I have to be honest, not too long ago, I probably would have said yes to this question. I've been listening to a lot of his stuff recently though, and I've been reminded of just how great he is.

I only ask the question because I've heard some people mention the "O" word when talking about George, so I figured I'd pose it to the board.

ryanmetz said:

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I only ask the question because I've heard some people mention the "O" word when talking about George, so I figured I'd pose it to the board.

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Cast those people out of your life. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.


Now willie and John Wayne. ...... Yes, yes they are.

Some people don't like George Strait. But they aren't Texans.

George Strait is great. Love most of his music, love him as a country music icon, etc.

But I don't think it is fair to compare people that are handed hit after hit to people that are grinding it out and writing their own stuff. It is just a totally different animal.

Strait didn't age as well as some country artists have.

In his prime, he was as good as country gets.

Not overrated. A man, a guitar and a microphone (backup band optional) = greatness

His longevity is amazing and he has a list of hits that is awfully impressive.

That being said, he is not the songwriter Willie and Merle are, nor does the have the voice of George Jones.

For his era though, he was about as sure of a thing you could get. Personally, when looking at contemporaries, I would put Alan Jackson slightly ahead of him due to his songwriting. While not the performer Garth Brooks is, I would put Strait a notch above.

SSadler said:

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Strait didn't age as well as some country artists have.

In his prime, he was as good as country gets.

Not overrated. A man, a guitar and a microphone (backup band optional) = greatness

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This be true. A few years back, he did a movie as a pushback to the glitz and strobe lighting of so much of country music's move away from its roots.

witchmo said:

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SSadler said:

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Strait didn't age as well as some country artists have.

In his prime, he was as good as country gets.

Not overrated. A man, a guitar and a microphone (backup band optional) = greatness

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This be true. A few years back, he did a movie as a pushback to the glitz and strobe lighting of so much of country music's move away from its roots.

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"Pure Country"

HillCountryRanchingBEAR said:

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ryanmetz said:

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I only ask the question because I've heard some people mention the "O" word when talking about George, so I figured I'd pose it to the board.

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Cast those people out of your life. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.


Now willie and John Wayne. ...... Yes, yes they are.

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I consider Willie underrated, actually. his influence and songwriting certainly dwarf anything GS has done

bularry said:

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HillCountryRanchingBEAR said:

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ryanmetz said:

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I only ask the question because I've heard some people mention the "O" word when talking about George, so I figured I'd pose it to the board.

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Cast those people out of your life. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.


Now willie and John Wayne. ...... Yes, yes they are.

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I consider Willie underrated, actually. his influence and songwriting certainly dwarf anything GS has done

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Yessir. Willie is nails and imo eclipses Bob Wills on the basis of body of work and influence of the entire music industry.

witchmo said:

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bularry said:

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HillCountryRanchingBEAR said:

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ryanmetz said:

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I only ask the question because I've heard some people mention the "O" word when talking about George, so I figured I'd pose it to the board.

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Cast those people out of your life. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.


Now willie and John Wayne. ...... Yes, yes they are.

---

I consider Willie underrated, actually. his influence and songwriting certainly dwarf anything GS has done

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Yessir. Willie is nails and imo eclipses Bob Wills on the basis of body of work and influence of the entire music industry.

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Whaaaaaaaatttt?????? If I wanted to read Bologna, I'd go to texags! Bob Wills is still (and will always be) THE KING. Sounds like we need to road trip to Bob Wills Days in good ol' Turkey Texas so you can see the error of your ways.

HillCountryRanchingBEAR said:

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witchmo said:

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bularry said:

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HillCountryRanchingBEAR said:

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ryanmetz said:

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I only ask the question because I've heard some people mention the "O" word when talking about George, so I figured I'd pose it to the board.

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Cast those people out of your life. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.


Now willie and John Wayne. ...... Yes, yes they are.

---

I consider Willie underrated, actually. his influence and songwriting certainly dwarf anything GS has done

---

Yessir. Willie is nails and imo eclipses Bob Wills on the basis of body of work and influence of the entire music industry.

