I’ll try to write as many random points as I can in an effort to keep me from rechecking this thread every 30 minutes.
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Lefty Frizzell set the standard in terms of singing. Most great singers (Merle, etc) freely admit that they’ve spent their life copying the man.
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Kris Kristofferson is the apotheosis of songwriters, in my book.
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No one sounds cooler than Waylon. That voice is beyond compare.
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Merle Haggard is one of the best combinations of a great singer/songwriter. Most country artists are good at one or the other. I’ve seen him in concert 9 times and he keeps getting better.
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Hank Williams III is the best new “outlaw” talent out there. Unfortunately, his head isn’t screwed on straight. If he could harness all that talent, he’d be unstoppable.
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Dale Watson is the one of the best examples of an extraordinary, albeit unknown, singer/writer/guitar player. I don’t know what quality he’s best at because he’s so great at each. His “Blessed or Damned” CD is a must have. A damn nice guy, too.
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Cash stands in a world by himself. You can’t categorize the man. His “American Recordings” CD is unbelievable.
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Hank Williams Jr had more talent than a dozen of the new “bubble gum pop” country artists (eg, Kenny Chesney). But he kinda lost his vision in the mid '80s. His “Habits Old and New” and “Whiskey Bent and Hellbound” albums represent two of the greatest country albums ever made. I don’t know if all those drugs/alcohol wrecked his brain, but he doesn’t seem to have the talent anymore.
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George Jones is one of those guys who sounds as good in concert as he does in the studio (when he’s sober enough to sing). I’ve seen him in concert three times and each time he said, “You guys are the best crowd I’ve ever had. If you keep it up, we just might play 'til 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning.” Of course, he never does. You’ll get about 70 minutes from the guy.
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Willie will play a concert until the cows come home. I can’t believe how long his shows last. I saw him at the House of Blues in Chicago and he was still playing while they dropped the curtain!
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Shooter Jennings is cool. His CD is a pretty good start. Too bad he didn’t inherit is Dad’s voice. But I like his attitude and his style.
That’s all for now.