Country - great albums?

[Altitude]

There's a whole world of Texas Alternative Country that is just fantastic. It's basically Lyle Lovett and all the people who influenced him. In my opinion the best Lyle Lovett album is "Joshua Judges Ruth" from 1993. Others may differ.

Also check out "Step Inside This House" because that is a cover album where he does songs by people he admires. It's a great stepping stone to learn about Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Keen, Michael Martin Murphey, Willis Alan Ramsey, Guy Clark, and Steven Fromholz.

 

[CalBuzz51]

Gary Stewart "Out of Hand"
This was a top country album when it came out. Took me a while to get used to his voice, but now I'm all in. Great great songs.

 

[CalBuzz51]

There's a whole world of Texas Alternative Country that is just fantastic. It's basically Lyle Lovett and all the people who influenced him. .

Lyle Lovett (eponymous)
"God will, but I won't, and God does but I don't, and that's the difference - between God and me."

 

[CalBuzz51]

Some additions to what everybody else has said.

+1

Iris Dement ("The best singer I ever heard," according to Merle Haggard), "Infamous Angel," "My Life"

"No Time to Cry" from that album is the most brutal song of all time IMO. (I'm no Merle Haggard). But everything she writes is heavy and true.

 

[jerry]

Rodney Crowell's first album "Ain't living long like this" is a favorite of mine.
Just the back up musicians on those sessions alone would make any album great.

• Brian Ahern – acoustic guitar, percussion
• Byron Berline – fiddle, violin
• Hal Blaine – drums
• James Burton – dobro, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Invalid Link Removed – acoustic and slide guitar
• Donivan Cowart – background vocals
• Hank DeVito – steel guitar
• Dr. John – keyboards
• Amos Garrett – acoustic and electric guitar
• [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] – bass guitar
• Richard Greene – strings
• Glen D. Hardin – piano
• Invalid Link Removed – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals
• Vince Gill - background vocals, acoustic guitar
• Jerry Jumonville – horns, saxophone
• Jim Keltner – drums
• Nicolette Larson – background vocals
• Albert Lee – electric guitar, mandolin, piano, acoustic guitar, background vocals
• Willie Nelson – background vocals
• Mickey Raphael – harmonica
• Tom Sauber – banjo
• Ricky Skaggs – fiddle, violin, background vocals
• John Ware – percussion, drums
• Larry Willoughby – background vocals

I love to listen to Emory Gordy when I want to steal cool country basslines.