Vinyl Me Please Country

I've had a hunch it will be something by Cash as well, ever since the first announcement ("There's a train a-coming"). I gotta admit that I've felt tempted to jump in on this track in the last couple of weeks, even though I think VMP is waaaay off with their pricing. But if it's Folsom, I quietly wait it out and see what's coming up later, and just keep spinning my original press of this.
 
I honestly like Morgan Wallen's music. Not that I'm saying it's the best stuff out there, but I prefered this current period of Mainstream Country with artists like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen on top, as opposed to what we had a couple years ago (though I do have a soft spot for some FGL).

That said, It becomes more and more obvious that Morgan Wallen is a trash person and Entertainment isnt a priority over accountability. If his time at the top is done (and it should be), it's his own damn fault.
 
wynn72 said:
I honestly like Morgan Wallen's music. Not that I'm saying it's the best stuff out there, but I prefered this current period of Mainstream Country with artists like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen on top, as opposed to what we had a couple years ago (though I do have a soft spot for some FGL).

That said, It becomes more and more obvious that Morgan Wallen is a trash person and Entertainment isnt a priority over accountability. If his time at the top is done (and it should be), it's his own damn fault.
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Right, is this his second or third chance? I can't recall but no one gets more chances than a racist/trash white dude in country music. People don't use racist language when they're drunk unless it's part of their normal repertoire when they're sober.
 
Endtro said:
Right, is this his second or third chance? I can't recall but no one gets more chances than a racist/trash white dude in country music. People don't use racist language when they're drunk unless it's part of their normal repertoire when they're sober.
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I think he was on his second chance after the SNL/COVID/Partying boondoggle in terms of public sphere issues. He did have a disorderly conduct arrest but I would hesitate to count that as a chance ruined really. Either way, I'm with you.

Musically, for wynn and others, I've seen Morgan Wallen get a ton of (pre-controversy) love from critics and discerning music folks: what was the appeal over the existing country standbys? Not judging on that, I genuinely haven't listened to much from him besides his Isbell cover and what was on SNL and I didn't get it, whereas I pretty much immediately got the appeal of a Luke Combs or even Thomas Rhett? This may be too off topic for VMP country but I'm now genuinely curious. Like he was Todd in the Shadows #1 song last year and Dangerous' Metacritic rating is solidly green which is rare.
 
waruv said:
Musically, for wynn and others, I've seen Morgan Wallen get a ton of (pre-controversy) love from critics and discerning music folks: what was the appeal over the existing country standbys? Not judging on that, I genuinely haven't listened to much from him besides his Isbell cover and what was on SNL and I didn't get it, whereas I pretty much immediately got the appeal of a Luke Combs or even Thomas Rhett? This may be too off topic for VMP country but I'm now genuinely curious. Like he was Todd in the Shadows #1 song last year and Dangerous' Metacritic rating is solidly green which is rare.
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I mean, I'd group him into the same area as Luke Combs. Just radio friendly Country tunes, that don't have alot of those Hip-Hop sounds that have seeped into bro country, or went a bit too pop/r&b like Thomas Rhett or Dan & Shay (who I cant stand).

I honestly think Dangerous is a much more solid album than his first, and hits alot more than it misses. It doesnt blow you away by any means but It's solid disposable catchy songs, with a more genuine country feel than we've had in the top Radio Country lately.

Don't get me wrong, I love good country above all and wish Jinks, Rhiannon, Childers, Waldon, etc got more mainstream love than they do. But sometimes you just like some dumb Radio Country tunes to drive to or play in the background and I think Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen are some of the better artists putting songs out like that. And clearly arent afraid to embrace the country sound
 
bdm105 said:
I'm not a huge country fan. But I like Cash, Avett Bros etc. If it's Folsom Prison I'll sign up because I've been meaning to get it. But also shouldn't that be an essential since it is you know, essential.
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I'd agree there. Folsom does seem to fit the Essential mold a bit more. But I get wanting to kick the track off with a bang. I'm probably vastly overestimating the amount of VMP subscribers that have a copy already. Because even though so many are "hate country except for cash people" that doesnt mean they'll actively go out and grab a copy. I would except if it's Folsom, especially a mono version, it to sell like crazy and maybe get some to stick around for upcoming months.
 
wynn72 said:
I'd agree there. Folsom does seem to fit the Essential mold a bit more. But I get wanting to kick the track off with a bang. I'm probably vastly overestimating the amount of VMP subscribers that have a copy already. Because even though so many are "hate country except for cash people" that doesnt mean they'll actively go out and grab a copy. I would except if it's Folsom, especially a mono version, it to sell like crazy and maybe get some to stick around for upcoming months.
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To me it’d be a missed opportunity. They should have released At Folsom Prison as an Essential release then release one of Cash’s American Recording LPs as their Country release.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
To me it’d be a missed opportunity. They should have released At Folsom Prison as an Essential release then release one of Cash’s American Recording LPs as their Country release.
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See, all of his American Recordings are still readily available too (I think, the box set was one of my first vinyl purchases so not sure if its no longer in print), so I feel like that's just as much of a missed opportunity.

