Comments on Setting The Woods On Fire: 20 Essential "Alt" Country Albums of the 1970s, Pa...

what a great list you have here- just add my two c...

2009-07-05T06:54:17.696-04:00

what a great list you have here- just add my two cents to the chitchat... as far as country insider/outsider - i think blaze foley belongs on this list. its true the label that produced his 70's vinyl folded before it ever got distributed, but he was a genius and had a number of his songs covered by a number of people on your list... and for what its worth really no one was as outsider country as blaze. i'd love to see him get the recognition he so richly deserves.

Steve Young's 'Seven Bridges Road' such a great ve...

2009-04-05T22:36:18.557-04:00

Steve Young's 'Seven Bridges Road' such a great version.... wish I could find that album thank you for the post... jaci from imperial mo

I just played it off i-tunes. Sounds right. Kris...

2009-01-05T18:46:11.751-05:00

I just played it off i-tunes. Sounds right. Kris is just using a slightly chipmunky tone on this one.

Sal, Thanks for pointing that out. I will look in...

2009-01-05T11:54:22.681-05:00

Sal,

Thanks for pointing that out. I will look into it. I should be OK, unless I pushed the wrong button or something. I copied the track off my own CD.

Paul

On the podcast, is Best of All Possible Worlds spe...

2009-01-05T09:28:17.145-05:00

On the podcast, is Best of All Possible Worlds sped up? Kris sounds like a chipmunk.

Good call putting Terry Allen's Lubbock (On Everyt...

2008-12-27T08:27:55.088-05:00

Good call putting Terry Allen's Lubbock (On Everything) on the list. It's different from a lot of the other stuff there, kind of sui generis, but more people should know about it.

...which you can hear here (hear, hear!), if you l...

2008-12-22T17:13:24.639-05:00

...which you can hear here (hear, hear!), if you like.

Granted, those Rank & File songs haven't aged as w...

2008-12-21T23:35:43.370-05:00

Granted, those Rank & File songs haven't aged as well as "Class War"...

Dave D - Fair points. Commander Cody's ommission ...

2008-12-21T20:08:35.405-05:00

Dave D - Fair points. Commander Cody's ommission is due to my own "blind" spot. I haven't put as much time into listening to him as I have to the artists on my list, but that can be fixed.

I think the "alt" thing is a bit amorphous. During the 1970's, Tom T. Hall was considered mainstream, but anybody making music like that NOW would definitely be "alt." And I can never miss a chance to promote Tom T.

Conversely, Kristofferson the hippie/redneck was definitely "alt" in 1970, but might not be so much so now. (Same could be said for Willie and Waylon, I think).

Fine list. Townes Van Zandt's Live At The Old Quar...

2008-12-21T18:12:41.336-05:00

Fine list. Townes Van Zandt's Live At The Old Quarter is, in my humble opinion, the greatest live album ever cut. W.

Nice list, Paul. My only quibble, save for the [eg...

2008-12-21T18:11:21.789-05:00

Nice list, Paul. My only quibble, save for the [egregious, I tell you ;-)] exclusion of Commander Cody, would be including Kris Kristofferson and Tom T. Hall under the heading of Alt. If 'For the Good Times', 'Help Me Make It Through the Night', 'The Year Clayton Delaney Died', etc. aren't mainstream country, then what is?

Nice list...I've been looking forward to checking ...

2008-12-21T16:57:00.779-05:00

Nice list...I've been looking forward to checking out your choices for some time.

Great choices and pleasing to see Steve Young's 'S...

2008-12-21T15:43:05.846-05:00

Great choices and pleasing to see Steve Young's 'Seven Bridges Road' getting a much deserved mention though his knack for avoiding the spotlight might go some way to explaining why he often doesn't get the credit his great records deserve.
I recently got hold of a copy of 'Long Time Rider' an album only ever given a limited release in the late 80's and it took my breath away. 'War Of Ancient Days' is one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard and hardly anyone knows it. I think it was recently given a low key re-release and would certainly be a contender for an 80's list if more people knew it. I'd have added 'S.F Mabel Joy' Mickey Newbury, 'Magnetic South' and Great Speckled Bird's self titled(and as far as I know) only record to the list along with Hank Williams Jr.and Friends which is a
great album sometimes forgotten due
to Hank Jr going on to become a bloated parody of himself. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you could scrape enough together for a third installment.

I disagree that Rank & File sucked. It's not easy ...

2008-12-21T14:23:59.564-05:00

I disagree that Rank & File sucked. It's not easy to make music as good as what's on Sundown.

Ace list Paul. 73 was a strong year huh? Double shot of Shaver. Plus, Sahm & Band is so good. All of these are essentials. I need to get some like the ones from 1978.

Here's a link to a bunch of good of 80s alt country: http://www.settingthewoodsonfire.com/search/label/jangly%2080s

Thanks Vaughn, I agree that the 1970s was the stro...

2008-12-21T11:52:49.116-05:00

Thanks Vaughn,

I agree that the 1970s was the stronger decade, especially for albums, but I think I could make a pretty good list of "alt" country songs from the 1980s, starting with tunes from Jason & The Scorchers and The Beat Farmers.

Excellent choices Paul and a great addition to my ...

2008-12-21T08:31:03.103-05:00

Excellent choices Paul and a great addition to my iPod. Thanks!
Now, your job gets a little tougher...do the same thing for the 80's! Good luck, and just remember, Rank & File really kinda sucked ('cept for "Coyote").