Nice cover.
I'm a huge country music fan (and it is hard because I am constantly being made fun of because of that).
Also there is the problem that when you want to buy CDs in German shops in most cases they have....
- Johnny Cash
- Johnny Cash
- Willie Nelson
- Taylor Swift
- Johnny Cash
...have I mentioned lots of Johnny Cash?
or you find some awful CD collections where some guys covered good songs badly.
Don't get me wrong: I actually like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson a lot, but often you can't find anything else.
I was really lucky when I found three CDs by Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks.
(Fun fact: Almost everyone in the USA knows Garth Brooks, but when somebody asks you in Germany what music you like and you say Garth Brooks all you get is a "What? Is that one of those indie guys? Never heard of him". And when you grab your guitar and play "If tomorrow never comes" by Garth Brooks all they say is: "That song is by Ronan Keating!" because that's the only version they know.)
I also have to admit that I prefer the old songs over most of the new ones. I don't want to diss Taylor Swift or Brad Paisley, for example, but for me they can't beat Ralph Stanley or Tony Rice. I miss the old country music sometimes. You know, without those modern guitars, without so much drums and such things. Today's country music often has too much rock in it for my taste.
I like Alan Jackson though, there a real country feeling in his music. Kenny Chesney (who is modern and quite popular on your continent I guess) is different. I don't like most of his songs. Maybe I'm too 'old school', I still listen to Hank Williams
btw: Here a few links to some of my favourite songs:
Tony Rice: "Nine pound hammer"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u964a0f38s
Ralph Stanley with Patty Loveless: "Pretty Polly"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XV7mxfIIr0
Tony Rice is the greatest, though. I love bluegrass and for me he is "Mr. bluegrass guitar"
Other country musicians I enjoy:
- The Kentucky Colonels
- Ricky Scaggs
- Earl Scruggs
- Alison Krauss
- Blake Shelton (not many songs though)
- Kris Kristofferson
- Waylon Jennings
- John Rich
I'm sure I missed a few. Feel free to suggest good country musicians here because it is really hard to go into a shop and listen country (in order to buy some) here in Germany.