Andy
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Post by Andy on Nov 10, 2014 19:28:28 GMT -5
-I love Ray Price's much-vilified pop era.
-Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This" does nothing for me, and I can't explain why. It just seems like there was a lot of soldier-related songs around that time, and that was by far the least interesting of them to me. I'll take "Arlington", "'Til the Last Shot's Fired," "Riding With Private Malone", "The Snow White Rose of Arlington", etc. over it any day.
-Gratutious name-dropping notwithstanding, "Kristofferson" is one of Tim McGraw's best songs.
-Garth Brooks' music was almost always solidly country, and he gets way too much flak.
-Hank Williams Jr.'s cover of his father's "Kaw-Liga" is my favorite version of the song. Yes, even better than the original and Charley Pride's. I'm not especially wild of any of his other covers of his father's songs, though.
-Jerry Jeff Walker's Viva Terlingua! is the greatest live album of all time.
-Of all the artists who drove the neotraditional movement in the '80s, Ricky Skaggs is the best.
-Instrumental songs and albums are great.
-The Road Goes on Forever was the Highwaymen's best album, and is one of the greatest country albums of the '90s.
-Bruce Robison's versions of "Travelin' Soldier" and "Angry All the Time" are the definitive ones.
-I like all of the singles Alan Jackson released from When Somebody Loves You.
-Alan Jackson's High Mileage is very overlooked and is one of his best albums. His very best, however, is Under the Influence.
-While The Storms of Life is my favorite Randy Travis album overall, '90s Randy Travis > '80s Randy Travis.
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bjer127
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Post by bjer127 on Nov 10, 2014 20:34:32 GMT -5
Andythedrifter, definately check out Faron youngs catalog. I scoured antique shops, eBay and record stores for a few years. It was a hobby. I would convert to cd. Discovered great lost records by a lot of great artists. Faron had such a great voice.
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ky24941
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Post by ky24941 on Nov 10, 2014 20:40:17 GMT -5
* I actually like some of the songs on Garth Brooks' Chris Gaines album.
* Although I like his music, I've never understood why Garth Brooks was so huge in the '90s. He never seemed that different from the other stars back then.
* Johnny Cash's best work was his forgotten 1980s material. "The Chicken In Black" is my favorite song of his.
* I can't stand Alan Jackson's cover of "Who's Cheatin' Who". Charly McClain's original 1981 version is far better.
* Lari White and Suzy Bogguss are the most underrated country artists.
* I found Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift's first 3 albums to be a bit boring. It was their 4th albums that made me a big fan.
* "Undo It" is one of my top 5 favorite Carrie Underwood songs.
* Dolly Parton's duet with Vince Gill on "I Will Always Love You" is the best version of that song.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Nov 10, 2014 20:45:25 GMT -5
-Gratutious name-dropping notwithstanding, "Kristofferson" is one of Tim McGraw's best songs. This I agree on. I also thought "Still" was amazing, but never really heard much in either direction from anyone else about it. Another one I seem to be in the minority on is thinking that "You'll Be There" is George Strait's best song. That's not usually the kind of song I like, but somehow it just works for me.
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sabre14
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Post by sabre14 on Nov 10, 2014 20:48:46 GMT -5
-Gratutious name-dropping notwithstanding, "Kristofferson" is one of Tim McGraw's best songs. This I agree on. I also thought "Still" was amazing, but never really heard much in either direction from anyone else about it. Another one I seem to be in the minority on is thinking that "You'll Be There" is George Strait's best song. That's not usually the kind of song I like, but somehow it just works for me. Both "You'll Be There" and "Still" are fantastic songs and easily in the top 10 songs for George and Tim to me. "You'll Be There" is even in my top 5 George songs.
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Andy
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Post by Andy on Nov 10, 2014 22:00:27 GMT -5
"You'll Be There" is excellent. Top 5 Strait song for sure.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2014 22:08:18 GMT -5
Ten Pound Hammer sabre14 echo those thoughts exactlty, Still is actually my favorite Tim McGraw song and You'll Be There is in my top 10 for Georges Also: - My Old Friend by Tim McGraw is a very underrated song - Girl Crush is officially my least favorite Little Big Town single - I bought the deluxe version of George Straits Live from AT and T stadium today and the autotune doesnt bother me
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tonyei31
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Post by tonyei31 on Nov 10, 2014 22:42:22 GMT -5
I don't know if this is "unpopular" but FGL was done a few years back with the Trailer Choir. Same type of sound but the TC was enjoyable. If TC was on a bigger label and had a more serious style we would have never had FGL.
