I hate to be such an ignorant fuck, but please help me get started on country music...

Hank I or III, that is.

Check out some Buck Owens -- maybe Rhino's two "Very Best Of" CDs. Hardcore rock-informed honky tonk. Johnny Paycheck's "The Real Mr. Heartache" is similar, even tougher stuff, with titles like "Pardon Me (I've Got Someone to Kill)." "The Essential Gary Stewart." Jerry Lee's "Killer Country." George Jones on Mercury. Get a Roger Miller record with stuff like "King of the Road" and "Dang Me" on it -- stick with the original recordings on Smash or Mercury. Waylon Jennings -- a set with "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way," "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line," etc.

Oh yeah, and Johnny Cash -- sounds like you'll want the "Folsom Prison" and "San Quentin" albums, and something like "The Sun Years" or "The Complete Sun Singles."

A personal fave, if you can track one down: Jim Lauderdale's "Pretty Close to the Truth."

What are you referring to?

To call these folks sludge is SO unfair. How about "mud"?

i'm referring to the tons of country threads that already exist. even threads on stuff similar to the flying burrito brothers. that's all. they can be handy. your questions tend to be very broad about genres in general, and there are usually lots of existing threads that you can refer to. it's no big deal though. if people don't mind repeating themselves over and over, you will get some good tips.

Looking for some country or blues hybrid albums

Music along the lines of Sleep (Dopesmoker) or Electric Wizard (Dopethrone)

Sludge

Lots of little essays on periods and substyles in country at the bottom of this page: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=73:27. See what sounds good and then look at the album recommendations there. Given what you know, you may want to work back from alt-country. Check out Steve Earle and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

Has any band dared to mix country and noise-rock?

at least he's THINKING about country music.

Start with a good Merle Haggard best-of (the more prison songs, the better), Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger, Hank Williams 40 greatest hits and Dolly Parton's best of from the 1970s. George Jones too.

After that, you want to go in a more authentic rootsy direction, get the Louvin Brothers. If you're more inclinded towards the modern sounds of country music, then it's all Glen Campbell, all the time.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search=joe+maphis&search_type=search_videos&search=Search

Wait. It's "the internet". Maybe it's not so strange, after all.

Anyways, I don't really know much about country music. But you should endeavor to avoid Garth Brooks' "Chris Gaines" album, from all reports.

anyway a country primer.

Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits

Merle Haggard Songs I'll Always Sing

Loretta Lynn The Country Music Hall of Fame

Lefty Frizzell Look What Thoughts Can Do

George Jones Anniversary: 10 Years of Hits

Buck Owens & the Buckaroos Live At Carnegie Hall

Ernest Tubb The Definitive Collection

Dolly Parton My Tennesse Mountain Home

Willie Nelson Phases & Stages

Waylon Jennings Honky Tonk Heroes

Rolling Country 2006 Thread

That said, the Greatest country album ever is one m coleman mentioned:

Merle Haggard *Songs I'll Always Sing*

And Hank Jr beats Hank III any day.

I also have a feeling you might like some Joe Ely and David Allan Coe and John Anderson if you were to hear them. Unless you don't.

Jerry Lee Lewis Lewis Country

o my heart... somebody catch me...

The Time-Life Classic Country Collection was repackaged into 4CD sets for Costco a few years ago and I got 8 CDs covering the early 50s to mid-70s for about $60. A really good overview of the high points. They've totally repackaged all that stuff into thematic sets instead of chronological sets, but you could still do worse.

Get it now.

Definitely pick up George Jones "Cup Of Loneliness". Great 2-CD anthology of Jones' Mercury years.

Troll through used record stores and pick up early Ray Price albums from 1955 to 1964. Some of the best honky tonk ever committed to wax.

Find a good compilation of 60s/70s Loretta Lynn.
Get the first three Greatest Hits LPs by Tammy Wynette.

Webb Pierce "King Of The Honky Tonk"
Ernest Tubb "The Definitive Hits Collection"
Faron Young "The Complete Capitol Hits Of Faron Young"

Look for LPs by Mel Street and Gene Watson (stick with his 70s output.

Actually, Gene's 2003 *Gene Watson...Sings* was really good. (Though, for all I know, it might have been his first good album since the '70s. He's definitely somebody I need to research more.)

A lot of the recommendations on this thread are really good. What's sad is that they're also almost all really OLD, as if listening to country music just means going to a museum and paying your respects. There is tons of great country coming out NOW, if you look for it.

That said (and to contradict myself), you might consider buying a good Western Swing compilation, or looking into Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Roy Newman, Adolph Hofner, Smokey Wood, etc. Those guys rocked. And if you want to go back even further, invest in a copy of *A Lighter Shade of Pale: White Country Blues 1929-1936.* Or if you want to avoid history lessons, just pick up a Shooter Jennings album (first one is best, but new one has a couple great tracks. And it's what, maybe the 15th or 20th best country album this year so far?)

http://static.last.fm/coverart/300x300/1421842.jpg

Hopefully American V will be more interesting, but I doubt it. :/

Merle Haggard *Songs I'll Always Sing*

-- xhuxk (fakemai...), June 24th, 2006. (tracklink)

I don't think I've ever agreed more with any statement made on ILM.
My dad played this 8-track constantly year after year as we drove through the country in our motor home. This and a Johnny Cash greatest hits. It's basically my standard for judging all other music: Can I listen to this album 600 times and still like it?

I know the songs are all available elsewhere, but the actual ablum is out or print. Link, anyone?

Martina McBride "Independence Day"
Miranda Lambert "Kerosene"
Waylon Jennings "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" (recommended by others; sounds not unlike the Velvet Underground)
Toby Keith "Whiskey Girl"
Garth Brooks "The Thunder Rolls"
Montgomery Gentry "Free Fall"
Ram Jam "Black Betty"