Modern country rock covers or remakes

[BayStateBass]

If you're playing for a true country crowd, you probably have to do some of the standards (old crap). Learn Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried". Ha ha.

If you have Sirius/XM tune it to channel 59 "The Highway". That should give you your playlist for modern country.

But some suggestions, these are some we do-

Big-N-Rich; Save A Horse, Coming To Your City
Luke Bryan; Country Girl Shake It For Me
Jason Aldean; CrazyTown, HickTown
Brantley Gilbert; Country Must Be Countrywide, Kick It In The Sticks
Eric Church; Drink In My Hand, Creepin' (we just started this one)
Brooks And Dunn; Play Something Country

Take a look at the new one where Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan work together;

The Only Way I know

Then you have to do some of the good party songs like

Red Solo Cup
Friends In Low Places
Etc...

And check out Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy". That one goes over big. Easy to play and fun.

[bassphreak]

funny...i just heard red solo cup over the summer...hanging out at a cabin of course

[pklima]

Do some Colt Ford. "No Trash In My Trailer" or "Waste Some Time" are solid choices. I've even done "Waste Some Time" with one of my bands in Poland, though the Nappy Roots verses aren't that easy to memorize.

Kevin Fowler has some great party songs, too. Try "Pound Sign" or "Long Line Of Losers" (which Montgomery Gentry also recorded).

[BayStateBass]

Oh, and if you are playing for an adult-only crowd and the mood is right, you can kick out various tunes by David Allen Coe.

Look him up on Youtube.

Some of the stuff is pretty funny. But, just a note, a lot is NSFW. But a lot of the song titles will tell you that.

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by BayStateBass

If you're playing for a true country crowd, you probably have to do some of the standards (old crap). Learn Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried". Ha ha.

I hope you are not calling Merle Haggard "crap". I'm giving you the benefit of doubt that you are joking because of the "Ha ha".

If "Mama Tried" is crap then I can't even describe what "Save a Horse" or "Country Girl Shake it" is.

Old Country had soul, particularly Outlaw Country(check that channel on XM for ideas). New Country is simple-minded drivel driven by good hooks targeted at drooling simpletons.

[DeaconK]

Fast As You - Dwight Yoakum
Neon Moon - Brooks & Dunn
My Next Broken Heart - Brooks & Dunn
Wave on Wave - Pat Green
All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down - Mavericks
What a Crying Shame - Mavericks

[drpepper]

Originally Posted by BayStateBass

Then you have to do some of the good party songs like

Red Solo Cup
Friends In Low Places
Etc...

Does Red Solo Cup go over really well for anyone? My previous band (classic & modern rock) picked that up, and we played it out 3 times before I left, and it didn't do much. We picked up Rockin the Beer Gut at the same time, and that went better...not gangbusters, just okay. There were a handful who loved it.

Friends in Low Place was on the set list from the time I joined the band and always went over well...20 somethings on up.

[Richland123]

Shooter Jennings - Walk Of Life (Dire Straits cover)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jYH_V7osBg

[BayStateBass]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

I hope you are not calling Merle Haggard "crap". I'm giving you the benefit of doubt that you are joking because of the "Ha ha".

If "Mama Tried" is crap then I can't even describe what "Save a Horse" or "Country Girl Shake it" is.

Old Country had soul, particularly Outlaw Country(check that channel on XM for ideas). New Country is simple-minded drivel driven by good hooks targeted at drooling simpletons.

I am joking. When you're coming from a rock venue (which I did before), the classic country is "roll your eyes and shake your head" material. Until you actually learn it, listen to it, and play it, and then it becomes pretty interesting. And actually fun to play.

Being a country player requires different skills, or so I have found.

But I actually enjoy a lot of the music (classic stuff) we do. Silver Wings, Mama Tried, Working Man Blues, Tulsa Time (also Amanda), tunes by George Jones, Willie, Conway Twitty, etc.

As far as the "new country", it's primarily 3 and 4 chord rock music with twang and a southern drawl to make it "country". But if you are a rock-n-roll fan, it's pretty good stuff to listen to.

Not dissin' Merle. If our lead singer ever got wind that I did, I'd get B-Slapped.......hard.