Garth Brooks is the most overrated performer in country music. I have no interest in seeing him live and don't understand what the appeal is
I have a hard time swallowing the voice of Clint Black. It's good but he has just never appealed to me.
Kenny Chesney's "Some people change" version is way better than MG's
Mark Chesnutt's "Friends in low places" version trumps Garth Brooks version. I always wondered where country would be if that B-side was released
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Nov 11, 2014 2:21:29 GMT -5
Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney are two of the most overrated artists in country music. Both of them are instant station-changers for me, with the exception of KC's "You and Tequila" (which Deana Carter still does way, way better) and "El Cerrito Place." I've never been able to get into either of them, and I strongly dislike both of their voices.
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Markus Meyer
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Post by Markus Meyer on Nov 11, 2014 11:57:11 GMT -5
- "Dancin' Away With My Heart" is one of Lady A's best singles.
- Garth's "Two Piña Coladas" is one of the most irritating songs I have ever heard in my entire life.
- Kristian Bush's debut single is far better than Jennifer Nettles'.
- I love "Felt Good On My Lips" and "Over".
- 'Fuse' is an amazing album.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2014 13:10:22 GMT -5
- There a few fairly recent album releases that I don't understand the praise for here at all; Painkiller (LBT), Nighttrain (Aldean), and Pioneer (TBP). I found all three albums to be average at best; the praise was a head-scratcher to me. -My favorite Billy Currington single is easily "Walk A Little Straighter" -Based on Kenny Chesney's live televised performances, I'm honestly baffled as to why he's such a massive touring force. -I don't really see anything spectacular in Kimberly Perry/TBP as live performers, even though they always seem to impress everybody else lol. -I'm not at all surprised the public reception to Garth's comeback has been lukewarm at best.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Nov 11, 2014 15:58:00 GMT -5
Another one: For about the last 10 years or so, I've felt that George Strait has lost a few steps in the vocal department.
* His voice is always high, creaky, and whiny sounding live (at least on awards show performances), and he only ever leans on his guitar instead of playing it. This is nothing new; I have a CMA broadcast from 1997 somewhere where he does the exact same thing.
* There are lots of times where it sounds like his voice was subtly corrected via Auto-Tune or Pro Tools, causing him to sound slightly tinny (think the way Joe Nichols sounded on Old Things New). I think the best example is the line "tumbleweeds roll" on "It Just Comes Natural". There's a weird warble in his voice that sounds like he missed the note, they tried to fix it with Auto-Tune, but screwed that up too. In short, there are dozens of times on his 2000s albums where he just sounds really heavily processed.
* I've also noticed that he sounds very high and whiny on the all-star version of "Hey Good Lookin'", but he actually sounds better than usual on "Designated Drinker".
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on Nov 11, 2014 15:59:54 GMT -5
* I'm a huge fan of Randy Travis but never cared for "Forever & Ever Amen" , or the half dozen singles that tried to recreate the hit.
* I loved almost everything Conway Twitty recorded in the late 60's through the 70's , But 80's and up Conway was mostly unlistenable to me. ("The Rose"? Really?)
* Although I was fairly educated on Hank Williams Sr. , I wasn't a terribly huge fan of his recordings til I read a book on him a few years back (the same book the new movie is based off of).
* The Kentucky Headhunters would be too country for country today (yeah let that digest for a moment).
* I struggle to remain a fan of Hank Williams Jr. He had so many great records , but I cringe every time he opens his mouth these days).
* Joe Diffies original version of "My Give A Damns Busted" is a thousand times better then Jo Dee Messina's.
* I STILL scratch my head when fans talk about what a GREAT writer Taylor Swift is and then mention "Tears On MY Guitar".
* I almost get literally angry when I think how Sammi Smith didn't become a huge star in league with Tammy Wynette instead of being basically a two hit wonder.
* With a few exceptions , I find Americana even further from Country music then Contemporary country, and alot of the fans of the genre are just assholes.
* Why doesn't Ty Herndon just come out of the closet? He's not going to have anymore hits , it would probably even help his career at this point.