I know VMP doesnt use whether a title is in print to determine ROTM eligibility but Country has soooo little that is recently pressed. Honestly, with the exception of Cash, even the big guns don't have their biggest albums released (try to find a new good copy of Shotgun Willie, Honky Tonk Heroes, Big City, etc). Theres alot of potential in this track to release albums overdue for reissues.

Cash is one of the few that DOES have his big albums pressed pretty regularly and some pretty solid MOV pressings. Honestly I would have loved to see Mean as Hell, Sings the Ballads of the True West, or even Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash (which isnt really a best of Comp but non-album tracks on LP for the first time and the very first release of "Ring of Fire").

But I do get doing Folsom. One of the goals of this track is probably going to be to expose people to the greatness that country has to offer and Johnny Cash is a such a titan in the genre, It makes sense to get his pick out of the way quick (or people will keep on waiting for it). And kick it off with the Biggest Country album ever. I honestly am still really hoping for a Cash Anthology that includes other albums. Leave Folsom out and include a definitive uncensored version of San Quentin, which is impossible to find outside of the Legacy CD.
 
Lee Newman said:
One of the things that has all of you snowed is that Folsom isn’t even in the top ten of all time country album sales... the biggest country acts of all time are Shania, Taylor, Garth and the Chicks.
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Understated point for sure. From an outsider's PoV I think this will be a unique challenge for VMP. Essentials, RH&H, and Classics are pretty open to curation. There is at least some gap in RH&H between the best/curated experience and the popular ones, but country has a much bigger divide (in my relatively ignorant view) given its growth and how the styles have changed dramatically, and what a lot of people consider the "best" or "top" country albums. I also feel like the uh, purism (?), wall is much higher in country than other genres.

Like, wynn's post (super helpful BTW) sparked my thought on this. I'd consider every artist he listed country. Different edges on it but it's all country, but I know that a lot of artists get pushed out of that sphere if they stray too far or get sub-genred. The fanbase for country clearly does care a lot about it. I wonder what VMP is going to focus on curating here because I think those venn diagram circles between Johnny country, Garth country, and Morgan country (just to pick three names) are increasingly slim.
 
waruv said:
Understated point for sure. From an outsider's PoV I think this will be a unique challenge for VMP. Essentials, RH&H, and Classics are pretty open to curation. There is at least some gap in RH&H between the best/curated experience and the popular ones, but country has a much bigger divide (in my relatively ignorant view) given its growth and how the styles have changed dramatically, and what a lot of people consider the "best" or "top" country albums. I also feel like the uh, purism (?), wall is much higher in country than other genres.

Like, wynn's post (super helpful BTW) sparked my thought on this. I'd consider every artist he listed country. Different edges on it but it's all country, but I know that a lot of artists get pushed out of that sphere if they stray too far or get sub-genred. The fanbase for country clearly does care a lot about it. I wonder what VMP is going to focus on curating here because I think those venn diagram circles between Johnny country, Garth country, and Morgan country (just to pick three names) are increasingly slim.
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Agree, that’s why I think Storf is a good person to curate for the very reason people mock that he’ll be doing it, he likes all different types of country. And thats rare. Current fans write off current Pop or Bro Country as “not real Country“ but Im sure when Outlaw Country was coming out, all the fans of Honky Tonk and the Nashville Sound hated said the same thing...

I want someone with a diverse taste who respects and loves the classics while also appreciating the guilty pleasures of alot of the stuff today and from the 90s. Country has such a deep history and so many different subgenres Im really hoping this track can highlight that and convert some country haters who think they only like Cash, while also showing that there is alot of good stuff coming out today.
 
wynn72 said:
Agree, that’s why I think Storf is a good person to curate for the very reason people mock that he’ll be doing it, he likes all different types of country. And thats rare. Current fans write off current Pop or Bro Country as “not real Country“ but Im sure when Outlaw Country was coming out, all the fans of Honky Tonk and the Nashville Sound hated said the same thing...

I want someone with a diverse taste who respects and loves the classics while also appreciating the guilty pleasures of alot of the stuff today and from the 90s. Country has such a deep history and so many different subgenres Im really hoping this track can highlight that and convert some country haters who think they only like Cash, while also showing that there is alot of good stuff coming out today.
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I don't know about anyone else, but the reason I don't enjoy Storf and his curation isn't related to his diverse taste, it's because he doesn't seem to be interested in discerning within that taste. Like he seems to genuinely think that every Stax album and every album from (insert an artist he loves) is top tier. And when he writes about it, he can be very condescending and defensive when he suspects that others will disagree with a choice. I'm not really interested in trusting a curator who at least purports to think every album is just as good as another. Hard to say if he truly thinks that or if that is the PR man speaking though.
 
Djxfactor511 said:
I hope Storf is done stanning for Morgan Wallen now. I wouldn't have been surprised if his album was on the docket for this year.
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tbh i had a big hunch that was going to happen too btw


but then again he also stans sam hunt so i dunno if THAT is going to change


though the rest of the VMP staff is probably realizing "of fuck we made a big mistake"
 
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