@n80, "Pop" Country drives me out of the room. After being exposed to it even briefly, I need to cleanse my soul by listening to some real Country (referred to as Americana by some, though many so-considered artists are not what I myself consider Country). Thankfully there is quite a bit of it being made these days---real good songs, singing, and musicianship. For the Americana-curious, check out The Americana Awards Show (hosted annually by Jim Lauderdale) on You Tube, and the No Depression website.
I know a lot of younger (than I, anyway ;-) Rock music lovers have a "problem" with Country, but remember, Elvis was called The Hillbilly Cat when he first appeared. Country/Hillbilly is a large element in "real" Rock 'n' Roll; it was removed from the music when Rock 'n' Roll became Rock, Blues remaining as the major element. Country made a reappearance in Rock in the late-60's with the emergence of The Band, Gram Parsons and Chris Hillmans The Flying Burrito Brothers, Dylan of course (who had been recording in Nashville since '65) in his John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline albums, and many others (I won't further bore the uninterested).