* Semi related , I Love ya Chely Wright , but you coming out did NOT harm your career. It was long gone by that point.
* For the most part I feel the same way about Ronnie Milsap as I do Conway Twitty (his best material was the 70's stuff) , but I forgive him more as it just seemed more like a natural progression of his musical "stew".
* Joe Diffie was the best male vocalist to come out of the 90's.
* I like Garth's new album for the most part. "People Loving People" was a bad lead single , but I still liked it more then the vast majority of singles out right now.
* Clay Davidson should have been a super star.
* When did "fun" songs turn into "stupid" songs?
* Better yet , when did ballads become mid tempos?
* I LOVED Gary Stewart's music but I judge peoples hearing when they talk about what a great singer he was.
* Every country album should include at least one shuffle. It should be a law.
* I'm happy Randy Houser has made a comeback , but with the exception of three album tracks , his last album sucked. I hope he finds more of a balance on future albums.
* I believe Clint Blacks career suffered after his debut by his insistence in writing all of his own material.
* I used to think the Judd's (Ashley included) were just a normal dis-functioning family like the rest of us , but with time , Ive come to the conclusion that nope.... my family is quite normal in comparison.
* I suspect the two Randy Travis covers albums released since his health problems were just songs he was playing around with over the years and were never meant for commercial release.
* I was never angry at Natalie Maine's over her George Bush comments , but cant stand her now since shes made multiple statements that country music "burned her ears".
* I find Rodney Akins voice detestable.
* Even though Brett Eldridge was deserving of the CMAs New Artist this year , I simply couldn't applaud it with Brandy Clark losing to him. Yes , I know she didn't have a chance ....
* Had Keith Whitley lived , I believe he was going to become a super star that shadowed the career of Randy Travis , much as Garth Brooks did to Clint Black.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Nov 11, 2014 16:04:41 GMT -5
* I'm a huge fan of Randy Travis but never cared for "Forever & Ever Amen" , or the half dozen singles that tried to recreate the hit. The only one of that bunch that I don't like is Always and Forever. That one's just boring, and I can see why it's one of his only 80's hits that classics shows ignore. * I loved almost everything Conway Twitty recorded in the late 60's through the 70's , But 80's and up Conway was mostly unlistenable to me. ("The Rose"? Really?) Most of his covers were stupid I'll admit, but I thought he did pretty well on "Heartache Tonight". Also, my absolute favorite Conway song ("Saturday Night Special") was one of hs 80's ones. * The Kentucky Headhunters would be too country for coutry today (yeah let that digest for a moment). They were way the heck ahead of their time. Love their stuff. * With a few exceptions , I find Americana even further from Country music then Contemporary country, and alot of the fans of the genre are just assholes. Fans nothing; I find some of the "americana" and "alt country" ARTISTS to be a-holes. I remember listening to a show called "Altville" a few years back, and nearly everything was whiny emo garbage, super intellectual stuff that went way too deep for most people to access, abrasive material that sounded more like punk or metal, or some combination of the above. * I believe Clint Blacks career suffered after his debut by his insistance in writing all of his own material. I think "Like the Rain" was the turning point. That's my favorite song of his, and almost everything else afterward was subpar.
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jesster
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Post by jesster on Nov 11, 2014 16:31:06 GMT -5
Garth was hugely popular during some years when I was taking a break from country music. So I had heard of him by reputation.
Was really surprised when I saw photos of him, hard to see an obvious appeal there.
And truly was shocked when I finally saw/heard video where he was singing live :o Maybe his recorded voice is different, or you have to be there to see it live, idk -- they rarely play his past hits on my radio station, which is also a bit odd given his supposed impact.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Nov 11, 2014 16:41:14 GMT -5
Yet another one: I think that "Upstairs Downtown" is one of Toby Keith's best and most underrated songs. Apparently even he didn't like it much.