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Whaaaaaaaatttt?????? If I wanted to read Bologna, I'd go to texags! Bob Wills is still (and will always be) THE KING. Sounds like we need to road trip to Bob Wills Days in good ol' Turkey Texas so you can see the error of your ways.


Find the thread on great songs and you'll read my quote that Bob is still the king! But Wills' influence didn't span as much music genre as did Willie, most likely due to sales, access, more wealth to purchase etc. A function purely of culture and society. Willie and his band of musicians pretty much turned Nashville upside down in the 70's and proved it was the artists who made the music industry and not the "producers". Bob and the Texas Playboys came long before all that was a problem. My point remains "body of work" and "influence of the industry.

Don't matter who's in Nashville, Bob Wills is still the king. Willie and company admit that, too.

And never--ever--equate me with anything associated with Collieville!!!

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CammoTX said:

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His longevity is amazing and he has a list of hits that is awfully impressive.

That being said, he is not the songwriter Willie and Merle are, nor does the have the voice of George Jones.

For his era though, he was about as sure of a thing you could get. Personally, when looking at contemporaries, I would put Alan Jackson slightly ahead of him due to his songwriting. While not the performer Garth Brooks is, I would put Strait a notch above.

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Alan Jackson couldn't lift George's strap. Jackson is a distant second to George.

witchmo said:

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HillCountryRanchingBEAR said:

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witchmo said:

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bularry said:

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HillCountryRanchingBEAR said:

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ryanmetz said:

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I only ask the question because I've heard some people mention the "O" word when talking about George, so I figured I'd pose it to the board.

---

Cast those people out of your life. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.


Now willie and John Wayne. ...... Yes, yes they are.

---

I consider Willie underrated, actually. his influence and songwriting certainly dwarf anything GS has done

---

Yessir. Willie is nails and imo eclipses Bob Wills on the basis of body of work and influence of the entire music industry.

---

Whaaaaaaaatttt?????? If I wanted to read Bologna, I'd go to texags! Bob Wills is still (and will always be) THE KING. Sounds like we need to road trip to Bob Wills Days in good ol' Turkey Texas so you can see the error of your ways.


Find the thread on great songs and you'll read my quote that Bob is still the king! But Wills' influence didn't span as much music genre as did Willie, most likely due to sales, access, more wealth to purchase etc. A function purely of culture and society. Willie and his band of musicians pretty much turned Nashville upside down in the 70's and proved it was the artists who made the music industry and not the "producers". Bob and the Texas Playboys came long before all that was a problem. My point remains "body of work" and "influence of the industry.

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deemus said:

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CammoTX said:

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His longevity is amazing and he has a list of hits that is awfully impressive.

That being said, he is not the songwriter Willie and Merle are, nor does the have the voice of George Jones.

For his era though, he was about as sure of a thing you could get. Personally, when looking at contemporaries, I would put Alan Jackson slightly ahead of him due to his songwriting. While not the performer Garth Brooks is, I would put Strait a notch above.

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Alan Jackson couldn't lift George's strap. Jackson is a distant second to George.

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Only if you don't value songwriting ability.

Crash Davis said:

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deemus said:

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CammoTX said:

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His longevity is amazing and he has a list of hits that is awfully impressive.

That being said, he is not the songwriter Willie and Merle are, nor does the have the voice of George Jones.

For his era though, he was about as sure of a thing you could get. Personally, when looking at contemporaries, I would put Alan Jackson slightly ahead of him due to his songwriting. While not the performer Garth Brooks is, I would put Strait a notch above.

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Alan Jackson couldn't lift George's strap. Jackson is a distant second to George.

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Only if you don't value songwriting ability.

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Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were talking about singers / performers. If we are talking songwriters, then you have to look to about 40 people who are better songwriters than either one of those guys. The list is long.

deemus said:

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Crash Davis said:

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deemus said:

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CammoTX said:

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His longevity is amazing and he has a list of hits that is awfully impressive.

