The country music I love I feel is an integral part of my experience on this planet. I know that sounds pretentious and gives more weight to the amount of actual country songs I do love but there it is. Folks like Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Chet Atkins, a million things Ricky Scaggs has been involved in, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, John Denver, hell even some stuff from Alan Jackson and Hank Williams Jr. (and assorted other songs from new country guys) are very cool as well. I like Allison Krauss and Dolly quite a bit as well but the thing about country that may be the coolest is the way it influenced pop.
Look at bands like The Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Canned Heat and even stuff like what Yes, Tull, ELP and even Zeppelin did at times and you see the immense impact that actual American country music had on modern music. You can see it in everywhere from Antonin Dvorak to Robert Johnson.
That said, modern country for the most part is just as bad as any other kind of corporate drool. Absolute bland, souless drek.
Look at bands like The Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Canned Heat and even stuff like what Yes, Tull, ELP and even Zeppelin did at times and you see the immense impact that actual American country music had on modern music. You can see it in everywhere from Antonin Dvorak to Robert Johnson.
That said, modern country for the most part is just as bad as any other kind of corporate drool. Absolute bland, souless drek.