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Started By
Message
The 50 best Alt-Country albums
Posted on 8/9/16 at 8:58 am
Posted on 8/9/16 at 8:58 am
of all time.
Top 5:
DBT - Decoration Day
Son Volt - Trace
Gillian Welch - Revival
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
Not terrible, but still very flawed imho. Thoughts:
Welch and The Avettes do not deserve two. Wrong pick on Avetts anyway. If they get two, wtf is Old 97s Fight Songs? if they get one, it's that. Fight Songs is a top 50 album of all time, period.
Glad to see Jason and the Scorchers, Robbie Fulks and Kathleen Edwards on there. Too many people don't know them.
They got The Bottle Rockets right.
The Jayhawks selection is popular, but I would have picked Tomorrow The Green Grass, or given them more than one spot. Similar thought for Wilco. Give them 2 or list AM.
Trace should be #1.
Top 5:
DBT - Decoration Day
Son Volt - Trace
Gillian Welch - Revival
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
Not terrible, but still very flawed imho. Thoughts:
Welch and The Avettes do not deserve two. Wrong pick on Avetts anyway. If they get two, wtf is Old 97s Fight Songs? if they get one, it's that. Fight Songs is a top 50 album of all time, period.
Glad to see Jason and the Scorchers, Robbie Fulks and Kathleen Edwards on there. Too many people don't know them.
They got The Bottle Rockets right.
The Jayhawks selection is popular, but I would have picked Tomorrow The Green Grass, or given them more than one spot. Similar thought for Wilco. Give them 2 or list AM.
Trace should be #1.
8
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:12 am to AlxTgr
Would like to see some Long Ryders and Escovedo or one of his outfits
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:32 am to AlxTgr
No Murder By Death, no care.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:34 am to AlxTgr
Kathleen Edwards - Failer should be higher in my opinion but I'm just happy she made the list. Also I wasn't aware that My Morning Jacket was considered alt country.
This post was edited on 8/9/16 at 9:36 am
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:36 am to Jester
quote:Never heard of them.
Murder By Death
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:37 am to AlxTgr
I think Southern Rock Opera is a far better album that Decoration Day. Hell, I think the Dirty South is better than Decoration Day. So I don't like that pick, especially as high as #5.
Iris Dement missing entirely is a problem. Maybe replace one of Gillian Welch's picks with Infamous Angel.
And I'd put Wrecking Ball in the top 5. I also like Lyle Lovett's Pontiac album better than the one they picked.
ETA: And I've never considered My Morning Jacket alt-country, so their inclusion on the list is weird.
Iris Dement missing entirely is a problem. Maybe replace one of Gillian Welch's picks with Infamous Angel.
And I'd put Wrecking Ball in the top 5. I also like Lyle Lovett's Pontiac album better than the one they picked.
ETA: And I've never considered My Morning Jacket alt-country, so their inclusion on the list is weird.
This post was edited on 8/9/16 at 9:38 am
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:45 am to AlxTgr
quote:
Never heard of them.
You should remedy that:
Shiola
Spring Break 1899
A Masters in Reverse Psychology
Three Men Hanging
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:46 am to The Spleen
quote:I can't listen to Hood at all anymore, so I am fine with it. I would put Brighter above the two you listed.
I think Southern Rock Opera is a far better album that Decoration Day. Hell, I think the Dirty South is better than Decoration Day. So I don't like that pick, especially as high as #5.
quote:Yup.
Iris Dement missing entirely is a problem. Maybe replace one of Gillian Welch's picks with Infamous Angel.
quote:Yup
And I've never considered My Morning Jacket alt-country, so their inclusion on the list is weird.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:54 am to AlxTgr
I havent had a chance to look.. Where is Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac?? Strong case for #1.
Trace, CWOAGR and all 4 Uncle Tupelo's, as well..
MMJ was definitely first embraced by the Alt Country scene, though they evolved past that quickly..
Trace, CWOAGR and all 4 Uncle Tupelo's, as well..
MMJ was definitely first embraced by the Alt Country scene, though they evolved past that quickly..
Posted on 8/9/16 at 9:58 am to The Spleen
quote:
Iris Dement missing entirely is a problem.
Absolutely.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 10:02 am to TFTC
quote:Very common complaint.
Where is Whiskeytown
Posted on 8/9/16 at 10:14 am to AlxTgr
Is James McMurtry considered alt-country? Probably more outlaw country or red dirt country, maybe. Saint Mary Of the Woods is a fantastic album.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 10:18 am to The Spleen
quote:
Is James McMurtry considered alt-country? Probably more outlaw country or red dirt country, maybe. Saint Mary Of the Woods is a fantastic album.
Les Miles has lost control of music genres. I agree, there needs to be a James McMurtry album on that list somehow.
This post was edited on 8/9/16 at 10:18 am
Posted on 8/9/16 at 10:57 am to MountainTiger
No Whiskeytown? Only two Ryan Adams Adams albums? 
I'd include some Hiss Golden Messenger as well.
I'd include some Hiss Golden Messenger as well.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 11:03 am to 12Pence
I think my top 5 would go like this...
5. Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
4. Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
3. Drive By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera
2. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cold Roses
1. Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
Hard to leave out a Wilco and Son Volt album, but they're represented with Uncle Tupelo. And Jacksonville City Nights is probably better than Cold Roses, but Cold Roses is the one I fell in love with Ryan Adams over so it gets the nod. I did like Whiskeytown, but Adams's solo stuff never grabbed me until Cold Roses. And I like Love Is Hell better than Heartbreaker.
5. Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
4. Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
3. Drive By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera
2. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cold Roses
1. Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
Hard to leave out a Wilco and Son Volt album, but they're represented with Uncle Tupelo. And Jacksonville City Nights is probably better than Cold Roses, but Cold Roses is the one I fell in love with Ryan Adams over so it gets the nod. I did like Whiskeytown, but Adams's solo stuff never grabbed me until Cold Roses. And I like Love Is Hell better than Heartbreaker.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 11:13 am to The Spleen
quote:I would never have guessed they would be included. Emmylou is country, period. No idea what Lyle is, but I can't stand anything he does.
5. Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
4. Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
Posted on 8/9/16 at 11:15 am to AlxTgr
what a weird list
This post was edited on 8/9/16 at 11:16 am
Posted on 8/9/16 at 11:25 am to AlxTgr
I guess I consider alt-country anyone that operated outside the mainstream Nashville scene yet still had elemental country to their sound. Emmylou's career kind of straddled that line, so an argument could be made she's not alt-country. I do think the latter half of her career has been alt-country though, which is when Wrecking Ball was made.
Understand on Lyle. Personally, I love him but know many don't. And some of his albums definitely aren't country, much less alt-country.
Understand on Lyle. Personally, I love him but know many don't. And some of his albums definitely aren't country, much less alt-country.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 11:27 am to The Spleen
quote:
ETA: And I've never considered My Morning Jacket alt-country, so their inclusion on the list is weird.
These days I doubt many would include them. But The Tennessee Fire, At Dawn, and It Still Moves (though not as much) all have great country, folk, and bluegrass roots.
Posted on 8/9/16 at 11:45 am to The Spleen
quote:
Understand on Lyle. Personally, I love him but know many don't. And some of his albums definitely aren't country, much less alt-country.
He's hard to classify, which is one reason I don't really like pigeon-holing music to begin with. I didn't really appreciate him until I saw him at Telluride one year. He played a set (with his Large Band) that was jaw-dropping. Of course it didn't hurt that he had Sam Bush, Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas on stage with him.
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