great 70s country lps...audophile grade

I will second Ablert's endrosement. I bought this when it originally came out and it was great. Although 2/3rds of my collection is rock, about 15% is country. The final Bob Wills sessions have great players and is highly recommended to any fan of Western Swing. You might be surprised. But to answer the initial question I would look for sealed country vinyl from the 60's. You can find stuff by Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and others in sealed condition on the auction site.

The good news is that in general, most country music is well recorded. I agree with the "Stardust" recommendation. One that always stands out to me is "This Time" a Waylon Jennings album from the early 70's. A relatively unknown Willie Nelson plays on this album.

Ry Cooder 'Paris Texas' soundtrack,
Ry Cooder 'Jazz'(more of bluegrass)

Not country in the pure sense but Poco's "Rose of Cimarron" from 1976 on ABC and "Crazy Eyes" from 1973 on Epic are sonic delights.

IMO

I would'nt consider Ry Cooder " jazz" swing.