[BayStateBass]

Originally Posted by drpepper

Does Red Solo Cup go over really well for anyone? My previous band (classic & modern rock) picked that up, and we played it out 3 times before I left, and it didn't do much. We picked up Rockin the Beer Gut at the same time, and that went better...not gangbusters, just okay. There were a handful who loved it.

Friends in Low Place was on the set list from the time I joined the band and always went over well...20 somethings on up.

We have good luck with it, it's typically a late second set song or early third set. If you do it too early in the night it doesn't work. Friends in Low Places goes over a little better, I think. I sing Friends but not Solo Cup.

We conservatively use David Allen Coe's "Don't Bite The D*ck" to get some laughs. But you gotta be careful with that one in a country venue. It isn't always received well.

[bassphreak]

Keep in mind we are a modern hard rock band that wants to infuse more musical variety into our sets. We are in no way a country band...we are a grungy hard rock band and would not draw a country crowd.

BUT, we are in an area that has a strong country following and I'd like to tap into that, do the genre some justice and demonstrate that we are a killer band that can put a rock spin on some good country tunes. I just happen to be very VERY ignorant on the topic. I've asked my friends and some of closer fans what they would like to hear but haven't got much input.

Thanks to all. I still have a lot to research. Hopefully this is helpful to other folks too.

[Bert Slide]

Here's a few newer country songs guaranteed to shake up the squares:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si0WTCMrksw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTHQk...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgIhf4rEPB0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16cWiWj--8E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyxEO9dqi44

[bassphreak]

....on a very funny (to me) and ironic note...our newest guitar player was in a Conway Twitty cover band. He can do classic country. I just don't think he wants to now. :-)

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by BayStateBass

Not dissin' Merle. If our lead singer ever got wind that I did, I'd get B-Slapped.......hard.

I figured you were joking and I can see how playing some classic country could get dull. I prefer the Outlaw variety and Merle is the real deal, not some male model in a cowboy hat with a Nashville backline.

[BayStateBass]

Well, you can take a lot of Johnny Cash songs and rock them out. Folsom Prison, Cocaine Blues, Ring Of Fire, etc...

However, the big problem with "remaking" these songs into hard rock covers is you lose the feel that made them great to begin with.

My recommendation, if you're trying to stay a hard rock oriented band that does "some" country covers is to stick to the modern rock-oriented country.

Personally, I think Brantley Gilbert qualifies more as hard rock performer than a country performer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve8sNTqrzCw


And even Tim McGraw is getting in on the hard rock/country trend;

(maybe the dumbest lyrics ever....ha ha....)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf7GfUORHtw

[Bert Slide]

Or you could bypass country all together and throw the rubes a little Skynyrd.

[BayStateBass]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

I figured you were joking and I can see how playing some classic country could get dull. I prefer the Outlaw variety and Merle is the real deal, not some male model in a cowboy hat with a Nashville backline.

It does, but it doesn't. I never really paid much attention to country growing up, but now it's what I play and it's been interesting. What I never realized is that country music is more about creating a certain feel, like you said "soul", and that's what it is. Like the opening guitar riff for Mama Tried. If you don't have it, you don't have Mama Tried. And not overplaying....that's been hard, believe it or not. Some of the tempos and song timing is unusual, and vocals are really what it's about versus loud instrumentation.

And male model.......like........say.......Luke Bryan? He he....

[pklima]

Or country from another country... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcm55lU9knw

It's not as hard to sing as you'd think, and people love it. And by people I mean women.

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by BayStateBass

It does, but it doesn't. I never really paid much attention to country growing up, but now it's what I play and it's been interesting. What I never realized is that country music is more about creating a certain feel, like you said "soul", and that's what it is. Like the opening guitar riff for Mama Tried. If you don't have it, you don't have Mama Tried.

Tough to match the soul in Mama Tried. That song is autobiographic, Merle really did go to prison.

Good to see you Yankees playing some country. Maybe the South IS rising again! Just please don't say y'all in that "wicked" Masshole drawl!

[aerodyne1]

Started playing Lonesome Fugitive-Merle Haggard as a joke with my band. They loved it and it stuck. Watch what you bring to the table. ha ha. Ive grown to like it quite a bit myself.