All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music

All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music Review

Now in its second edition, the All Music Guide to Country rounds up the music you love, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Grand Ole Opry, from gospel tents to honky-tonk bars, and from the open range to the open road, giving this diverse genre its due respect and helping you choose the most essential albums from more than 1,200 artists. Country legends like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Hank Williams are covered in depth, along with such popular artists as the Dixie Chicks, Wynonna Judd, Garth Brooks and Faith Hill. You'll also find 10,281 reviews and ratings for a wide range of country-influenced performers, including Will Oldham, Lyle Lovett, k.d. lang and country rockers ranging from Gram Parsons to Uncle Tupelo. Whether you prefer old-time or contemporary country, acoustic banjo or electric guitar, everything you need to make the most of your music-buying dollar is here!

He Stopped Loving Her Today: George Jones, Billy Sherrill, and the Pretty-Much Totally True Story of the Making of the Greatest Country Record of All Time (American Made Music)

He Stopped Loving Her Today: George Jones, Billy Sherrill, and the Pretty-Much Totally True Story of the Making of the Greatest Country Record of All Time (American Made Music) Review

When George Jones recorded "He Stopped Loving Her Today" more than thirty years ago, he was a walking disaster. Twin addictions to drugs and alcohol had him drinking Jim Beam by the case and snorting cocaine as long as he was awake. Before it was over, Jones would be bankrupt, homeless, and an unwilling patient at an Alabama mental institution. In the midst of all this chaos, legendary producer Billy Sherrill-the man who discovered Tammy Wynette and cowrote "Stand by Your Man"-would somehow coax the performance of a lifetime out of the mercurial Jones. The result was a country masterpiece.

He Stopped Loving Her Today, the story behind the making of the song often voted the best country song ever by both critics and fans, offers an overview of country music's origins and a search for the music's elusive Holy Grail: authenticity. The schizoid bottom line-even though country music is undeniably a branch of the make believe world of show biz, to fans and scholars alike, authenticity remains the ultimate measure of the music's power.