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Andy
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Post by Andy on Nov 11, 2014 19:29:55 GMT -5
* I'm a huge fan of Randy Travis but never cared for "Forever & Ever Amen" , or the half dozen singles that tried to recreate the hit. This. That song is the definition of pleasant but forgettable. * The Kentucky Headhunters would be too country for country today (yeah let that digest for a moment). I'm not familiar with them at all, but they sound like something I might like. You guys have any album recommendations? * I loved almost everything Conway Twitty recorded in the late 60's through the 70's , But 80's and up Conway was mostly unlistenable to me. ("The Rose"? Really?) "Saturday Night Special", "Goodbye Time", "That's My Job", "She's Got a Single Thing in Mind," and "House On Old Lonesome Road" are my top 5 Conway Twitty tunes. I kind of agree though, that the era is pretty weak after that. * With a few exceptions, I find Americana even further from Country music then Contemporary country, and alot of the fans of the genre are just assholes. To be upfront, I've almost completely checked out of mainstream country the past several years, and now almost all of the new music I listen to falls under the Americana/alt-country/independent/etc. umbrella. That being said, I completely agree that a lot of fans of those genres can be assholes. The people who worship Hank III annoy me the most. I think there are way better options out there than what mainstream country currently offers, but I'm not about to insult anyone's intelligence. That's not the way to go about it. Yet another one: I think that "Upstairs Downtown" is one of Toby Keith's best and most underrated songs. Apparently even he didn't like it much. Yep. Personally, the '90s is my favorite era of Toby Keith's career.
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on Nov 11, 2014 19:57:50 GMT -5
* I'm a huge fan of Randy Travis but never cared for "Forever & Ever Amen" , or the half dozen singles that tried to recreate the hit. This. That song is the definition of pleasant but forgettable. * The Kentucky Headhunters would be too country for country today (yeah let that digest for a moment). I'm not familiar with them at all, but they sound like something I might like. You guys have any album recommendations? * I loved almost everything Conway Twitty recorded in the late 60's through the 70's , But 80's and up Conway was mostly unlistenable to me. ("The Rose"? Really?) "Saturday Night Special", "Goodbye Time", "That's My Job", "She's Got a Single Thing in Mind," and "House On Old Lonesome Road" are my top 5 Conway Twitty tunes. I kind of agree though, that the era is pretty weak after that. * With a few exceptions, I find Americana even further from Country music then Contemporary country, and alot of the fans of the genre are just assholes. To be upfront, I've almost completely checked out of mainstream country the past several years, and now almost all of the new music I listen to falls under the Americana/alt-country/independent/etc. umbrella. That being said, I completely agree that a lot of fans of those genres can be assholes. The people who worship Hank III annoy me the most. I think there are way better options out there than what mainstream country currently offers, but I'm not about to insult anyone's intelligence. That's not the way to go about it. Yet another one: I think that "Upstairs Downtown" is one of Toby Keith's best and most underrated songs. Apparently even he didn't like it much. Yep. Personally, the '90s is my favorite era of Toby Keith's career. Oh dont get me wrong , I still liked some of Conways 80's stuff , just not near as much as the 70's. I run a little Facebook music page and get a constant barrage of Hank3 fans. They are a pretty unpleasant bunch. I gotta say I love Hank Sr. & I Love Hank Jr ..... but I think Hank3 is just a talent-less hack. If he weren't country music royalty , nobody would have ever given him the time of day. Theres some Americana I really like Jason Isbell & Sturgill Simpson of course but besides them and a few others , very little of it derives from country music. Or at least my kind of country music. And I can relate about "checking completely out" of mainstream country too. If it weren't for Pulse , I wouldn't have a clue what was going on at all. As far as The Headhunters , you can get there first two albums and pretty much call it a day after that. "Pickin On Nashville" & "Electric Barnyard" . After that , they replaced the lead singer & they kinda went off the rails in my opinion.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2014 20:04:29 GMT -5
*I thnk Rascal Flatts have several great videos, but they're often overlooked. These Days, My Worst Fear, Skin, Come Wake Me Up, Changed, etc. *I don't often singers I don't like "can't sing," but to my ears Rodney Atkins can't carry a tune in a bucket lol *I'll never understand the praise for Blake Shelton as a vocalist
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Andy
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Post by Andy on Nov 11, 2014 20:27:05 GMT -5
