Tag: country

415. Jerry Lee Lewis

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(June 2022) Episode 415 is JERRY LEE LEWIS. A foundational icon of rock ‘n’ roll, both for his music and his wild antics. I am not into old time rock ‘n’ roll, so this episode was done mostly for historical interest. He has recorded (he’s still alive!) prolifically, and most of his output was in the country genre, coving standards and other running-on-fumes material.

Favorite album: Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)

Favorite song: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: only for historical interest

398. Kris Kristofferson

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(April 2022) Episode 398 is KRIS KRISTOFFERSON. An O.G. of outlaw country, he became a crossover superstar in music and movies (favorite: Lone Star).  As good as his songwriting was, his voice was a weak spot, especially in the slicker mid-career albums. But it turned into an asset when he reverted to spare, soulful recordings later in his career, much as Johnny and Willie did. 

Favorite album: The Silver Tongued Devil and I

Favorite song: Sunday Morning Coming Down

Favorite collaboration album: Full Moon (with Rita Coolidge)

Worst album: A Star is Born (soundtrack)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: worth a listen as a solid 2nd-tier among country voices, but as a 1st tier for songwriting

376. Townes Van Zandt

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(January 2022) Episode 376 is TOWNES VAN ZANDT. Amidst the flowering of new musical styles in the 60s came Van Zandt’s folk-tinged country (or is it country-tinged folk?) with its melancholy tone delivered in his earnest voice. Whatever you call it, it is stellar songwriting. His personal life struggles add a tragic veneer to the music.

Favorite album: Townes Van Zandt

Favorite song: I’ll Be Here In The Morning

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: yes, for a taste of authentically American music

370. Willie Nelson

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(December 2021) Episode 370 is WILLIE NELSON. An American icon.  His gentle baritone warms up any song. He is incredibly prolific (this episode was almost 100 albums long), including countless collaborations with country heroes, outlaw buddies, family members and pop stars. His music covers almost every style of country as well as pop standards, jazz and gospel. My favorite recordings are the stripped-down affairs, just Willie’s voice, with spare accompaniment, telling plain and earnest stories.

Favorite album: Red-Headed Stranger

Favorite song: Sunday Morning Coming Down

Favorite song written by Willie: Angel Flying Too Close To the Ground

Favorite song written by Willie made famous by someone else: Crazy

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: required if you wish to absorb the breadth of American music.

Recommended albums: Both Sides Now, Red-Headed Stranger, The Sound In Your Mind, The IRS Tapes, Spirit, Teatro, Songbird, Moment of Forever, Country Music, December Day

348. Gram Parsons

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(August 2021)

(8/15/21) Episode 348 of the “opus project” is GRAM PARSONS.  He’s called the father of country rock, although to my ear a lot of other artists were doing similar things at the time. I also don’t get why his music is called “cosmic.” That said, his mix of country, folk, R&B, soul and rock was influential, and a welcome alternative to the chrome and sap of countrypolitan coming out of Nashville. Austin City Limits basically embodies the Gram Parsons sound.  He also introduced us to Emmylou Harris.

Favorite album: GP

Favorite song: A Song for You

Favorite group album: The Gilded Palace of Sin 

Favorite cover song: Love Hurts (duet with Emmylou)

Favorite folk song: November Nights

Compared to expectations: same

342. Elvis Presley

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(July 2021) Episode 342 is ELVIS PRESLEY. There’s a reason I listened to 341 artists before I got to the “King.”  Was never a fan, and this episode did not make me one. His influence on 20th century music is hard to overstate (even if it is tainted by whitewashing which I hold against the system, not Elvis personally). And his early rock-n-roll hits are catchy even if completely oversaturating. But I can’t stand his cloying, syrupy voice which, along with his act, have become a parody unto itself. This voice fits best in his countrypolitan sound of the 1970s, which says something.

Favorite album: Elvis Presley (you know, the one whose cover the Clash mimicked)

Favorite song:  Hound Dog

Best compilation of early hits if you feel that you must: Elvis’ Golden Records

Compared to expectations: same

304. Ralph Stanley and the Stanley Brothers

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(December 2020) Episode 304 is RALPH STANLEY and the STANLEY BROTHERS. Bill Monroe is the Father of Bluegrass, but the Stanleys are no less essential to the definition and popularization of this distinctively American musical style.  It’s hard to imagine a figure more beloved within his musical tradition than Dr. Ralph.

Favorite album: Hard Times

Favorite song: I’m A Man of Constant Sorrow

Favorite instrumental: Hard Times

Best compilation if you want the best of: Old Songs and Ballads (vols 1 and 2)

Compared to expectations: same

282. Ray Charles

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Episode 282 is RAY CHARLES.  If you had to describe American music in the form of one person, it would be Ray Charles.  He melded blues, R&B, jazz, and gospel into what we now call soul, helped integrate country, and reached out into pop standards and modern pop. A legend. That said, the albums themselves, especially after the mid-60s, are generally weak sauce.  I recommend a greatest hits collection or, better yet, video of concert performances as his smile and sway light up the venue.

Favorite album: Doing His Thing

Favorite song: What’d I Say

Compared to expectations: ↓

279. Bill Monroe

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(August 2020) Episode 279 is BILL MONROE. The Father of Bluegrass, so much so that the entire genre is named after his band.  He was also very stern in enforcing orthodoxy of style and form in the genre he created, a dynamic that persists to this day.  It’s interesting to listen to their 1940s singles as they show the transition from standard country to this distinctive sound.  My favorite songs are the machine-gun fire banjo-led jams.

Favorite album: Master of Bluegrass

Favorite song: Bluegrass Breakdown

Compared to expectations: same

277. Dolly Parton

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(August 2020) Episode 277 is DOLLY PARTON.  Dolly is an institution. Beyond her success as an entertainer, businesswoman and philanthropist, my take-away here is her strength as a song-writer.  I find her best work comes from the heart, grounded in her East Tennessee roots. Thus I prefer her songs inflected with bluegrass and Appalachian folk, or featuring lyrics from personal experience. Her voice can carry any song, although I admit to cringing when she’s doing pompadoured kitch with Porter Wagoner, pop crossovers, or flag-wrapped patriotic fare.

Favorite album: Little Sparrow

Favorite song: Early Morning Breeze

Favorite periods: early 70s solo, bluegrass trilogy 99-02

Least favorite period: late 70s-80s pop phase

Worst album: For God and Country (a blast of Iraq War jingoism)

Oddest cover: Stairway to Heaven (yes, that one)

Compared to expectations: same