So I've been trying to expand my musical horizons lately, and I've always taken a dim view of country. If I like Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Neko Case, who else should I be listening to?

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If I like Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Neko Case, who else should I be listening to?

Johnny Cash is sui generis, so it's hard to really compare him to anyone else. Though you could probably break it out into country baritones, dark themed country, folk-country and country/rockabilly.

Steve Earle might be his nearest contemporary in spirit. Steve has gone to some pretty fucking dark places himself. I think "CCKMP" (that's Cocaine Cannot Kill My Pain) is one of the more harrowing songs recorded in the last 20 years.

I made a honkytonk mix for Rio, and also an early country mix with lots of songs about smoking and drinking and fucking around and cutting up. Early country has stuff that swings hard and celebrates the rowdy life.

You'd probably like Kelly Hogan - Neko's labelmate, but a stronger singer.

I'm a big fan of Townes Van Zandt, which is part of the 70s insurgent country stuff. He wrote some gorgeous, very dark songs. My favorite is one of his least country/most produced records Our Mother the Mountain. It's really pretty goth in a lot of ways. Particularly the title song and "Kathleen" and "St. John the Gambler." Very deathy.

Right now you're cherry picking the country musicians that are most palatable to rock and roll ears. Whether you want to go full on Hank Williams / Lefty Frizzell /Bob Wills / Tammy Wynette / George Jones would require another big adjustment in mindset.

I could email you some songs by various musicians as a sampler if you like.

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Here are some of the other 80s epics Mojo cited, most of them unfamiliar to me.

Associates - Sulk (anybody know this?)
Virginia Astley - From Gardens Where We Feel Secure (or this?)
Scott Walker - Climate of the Hunter (I've read about this at least)
David Sylvain - Brilliant Trees (I'm familiar with his Japan work only)
Blue Nile - Hats (this one I know, though I don't own it. I own their first one)

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Associates - Sulk

I bought this in on vinyl bargain bin sometime in the 80's. I don't think I ever made it through it all in one sitting. Very gloomy synth music, IIRC correctly. Joy Division-y, but not as good.

Virginia Astley

Did she play the flute by any chance? I think she was a classical musician or singer or something like that.

David Sylvain - Brilliant Trees

I'm sure I've heard this, but I cannot remember what it's like.

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Right now you're cherry picking the country musicians that are most palatable to rock and roll ears.

Hey, I listen to a lot of different styles of music, not just rock, and I do like Hank Williams. I just... don't want Garth Brooks, you know? (Er. Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Thanks for the suggestions. I shall add them to my list of things to check out the next time I want to go to Best Buy and have the clerk say, "You must like music." (And next time someone says that, I'm going to say, "Oh, no, I hate it. When I get home I'm going to burn these as a ritual sacrifice, and then have pie.")

I could email you some songs by various musicians as a sampler if you like.

That would be awesome!

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I'd be glad to submit some bad-ass country, too. Some people don't understand my sincere love of Dolly Parton's music, at least until they hear it.

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Mention of Johnny Cash has reminded me: when it comes to getting hold of his work, which I'd like to start doing in a more serious fashion, what albums are key? Most of what you can actually purchase (ergo, most of what's downloadable from the Internet) is greatest hits albums, which I detest, and the American series, which are fine per se but aren't going to give me the well-rounded experience I'm looking for. I defer to the hivemind's wisdom to make me a knowledgeable Cash fan.

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With old school country artists, the general prejudice against greatest hits albums (which, in my opinion, is wholly correct in the rock context) doesn't work. Many of Cash's great early stuff is only going to be found on a singles collection. That said, there's a few early albums like Songs of Our Soil that're great, and you definitely can't go wrong with the live albums At San Quinten or At Folsom Prison.

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With old school country artists, the general prejudice against greatest hits albums (which, in my opinion, is wholly correct in the rock context) doesn't work.

I had a feeling this would be the case, somehow, but preferred to err on the side of caution, particularly with someone this prolific. Ta for the suggestions.

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David Sylvain - Brilliant Trees (I'm familiar with his Japan work only)

This was closest of his solo work came to the late Japan sound, but it was more delicate/filigreed. That latter got emphaisized as he went on, at least until the album he did with Fripp (Damage - Fripp also turned up on a few of his solo albums).

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