolute classic from that era of country. Hell, I dont even mind Toby Keiths first album despite how much I hate that man as a person.

Oh very much so. Its always interesting hearing stories of how albums, especially country albums, would go platinum in that decade and still be considered a "flop" prime example being Billy Ray Cyrus' sophomore record. There were some bad records during that era for sure, aforementioned BRC album, but there was a lot of gold as well. Hell even George Strait managed to keep a pretty good streak going during that time.

 

I just listened to Some Gave All the other day. I bought it when it came out (I was a young'n) and was going to sell it a few years back and my dad decided to hang onto it. Wondered if maybe I made a mistake getting rid of it. I did not. Haha

"Could've Been Me", "Words by Heart" and "In the Heart of a Woman" might be all he ever did worthwhile in his career.

 

yep "Coudlve Been Me" is where my love for BRC begins and ends. Fine little jam, but for it to be one of if not the best thing he ever did it sounds like something Garth Brooks or one of his contemporaries couldve written in their sleep. I'm 24 so it was released the year I was born but I remember having the CD in my moms car. Cant say I didnt sing along to every word as a kid because i totally did, but now I just dont get it. I tried giving his other stuff a chance and its just so bland.

 

I actually am somewhat shocked I asked for that at 5 years old. Haha.

 

fell asleep and meant to respond to this but i was also shocked that i was so into that of all things. also had a Brooks and Dunn greatest hits (i think it was just the Greatest Hits Collection. whichever one has the bull skull on it) and i STILL have that CD in my car haha. had a lot of great hits on it, "Shes Not The Cheatin Kind" is violin tinged country ballad done perfect and "My Next Broken Heart" is a jam. I'm also pretty into the songs Kix would take lead on like "Lost and Found"

 

I can be a little take it or leave it with Kix, but mostly because he has the misfortune of being up against one of the best voices in country.

 

yeah thats really his only big pitfall. did you like either of their solo records? I thought Dunns was pretty good but I've always loved his voice and songwriting so it was a fine listen. The Kix record not so much haha.