To me, the vast majority of what passes for country music today – certainly on the big radio and TV networks in the US – is nothing of the sort, just pop music in cowboy hats. The true legacy of bluegrass, folk and gospel takes some finding in a lot of what comes out of Nashville. But there are still plenty of musicians who keep the old flame alive, and they pretty much all owe a debt to a group of artists who fought to reclaim country music in the 1970s. We know this thanks to the brilliant 1976 documentary Heartworn Highways, which focused on the likes of Guy Clark, Steve Young, David Allan Coe, Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, and the development of so-called outlaw country. For Record Store Day this year, Light In The Attic put together a super-uber-box set of the soundtrack, film, and more extras than you could shake a whiskey bottle at, but it would have cost you a pretty penny. Fear not, for a more affordable version is due before the month is out, so let’s enjoy a take of Guy Clark’s outstanding ‘Desperadoes Waiting For A Train’ taken from the original DVD extras.
New folk music recommendations