I run a little Facebook music page and get a constant barrage of Hank3 fans. They are a pretty unpleasant bunch. I gotta say I love Hank Sr. & I Love Hank Jr ..... but I think Hank3 is just a talent-less hack. If he weren't country music royalty , nobody would have ever given him the time of day. Theres some Americana I really like Jason Isbell & Sturgill Simpson of course but besides them and a few others , very little of it derives from country music. Or at least my kind of country music. And I can relate about "checking completely out" of mainstream country too. If it weren't for Pulse , I wouldn't have a clue what was going on at all. As far as The Headhunters , you can get there first two albums and pretty much call it a day after that. "Pickin On Nashville" & "Electric Barnyard" . After that , they replaced the lead singer & they kinda went off the rails in my opinion. Heheh. To be honest, I really like Hank III's first two albums (which are pretty much straight-up neotraditional country), but after that, he completely lost me. That entire subgenre (heavily punk-influenced, lots of anger, swearing, and references to doing hard drugs, suicide, etc.) doesn't do a whole lot for me. My biggest problem problem with the "Americana" label is that it's way too broad to be of any practical use. It covers everything from super-traditional country to stuff that's about as far away from country as you can get. It's pretty much a meaningless term (and that goes equally for "alt-country"). Thanks for the Headhunters recommendations, I'll be sure to check them out soon. I've seen them mentioned on this forum several times and they've been on my list of artists to check out for ages. Somehow, I don't think I've ever heard them on the radio.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Nov 11, 2014 21:05:02 GMT -5
* The Kentucky Headhunters would be too country for country today (yeah let that digest for a moment). I'm not familiar with them at all, but they sound like something I might like. You guys have any album recommendations? I agree with Lumpy on the first two albums being excellent. They were pretty heavy on covers (everything from Bill Monroe and Waylon Jennings to "Spirit in the Sky"!), but their original stuff holds up well too. You've probably heard "Dumas Walker" on the radio now and then. Personally, I also think that Songs from the Grass String Ranch and Soul are great because they started pushing their musical boundaries a bit more. Rave On!! and Stompin' Grounds are their weakest. The former was the only album featuring Mark Orr on lead vocals, who just did not fit the group's style at all, and the latter was just way too toned down and lifeless. Uncle Lumpy, They changed lead singers twice. Ricky Lee Phelps was the original lead singer, and his brother Doug was harmony vocals and bass. When the Phelpses left in the early 90s to form Brother Phelps, Mark Orr took over on lead, and Anthony Kenney on bass/harmony vocals. Orr quit after only that one album, so Doug rejoined once Brother Phelps was done and became the third lead vocalist. Just curious if you've ever heard any of the stuff that Doug sang lead on (everything from Stompin' Grounds onward, barring a few album cuts), since he sounds almost exactly like his brother. I met the Headhunters after a concert near me a few years back, and have interacted with them through e-mail and Facebook. They're incredible guys, and they made suggestions when I said I wanted to improve their Wikipedia article. They provided me with a band picture that they released the rights to so it could be used in the article, and made a few suggestions on facts that could be included in the article to make it more comprehensive.
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Post by drummerman2009 on Nov 11, 2014 21:27:32 GMT -5
Here's a couple more.
I always thought that Rascal Flatts when they first started in 2000 they were trying to copy similar pop groups like the Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, 98 Degrees, etc. which came out at the same time.
The way that they have treated members of the Country Music Hall of Fame at the CMA's and the way that it has ignored country singers who really deserve it like Dottie West, Skeeter Davis, Johnny Horton, Hank Jr. and Jerry Lee Lewis.
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Todd
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Post by Todd on Nov 11, 2014 21:32:34 GMT -5
I'm not familiar with them at all, but they sound like something I might like. You guys have any album recommendations? I agree with Lumpy on the first two albums being excellent. They were pretty heavy on covers (everything from Bill Monroe and Waylon Jennings to "Spirit in the Sky"!), but their original stuff holds up well too. You've probably heard "Dumas Walker" on the radio now and then. Personally, I also think that Songs from the Grass String Ranch and Soul are great because they started pushing their musical boundaries a bit more. Rave On!! and Stompin' Grounds are their weakest. The former was the only album featuring Mark Orr on lead vocals, who just did not fit the group's style at all, and the latter was just way too toned down and lifeless. Uncle Lumpy, They changed lead singers twice. Ricky Lee Phelps was the original lead singer, and his brother Doug was harmony vocals and bass. When the Phelpses left in the early 90s to form Brother Phelps, Mark Orr took over on lead, and Anthony Kenney on bass/harmony vocals. Orr quit after only that one album, so Doug rejoined once Brother Phelps was done and became the third lead vocalist. Just curious if you've ever heard any of the stuff that Doug sang lead on (everything from Stompin' Grounds onward, barring a few album cuts), since he sounds almost exactly like his brother. I met the Headhunters after a concert near me a few years back, and have interacted with them through e-mail and Facebook. They're incredible guys, and they made suggestions when I said I wanted to improve their Wikipedia article. They provided me with a band picture that they released the rights to so it could be used in the article, and made a few suggestions on facts that could be included in the article to make it more comprehensive. I like the song "Honky Tonk Walkin'" from the Rave On! album. It has a funny video to go along with it. To Uncle Lumpy's point about the Headhunters being too country for country nowadays, when they performed "The Ballad of Davey Crocket" on the Academy of Country Music awards, I can imagine there were some deer-in-the-headlights looks throughout the audience. If that same performance were aired today, it would be considered the "low-key" part of the show.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Nov 11, 2014 21:57:58 GMT -5
^ Honky Tonk Walkin' is one of the only good songs on that album, I agree.
