The Steel Guitar Forum

Although I don’t play country music, there are some classic country songs I thoroughly enjoy listening to. Here are some examples of songs I like:

Girl On The Billboard – Del Reeves
Ring Of Fire – Johnny Cash
Battle Of New Orleans – Johnny Horton
If You’ve Got The Money – Lefty Frizzell (later version)
Love’s Gonna Live Here – Buck Owens
Mama Tried – Merle Haggard
Dang Me – Roger Miller
Bed Of Roses – Statler Brothers
Louisiana Man – Doug Kershaw
Kiss An Angel Good Morning – Charley Pride

On the other hand, there are a lot of songs that really turn me off to country music. Here are a few examples of country songs I hate:

Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
Whiskey If You Were A Woman – Highway 101
There’s A Tear In My Beer – Hank Williams
Gimme A Redneck Girl – Bellamy Brothers
Chattahoochie – Alan Jackson
Fireman – George Strait
Convoy – C.W. McCall
Swingin’ – John Anderson
Jukebox Junkie – Ken Mellons
Hard Workin’ Man – Brooks & Dunn

What do you like or hate?

Tough question!

I like the real country stuff - Connie Smith, Mel Street, the early Paycheck stuff, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, quite a long list (of course Steel has to be on it!)

I don't like most of the newer top 40 stuff, but also the Country-Pop style of the 60's/70's/80's (Kenny Rogers, Eddie Rabbitt,...), the kind with lots of strings horns, orchestra and all that syrup.

Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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You'd hate those songs a lot more if you did play country music and had to play them every night. >
Fortunately, the really stupid songs like Achey Breaky Heart don't enjoy the tenure that real music like Mama Tried does.

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Cal's Corral

too many in either direction to mention. I will just comment on Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus.

That was about as "country" as Michael Jackson. So needless to say I am in total agreement with you on that one.



carl

I like more of the 70's and 80's music. To hear John Hughey on a Conway Twitty record or Hal Rugg on a Loretta Lynn record does not get any better. To hear the country music of today, I would rather be fishing or doing something better with my time. Shoot, the Grand Ole Opry to me is not even worth watching anymore. That is just me and not downing anyone else that likes the music of today or anyone woh watches the Opry. I sure wish we could go back in time and see and hear all those old country hits on television and radio again.

I would like to hear a new album, with new songs, done the old way. Heavy on steel, fiddle, and lead

Achey,Breaky,Heart...no matter how many times I vomit,I still feel the need to hang myself,

If ya really want to make them dancers mad, try playing achy breaky with a swing tempo.

Charles: If you run into Drummer Tommy Horton tell him I said hi. Tommy once spent about 4 months in the frozen North working for me. One terrific drummer.

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Hey Joe, I worked with Tommy for about 10 years back in the late 70's. Tommy accidently? shot himself last year. He is buried outside Tupelo. It was a great shock to us all.

CHARLES ,I am real sorry to hear that. Tommy was an excellent drummer. Him and Bobby Allen lived with us for the time they played in my band.We had some great times. I took him snow skiing and that was a riot. this is sad.

The upper list - OK

The lower list - not OK

Leslie, last time I checked I thought Whiskey If You Were A Woman and The Fireman were pretty good country songs, and take it easy on Ol' Ken Mellons.

<SMALL>I would like to hear a new album, with new songs, done the old way. Heavy on steel, fiddle, and lead.</SMALL>

Buy a CD by Justin Trevino. You <u>won't</u> be disappointed!

What if Acky Breaky Heart had alot of steel And fiddle on it? What not country! Why it's a song about the heart, it makes you cry,two chords,Key of G,- Now That's Country Joe

I still like tear In My Beer, but otherwise this works for me.

I lean heaveily to the bluegrass/bluesy side of country, but there is plenty of pre sacarine country that is still cool.
Hank Snow was much better than he is remembered these days.

I love Chet's pickin' but much of his 60's country producing work I HATED then and haven't much warmed up to since.

But there have always been a few songs on the country cannon even Billy Ray couldn't ruin for me. If he was fool enough to try and cover them.

If you want to hear some great country buy cd's by Jake Hooker....you can get all 4 from the Ernest Tubb record store in Ft.Worth Tx...phone number is 1-817-380-4568....Bobby Flores and Dickey Overby to the max...you won't be disappointed!!

If you're looking for "real" country music you don't need to look any further than Dale Watson (particularly anything he recorded that has Ricky Davis on steel). And one listen to "Country My @$$" and you'll know where he stands on the issue.

Good stuff coming out of Texas: The Cornell Hurd Band (any CD will do) or fiddler Howard Kalish's "What The Hey" (there's some great steel on it as well. Howard writes, plays and sings. Yee friggin' HAW!!!)

Play Achy Breaky Heart in 11/4 time or 7/4. Watch the dancers. Its great..........

It's a very strange situation. Traditional sounding country music and country music artists still exist. Why the industry ignores them is a mystery to me. What I'd like to know is: who decided to rename this crap they're playing today "Country Music"? It's not just that they've decided to change the name from rock music to country, it's that they've totally abandoned a whole genera of music completely!

"Rock N' Roll Back In The 70's Sounds Like The Country Shit Today".

Dale Watson ........Nashville Rash.

Pix1, I agree 100%. In my opinion, Dick Clark had to have something to do with it. He was never involved in Country Music before. I think he's doing the same thing now with Country Music as he done with rock back in the late 50's, early 60's. That's where the need to be "young and pretty" and "no talent" seemed to start, and he was there?????

Doyle, you're probably right about the DICK clark connection. Any time I see him lurking around backstage at an awards show, I know it couldn't possibly be legit. I just read where they're bringing back American Bandstand. Hopefully, that will take his mind off devising more ways to screw up country music even further.........IF THAT'S POSSIBLE!

Robbie Bossert

...anybody notice what instrument is missing on most of the records Leslie likes?

<SMALL>"What if Acky Breaky Heart had alot of steel And fiddle on it?"</SMALL>

Well, I will go to my death believing it is precisely "that" that they did, so it would NOT sound country. If so, it would be typical of soooooo many stories I have heard about them mixing the steel (and fiddles) out so they could appeal to those who hate country music.

carl

Steve, Bag Pipe . How have you been, When are you playing in Westeren New York, again Joe