Any Major Country History: A mix & a book
It has been a couple of years now since brought my History of Country series under one roof, with a few edits, in an illustrated eBook (well, a booklet, really) in PDF format, titled A Brief History of Country. It seems like a good time to bump that link.
Please feel free to pass it on in good conscience or to link to it on your website: while I assert my copyright for the text, the eBook is completely free. The more people read it and, I hope, gain enough of an understanding of the genre so that they will never call it “Country & Western” again, or say “yee haw, pardner”, the more they will appreciate the wealth of country.
Download A Brief History of Country eBook
And to give you some music to go with that, here’s a compilation of some of my favourite songs from the 22-part series, one from each mix plus one to bring the set up to present times, with no claims to being representative of the development of country music. As always, timed to fit on a standard CD-R, includes covers, and same PW as every time.
1. Jimmie Rodgers – Brakeman’s Blues (Blue Yodel No.2) (1928)
2. Moonshine Kate – My Man’s A Jolly Railroad Man (1930)
3. Carter Family – Can The Circle Be Unbroken (By And By) (1935)
4. Uncle Dave Macon – All In Down And Out Blues (1937)
5. Al Dexter and his Troopers – Pistol Packin’ Mama (1943)
6. Hank Williams – Move It On Over (1947)
7. Eddie Kirk – Sugar Baby (1950)
8. T. Texas Tyler – Bumming Around (1953)
9. Johnny Cash – Hey Porter (1955)
10. Hank Locklin – Send Me The Pillow You Dream On (1958)
11. Skeeter Davis – Don’t Let Me Cross Over (1962)
12. Red Sovine – Phantom 309 (1967)
13. Dolly Parton – Coat Of Many Colors (1971)
14. Faron Young – It’s Four In The Morning (1972)
15. Rusty Wier – Texas Morning (1974)
16. Emmylou Harris – Pancho & Lefty (1977)
17. Earl Thomas Conley – Holding Her And Loving You (1983)
18. Keith Whitley – I’m No Stranger To The Rain (1989)
19. Garth Brooks – Friends In Low Places (1990)
20. Lyle Lovett – Step Inside This House (1998)
21. Alison Krauss & Union Station – Restless (2004)
22. Tift Merritt – I Know What I’m Looking For Now (2008)
23. Kris Kristofferson – Feeling Mortal (2013)
 Click here for the complete History of Country series
PW = amdwhah
Looking forward to both the book and the mix. Thank you dude!
Thanks a lot
Many thanks for providing a new link for Vol 16 and the new mix.
Great job
Your History of Country series has been one of my favorites. After reading your eBook I re-tagged all of the country songs on iPod. No longer is there Country Western, Country Rock or Country Bop, etc. It’s all Country now.
And I recommend the series to everyone. You outdid yourself on that one, Dude.
Wow. I can’t wait to read/listen. Thank you.
What a wonderful project! Thank you so much for the music. I just finished reading “In Tune: Charley Patton, Jimmie Rodgers, and the Roots of American Music” by Ben Wynne. Now with your extensive work I can listen and appreciate this special country music!
Oh, that book looks very interesting. I’ll have to find that.
Hi,
I have revisited A history of country music again. It is a wonderful collection. Since it ended in 2012, would it be possible to have a new mix covering 2013 – 2016?
best regards
Bo
Hmm, interesting thought.