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Markus Meyer
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Post by Markus Meyer on Nov 11, 2014 22:05:43 GMT -5
I agree on the Americana comments. Some of it is amazing (Isbell, Simpson, Matt Woods) but some of it is just depressing and really angry sounding.
I'll also add that as much as I adore Isbell, he can be a bit of an a-hole at times.
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Andy
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Post by Andy on Nov 11, 2014 22:22:04 GMT -5
Great post, Ten Pound Hammer. I happen to have their first album, Pickin' On Nashville. It's rather short so I'm going to listen to it tonight. :) I agree on the Americana comments. Some of it is amazing (Isbell, Simpson, Matt Woods) but some of it is just depressing and really angry sounding. Yup. The way I see it, there's good and bad in every kind of music. All you can do is like what you like.
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Post by tim on Nov 11, 2014 23:46:23 GMT -5
So I tried to reply to this last night and had it almost all done...until I accidentally hit the back button and well I just gave up ha. Let's try this again lol. I really enjoyed this post and wanted to add some comments: -Jerry Jeff Walker's Viva Terlingua! is the greatest live album of all time. A random story...back when I worked for at&t I sold Jerry an iPhone. While he was waiting he went around the store and set a lot of phones to playlists with his sons music and had one of the speakers blasting one of his songs (Django is his name I believe). He is quite the quirky and witty fella...he even ended up buying a snoopy iPhone just because he thought it was funny. Unfortunately, someone actually ended up stealing that phone and Jerry was back to the store not a couple months later getting a new one from me. - The Road Goes on Forever was the Highwaymen's best album, and is one of the greatest country albums of the '90s. This is one of my most treasured albums I have from the 90's. There are some good gems on here that I still play to this day ("Live Forever," "Devils Right Hand," and "I Do Believe" are some of my favorites). Bruce Robison's versions of "Travelin' Soldier" and "Angry All the Time" are the definitive ones. While driving home the other night Bruce's "Travelin' Soldier" happened to come on the radio (not unusual to hear him on the radio here in Texas) and I just thought to myself, "Wow, there is just something about the simplicity of his version that stands above the Chicks' cover)." I actually prefer Bruce's original versions to any covers, including George's "Wrapped" and "Desperately." Alan Jackson's High Mileage is very overlooked and is one of his best albums. Completely agree. "Right on the Money," "The Little Man," and the amazing "Gone Crazy" are all some of my favorite Alan songs. There's some great album tracks, including "What A Day Yesterday Was," "Amarillo," "Hurtin' Comes Easy" (that easily could've been a single) and the great "Dancing All Around It." And another unpopular opinion...I think "I'll Go On Loving You" is a great song. While The Storms of Life is my favorite Randy Travis album overall, '90s Randy Travis > '80s Randy Travis. I almost forgot we were doing an unpopular thread, but I like to think we here at Pulse just have a great ear for country music. Maybe it's just that I grew up with 90's Randy, but most of my favorite songs are from that time period. His voice is richer, smoother, and the choice in material was great.
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Post by countrybamafan on Nov 12, 2014 0:27:29 GMT -5
Interesting thread idea. So, in regards to "unpopular" opinions, does this mean unpopular to the masses or to members of this message board (or both)? Members on this board tend to have pretty different opinions than the masses, for the most part. Anyway, here are some of mine.
