Don't know if you like western swing, but there are a number of good Bob Wills tribute albums:

My Salute to the World's Best Fiddle Player, Merle Haggard

San Antonio Rose, Willie Nelson/Ray Price

Ride With Bob, Asleep at the Wheel

There is one on Bloodshot Records with Jon Langford (Mekons) and a bunch of rowdy alt-country artists covering Wills songs. Can't recall the name right now.

Then the man himself, Bob Wills. They did a good job on the "Tiffany Transcriptions", a series of cds made from radio shows he recorded way back when...

Here's a new, old-time country & honky-tonk album I recommend- Karling Abbeygate from Karling Abbeygate herself. The music reminds me of Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee and Dolly Parton to some extent. Abbeygate co-wrote a few songs though most of the tracks are little-covered C&W treasures from yesteryear. Karlings vocals are deep down gorgeous, that honey melt falsetto is at it's best on "Beg Steal & Borrow", my favorite cut. This cd is easily my favorite country album of 2006. I first caught on to it at the Dionysus lable site and then through Karling Abbeygate at myspace . Hey hey Dionysus, great garage-surf label releases killer country album, gotta love 'em.

boy, the stuff on her myspace sound really good crazed. thanks for the heads up.

The second albu (disc 2) on "Straight to hell" by Hank III surprised me. I really enjoy the ambient parts when you hear a devil, a train and the weird laughs of some children. Excellent scary moments. An album I should recommend for pure country fans.

quote:

Originally posted by PRG:
I don't really get into either kind: country...or western, but I absolutely love Emmylou Harris. While I don't think anyone would dispute her early career was country, would do you all think about later stuff like "Wrecking Ball" and "Stumble into Grace?" Still country?

'Wrecking Ball', is, to my mind, more of an experimental album that fits into no specific category. The closer 'Waltz Across Texas Tonight' is probably the most country-ish track on the entire disc. I'm sure there are country purists out there who discounted the album because it was produced by Daniel Lanois of Depeche Mode and U2 fame, but I like that Harris took a chance and went a different direction. 'Stumble Into Grace', Harris's self-described first attempt at songwriting, isn't as strong as some of her earlier albums but how can you not love the voice? To answer your original question (sorry about the rambling road it took to get here): neither album is really 'country'; neither one shoud be missed either.

I recently got the Patsy Cline Definitive Collection and I am very happy. Maybe Patsy didn't write any songs, but some of them are just amazing (Crazy anyone?) and she has SUCH a good voice.