That being said, he is not the songwriter Willie and Merle are, nor does the have the voice of George Jones.

For his era though, he was about as sure of a thing you could get. Personally, when looking at contemporaries, I would put Alan Jackson slightly ahead of him due to his songwriting. While not the performer Garth Brooks is, I would put Strait a notch above.

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Alan Jackson couldn't lift George's strap. Jackson is a distant second to George.

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Only if you don't value songwriting ability.

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Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were talking about singers / performers. If we are talking songwriters, then you have to look to about 40 people who are better songwriters than either one of those guys. The list is long.

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I look at it all as one package.

Crash Davis said:

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deemus said:

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Crash Davis said:

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deemus said:

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CammoTX said:

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His longevity is amazing and he has a list of hits that is awfully impressive.

That being said, he is not the songwriter Willie and Merle are, nor does the have the voice of George Jones.

For his era though, he was about as sure of a thing you could get. Personally, when looking at contemporaries, I would put Alan Jackson slightly ahead of him due to his songwriting. While not the performer Garth Brooks is, I would put Strait a notch above.

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Alan Jackson couldn't lift George's strap. Jackson is a distant second to George.

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Only if you don't value songwriting ability.

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Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were talking about singers / performers. If we are talking songwriters, then you have to look to about 40 people who are better songwriters than either one of those guys. The list is long.

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I look at it all as one package.

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They are very different animals.

Strait and Garth Brooks (who I cannot stand) are both fantastic entertainers. Reba was in her day too. None of those could write a song if their lives depended on it. But were greatness in concert, though very different styles of concerts.

Compared to say, Townes Van Zandt who wrote some great songs (Pancho & Lefty for example), but he is HARD to listen to. Lucinda Williams falls in that same category for me. I just can't take her voice, but sometimes I will listen to her stuff because the songs are good. She just sounds like crap singing them. Guy Clark is a songwriting legend. Good luck finding him singing any of them on country radio. Billie Joe Shaver, same thing. You might hear him sing occasionally on some red dirt country station, but you won't hear him on any mainstream stations, and its been that way forever. But then Waylon Jennings recorded an ENTIRE album of his songs.

Not too many wrote great songs in the same volume as Willie Nelson. He had a ton of hits, and some of his songs were bigger hits when sung by other people (crazy). But Johnny Cash had bigger hits than Willie with the songs he wrote and performed. I put Merle Haggard in the same category with both those guys. Big hits with songs they wrote, and covered by a ton of people. Dolly too. She has written maybe a few thousand songs, and had some huge hits (I said HITS not tits) and was covered (I will always love you). But Hank Sr did it before any of them.

I'll give you Alan Jackson as far as commercial success with his own songs. But he still isn't as great as Strait, 60 #1 hits.

It is all about what the individual listener values. I will always hold artists who write their own music in higher esteem. George Strait is iconic and a terrific performer, but there is a cap on how much I can appreciate "his" music.

Crash Davis said:

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It is all about what the individual listener values. I will always hold artists who write their own music in higher esteem. George Strait is iconic and a terrific performer, but there is a cap on how much I can appreciate "his" music.

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Same, and same with Elvis.

Trivia - George Straits longtime band leader was a young Wacoan from Richfield, Ronnie Huckaby

Not Overrated.

In 1992 I was browsing the new release section at Sound Warehouse on Valley Mills Drive and I came across his Pure Country Soundtrack. This was my CD I bought without any knowledge of what any song would sound like and it's still my favorite George album of all time.

Overrated? It all depends on what you're using George for. For instance, tonight, on the way home from dinner when your wife is a little tipsy, put George on the cd and have him tell her, "that wasn't my chair after all."

In the morning, let us know if he's overrated.

At the point he performs with his ballcap backwards, the bill flat and wearing straight legged jeans he will be highly overrated. Until then, he has earned his accolades (or so say the 100,000+ that saw him at Jerryworld)