1. I love listening to Florida Georgia Line's music. I've stated this before. Do I consider them country? No, I do not. But I enjoy listening to their songs, and although Tyler Hubbard doesn't have the best voice, I don't consider it one of the worst in the genre. The same applies to Brantley Gilbert (although I would consider his songs to have more elements of country/southern rock than Florida Georgia Line).
2. Miranda Lambert has become beyond overrated. She has won countless album of the year awards now and 5 straight CMA wins, putting her as the female with the most wins. I understand the Vocalist wins are a large part due to the drought of females in the genre, but it is crazy to consider her as the female with the most wins. Also, like her or not, but Carrie Underwood has been much more consistent with her success in all areas (sales, touring, ambassador to country, etc.). Obviously, voice is subjective. Back when Miranda was first breaking out, I was rooting for her somewhat, especially when she had such stellar songs as "Bring Me Down" and "More Like Her." I also really enjoyed "Famous in a Small Town." "The House That Built Me" was good, but a bit overrated in the end. Nowadays, I feel her music has gotten a bit stale. Based on her recent radio releases, I don't see how she is seen as "more country" and "more raw" than Carrie Underwood (Listen to "Over You." The production on that is very overbearing and not very country, in my opinion). Now I will admit to not listening to many of her album tracks, but I'm just not getting the huge amount of love, especially for all the album of the year awards. Are her albums that much better than anyone else's consistently? It seems like she's won 3 or 4 of these awards in a row. I am just not seeing how she is this revolutionary in the genre. I don't want her to go away, but she is so overrated that it is becoming hard to swallow. The same applies to her husband and all his Male Vocalist wins (although I know this opinion is not unpopular here). It is even more glaring with Blake's Male Vocalist wins because there have been so many successful males in the genre, from Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Brantley Gilbert, etc. I would put all these guys above Blake Shelton in terms of impact to country music and trend setters.
3. I like the comment about George Strait being a bit overrated. Yes, he's had more radio success and #1's than any other artist and deserves respect. He's consistent, and he represents one of the last traditionalists left in the genre. But his constant Entertainer of the Year nominations need to stop at this point. Also, although I enjoy many of his songs, I can't think of one that made me stop and go "Wow."
4. I agree with the comment about it being hard to root for the females trying to break through, because for me, a lot of their material has just been forgettable (and some, annoying). I'm a big Carrie Underwood fan (although she has had a few singles that made me scratch my head, such as Undo It, Mama's Song, See You Again, to name a few). Kacey Musgraves started out promising with Merry Go Round. I actually enjoyed her follow up, Blowing Smoke, as well. Follow Your Arrow was just too out there for the masses. Although I did not agree with some of the song's message (Marijuana, doing whatever you want to do (Even if it hurts someone else?)), I found the melody, instrumentation, etc. to be very annoying. Keep It To Yourself was a much better follow up, but at this point, radio is done with her current album. I think Kacey could potentially be someone to break through in the future; however, based on comments I've read and seen about her attitude and comments, she may stop herself from reaching that level. The other females I just can't get into. I've said my piece on Miranda Lambert already. Maddie & Tae's single is catchy, but very annoying and gimmicky (which I think will really hurt them in the long run). Rae Lynn's song is very annoying. I used to like Sara Evans, but her music has gotten very stale over the past several years (A Little Bit Stronger, her mini comeback song, was the exception).
5. Since it has been brought up in this thread already, I do not like Carrie's Something in the Water video either. This could have made an incredible story video (emotional story of a man/woman being baptized and having his/her whole life changed, perhaps even have a miracle happen near the end that causes the character to "see the light." This video had so much potential for a good emotional story video. Last video I said this about was Just A Dream, and that one was very disappointing as well. The video reminds me of something I would see on MTV. Way too sensual for a Christian song (at least for my tastes). Very disappointed, but it's just a video. I love the song.
6. I find Dierks Bentley to be a little overrated on this message board (Sorry). He has released some quality material, especially early in his career, but Drunk on A Plane got old very fast, and I find his voice very weak, especially live.
7. I also find The Band Perry to be a bit overrated here. The only song I've really liked from them is Better Dig Two. Others have ranged from boring to annoying.
