Does anyone like country

Great thread! I mostly listen to "rock" but have been collecting C&W for 40 years. Agree will all that has been said above.

There was a ton of stuff released in the 60's & 70's that is straight out country. You can find a lot of stuff on ebay that is still sealed for reasonable prices (and some not so reasonable). Any Haggard or Owens from the sixties sound real good.

Avoid the "Nashville Sound" and "Countrypolitan" style records from the sixties and seventies unless you like your country with orchestration.

You may want to check out the Gary Stewart records from the 70's- some straight country and some really good rockin country ala Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

There is still some hard core country being made, like honk tonk and what not, but you have to search it out.

Willie's Place on XM still plays a lot of straight country.

For some current Texas style straight country check out "Heart of Texas Records."

http://www.hillbillyhits.com/

You might find something you've never heard and like it!

Big fan of alt-country and bluegrass although right now maybe more alt-bluegrass as well. To add to Muzicat and LoomisJohnson's lists, include:
Lyle Lovett
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Tift Merrit
EmmyLou Harris
Patty Loveless (esp Mountain Soul, one of the best "bluegrass/americana" records in many a year)
Guy Clark maybe qualifies.
some Cowboy Junkies covers qualify
If you like country swing, give Asleep @ the Wheel a try.

For an interesting (to me anyways) blend of folk/bluegrass/country type sounds, w some swing in there as well, try
Eddie From Ohio.

I really like a lot of old country (hated it as a kid in KY where everyone listened to it). I'm not a fan of most of the new stuff you hear on the radio today because it just sounds like pop with a country accent.

I like a lot of the older artist listed above, as well as most of the alt-country listings above. A couple of my favorites that are not listed above are David Ball (Thinkin' Problem) and Dwight Yoakum. Thinkin' Problem and most of DY's stuff is recorded very well and sounds great.

For something a bit different, try some Jam-Grass. If you like Greatful Dead or Phish and want to ease into some country, check out Blueground Undergrass. Here's a like to a download site where you can either download lots of their concerts or stream one to try it out. It's fun and it's free! Try it.......
http://www.archive.org/details/bgug2006-12-01.flac16

Enjoy,

TIC

To all,
Some of the George Strait, "The Chair", Seashores of Old Mexico--Vicky Van Shelton--"I Meant Every Word He Said",
Tracy Byrds, "Keeper of the Stars", (written by Dicky Lee of '60s "Patches", "Strange things Heppen in this World" fame, wrote it.)
Finally, "Mud on the Tires" Album, with "He Put a Bottle to His Head And Pulled the Trigger", a duet with Allison Kraus--these are all wonderful, classic Country Tunes.
You have to be prepared to blanche at first, if you're a non believer. I was one for 30 years. Then, instead of dismissing, I listened with an open mind. Get out the Hankeys, lots of tears in the beers music here. Plus the obvious classic Patsy Cline's "Crazy" written by Willie Nelson, (maybe the most often used music in movies ever, in bar scenes).
Give 'em a shot.
BTW,
I gave a seminar in Connecticut, and the group of about 40 or 50, can't remember was shy about recommending music, so I played a couple of these tunes. At the end of the seminar, the guys were lining up to get the names of both the performers AND the albums, the country one's not the others. Interesting.

BTW, right now, "Kind of Blue" with Miles Davis, is on the CD player--it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Good Listening,
Larry

Absolutely do. From Emmylou to Merle to George Jones to Willie to Waylon to Johnny---the road does go on forever.