8. I'm not sure how unpopular this is, but I think Kenny Chesney has been one of the most consistent males in the genre. He's not as big of a star as he was, but he still churns out hits. Although he has a reputation for releasing only beach songs, he has released many quality songs over the years (Anything But Mine, The Good Stuff, There Goes My Life, You Had Me From Hello), and even over the past few years (You & Tequila, El Cerrito Place). Even many of his beachy songs are enjoyable for me. I think Kenny is more versatile than many people give him credit for. I won't say I have enjoyed every single release he has had (his current single hasn't grown on me yet), but he's been one of the most consistent throughout his long career.
9. I'm not all that surprised about Garth's comeback attempt at radio being met with less than stellar results. People Loving People just doesn't sound like a hit, especially on today's radio. Also, Garth has been on retirement for a long time, and radio has changed a lot. It's even changed a lot when he released More than a Memory (which I consider to be his first comeback attempt, which debuted at #1 and ultimately caused more harm than good, in my opinion). Honestly, I think he is an artist who likely should have stayed retired. I consider him to be one of the most influential people in country music, especially in the 90's. His music was at the forefront of the entire 90's era and he redefined country music at the time. That cannot be refuted. But nowadays, the country climate is different. He cannot recreate what he did. That may not be his intention now, but I don't really see him breaking out and being a star in this climate.
I'm trying to think of a 10th "unpopular" opinion, but I can't right now...maybe I can later.
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vamp111
New Member
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 219
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Post by vamp111 on Nov 12, 2014 1:34:56 GMT -5
Nice to see this thread active. I have some more...
- "American Honey" is my favorite Lady Antebellum single.
- I agree with whoever said "You'll be There" is one of George Strait's best singles. I think its very underrated.
- A lot of people consider Garth Brooks "Friends in Low Places" as his best song, but there are songs that I would put ahead. I like the song, but put it behind Standing Outside the Fire, Unanswered Prayers, The River, The Dance, What She's Doing Now, and Callin Baton Rouge as far as my personal preference.
- At first I thought it was funny, but now I always roll my eyes at Blake Shelton's tweets. Its not cute and makes him kinda look like an immature douche bag. I actually ended up unfollowing him because his tweets got so annoying and juvenile. Not just the drunk tweets, but other things too.
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Uncle Lumpy
3x Platinum Member
The poster formerly known as Lumpster
Joined: September 2005
Posts: 3,425
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on Nov 12, 2014 11:29:07 GMT -5
I'm not familiar with them at all, but they sound like something I might like. You guys have any album recommendations? I agree with Lumpy on the first two albums being excellent. They were pretty heavy on covers (everything from Bill Monroe and Waylon Jennings to "Spirit in the Sky"!), but their original stuff holds up well too. You've probably heard "Dumas Walker" on the radio now and then. Personally, I also think that Songs from the Grass String Ranch and Soul are great because they started pushing their musical boundaries a bit more. Rave On!! and Stompin' Grounds are their weakest. The former was the only album featuring Mark Orr on lead vocals, who just did not fit the group's style at all, and the latter was just way too toned down and lifeless. Uncle Lumpy, They changed lead singers twice. Ricky Lee Phelps was the original lead singer, and his brother Doug was harmony vocals and bass. When the Phelpses left in the early 90s to form Brother Phelps, Mark Orr took over on lead, and Anthony Kenney on bass/harmony vocals. Orr quit after only that one album, so Doug rejoined once Brother Phelps was done and became the third lead vocalist. Just curious if you've ever heard any of the stuff that Doug sang lead on (everything from Stompin' Grounds onward, barring a few album cuts), since he sounds almost exactly like his brother. I met the Headhunters after a concert near me a few years back, and have interacted with them through e-mail and Facebook. They're incredible guys, and they made suggestions when I said I wanted to improve their Wikipedia article. They provided me with a band picture that they released the rights to so it could be used in the article, and made a few suggestions on facts that could be included in the article to make it more comprehensive. Yeah , the vocalist that followed Ricky Lee was just horrible in my opinion. There was probabily some decent songs on that album but I simply couldnt get past his voice. And yeah , Ive heard the Doug Phelps stuff but I never found his voice was quite as strong as his brothers , and for the most part the "spark" was kinda lost other then a handful of tracks like their cover of "Chug A Lug". I met them too (well Brothers Phelps) once and even had my picture taken with them. Both seemed like good guys.
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